Question about brakes...

mskaufman84 said:

So on a ride i do once in a while i need to use the brakes coming down a huge hill to keep the speed under 50mph. I worry that im going to heat up the rims so much that im going to end up exploding my tires (the rims are hot to the touch when i get to the bottom. Are their any techniques i can use to lessen the heat buildup/break wear ive been getting?

Yup: don't drag the brakes. Seriously. Good descending technique involves braking only when you need to brake. You won't explode a tire, but it has happened on occasion that a bead has failed.

What you need to do is work on getting comfortable at higher speeds. Dragging your brakes indicates some discomfort with higher speeds, which likely means that you're also not as relaxed as you could possibly be on descents. A relaxed rider, on a fast descent, is a rider well in control of his bike. Now, I know that not everyone is instantly comfortable at higher speeds, and it is something that some folks have to work at.

The fastest I've ever gone on a descent was 62mph--for people in countries that don't use the stupid, archaic units of measurement that we use here in the USofByGodWe'llTellYouHowToLiveA, that would be 99.8kph--and it was nothing to write home about in terms of excitement.

The bigger hazard of concern, when descending while dragging your brakes, is melting your brake pads a bit and then not having good brakes when you need 'em the most.

- can try to sit up a bit , acts like an air-brake.

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Pump the brakes, rather than a steady application. A quick jab to bring the speed down, then let it build back up. Gives the rim some time to cool down.

This gets to be a real problem on a tandem, where the weight is almost double, but the braking surface isn't much larger. They pick up speed on a downhill, quick! That's why a lot of tandems include a drag brake, a drum on the rear wheel that doesn't put heat on the rim.

I haven't heard of clinchers bursting, but I have heard of the heat softening the glue holding a tubie on, with catastrophic results on the next sharp turn. Makes you appreciate the skill a good descender like Savodelli has.