or no brains. heh. nah, i'm just used to the downhills i go down on a regular basis, and can keep speed in control...it's just a matter of muscle. wasn't easy at first without skipping. but there's half the battle right there, maintaining speed. the other thing i do is just to watch cars and anticipate stupid moves they'll make. 9 times out of 10, i've been able to slow down or plan alternate routes to stay out of their paths. so far, it doesn't look like clipless will make that any harder...and, oh, the power transfer...so beautiful it brings a tear to my eye.