Runner 1

Okay, this is going to come off as really pansy-ish, but I don't know any of you personally so...

About 4 days ago I got my new bike, a CAAD10, which was an upgrade from the cheap mountain bike I've been riding around. I live in a really hilly area, and find myself switching from a high gear to the lowest gear quite frequently. Well, this bike flies on the downhills -- much more so than the mountain bike -- and it's sort of scary. For some reason, I actually feel safer on the mountain bike (although it's probably liable to disintegrate halfway down the hill). Maybe it's the wide tires or something.

Anyway, my main concern is the speed I reach. One hill today was so steep that I was squeezing on the brakes and still going 35. I also recently realized that if I slam quickly on the brakes on this bike, it will skid (it sort of squeaks and then jumps). So if I'm flying downhill and need to stop suddenly for whatever reason, I'm sort of out of luck.

I assume with more time on this bike, I'll feel more in control, but for now, what is a good speed to limit myself to on the descents? I realize you can seriously injure yourself at 4mph, but if you were to graph speed @ time of crash vs likelihood of serious injury, there would be some point at which the risk is fairly low. Maybe 25 mph? What's funny though is that I feel a lot safer sprinting 25 on flat ground than I do going down a hill.

I don't really know what I'm asking actually. I guess if anyone has felt similarly or has some advice just let me know.

98TJ

https://cgi.ebay.com/Ciamillo-Zero-G-...item20b93909ed

+

https://cgi.ebay.com/SWISSSTOP-RACE-P...item56431aa092

Good modulation and they don't have a problem slowing me down at 185lbs.

climber7

you'll get used to the speed. you'll also get used to braking and know how hard to brake to stop as quickly as possible without skidding. when braking, slide your butt backwards so your weight is all the way on the back of (or even sort of behind) the saddle and brace yourself against the handlebars with your hands/arms. that will allow you to brake harder without flipping over the bars.

i don't think there's a magic speed. the injury risk is obviously higher at higher speeds, but landing on your head at 20 mph is probably worse than skidding on your back at 30 mph. that's mostly beyond your control. if the environment is safe (not a lot of traffic, no stoplight/intersection at the bottom), stick to the upper end of what feels comfortable. as you get used to it, go faster if you want.

there's no rule that says you need to bomb down hills, though. if you'd rather ride the brakes and stay at 25 mph, that's fine (as long as you're not racing).

awesomejack

You'll learn the limit of the brakes. The fastest possible way to stop is to use the front brake exclusively right up to the point before skidding. You can stop faster by not skidding than by skidding.

You'll slowly get used to the speed. Just go at the speed that you're comfortable with, and once you feel safer at that speed, then increase you speed each ride as much as you feel safe. You'll go faster with time

Velo Vol 

It depends on the road but obviously you want to go slow enough so that it doesn't get in your head and cause you to start freaking out.

It helps if you maintain a lower center of gravity, particularly going around corners.

Handelfan

I suppose it depends on if the descents are curvy or straight.

On long, straight descents, forget the brakes and have fun.

On curvy ones - you'll get more comfortable over time for sure. It helps to get down into the drops, and try and get your center of gravity (your rear, for all practical purposes) further back. That way you'll feel a bit more stable, and you'll have a solid grip on the bars and be able to get to the brakes. Make sure you consciously put weight onto the outer foot when turning, and don't be afraid to lean.

Also, instead of "grabbing" the brakes, feather them - just tapping each one back and forth, that will help scrub off some speed without causing you to skid out.

I have some curvy hillclimbs (and subsequently curvy descents) around me, and I usually draw the comfort line around 25. Hairpins - way less. Straights - lightning.

jrobe

Fear is good. Obviously, cyclists can die on downhill descents (ie. this week at the Giro).

There is nothing wrong with slowing down a little on the hills. Make sure you have good brakes that are properly adjusted, high quality brake pads and a good dose of common sense. Some of the obstacles aren't even predictable (loose dirt on the road, front tire flats, etc.). I had to swerve around a damn deer on a descent this week.

calbrner

is it normal to have your bike shake pretty heavily at 40+ mph going downhill? and this was on smooth roads too.

JonnyHK 

Speed wobble?

Couple of threads on that around.

Also see - https://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/...akes-its-head/

calbrner

That was helpful.

Thanks.

Whenever it happened to me I just assumed my frame wasn't made for this. hahah

Mansram01

You just more practice. A lot of good advice here. I highly doubt that you need to replace your brakes. It's all about technique. Go down a descent regularly until your comfortable. You'll quickly learn your limits. As for a speed wobble, you're on your own. Just kidding!

Ecumbent

I like fast descents but I'm on a long wheel base recumbent.

What I did learn is mechanical disk brakes aren't any better than good center pull or cantilever brakes.

bikerjp

The caad is a surprisingly stable bike and the 10 has the tapered headtube as well. I just posted about my new speed record (52mph) and I think I've decided going that fast is nuts. Thing is, the more you ride the more confident you get - until you crash. If you don't want to go fast, don't. The brakes on the caad may be nothing special but they work fine for me when I use them. However, I have noticed that if you let the bike get moving pretty fast then the best they do is keep it from going much faster rather than actually slow it down - on a steep hill that is.

Waves77

Do Caad's still come with the crappy tektro brakes? I noticed a huge difference after upgrading them (yes, I did upgrade the pads only first).

grolby

FFS, Zero-G is not what most would consider the last word in stopping power for bicycle brakes.

Carbon Unit

The first few times I hit a down hill at close to 40 MPH the bike was shaking and it was scary. I told a friend he said, you are probably squeezing the bars too hard. I checked in on the next down hill and he was right, no more shaking. I will still hit the brakes a little if I get going much faster than 40, but just enough to slow it down a little.

RobertL

What differences did you notice, just stopping better, or more? My bike has Tektro R540 brakes and while I have thought about upgrading them, but haven't done so yet.

Waves77

Better stopping power, better modulation. It was definitely worth it.

Mansram01

I was thinking the same thing only because one of my bikes has Zero G's.

LesterOfPuppets

+1 to it totally depends on the road you're on. Driveway and sidestreet count, local deer population density, length and breadth of sightlines, etc.

The best way to conquer fear of speed is to borrow a friend's motorcycle for a couple of days.

As far as brakes are concerned, I always use both but I keep my rear brake de-tuned so it's more difficult to lock it up on dry, clean pavement.

topflightpro

OP, as others have said, get in the drops and feather the brakes.

You want to be in the drops for three reasons:
1. it lowers your center of gravity and gives you better balance.
2. it positions your hands so you have better leverage on the brake levers
3. it puts your hands behind the bars so that if you do hit a bump or hit your front brake too hard, your hands will not slip off the front of the bars.

Another thing to help you with stability as you go down hill is to keep your pedals level - at 3 and 9 o'clock - and to clamp your knees on the top tube.

Also, 35 mph is not that fast. I've crossed 60 with a crosswind - that is scary. And I've done 45 on winding switchbacks. Hell, I've hit 38 just doing sprints. Keep practicing and you'll get used to it.

As for the suggestion of Zero G brakes, the new cam lever is definitely better than the old, but they do not offer the same modulation and stopping power of dual pivot brakes like Shimano or Sram. In fact, I have finally given up on mine, after five years, and just swapped to Red brakes.

98TJ

They're light years ahead of the 105 stuff I had. I don't feel I need more stopping power on this bike, that's for sure.

What do "most" consider to be the "last word" in stopper power? I've found there is no "last word" because everyone has a personal preference.

Then there's the fanboy factor.

Bioluminescence

It's probably becau- Oh. Wait. Everyone else has already given legitimate suggestions.

You could choose to fashion a small parachute that you deploy on steep descends.

Waves77

Dura Ace

valleycyclist

You can definitely try 700x25 tires on the bike and inflate them slightly less than the 700x23 tires. You should feel better at higher speeds with that setup.