Descending

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by TBHtjd
Basically I am a very timid descender. I recently biked accross America and encountered lots of descents (of course). I started the trip descending comfortably at 40-45 MPH, but as the trip went on and I encountered fast speed I had the deadly wobble (or shimmy), which shook all confidence out of me. I was hoping to get some tips to regain and build confidence, also suggestions on equipment which my facilitate my descending. Thanks!

-Tim

The shimmy shouldn't worry you, if your bike does start to resonate try to dampen the shake by dampening it with a thigh on the top tube or different position on the seat.

Make sure the bike is set up correctly, and in good condition!

Try following a good technical descender and see how they take their lines and how they watch the road and terrain for clues on how to take the corner... e.g. look up for telegraph poles which follow the road.

Dont worry about puncturing...

Dont over use brakes, try to be smooth when cornering.

Watch the road surface, is it smooth, are there trees which are sheltering it from the sun so its cold/damp.

but, for fast descending, i think the best advice is...take out your brain and put it in a jar... at least until you get to the bottom.

😄

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by tuney
The shimmy shouldn't worry you, if your bike does start to resonate try to dampen the shake by dampening it with a thigh on the top tube or different position on the seat.

Make sure the bike is set up correctly, and in good condition!

Try following a good technical descender and see how they take their lines and how they watch the road and terrain for clues on how to take the corner... e.g. look up for telegraph poles which follow the road.

Dont worry about puncturing...

Dont over use brakes, try to be smooth when cornering.

Watch the road surface, is it smooth, are there trees which are sheltering it from the sun so its cold/damp.

but, for fast descending, i think the best advice is...take out your brain and put it in a jar... at least until you get to the bottom.

😄

Thanks

look up when going through corners, not down at your front wheel. When you are looking up it feels like you aren't going to get around tight enough, but just trust that you will. What happens when you look at the front wheel is you tend to go into the corner too much so you slow down and readjust your line etc.

what is the best way to take a curve when on flat ground or descents?

If the bike start to shake or wobble, try relaxing your grips on the handlebars. What happens is that if you tighten your grips, the vibration on the front-end is being transmitted all over the bike. Also, look to where your going. Motorcyclist use these all the time.