tire tread on the 700x23 or thereabouts commonly equipped for road bikes is really of value for style than effect. in the rain, tread is still not effective, as these are too narrow to hydroplane.
i ride at 50 almost everyday, and have descended with some truly fast riders at times. i have picked some things up, at times from watching these guys from behind.
some commonalties of the fast descender, that can be counted on at speed:
-know the road and practice, know how to pick a line apropos for the radius and speed. an mtb background is an advantage here.
-brake before the turn, do not overcook it.
-if you be so bold as to pass a truly fast descender, know you are probably in over your head, and may do well to relinquish your lead...
-your body position affects your speed, tuck down a bit, off you go.
sit up, you get wind drag that decreases speed. slightly spreading you knees and elbows increases this effect.
-use proportionately less rear brakes to avoid skidding, the front brake can be used heavily on the straights, modulate the brakes to this end.
-when it is super steep (15% + or so) get off the saddle and position your hips back so as to keep weight on the rear wheel, this provides more stopping capability.
-have your bike setup with a position that is practical for good bike handling, a stem that is too high will tend to result in a shaky characteristic.
-keep weght on your feet, this keeps your center of gravity low. sometimes, when nervous, you may tense up the hamstrings and forget to push down on your pedals. avoid this.
-pinch the top tube between your knees, this can be psychologicaly calming, and perhaps add some stability.
-look ahead, far ahead, scan constantly, without quick darting glances, but with deliberate calm. this will give time to make decisions and reactions re braking and cornering.
-your bike must be adjusted perfectly, no shoddy headset or untrue wheels.
-hold the drops, lower your head, and roll your eyes up to postion you head without neck fatigue.
-watch out for tapping a pedal during cranking and cornering, know how much lean angle this takes.
-use damn good sunglasses, preferably without lenses that are too dark, as this will cause eye strain. racing red, vermillion, or persimmon are good lens colors.
-do not use a death grip, keep the grip and elbows somewhat loose, this will result in finer control.
-do not unnecessarily ride the brakes, esp. on the straights, as this will just cause fatigue.
-confidence and skill take years to perfect, one thing i have found is it is much safer to err just on the side of caution than to go all out...while being very near as fast.
-learn your style, bike handling is a fluid dance, and there are subtle variation among riders and their bike handling expressions.
-stay mostly neutral with regard to body postion, jutting the knees, shoulders or elbows out in exagerated body english fashion does not increase speed or handling finesse.
-constanly scan all the above until intuitive. good lick, but if you let it all hang out and biff, do not blame me, even though i believe a crash or two can raise the skill level, as it is the surest way to know the applied physics of exceeding the limits.
Pablo Juan said:
What are the opinions out there regarding building more decending confidence?
I am a relatively new roadie and can't seem to shake the images in my mind of crashing out that try to surface whilst downhilling at 60 +/-. I'm still on the supplied tyres that came with my bike - Specialized slicks. Do most riders train on 'slicks' or a tyre with some sort of tread, and how does tyre type/profile and road conditions affect the anxiety levels of you roadies out there? - I'm talking training rides here - not all-out-risk taking that might be understandable in race situations.