Originally Posted by
Machka
In my crash situation, I was coming down a curvy paved road slick with white mud. It looked like construction traffic or something had been using that road, and then it had been drizzling all day. As I started the descent, I thought I was getting myself into a bad situation, and I skidded a few times on the curves, but remained upright.
I rounded the last corner, and was on the straight stretch to the bottom of the hill, but just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, I noticed there was a 4-way stop at the bottom of the hill. The two people ahead of me sailed right through, but as I approached the intersection, cars pulled up from all directions.
I had to make a fast decision ... stop, and potentially slide out ... or go through the intersection and possibly get hit by a car. I grabbed my front brake .... and ended up in a heap on the pavement.
So here's my question ... was there anything I could have done differently to create a better outcome in that situation? Or was I doomed?
really the only things which would have changed any of that was different convergence of time and place - the other riders in front were just 'lucky' and really they could have been dead...
The other thing, is having a more cautious approach, something we all fall down on to some degree. The key to remember on descents is that braking and braking distance is completely revised from what happens on the flats. AS much as weight transfer forward a lot on the flat, its even more on the descent.
In fact any substantial rear breaking which might have any effect will have a close border for locking and skidding and going down.
Add less than optimum road conditions and the safety factor drops considerably.
Depending on road conditions and grade, stopping distances at the same speed can be 2x to 4x longer on descents. Depending on how much you're willing to roll the dice decides how much you're willing to shorten that distance. Sometimes the decision is taken away from you, in which case it becomes mitigating the possible consequences.
Lots of good points on descending given, but basic is a far enough forward vision. Looking far enough forward allows more/enough time to see potential issues and make good decisions. This is especially important where your vision is restricted by terrain (tight curves on hillsides). Especially important on curvy roads, look as far forward as your road position will allow - even if that means looking past the turn you're in, toward the coming turn. Looking short only allows you to see things which you no longer have control over because of reaction time and other limitations. Seeing things earlier means you see MORE, recognize issues BETTER and so make better decisions.
Practicing descending, as with anything else, develops confidence and improves abilities. Its always best to work on just a few points till they are well grounded in your skill set, then move on. And its best to start doing it at speeds which are comfortable and allow focus on technique or thought process. Then bring speed up as skills become more automatic.
Addition to other things mentioned, many twisty side roads are heavily crowned or cambered. Camber has a huge impact on tire adhesion as well as maintaining lines. Off-camber and camber transitions need to be heavily weighed into lines and speed (same for the center oil line).
Good descending is more than fearless bombing. And since its usually not limited by motor capacity, most everyone can become a good descender.