Help: scared going down hills!

[Tonto]

"I had a bad crash when I started riding "
this was did it for me. came round a corner and went for a nice slide across the road into oncoming traffic. i'll never forget the look on the face of the truck driver that managed to stop his truck just before i went under it.
trusting my tyres regardless of their make is probably closer to my issue.
going straight is fine, but any curvature in the road...

Wow that sounds bloody scary.
I used to be comfortable enough on most descents until about a year ago coming down a very steep hill, on a bumpy, damp, narrow road with big, deep, scary, rock-filled ditches. I got a severe case of the speed wobbles. I was doing just under 70kph I could feel the tyres skipping over the little bumps on the road, the frame was vibrating like crazy and I had that horrifying realisation that the situation was beyond my control. I resisted the temptation to brake and just hung on for dear life. It didn't help when I whooshed past my buddy with his legs stick upwards out of the ditch and his bike still moving through the air! He turned out to be ok. A bit scratched and bruised and he'd mangled one of his shifters and shattered his sunglasses.
For some reason I haven't recovered since then. Not able to go above 40kph. Which, to be honest is pretty ****. I have a new bike now with a better frame, carbon forks and higher spec brakes so I'm hoping this helps me start feeling more comfortable.

 

[KatieS]

I was doing just under 70kph I could feel the tyres skipping over the little bumps on the road, the frame was vibrating like crazy and I had that horrifying realisation that the situation was beyond my control.

It's exactly that feeling that I'm afraid of!

I resisted the temptation to brake and just hung on for dear life. It didn't help when I whooshed past my buddy with his legs stick upwards out of the ditch and his bike still moving through the air! He turned out to be ok. A bit scratched and bruised and he'd mangled one of his shifters and shattered his sunglasses.
For some reason I haven't recovered since then. Not able to go above 40kph. Which, to be honest is pretty ****.

Sounds totally rational to me! Actually, I would be happy if I could bring myself to go at 40kph tbh!

 

[sogood]

Actually, I would be happy if I could bring myself to go at 40kph tbh!

Confidence in your equipment is obviously a significant issue. Is there anything that worries you about your equipment? Good wheels, tyres, frame won't shimmy or give unpredictable responses.