Originally Posted by
valygrl
The crash idea is total idiocy.
Try riding behind someone who is a good descender, and following their line. Do what they do in terms of which foot is down (the outside foot). If you can, ask them to go a bit slower than normal so you can stay with them. Following someone else might help you understand that you *can* go that speed.
- relaxed & firm grip on the bars - no death grip, no straight elbows
- hands in the drops
- weight on the outside pedal, which is down
Perfect answer. Sounds like a fit/position issue may be contributing.
In motorcycling we had a term "all balls, no brains' to refer to guys who would go faster than their skill level. This was usually a recipe for disaster and happens in bicycling, too. Fear comes from the unknown. Learn the skills to control the bike at speed.