Originally Posted by
Bob Ross
Getting your club to wait for you at the bottom of hills seems like an impressive feat of persuasion! I'll do a lot of club rides where we wait for people at the top of hills, and I prefer the cooperative nature of those to ones where we're dropping (and/or infuriating) riders left & right.
That being said, I'd rather wait for a slower rider at the bottom of a hill than be stuck behind one while descending a hill. So if you are going to descend cautiously on club rides, I would strongly encourage you to stay to the right so that other riders can pass easily.
I don't know whether any of us can advise you to overcome your fears -- or whether we can even suggest that your fears are unfounded. But I think regardless of what speed you want to descend, it would behoove you to learn to descend faster than 15mph...just in case you find yourself caught in the grip of gravity.
All the regroup areas spots I think of (excluding rest stops where there is food and water) have been tops. If the group regroups at the top and then has to wait for you again at the bottom I can see how it woul dbe annoying. If the OP climbs well enough that there is some wait after he arrives at the top starting down early would seem a good idea, at least for decents where passing is easy.