Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Yes, if you coast down a hill, you'll probably hit the same speed...eventually. However, like I said above, coasting for extended periods after a hard effort (the other side of the hill) leaves your legs dead and make climbing difficult. Legs moving at a high rpm with light pressure does wonders when you eventually have to start putting effort into climbing. And, on tour, I seldom know when the next climb is going to be.
In general, there is a lot to be said for saving your energy for climbing and not wasting it on the descent. For rolling hills, this makes a lot of sense.
For mountains, however, the decents can be miles and miles long. I've heard of complaints from several people of having their legs going cold if they couldn't pedal.
Cheers,
Charles