Cycling
Descending: 5 Steps on how to become a better downhill cyclist
Here are 5 beginner steps to improve your descending on your road bike. We cover body position, the art of braking, confidence, cornering, and more!
Descending on a road bike can be an exhilarating and intimidating experience, the latter being especially true for beginners. The thrill of speeding downhill, wind rushing past, just rider, bike, and road, is one of the best parts of our sport. However, it also requires skill, understanding, confidence, and control to descend safely and efficiently.
Descending without an understanding of the dynamics involved can result in some bad (and even dangerous) habits, but with the right techniques and some practice, it becomes one of the more satisfying and enjoyable technical challenges in cycling.
Let Chris Miller from the popular Australian cycling podcast The Nero Show walk you through some essential tips to help you improve your descending skills.
01
Understand and improve your body position
One of the most critical aspects of descending is your on-bike body position. How you position yourself impacts your balance, control, and ability to handle the bike at high speeds.
Lower Your Center of Gravity: When descending, it's crucial to lower your center of gravity to give you added control. A lower center of gravity helps you stay balanced, especially when navigating corners. To get lower on the bike, you need to address your upper, and your lower body position. To start, bend your elbows and bring your torso closer to the handlebars. The most effective way to do this on a drop bar road bike is to grip the lower section of the handlebars (the drops, or lower side of the handlebar bend) with your hands. This give you a lower center of gravity and while still allowing easy access to your brakes.
Then you need to distribute your weight correctly to ensure balance. As you lower your upper body, also shift your weight slightly back by sliding your hips towards the rear of the saddle. You can lift yourself off the saddle completely if you like, which will give you even more flexibility with your weight as you descend. This adjustment prevents too much weight from being on the front wheel, which could lead to instability or even cause the rear wheel to lift off the ground.
The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe cycling team seen during a training ride
© Joerg Mitter
02
Master the art of braking
Proper braking is essential for safe descending. Knowing when and how to brake can be the difference between a smooth ride and a nerve-wracking experience. There are two main things to consider when applying breaks in the descent.
- Brake before the corner, not in it. A common mistake among beginners is braking while in the middle of a corner. This can lead to skidding or losing control of the bike. Instead, do most of your braking before you enter the corner.
- Modulate your braking. Use both your front and rear brakes to control your speed. The front brake provides most of the stopping power, but using it too aggressively can cause the front wheel to lock. Apply pressure gradually and evenly to both brakes. If you need to slow down quickly, shift more of your braking to the front wheel, try to avoid aggressively grabbing either brake as, unlike in modern cars with their anti-lock braking, a bike wheel will lock and skid.
03
Perfect your cornering technique
Look through the corner: If you have one takeaway from this article, I recommend that this be the one. Your bike tends to follow where your eyes go, so it's essential to look ahead through the corner rather than focusing directly in front of your wheel. This technique allows you to anticipate the road ahead and plan your line through the turn.
Lean the bike, not your body: Cycling is not motorsport, don’t try to emulate MotoGP riders and their cornering position. Unlike our bicycles, their motorbikes are the larger weight in the corner. In road biking, the cyclist is heavier. When cornering, it's crucial to lean the bike into the turn while keeping your body relatively stable (using the correct body positioning discussed above). This technique maximizes the tire's grip on the road and gives the rider more control in the corner. If you lean your body too much, you reduce the contact patch of the tire with the road, increasing the risk of losing traction and therefore, the risk of a crash.
Keep the outside foot down: As you enter a corner, place your outside foot (the foot opposite the direction of the turn) at the 6 o'clock position, pressing down firmly. This position lowers your center of gravity even further and helps to stabilize the bike through the turn. The pressure on the outside pedal also increases traction on the tires, reducing the likelihood of slipping. As you gain confidence this is the area you are able to “feel” improvement; corning will start to feel like a well carved turn at the ski fields.
The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe cycling team seen during a trainings ride
© Joerg Mitter
04
Stay relaxed and confident
Descending can be intimidating, but staying relaxed and confident is key to improving your skills.
Loosen your grip: It’s natural to want to grip the handlebars tightly when descending, especially at high speeds. However, a tight grip can lead to fatigue and reduces your ability to make fine adjustments. Instead, keep your grip firm but relaxed. This allows you to respond quickly and smoothly to any changes in the road.
Maintain a calm mindset: Confidence is crucial when descending. Trust your bike and your skills, and try to remain calm even in challenging situations. Overthinking can lead to hesitation, which can compromise your ability to handle the bike. Practice on familiar, less steep descents first to build confidence before tackling more challenging routes. Avoid any distractions like wearing headphones or grabbing that perfect instagram selfie.
05
Practice, practice, practice
Start small: Begin practicing your descending skills on smaller hills where you can gradually build up speed and understand how your bike feels on different types of turns. Basic skills, for example a slow speed, 180 degree turn in your driveway, give you a chance to focus on body position and vision with almost no element of danger. Focus on maintaining proper body positioning, braking techniques, and cornering. As you become more comfortable, move on to steeper and longer descents in safe locations.
Learn from more technically experienced riders: Join a group ride or seek advice from more experienced cyclists. Watching others with good technical skills can provide valuable insights, and having someone to follow can make learning the correct lines through corners easier.
06
Conclusion
Descending on a road bike is a skill that combines technique, confidence, and experience. By focusing on your body position, mastering braking, perfecting cornering, staying relaxed and building and layering technical capabilities by practicing regularly, you can transform descending from a daunting task into a ride highlight. Even if you are an experienced cyclist, bad habits can creep in, so always take the time to remember the fundamentals and your rides will not only be safer, they will also be more fun and more satisfying.
Love road cycling? Be sure to watch 'Junior Brothers' - a feeder program for young elite riders with two Red Bull sponsorships on the line!
6 min
