Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Downhill Braking Question

I'm starting to work on hills, one particular nasty hill very close to where I live (rises 3000' in about 13 miles). I'm riding a road bike and normally ride on the brake hoods. The road is narrow and not in great shape, but not so poor shape that you can't find an acceptable path down. Here's the problem: I've got to control my speed and braking reasonably hard from the hoods can be tiring. I really don't want to go to the drops because this a)lowers the drag and b) puts even more weight on the front end. Interrupter levers don't seem like a very good idea since this is a poor hand position for downhill. Do I have any options here besides waiting for my hands to get stronger?

Maybe wear an extra windbreaker that you only fasten at the bottom? It would act like a parachute and slow you down some.

ride in the drops. you will brake better, steer better, be more stable and better able to resist being thrown off your line by bumps, and if you need to brake really hard and fast, you will be in a much better position to throw the weight of your butt backwards to avoid rotating over the front.

Maybe wear an extra windbreaker that you only fasten at the bottom? It would act like a parachute and slow you down some.

Just go all out and get a drag chute:

http://coachlevi.com/images/nikesparqparachute.jpg

OK, so I'll google around for an ejection seat. Short of that I'm going for better brake pads. Brakes actually work very well, but I'm at a more brittle age (as opposed to the X-games age) and trust me this is not a road that you want to descend at 30+ mph hoping to can find a path around the heaves and potholes. Doesn't help that when you do this in the late afternoon the sun is in your eyes.

In the drops. Stick your knees out as far as you can. That helps a little.

OK, so I'll google around for an ejection seat. Short of that I'm going for better brake pads.

I'm sure you can rig up an ejector seat using a shock-absorber post and some CO2 cartridges...

While you're working on that, try Kool Stop Salmon brake pads. They wear out a little quicker because they're a softer compound, but their stopping power is second to none.

I've heard the Kool Stop Salmon pads are good and was planning on trying a set. It doesn't help that I'm 215+, a Clydesdale lurking on the LDS forum.

I'd also recommend getting used to riding in the drops for the descents. I find it lowers my center of gravity a lot, making the bike more stable. If you're absolutely against riding in the drops, then why not get rid of those bars and replace them with some bullhorn bars? Here's a nice pair from Profile Designs (http://www.profile-design.com/products/base-bars/t2-wing/) , or there are these from Easton (http://www.eastonbike.com/PRODUCTS/BARS/09/bar_road_deltaforce-al_%2709.html), you should be able to get either for pretty cheap. You can mount your brifters on the ends of those, and get much more powerful and controlled braking while maintaining your current riding position. I recently did this with a set of the Easton bars on my commuting/around town bike and far prefer it to braking from the hoods.

I'll work on riding in the drops. Don't really have anything against it. My handlebars are 3+ inches lower than my seat. When I'm on the hoods my long arms put me in a pretty comfortable position, in the drops is a different story. I think what I'll do is practice more in the drops on the flats. Only ridden 1300 miles after a 20+ year layoff so it's going to take awhile. A final option will be a different stem to raise the bars a bit, but that will require new cables.

Three inches lower than your seat is pretty low for long distance riding. Raising the bars a couple of inches will make the drops usable and probably make you more comfortable on the tops.

When was the last time you replaced your cables? I always go longer than I should between cable swaps, maybe you're overdue for one anyway? Trust me, waiting until a brake cable fails is not a good idea.

The bike is new, only 1300 miles. Believe its the right size frame, but with these threadless arrangements it seems common that when your at the top of "size" for a frame you have no way to get the handlebars up to seat level without changing stem and cables. I'm going to see how the drops feel and if I can't get comfortable I'll go for new cables and stem (probably). Looking at my old Miyata which I'm fixing up the handlebards are just about level with the seat and I know I was on the drops on the downhills those many years ago.

The bike is new, only 1300 miles. Believe its the right size frame, but with these threadless arrangements it seems common that when your at the top of "size" for a frame you have no way to get the handlebars up to seat level without changing stem and cables. I'm going to see how the drops feel and if I can't get comfortable I'll go for new cables and stem (probably). Looking at my old Miyata which I'm fixing up the handlebards are just about level with the seat and I know I was on the drops on the downhills those many years ago.

A Miyata? My touring bike is a Miyata two-ten from around '84 or '85. It was a pretty nice bike for the price.

Still have two Miyata 912's from back then, one large (mine), one medium (Wife's). Great bikes. I'll probably upgrade to a 7 spd freewheel and see how this bike feels. Might even turn out to be better for longer rides. Now that I'm comfortable on a bike again I don't think the downtube friction shifters will be any problem.

Nm!

Mr. Beanz, years ago when my kids (grown men now) were 10, my Wife, twin sons and I hit 47 mph on a downhill. I told the kids if they ever said anything to their Grandmother I'd kill 'em (or my Mom would kill me). I'm more brittle now, but wouldn't hesitate to hit 30-35 on a decent road. I'm talking about a very steep, narrow, windy ranch road with potholes, ruts, alligators and heaves. I'd pay to see someone try it without brakes! However, I applaud your courage.

Nm!

Interrupter levers don't seem like a very good idea since this is a poor hand position for downhill.

I find this very comfortable for long downhills.

Only ridden 1300 miles after a 20+ year layoff so it's going to take awhile.

There are your key words! Later you'll realize the conditions you mention aren't all that "steep" or "out of the norm" from what the rest of us deal with!:D

The drops really are the place to be in those situations. Experienced riders will push themselves back in the saddle to minimize the possibility of flipping over the bars.

I have interrupter levers on my bike and they work fine. I suppose if I was coming from a mountain bike background I would be more comfortable using them in the situation you describe. As it is, I am habituated to using the drops for hard braking and have not yet gotten into the habit of using the interrupters in "high stress" scenarios.

HTH!

Worked on the drops today (no downhills). I could certainly ride there, but I don't know that my braking would be much better. I've got only average size hands for my height (6') and I probably don't get much more leverage on the brakes in the drops versus over the hoods. I'll experiment a little.

Worked on the drops today (no downhills). I could certainly ride there, but I don't know that my braking would be much better. I've got only average size hands for my height (6') and I probably don't get much more leverage on the brakes in the drops versus over the hoods. I'll experiment a little.


Not sure how much you know about setting up bike position but you can loosen the brake levers and slide them along the bars to find a good strong braking postition for the hands. You need to unwrap the tape some, but worth the effort if it makes your hand postion more effficient.

Adjusting the lever postion along with finding the correct handlebar tilt will improve hand strength and comfort.:D

Getting the handlebar height and brake lever placement adjusted correctly is very important. I like setting up a bike on the rollers, since you don't need brakes hooked up to ride on them. Then you can play around with the stem height, the handlebar rotation and the brake lever placement until you get it just right. I don't cut the cables until I've really got it where it feels very comfortable in all the relevant hand positions.