1. On the downhills: swallow your fear and lean the bike. On clean dry
smooth pavement a road bike can lean over further than you think. That
doesn't mean "no fear" it just means that you should know the cornering
limits are higher than it seems. Just keep it smooth and gradually gain lean
angle comfort. If you can, take a ride with an experienced rider on the back
of a tandem (or a motorcycle, if you dare!). It will reset your intuition
about cornering limits.
2. In a pack, keep your front wheel behind his rear wheel -- no overlap --
so if he swerves from side to side he can't hit your front wheel and take
you down. Also keep your hands ready to use the brakes. To some extent, you
have to trust the person you're drafting. If you don't trust him or you
don't feel comfortable, either don't draft or get behind a steady rider you
trust.
Personally, I can't stand riding in large groups. I put more miles on my
bicycles than I do on my car and still I hate riding in packs, especially
with strangers, and even more especially with club rides. Too crowded!
There's nothing wrong with riding solo or in small groups of people you
trust. This lets you build up your skills in a comfortable way. And you get
to enjoy the peace and solitude.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Kelly, Katie
> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 12:22 PM
> To: ba-autox@autox.team.net
> Subject: Going Downhill
>
>
> I really like cycling, but I'm terrible on the descents. I have
> such a hard
> time convincing myself that I can go fast downhill through a turn
> and I won't
> die.
>
> It's quite humbling, because in the group ride this morning, I
> really, REALLY
> lagged behind. I actually liked the climbs, because I knew that's
> when I could
> catch up to everyone. In fact, the climbs appear to be the only
> place where I
> demonstrate any sort of natural ability, thanks to my Saturday
> coach's great
> advice of just peddling faster. But as soon as we get to a downhill, my
> chicken gene kicks in. I know I set up for the turn right, but then I just
> watch everyone pull ahead, while I'm battling my brain just to
> convince myself
> that my wheels WILL stay connected to this earth.
>
> It's kind of embarassing and humbling. That, and just riding with a group.
> It's hard to convince myself that tailgating is good. Especially riding in
> traffic, like with stop lights and cars. Bikes don't have
> brakelights. What do
> you do when the person in front of you makes a sudden stop?
> Doesn't it just
> make sense to leave ample space between you and the person in
> front of you?
> That's how it seems to me, but I'm all alone in this view point. The group
> takes off, and I'm left way behind. So, obviously, something's got to give
> here.
>
> I'm just going to keep practicing, though, and little by little,
> I trust I'll
> gain in confidence. This is definitely something I don't want to
> force. That
> could hurt a lot. Any tips would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Katie
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