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How to ride very rough pavement on fast downhill?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

How to ride very rough pavement on fast downhill?

Old 09-05-10, 03:13 AM
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How to ride very rough pavement on fast downhill?

Inexperienced rider question: when I go down a hill with very rough pavement, is there anything more I can do than:
  1. stand with slightly bent legs (to absorb shock and improve vision)
  2. bend my arms (to absorb shock)
  3. scan the road ahead as carefully as possible (idea: try to lower my sunglasses enough to see over the top of them)
  4. slow down [ugh!] (I'm a clyde - downhill is my only strength)
  5. tire pressure: I just got some 700x25 Conti GP 4000 tires and I only pumped them to 105 PSI (only one ride so far so I don't know if I can keep the pressure that low - I have been running 115 psi in Vitoria [?] 700x23 tires)
There are a couple of local roads that are so convenient they are often used on group rides (and sometimes on my solo rides) despite the rough surface (some holes, lots of cracks, some patches) in dappled shade.

And yes, I did hit a hole today at around 30 that jolted the bike hard!
And yes, I do not think there is an acceptable answer - but I can hope - I have been surprised by some of the answers in the past.


Thanks
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Old 09-05-10, 04:29 AM
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4.
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Old 09-05-10, 05:35 AM
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If you can't do it with reasonable confidence, don't do it. If you pinch flat at speed or simply get jolted off the bars it could be nasty. To an extent you can remember where the road damage is and anticipate every hole, but you can't rely on that completely.
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Old 09-05-10, 05:44 AM
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Originally Posted by NathanC
4.
Yes.
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Old 09-05-10, 08:21 AM
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Shift your weight back...look ahead....feather your brakes...choose the best line...
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Old 09-05-10, 09:02 AM
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Caution would be indicated! A high speed accident usually results in death/severe injury. I'm not saying be afraid, just don't be stupid. You can be stupid later once you learn the ropes AND get your BF post count to 2000 +......but not before!
Ride safe.
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Old 09-05-10, 09:12 AM
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Can you fit wider tires on that bike - yep, tires really can be a huge difference on rough surfaces, and in handling more load at lower pressures.

Given Clyde status, you probably won't notice much performance differrence, relating to speed, but comfort and control will be greatly improved.

When I switched from 28s(old road bike 27X1) to 35s and 40s on my Hybrid, the difference was truly amazing....... You would notice the same with 32s.....
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Old 09-05-10, 09:21 AM
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6. Keep a relaxed grip. Choose a grip that avoids downward pressure on the bars. I like to be in the drops, with my butt behind the saddle. If you keep a light grip, you can kind of "let it ride".
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Old 09-05-10, 09:25 AM
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First off, if it scares you, slow down. You really shouldn't ride outside of your comfort/skill level until you've got a lot more experience under your belt. If the surface of the road is so rough that your concern is bouncing through the air and landing incorrectly and then falling, then slow down.

Rough roads are simply a part of road cycling -- and your bike isn't really designed to absorb bumps, which means you have to let your body do the absorbing. Generally, points 1, 2, & 3 are sufficient for normal downhills. To add to that, ensure that you're placing a reasonable amount of weight on the handlebars -- the only time I've ever had speed wobbles (on a different bike) was because I didn't put enough weight on the front.

Also, regarding tire pressure: I'm a borderline clyde (6'1", 185 lbs) and I always run max PSI in my tires. I can tell a little difference in ride quality by lowering the tire pressure, but for me the benefit is extremely small, while the sacrifice of increased rolling resistance is huge. I'd rather have a slightly rougher ride and less rolling resistance. With being a clyde, one of your concerns with running less-than-max PSI should be getting a pinch flat over rough terrain. In my opinion, I think you should seriously reconsider your decision to run lower tire pressures.
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Old 09-05-10, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by hobkirk
Inexperienced rider question: when I go down a hill with very rough pavement, is there anything more I can do than
You should always be doing the first 3 anyway.

Originally Posted by z90
6. Keep a relaxed grip. Choose a grip that avoids downward pressure on the bars.
And this.

Originally Posted by RNAV
First off, if it scares you, slow down.
And this. Seriously, slow down if you are not comfortable in the conditions.
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Old 09-05-10, 11:57 AM
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I'm doing a 1000 ft of climbing tomorrow over 40 miles. It's going to be rough as this is my first time doing something this. The guys that ride with me said that the descent is extremely fast. They clocked out at nearly 50 mph on the decline. This makes me more nervous than climbing, honestly. I think I'm just going to ride the brakes at my comfortable speed and let them go first.
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Old 09-05-10, 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by uncrx2003
I'm doing a 1000 ft of climbing tomorrow over 40 miles. It's going to be rough as this is my first time doing something this. The guys that ride with me said that the descent is extremely fast. They clocked out at nearly 50 mph on the decline. This makes me more nervous than climbing, honestly. I think I'm just going to ride the brakes at my comfortable speed and let them go first.
exactly, you should never tried ot go out side of your comfort zone, this leads to a lot of bad and painful mistakes
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Old 09-05-10, 12:37 PM
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go faster. the quicker it's over the less you have to worry. i've actually stupidly used this logic before. luckily nothing bad has happened yet
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Old 09-05-10, 12:44 PM
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Especially watch out for potholes if you're in a tuck position and your chin a few inches away from the stem. I got a good uppercut this morning coming down a hill on a chip seal road. It looks pretty minor but I didn't see it at all. I rode the next 20 miles to home base with a quarter inch deep cut that bled like a son-of-gun. Battle scars!



And I recommend 700 * 28 C tires for rough roads. I use Continental Ultra sports , cheap and tough.

Last edited by johe; 09-05-10 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 09-05-10, 01:42 PM
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The same way you descend other pavement?
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