Originally Posted by DrPete
Coolest/scariest moment on a bike to date was the Tour de Toona RR. The descent back into town is one of these 40+ super fast descents, and there's a one-lane tunnel that gets REALLY dark as you enter. Nothing like screaming through a dark tunnel at 40+, thinking "wow, I hope the road marshals are doing their job."
(edit) actually, it's a tie. The descent from Mont Ventoux into Malaucene is right up there too. Actually, never mind. Ventoux totally wins.
It's descents like that where you realize that our bikes can handle things that scare the bejeezus out of us, and then some.
I was riding with a buddy back in December, and we were descending down this semi-steep, narrow road doing 40-45ish. It was around 40º out, so I figured we didn't need to worry about ice, and I was leaning pretty hard into turns. Well one turn lead right into a narrow bridge over a creek, and on said bridge my rear wheel kicked out from underneath me and nearly threw me off my bike sideways. I was able to keep the rubber side down, but damn was that sketchy.
Mt. Diablo is a fun descent, except that when I did it the road had crap pavement and I got 2 pinch flats on my front wheel
I hope they repaved that.
My fav local descent is the west side of Mohonk. Slightly twisty for most of it, decent gradient, 2 real switchbacks. I'm getting to the point where around those switchbacks it feels like I could scrape my knee against the ground if I wanted to.
