I do now. I used to be a terrible descender but a club mate gave me some great advice about tire pressure and it turned out my TP was way too high. Now, instead of feeling like I am descending on skates I feel glued to the road which has massively increased my ability to relax.
Mistake no. 6: don't share your Strava top speed data with your mother, if you are on vacation in the alps. Not even if you are already in your mid fourties...😂
There is no substitute for knowing the road you're on. All the technic in the world won't count for beans if you come into a decreasing radius way too fast, without having slowed down first. Great tips, but practice on a road you know, and build up on roads you don't. Aso another trick that helps is if you do find yourself having to stop faster than expected, get your weight behind your saddle. It will help prevent a launch over the bars.
#6 Always remember, you are NOT alone on the road: Going fast down a hill is often fun, but always remember to be aware of your surroundings at all times and to stay in your lane as much as possible! A high speed can result in a crash AT high speed, and no one want that, so always keep your head on a swivel!
@@0dcd9530 Never discredit good advice just because someone is riding a creaky bike... Doing so is short sighted and potentially dangerous. You can't judge a person's experience and knowledge just on what they're riding, and if you think you can that's one heck of an assumption.
Good advice! #6: as you mentioned, alternate between drops and hoods. But for god’s sake, be in the drops when it’s really technical. Not only for the turn technique, but if you hit bad tarmac, you’ll be much more stable. Have learned this the hard way. 😅
7. Don't over cook it on a new road. Did so last week, locked up when a van came round the bend and I switched to MTB skills to ride the gap on the verge to slide round it. I am lucky and I was stupid. Bruised shoulder to remind me I need to slow down on new descents.
From my years of motorcyling, I'd recommend 'reading' the road ahead. Where safe, use the full width of your lane to maximise your view around bends, and use 'vanishing point' to judge how bends tighten or open out (if the point where the road vanishes from view is getting closer then the bend is tightening, if the vanishing point recedes away the bend is opening out). Many more 'reading' skills carry over from motorcycling, where speeds are (always?) comparable to cycling descents.
Braking before the corner: think of it this way - Your tires are what actually stops you, not your brakes. Brakes just dissipate energy into heat, but tires need traction to slow you down. When you brake, tires need to "borrow" some traction in order to slow you down, therefore you don't have 100% of traction to keep you on the course. Which was shown in the video by being pushed to the outside of the corner. The harder you brake, the more reaction you borrow for slowing down. Therefore, brake before the corner in the straight, then keep all 100% of available traction to keep you on the right track in the corner.
Keep an eye out for breaks in wind shelter like fields after a row of trees or cross streets. A surprise crosswind blast can be unnerving at high speed.
I'm 67 years old and recently got back into cycling (loving it!). I live in an area with very hilly terrain and a lot of wildlife, so I am afraid to descend very fast because animals run across the road in front of me with no notice. A few days ago a red fox ran out in front of me on a descent - I was glad I wasn't going too fast and was able to avoid it. At my age I really don't want to crash!
I can relate to that. I've got an essential tremor which kicked in on a steep descent in the wet. Every time I tried applying the brakes the front wheel started to shake, badly. Had to release the brakes, tell myself to calm down then try again. I don't know how I survived that one. Never been so fxxxxxx scared in my life!
Some bikes get speed wobbles triggered more easily than others. It’s pretty terrifying the first time it happens. With one of my previous bikes the quickest fix was to have my weight further forward and clasp the top tube between knees. What I wanted to do was brake and sit up which worsened the effect!
I’m a similar age and got back into it again about three years ago. I’m much less hung-ho than I was in my twenties. More conscious of my mortality than I was back then and also realise if I do have a spill, recovery will take a bit longer!
I never liked descents until I did some hill repeats (it was roughly 20 minutes up / 8 down). Longer time to get used to it without getting too tired and learning a particular descent was great for confidence
One mistake I see all the time is rear ends planted firmly in the saddle on rough descents. If the road is rough, lift your butt out of the saddle just slightly, putting all your weight on the pedals and bars. Let the bike rock underneath you. It's like suspension. Also, for technical descents: GET IN THE DROPS!
I had never throught about brakes being set up opposite. My wife and I were just in Ireland (from the US) and rented some bikes for a day. We were told that the brakes were opposite but when my wife needed to do a quick stop, muscle memory took over and she locked up the front wheel which resulted in an endo.
Can fully relate to the "not relaxing" part Had a crash a couple of months ago during a steep but short descent and since then I've been tense during any noticeable descent, and so I've been trying sort of subconsciously to avoid them Have to work on that
Also the "brakes set up the wrong way" is interesting This is something I have never once stopped to think about in general, as all bikes I've ridden have been in the "right brake front" format I just automatically assumed that is how all bikes are set up, like how a car would always have the gas pedal on the right But it makes sense that that wouldn't be the case
Bikes in countries where one drives on the right hand side are officially set up as left brake front, and vice-versa, for practical safety reasons to do with hand signals. It's definitely not easy to make the mental switch when going between systems if your physical reflexes have been built up over a lifetime of cycling.
@@RedshiftDougal Ahh Now I get it I'm from a driving on the left country, so that explains why bikes here have the right brake front format Had no idea it worked like this depending on the driving side of the road Thanks for the info
@@gcn Luckily, I have recovered bodily just fine It's a matter of mental recovery now I kind of have a mild fear of slopes now I can still go down them fine but I find myself holding onto the breaks too often Let's see what that video has for me
💪Keep your hands in the drops!!! 1. You lower your point of gravity, which increases your stability. 2. You can break harder than when you have your hands on the hoods. 3. You are less vulnerable on rough roads. 💪Bend your arms!!! 1. You lower your point of gravity, which increases your stability. 2. You are more areodynamic, which increases your speed. 3. When approaching a corner, you can stretch your arms, lift your body and use it as an airbrake. 💪Push your butt behind your sadle!!! (And the front of your sadle between your thighs)1. You can brake harder (on the front brake = your most effective brake) before your bike starts to tilt and you do a roll over your handlebars. 2. You are more flexible, not sitting on your sadle, so you can use your (bent!) legs and arms as shockabsorbers. 3. You can steer your bike by moving your bodyweight.
Watch out for gravel in the middle of the road, or on your line through a corner! Make sure you get to the apex of the bend. I've been caught out by both of those 😅
1:04: Why don’t you ever discuss counter steering on fast downhills? I never use my feet to control my cornering. I don’t see the need for it when counter steering always works. This is how I was taught to ride a motorcycle.
I love the speed, I am 72yrs old , loved the video but please emphasise the safety aspect of doing a recce on a new descent. I raced in the French Alps in the 1990´s without a recce and hit a hairpin where I was losing it but fortunately managed to feather the brakes and do a slide round the corner which had a sheer drop!
I always go by mantra better delayed than dead. I'll go fast downhill which for me is 40mph+ if I can see road ahead is clear and safe, if not I'll ease off. I see far too many cyclists going way too fast for conditions or around blind bends on narrow road. Madness.
Definitely made the mistake of not pedalling at the front. I was disciplined rather quickly by a not so polite member of the bunch behind me. Lesson learned.
You know it... Look where you want to go.... If you look at the wet man hole cover, or pile of horse shit, you are going over it. Look where you want to go, the best advice for motor bikes or push bikes.
Good content and things I follow and have for years. Descending is my fave discipline where i've gone 119kph at my fastest recorded speed. Then again, being 198cm and 82kg makes me drop like a stone. Interestingly, I'm in Canada and have always had my brakes set up right hand, front brake - rode motos in my youth and never wanted to mix up braking on either. I will add this as a #whatever: make yourself as low and as NARROW as possible. In straightish lines I put my hands on the tops on either side of the stem and pull my knees inboard. It can give you up to 5kph more at terminal velocity.
Nice explanations, Conor! Descents are never long enough for me. I love the feeling of flying and going faster than I can physically pedal a bike. In my mind, I'm total Pidcock 🎉
I did order once a roda bike from UK (before Brexit) and noticed brakes were set ”wrongly” as back brake on left. I tried to learn into it, but as a Finn and for over 30 Years other way; it was just impossible! Before taking off to the Alps I just took cables off and changed as it should be. Didn’t want to get into crash because using wrong settings! Old dog doesn’t learn new tricks! 😁
Yes, on a road bike the rear brake should be on the right side and the weird part is that on the motorcycle it is front brake on right side and that is also "normal" to me.🤯
I don't have a motorcycle licence, and I never stop wondering how on earth do people get used to this… If I were to ride a motorcycle, I wonder if in an emergency I would just end up vainly squeezing the clutch and crashing, because my muscle memory would tell me that that's the front brake! But then, perhaps the handling characteristics are so different due to the large mass that that somehow helps you to remember what you should do. Or the need to constantly squeeze that clutch lever while accelerating.
Yeah so much fun to get hyper speeds. 59 mph is my top speed. Others moght hit that alot just the once for me so far. I used to ride the edge. Not anymore moving that quick, i take the lane. Thanks for the tips
agreed with taking the lane. it is dangerous to try to hug the edge of the road at high speed, but taking the lane requires to change the mindset from flat sections.
My biggest mistake has been going too fast on unfamiliar roads. If there hadn't been a grass bank on the outside of a bend which was tighter than I anticipated I would have been wrapped around a tree on a Pyrenean mountainside. Not realising speed bumps had been added to a fast local road was surprising and painful. Overshooting a junction across a dual carriageway because I fumbled the braking was another worrying moment. Err on the side of safety rather than speed.
Descending is the reason I ride, the reward for a brutal climb. Great, simple informative vid o Giant Leprechaun!!! (You need to do one for gravel too.) I have my brakes set up so that the rear brakes isn't quite as tight at the fore brake like I did when delivering papers. It has helped me 'drift' through a couple of mistakes when picking my line of descent.
So, taking what I have learned from car racing, brake first, then turn. (Usually) Why? Trying to brake and turn asks fhe rubber to do 2 things at once, which splits its effectiveness. Its easier and safer to brake first in a straight line, then take your turn. If youre being super optimal, "trail brake". Brake hard, then ease off the brakes as you turn in.
Yes, and ideally lift off by the time you hit the apex. (there are some exceptions to this rule) Start lifting off the rear brake sooner. Not braking until you are near the apex after you've started turning will make you crash.
@@gregmuon yup! Same concepts apply. I have a nasty downhill twisty section I am seconds away from KOM, I'm just working out the final turn which is an increasing radius, so nailing the entrance is key. Once I figure it out, its mine.
PS. Piece of advice I have never heard before is jamming the foot into the outside pedal. Tried it this weekend and hey presto, much tighter on the bends! Tx C
I find descending a lot of switchbacks easier on the drops and when the road is bumpy easier to avoid hands slipping off. Also I get sore fingers trying to brake from hoods so only do that on super long and slow descending
Super helpful video Conor & gcn! Great content and tips. Having probably passed out descending whilst doing HIIT hill reps on the Niagara Escarpment, I've promised my family to use the breaks more to mitigate any further possible crashes, but I can still use these tips now that I've fully recovered from a bike crash!
I have one favourite descent, for which I put on larger chainrings step by step - with only 60kg, I have to keep on pedaling. Now I have to switch back to Shimano cranks, as the next chainring is only available for Shimanos 130mm bcd. I hope it will help to exceed 60mph.
A rookie mistake that nearly caused me to crash while riding a bike at the very beginning: forgetting to keep my pedal on the side I was turning raised
Second video in a row that Conor's bike is making a cracking sound when climbing... How about a video explaining how to find a noise whilst pedaling? Is it the headset, seatpost, or bottom bracket?
Not necessarily even limited to those! I had a case where my bike started creaking badly after every 10k or so, when the components had heated up. I finally and quite accidentally discovered that it was the rear hub, which had been left improperly tightened by a bike shop after performing hub service, just when I was convinced that I have no other option left than to replace my pressfit BB!
Год назад+2
It is better to brake a bit harder then release the brakes and leave them cool down rather than keep constantly breaking for the whole descent. It is the same in the car. In the Alps, you can see a lot of people standing on the side of the road with smoke going from the wheels. Brake in pulses - break, reales, brake, release...
oh boy, this reminds me of the time when i was new to road cycling (german, living near the swiss/austrian border) and went to an huge climb in the alps only to realise that i also at some point would have to go down too... my brakes died that day.
Again another video with great advice. I’ve been breaking on most of my descents all the way down to the bottom, especially main roads with junctions but also on country roads with barely any. There’s always this voice in the back of mind that keeps saying don’t keep breaking ffs it’s frustrating, your killing the enjoyment lol.
Besides the brake setup, I would like to add the brake balance. I personally like the front to respond just a bit quicker than the rear when pressing the levers simultaneously, because the front has to cope with the most weight/force. It can also prevent locking and sliding of the back wheel under heavy breaking.
A simple and important rule: you steer where you look. It is important to see the ideal line far ahead of the wheel at high speed. High speed = looking far ahead, and better to ride slowly if you can't see the road far enough.
Learn to use the bend on the handlebars correctly even in head wind. If it is a corner in the end of the descent - go high on the handlebars as an airbreak. If it is straight and safe to pick up some speed - go for it!
Here’s a question brought on by the video which may be best answered by Ollie the cycling scientist. I know from many videos and articles as well as personal experience that you should push hard on the outside pedal in a fast corner, but why? It seems to me to go against the centripetal forces in play. You have to lean in hard, so why push hard on the outside foot?
Stand up with your butt on the rear of the saddle for more braking power and to also slow down by parachuting through the wind so you dont wear out your brakes grinding them
Haven't had much experience with anything other than short downhills. My town is in a valley so there's a nice 30mph descent on the way home from anywhere.
I hate descending. Have had two speed wobbles in the past which I was very lucky not to crash from. My bike seems particularly prone to this or is it me ? When I had an aluminium frame I was fine but this carbon is a different story. As a result I take it easy.
Thing that worries me is the out of control speed. I haven’t figured out how to use my environment to work on it, don’t have reliable routing info to figure out safe spots and steepness.
Getting used to speed and hard stops is a really the one with the most benefits. First, you get used to the speed, in a straight line 80-90 kph on a well-set-up bike are no drama. Second, you're not murdering your hands and brakes, I guess this applies more to rim brakes. And finally, you are learning how to decrease speed properly before your health and safety depends on it.
Good reminders. Just curious, did you all get a new electric camera vehicle in the last year? I noticed it a while ago but keep forgetting to ask. What are you using now?
Another tip: High altitude mountains never ever use high profile rims on the front wheel. Even if you're doing everything right, a strong gust of wind in a corner will put you down. High altitude will not forgive this kind of mistakes ;)
Most important bit of advice: Unless you have the luxury of having a closed road all to your own, always ride with a safety margin, the larger the worse the conditions are (visibility, road surface, weather conditions, how narrow and winding the road is, how well you know the road, traffic, etc...). Taking a risk just to beat a downhill best time or top speed is definitely not worth it.
And don't drag your brakes. If you feel you go too fast it's better to brake harder for a short time, thus dropping quite a bit of speed, and then let go again. Dragging your brakes just makes your rims or discs hot thus decreasing their effectiveness. By braking hard and short you don't put a lot of heat into the brakes, and you give them time too cool off again.
Great video and useful for a fairly new cyclist. This has probably been asked before but, is Conor’s jersey a one off or are country flags available to order on GCN kit?
Exactly. In countries where you drive on the right you need your left hand free to signal that you are going to overtake or cross into other lanes at a junction while braking with your right hand. In countries where you drive on the left you’re gonna be signalling with your right hand, which means you’ll need your back wheel brake on your left hand instead. The reason being that turning at a crossing only being able to brake with your front wheel brake would be impractical.
It's an obsolete notion left over from when it was thought unsafe to use a front brake. (you'll flip over!!) I'm American and have always used right hand front brake, even though it isn't the standard here.
Also, Italians usually use right hand front brake, even though they drive on the right side of the road. That's why the old Campy Record brakes seemed to have the cable arms on the wrong side - at least for left hand front brake. When I was a teenager, we called right hand front "Italian style."
Its standardised in each country. Uk is wierd and has right front. Eu tends to be left front. Very freaky having them swapped when you are at 70k/h in Lanzarote.
While decending a steep and narrow road here in Southern Oregon, my wheels slipped out from under me and I ended up breaking a collar bone. This was 9 years ago and I haven't broken one since. I think I was going to fast and not being 100% 8n the moment. My advise to avoiding crashes is to keep your mind in the moment and think about what you are doing. Your eyes 👀 might be looking forward, but what is your brain 🧠 doing with that information?
Riding downhill in the drops will gain you more speed than when on the flat. Wind resistance increases with the square of your speed, so getting tucked down is a real boost. It is tempting to relax and ride with your hands on the hoods, but don't do it!
I know you have ti oander to everyone but personally i live in a giant valley filled with ups and downs so i spend a lot of tine decending so this feels like a bit of a waste for me
I live in an area like that but I'm still a really nervous descender and trying to learn to do better. There's plenty of people around here who do descents day in and day out but are not necessarily *good* at it
One mistake I made on a descent was riding head on into a stone wall and bending my band new folks. It was a little descent and there was a corner, on the outside of the corner was a courtyard with gravel. So I went wide hit the gravel and was able to do some braking before hitting the stone wall head on. A couple of weeks before this I had had some new folks make for my bike and they were beautiful, just perfectly sculpted and amazing, and then after hitting the wall they were bent so far back my front wheel was overlapping with my down tube by a few mm. So I had to use all my strength to try to straighten the forks enough so that my front wheel could point forwards. Then I had to go to the frame builder who built my new folks and ask him to put my old folks back on my bike, which wasn't so good, he was giving me a funny look.
Do you enjoy descending? 🚴
Yes! 😍It gives thirls, chills and smiles! 🤩
I do now. I used to be a terrible descender but a club mate gave me some great advice about tire pressure and it turned out my TP was way too high. Now, instead of feeling like I am descending on skates I feel glued to the road which has massively increased my ability to relax.
Yep 45 mph yesterday
It's kind of scary as a newer old rider.
No, I don't. Not one bit.
Mistake no. 6: don't share your Strava top speed data with your mother, if you are on vacation in the alps. Not even if you are already in your mid fourties...😂
Hahaha stay safe out there 😬
Or wife, she usually scolds me for riding fast downhill 😊
It’s not like I’m going 52mph ALL the time 😅
Bahahahaha I've told my family of my top speeds and they all were not enthused. Especially my wife 🤣🤣
@@cccycling5835 exactly!
There is no substitute for knowing the road you're on. All the technic in the world won't count for beans if you come into a decreasing radius way too fast, without having slowed down first. Great tips, but practice on a road you know, and build up on roads you don't. Aso another trick that helps is if you do find yourself having to stop faster than expected, get your weight behind your saddle. It will help prevent a launch over the bars.
#6 Always remember, you are NOT alone on the road: Going fast down a hill is often fun, but always remember to be aware of your surroundings at all times and to stay in your lane as much as possible! A high speed can result in a crash AT high speed, and no one want that, so always keep your head on a swivel!
THIS! We have to share the roads, let's be safe out there 🙌
Mistake #1: listening to advice from people riding creaky bikes.
How are you guys allowed to film that on such a crappy/badly setup bike?
@@0dcd9530 Never discredit good advice just because someone is riding a creaky bike... Doing so is short sighted and potentially dangerous. You can't judge a person's experience and knowledge just on what they're riding, and if you think you can that's one heck of an assumption.
Very Important thid should be pinned.
@@gcnPin it.
Good advice! #6: as you mentioned, alternate between drops and hoods. But for god’s sake, be in the drops when it’s really technical. Not only for the turn technique, but if you hit bad tarmac, you’ll be much more stable. Have learned this the hard way. 😅
It is Important to get used to both. Very important for breaking too.
7. Don't over cook it on a new road. Did so last week, locked up when a van came round the bend and I switched to MTB skills to ride the gap on the verge to slide round it. I am lucky and I was stupid. Bruised shoulder to remind me I need to slow down on new descents.
Amen to that, most can't drive a car on new roads much less a bike
From my years of motorcyling, I'd recommend 'reading' the road ahead. Where safe, use the full width of your lane to maximise your view around bends, and use 'vanishing point' to judge how bends tighten or open out (if the point where the road vanishes from view is getting closer then the bend is tightening, if the vanishing point recedes away the bend is opening out). Many more 'reading' skills carry over from motorcycling, where speeds are (always?) comparable to cycling descents.
Braking before the corner: think of it this way - Your tires are what actually stops you, not your brakes. Brakes just dissipate energy into heat, but tires need traction to slow you down. When you brake, tires need to "borrow" some traction in order to slow you down, therefore you don't have 100% of traction to keep you on the course. Which was shown in the video by being pushed to the outside of the corner. The harder you brake, the more reaction you borrow for slowing down. Therefore, brake before the corner in the straight, then keep all 100% of available traction to keep you on the right track in the corner.
Keep an eye out for breaks in wind shelter like fields after a row of trees or cross streets. A surprise crosswind blast can be unnerving at high speed.
I'm 67 years old and recently got back into cycling (loving it!). I live in an area with very hilly terrain and a lot of wildlife, so I am afraid to descend very fast because animals run across the road in front of me with no notice. A few days ago a red fox ran out in front of me on a descent - I was glad I wasn't going too fast and was able to avoid it. At my age I really don't want to crash!
I can relate to that. I've got an essential tremor which kicked in on a steep descent in the wet. Every time I tried applying the brakes the front wheel started to shake, badly. Had to release the brakes, tell myself to calm down then try again. I don't know how I survived that one. Never been so fxxxxxx scared in my life!
Some bikes get speed wobbles triggered more easily than others. It’s pretty terrifying the first time it happens. With one of my previous bikes the quickest fix was to have my weight further forward and clasp the top tube between knees. What I wanted to do was brake and sit up which worsened the effect!
I’m a similar age and got back into it again about three years ago. I’m much less hung-ho than I was in my twenties. More conscious of my mortality than I was back then and also realise if I do have a spill, recovery will take a bit longer!
I never liked descents until I did some hill repeats (it was roughly 20 minutes up / 8 down). Longer time to get used to it without getting too tired and learning a particular descent was great for confidence
Replace that BB!! 😂 Good video. Helpful tips for a beginner like myself.
Yeah, I thought I was the only one who heard the creaking.
One mistake I see all the time is rear ends planted firmly in the saddle on rough descents. If the road is rough, lift your butt out of the saddle just slightly, putting all your weight on the pedals and bars. Let the bike rock underneath you. It's like suspension. Also, for technical descents: GET IN THE DROPS!
I had never throught about brakes being set up opposite. My wife and I were just in Ireland (from the US) and rented some bikes for a day. We were told that the brakes were opposite but when my wife needed to do a quick stop, muscle memory took over and she locked up the front wheel which resulted in an endo.
An endo! If controlled you can pass it off as a trick 😂
@@gcn Yep, it's called a stoppie if you only rotate 90ish degrees.
Can fully relate to the "not relaxing" part
Had a crash a couple of months ago during a steep but short descent and since then I've been tense during any noticeable descent, and so I've been trying sort of subconsciously to avoid them
Have to work on that
Also the "brakes set up the wrong way" is interesting
This is something I have never once stopped to think about in general, as all bikes I've ridden have been in the "right brake front" format
I just automatically assumed that is how all bikes are set up, like how a car would always have the gas pedal on the right
But it makes sense that that wouldn't be the case
Ah nasty! We hope you fully recovered from the crash? This video on getting over fears might help 👉 ruclips.net/video/AZ0CWGNdeiE/видео.html
Bikes in countries where one drives on the right hand side are officially set up as left brake front, and vice-versa, for practical safety reasons to do with hand signals. It's definitely not easy to make the mental switch when going between systems if your physical reflexes have been built up over a lifetime of cycling.
@@RedshiftDougal Ahh
Now I get it
I'm from a driving on the left country, so that explains why bikes here have the right brake front format
Had no idea it worked like this depending on the driving side of the road
Thanks for the info
@@gcn Luckily, I have recovered bodily just fine
It's a matter of mental recovery now
I kind of have a mild fear of slopes now
I can still go down them fine but I find myself holding onto the breaks too often
Let's see what that video has for me
💪Keep your hands in the drops!!! 1. You lower your point of gravity, which increases your stability. 2. You can break harder than when you have your hands on the hoods. 3. You are less vulnerable on rough roads.
💪Bend your arms!!! 1. You lower your point of gravity, which increases your stability. 2. You are more areodynamic, which increases your speed. 3. When approaching a corner, you can stretch your arms, lift your body and use it as an airbrake.
💪Push your butt behind your sadle!!! (And the front of your sadle between your thighs)1. You can brake harder (on the front brake = your most effective brake) before your bike starts to tilt and you do a roll over your handlebars. 2. You are more flexible, not sitting on your sadle, so you can use your (bent!) legs and arms as shockabsorbers. 3. You can steer your bike by moving your bodyweight.
Watch out for gravel in the middle of the road, or on your line through a corner!
Make sure you get to the apex of the bend.
I've been caught out by both of those 😅
1:04: Why don’t you ever discuss counter steering on fast downhills? I never use my feet to control my cornering. I don’t see the need for it when counter steering always works. This is how I was taught to ride a motorcycle.
I love the speed, I am 72yrs old , loved the video but please emphasise the safety aspect of doing a recce on a new descent. I raced in the French Alps in the 1990´s without a recce and hit a hairpin where I was losing it but fortunately managed to feather the brakes and do a slide round the corner which had a sheer drop!
I always go by mantra better delayed than dead. I'll go fast downhill which for me is 40mph+ if I can see road ahead is clear and safe, if not I'll ease off. I see far too many cyclists going way too fast for conditions or around blind bends on narrow road. Madness.
See Giro Donne for this. Entering a blind turn on unknown road with the wrong line. Bad results.
Agree
Definitely made the mistake of not pedalling at the front. I was disciplined rather quickly by a not so polite member of the bunch behind me. Lesson learned.
4:55 creaking bottom bracket.
Make sure to look where you want to go through the turn and not where you're going. It will ensure you don't stray off line.
You know it... Look where you want to go.... If you look at the wet man hole cover, or pile of horse shit, you are going over it. Look where you want to go, the best advice for motor bikes or push bikes.
@@Nick-mu9nx I learned it from riding motorcycles. They make you a better rider and vice versa.
Good content and things I follow and have for years. Descending is my fave discipline where i've gone 119kph at my fastest recorded speed. Then again, being 198cm and 82kg makes me drop like a stone. Interestingly, I'm in Canada and have always had my brakes set up right hand, front brake - rode motos in my youth and never wanted to mix up braking on either. I will add this as a #whatever: make yourself as low and as NARROW as possible. In straightish lines I put my hands on the tops on either side of the stem and pull my knees inboard. It can give you up to 5kph more at terminal velocity.
Nice explanations, Conor! Descents are never long enough for me. I love the feeling of flying and going faster than I can physically pedal a bike. In my mind, I'm total Pidcock 🎉
We're all Pidcock in our minds 😂
Very informative. We need more videos like this one please. Like how to descent on a very twisty road
I did order once a roda bike from UK (before Brexit) and noticed brakes were set ”wrongly” as back brake on left. I tried to learn into it, but as a Finn and for over 30 Years other way; it was just impossible! Before taking off to the Alps I just took cables off and changed as it should be. Didn’t want to get into crash because using wrong settings! Old dog doesn’t learn new tricks! 😁
Yeah, it gets so deeply embedded in muscle memory.
Yes, on a road bike the rear brake should be on the right side and the weird part is that on the motorcycle it is front brake on right side and that is also "normal" to me.🤯
I don't have a motorcycle licence, and I never stop wondering how on earth do people get used to this… If I were to ride a motorcycle, I wonder if in an emergency I would just end up vainly squeezing the clutch and crashing, because my muscle memory would tell me that that's the front brake!
But then, perhaps the handling characteristics are so different due to the large mass that that somehow helps you to remember what you should do. Or the need to constantly squeeze that clutch lever while accelerating.
Yeah so much fun to get hyper speeds. 59 mph is my top speed. Others moght hit that alot just the once for me so far. I used to ride the edge. Not anymore moving that quick, i take the lane. Thanks for the tips
agreed with taking the lane. it is dangerous to try to hug the edge of the road at high speed, but taking the lane requires to change the mindset from flat sections.
@@andreasolsson2336 yeah i dont stay thier long just to make decent safer.
My biggest mistake has been going too fast on unfamiliar roads. If there hadn't been a grass bank on the outside of a bend which was tighter than I anticipated I would have been wrapped around a tree on a Pyrenean mountainside. Not realising speed bumps had been added to a fast local road was surprising and painful. Overshooting a junction across a dual carriageway because I fumbled the braking was another worrying moment. Err on the side of safety rather than speed.
Great video thank you Conor!!
Descending is the reason I ride, the reward for a brutal climb. Great, simple informative vid o Giant Leprechaun!!! (You need to do one for gravel too.) I have my brakes set up so that the rear brakes isn't quite as tight at the fore brake like I did when delivering papers. It has helped me 'drift' through a couple of mistakes when picking my line of descent.
So, taking what I have learned from car racing, brake first, then turn. (Usually)
Why? Trying to brake and turn asks fhe rubber to do 2 things at once, which splits its effectiveness. Its easier and safer to brake first in a straight line, then take your turn. If youre being super optimal, "trail brake". Brake hard, then ease off the brakes as you turn in.
Yes, and ideally lift off by the time you hit the apex. (there are some exceptions to this rule) Start lifting off the rear brake sooner. Not braking until you are near the apex after you've started turning will make you crash.
@@gregmuon yup! Same concepts apply.
I have a nasty downhill twisty section I am seconds away from KOM, I'm just working out the final turn which is an increasing radius, so nailing the entrance is key. Once I figure it out, its mine.
What about:
Your vision through the corners?
Your position on the road?
Your cornering lines?
Counter steering?
PS. Piece of advice I have never heard before is jamming the foot into the outside pedal. Tried it this weekend and hey presto, much tighter on the bends! Tx C
Side note, Connor is looking SHREDDED in this video!
I find descending a lot of switchbacks easier on the drops and when the road is bumpy easier to avoid hands slipping off. Also I get sore fingers trying to brake from hoods so only do that on super long and slow descending
Super helpful video Conor & gcn! Great content and tips. Having probably passed out descending whilst doing HIIT hill reps on the Niagara Escarpment, I've promised my family to use the breaks more to mitigate any further possible crashes, but I can still use these tips now that I've fully recovered from a bike crash!
Wow keep it steady! Take it easy and don't push yourself too much.
When descending on a fixie, the part about sitting up and putting elbows out goes triple! Mantra- "I will resemble a lorry!"
I have one favourite descent, for which I put on larger chainrings step by step - with only 60kg, I have to keep on pedaling. Now I have to switch back to Shimano cranks, as the next chainring is only available for Shimanos 130mm bcd. I hope it will help to exceed 60mph.
A rookie mistake that nearly caused me to crash while riding a bike at the very beginning: forgetting to keep my pedal on the side I was turning raised
Second video in a row that Conor's bike is making a cracking sound when climbing... How about a video explaining how to find a noise whilst pedaling? Is it the headset, seatpost, or bottom bracket?
Not necessarily even limited to those! I had a case where my bike started creaking badly after every 10k or so, when the components had heated up. I finally and quite accidentally discovered that it was the rear hub, which had been left improperly tightened by a bike shop after performing hub service, just when I was convinced that I have no other option left than to replace my pressfit BB!
It is better to brake a bit harder then release the brakes and leave them cool down rather than keep constantly breaking for the whole descent. It is the same in the car. In the Alps, you can see a lot of people standing on the side of the road with smoke going from the wheels. Brake in pulses - break, reales, brake, release...
I'm a total wuss on descents, especially steep ones on typical UK roads. Strictly leave any strava gains to flats/ascents.
oh boy, this reminds me of the time when i was new to road cycling (german, living near the swiss/austrian border) and went to an huge climb in the alps only to realise that i also at some point would have to go down too... my brakes died that day.
Again another video with great advice. I’ve been breaking on most of my descents all the way down to the bottom, especially main roads with junctions but also on country roads with barely any. There’s always this voice in the back of mind that keeps saying don’t keep breaking ffs it’s frustrating, your killing the enjoyment lol.
Braking.
Besides the brake setup, I would like to add the brake balance.
I personally like the front to respond just a bit quicker than the rear when pressing the levers simultaneously, because the front has to cope with the most weight/force.
It can also prevent locking and sliding of the back wheel under heavy breaking.
A simple and important rule: you steer where you look. It is important to see the ideal line far ahead of the wheel at high speed. High speed = looking far ahead, and better to ride slowly if you can't see the road far enough.
Learn to use the bend on the handlebars correctly even in head wind.
If it is a corner in the end of the descent - go high on the handlebars as an airbreak. If it is straight and safe to pick up some speed - go for it!
So may of our local roads have been dressed and gravel has built up on the bends. It's impossible to take the corners at any speed.
Biggest problem that I have dealing with a very bad memory of speed wobble. How would you guys address that. Good tips on the video thanks
Hello. I'd appreciate advice for terryfing bad tarmac descents, bouncing around, while not being able to brake properly.
If religious: pray. If not: blame Newton.
Keep a tight grip on the handlebars. nothing like hitting a pothole in the shade going 50-40 kph to make you lose control of your bike.
2nd video in a row with Conor on his clicking bike. Where is the service car? Do something! 😁
I’ve never had a problem, regularly hitting over 70kmh downhill on Zwift.
On my ride Ride in the Mountains yesterday I was descending down a 12% for 4 1/2 miles doing 56mph
sorry couldn't help noticing the pump in Conor's legs at 2:56 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂
The brakes sounds SCARY! Always check them 😊.
Here’s a question brought on by the video which may be best answered by Ollie the cycling scientist. I know from many videos and articles as well as personal experience that you should push hard on the outside pedal in a fast corner, but why? It seems to me to go against the centripetal forces in play. You have to lean in hard, so why push hard on the outside foot?
Stand up with your butt on the rear of the saddle for more braking power and to also slow down by parachuting through the wind so you dont wear out your brakes grinding them
Haven't had much experience with anything other than short downhills. My town is in a valley so there's a nice 30mph descent on the way home from anywhere.
The thing I love about descending the most is not thinking about it this hard and just flowing
I hate descending. Have had two speed wobbles in the past which I was very lucky not to crash from. My bike seems particularly prone to this or is it me ? When I had an aluminium frame I was fine but this carbon is a different story. As a result I take it easy.
Thing that worries me is the out of control speed. I haven’t figured out how to use my environment to work on it, don’t have reliable routing info to figure out safe spots and steepness.
Getting used to speed and hard stops is a really the one with the most benefits. First, you get used to the speed, in a straight line 80-90 kph on a well-set-up bike are no drama. Second, you're not murdering your hands and brakes, I guess this applies more to rim brakes. And finally, you are learning how to decrease speed properly before your health and safety depends on it.
1.58 absolutely shredded legs look at does veins
Good reminders. Just curious, did you all get a new electric camera vehicle in the last year? I noticed it a while ago but keep forgetting to ask. What are you using now?
Descending for dummies: #1 Hands on the drops, #2 Weight on outer pedal
Another tip: High altitude mountains never ever use high profile rims on the front wheel. Even if you're doing everything right, a strong gust of wind in a corner will put you down. High altitude will not forgive this kind of mistakes ;)
whats with the clicking bike???
Most important bit of advice: Unless you have the luxury of having a closed road all to your own, always ride with a safety margin, the larger the worse the conditions are (visibility, road surface, weather conditions, how narrow and winding the road is, how well you know the road, traffic, etc...). Taking a risk just to beat a downhill best time or top speed is definitely not worth it.
Ride to the conditions, and know your limit points......Especially on open roads with traffic coming in the opposite direction.
Love that opening shot!!!
And don't drag your brakes. If you feel you go too fast it's better to brake harder for a short time, thus dropping quite a bit of speed, and then let go again. Dragging your brakes just makes your rims or discs hot thus decreasing their effectiveness. By braking hard and short you don't put a lot of heat into the brakes, and you give them time too cool off again.
The longest quad muscle my eyes have seen ✊
Great video and useful for a fairly new cyclist.
This has probably been asked before but, is Conor’s jersey a one off or are country flags available to order on GCN kit?
Conor’s jersey is a custom made to order item for the former National Road Champion.
@@prestachuck2867 so can other country flags be ordered by anyone for the jersey from GCN?
Is that a creaking BB I could hear for Conner ? 😁
Right for the front brake?? Never heard of that, I’ve always had left for front, right for rear
I know we've all loved descending after watching TDF: Unchained
do you mean that as you drive on the left side of the road, your brakes are the reverse than « normal europeans » ? and front brake is on the right ?
Exactly. In countries where you drive on the right you need your left hand free to signal that you are going to overtake or cross into other lanes at a junction while braking with your right hand. In countries where you drive on the left you’re gonna be signalling with your right hand, which means you’ll need your back wheel brake on your left hand instead.
The reason being that turning at a crossing only being able to brake with your front wheel brake would be impractical.
Or if you grew up riding moto, the front brake is on the right. I'm in Canada and have had right brake front for 40 years.
It's an obsolete notion left over from when it was thought unsafe to use a front brake. (you'll flip over!!) I'm American and have always used right hand front brake, even though it isn't the standard here.
Also, Italians usually use right hand front brake, even though they drive on the right side of the road. That's why the old Campy Record brakes seemed to have the cable arms on the wrong side - at least for left hand front brake. When I was a teenager, we called right hand front "Italian style."
@@gregmuon Yep, exactly correct.
Luckily for me the farm gate was open still painful
Renting a bike in Nice was the first time I was made aware that brakes are set up differently in IRE & UK to most of the rest of Europe.
Left brake front. Could you conduct a survey on this ?
Its standardised in each country. Uk is wierd and has right front. Eu tends to be left front. Very freaky having them swapped when you are at 70k/h in Lanzarote.
My front brake is left side , US .!
😂
While decending
a steep and narrow road here in Southern Oregon, my wheels slipped out from under me and I ended up breaking a collar bone. This was 9 years ago and I haven't broken one since. I think I was going to fast and not being 100% 8n the moment. My advise to avoiding crashes is to keep your mind in the moment and think about what you are doing. Your eyes 👀 might be looking forward, but what is your brain 🧠 doing with that information?
Have fun on descents, but don't go faster than say 60kmh for the sake of family and friends that may miss you.
Riding downhill in the drops will gain you more speed than when on the flat. Wind resistance increases with the square of your speed, so getting tucked down is a real boost. It is tempting to relax and ride with your hands on the hoods, but don't do it!
This video sure went downhill fast 😂
Hope Pidcock is watching.
I know you have ti oander to everyone but personally i live in a giant valley filled with ups and downs so i spend a lot of tine decending so this feels like a bit of a waste for me
I live in an area like that but I'm still a really nervous descender and trying to learn to do better. There's plenty of people around here who do descents day in and day out but are not necessarily *good* at it
@@RobinT346 that's fair, I did say personally. Wasn't needed really I just found myself bored.
SAFA Brian can teach you a thing or two.
Fear is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
No1.Forgetting you're not on a closed road.😮
Another good tip is to not pass a truck with a car in the oncoming lane
One pothole in a descend can kill
You really do have to watch out! 👀
bb creak needs fixing
please! finally get your bottom bracket changed!!
One mistake I made on a descent was riding head on into a stone wall and bending my band new folks.
It was a little descent and there was a corner, on the outside of the corner was a courtyard with gravel. So I went wide hit the gravel and was able to do some braking before hitting the stone wall head on. A couple of weeks before this I had had some new folks make for my bike and they were beautiful, just perfectly sculpted and amazing, and then after hitting the wall they were bent so far back my front wheel was overlapping with my down tube by a few mm. So I had to use all my strength to try to straighten the forks enough so that my front wheel could point forwards.
Then I had to go to the frame builder who built my new folks and ask him to put my old folks back on my bike, which wasn't so good, he was giving me a funny look.
Aw no! You never nice to brake a new part, Did you ever treat yourself to the new forks again?
@@gcn no
Right break front???! Can't tell if this was a little joke you snuck in or not.
I dont enjoy descending much. I prefer climbing.
Oh come on, no one does a descent and goes oh shit my brakes are the wrong way around.
Did i just hear your bottom bracket clicking ?