Here’s a thought: what if you could transform those white-knuckle descents into moments of pure joy?
Because that’s exactly what proper downhill technique can do.
Whether you’re crawling down hills like a cautious tortoise or already channelling your inner speed demon, there’s always room for improvement.
Ready to unlock your descending potential?
Foundational Preparation and Mindset
Build Confidence Through Progression
Confidence is developed through preparation, practice, and progression.
Riders should start small with local, easier hills and gradually work their way up to larger, faster descents. Never ride outside of what feels comfortable. If you feel you need to walk a descent, that is acceptable, as safety must come first.
Focus on being smooth and comfortable, as this approach consistently outperforms pushing the “bleeding edge”.
Check and Trust Your Equipment
Your bicycle must be in safe working condition before engaging in a fast, twisty downhill ride. It is critical to know and trust your equipment, especially your brakes.
Practice cornering on flatter turns at lower speeds to gain familiarity with your bike and learn your tires’ limits of grip and where they lose traction. Always think ahead about what you would do if you encounter a mechanical malfunction or a flat tire.
If you have rim brakes, you may feel more confident switching to a disc brake bike. They offer better braking and arguably, better “modulation“.
Stay Relaxed and Agile
Staying relaxed on the bike is essential for better control and allows the rider to process information efficiently at speed.
Two common mistakes to avoid are locked elbows and a “death grip” on the handlebar. Keeping your elbows bent allows you to absorb bumps and potholes, and it enables you to shift your weight or alter your riding line.
🎓 If you experience high-speed wobbles, the remedy is often counter-intuitive: relax your hands and arms.
Vision and Strategic Line Choice
Look Far Ahead
When moving at high speeds, obstacles approach very quickly, so you must think and look far ahead to pick your lines early.
Be alert and constantly scan the road for anything requiring braking or a change of line. Modulate your speed based on your sight distance, similar to not “over driving” your headlights at night.
Look Through the Turn
Your bicycle tends to go where your eyes are pointed.
When cornering, look through to the exit of the corner and avoid focusing on immediate hazards like potholes or guardrails.
For twisty roads, you often need to look through the current corner and plan for the entry to the next one immediately.
🎓 This is an important one. You want to be focused a little further ahead – not on the immediate road right in front of you. of course, it an obstacle appears, switch the focus a little to overcome it
Employ the Late Apex
The ideal racing line involves entering wide, cutting the apex, and exiting wide. However, setting up wide and turning in later, known as the late apex or “squaring off” a turn, is often the safer choice.
The late apex provides better visibility through the turn and gives you a greater margin for error.
On public roads, avoid riding blind turns partially in the opposing lane!
Adjusting for Decreasing Radius Turns
Decreasing radius turns are tricky because they tighten unexpectedly.
If you find yourself too wide mid-turn, you can adjust your line by focusing more force on your inside arm to push the bike further into the turn.
Precise Braking and Speed Control
Brake Before, Not During
It is essential to make dramatic changes in speed on the straight sections before you enter a corner.
You want to bring your speed down to a safe level for the turn before you change direction.
Avoid the bad habit of riding the brakes through corners; take your fingers completely off the brake levers once you commit to the lean.
Advanced Braking Technique
Use both the front and rear brakes for maximum control. The front brake has more stopping power and is used to slow down more effectively on steep terrain.
The more advanced technique is to brake late: hold your speed until you are closer to the corner and then use more powerful braking to slow down quickly.
Aerodynamics and Coasting
When you want to go faster, pedal until you are “spun out” in your hardest gear, and then adopt a tuck by aggressively bending your elbows and lowering your chest for better aerodynamics.
Conversely, if you need to shed speed, sitting more upright utilizes your body as an “air brake” to catch the wind and slow you down.
Optimal Body Positioning
Ride in the Drops
Riding in the drops is safer than riding on the hoods.
This position provides better grip, a lower center of gravity (which increases traction), and places you in the best position for powerful braking.
💡 This is a little subjective, in my opinion. I actually prefer riding in the hoods. If this means riding slightly slower than those streamlined usaing the drops – then so be it. I just feel more comfortable in the hoods (most of the time). I do use the drops if I can see into the distance clearly, however.
Lean the Bike More Than the Body
When cornering, both your body and the bike lean inward, but you should lean the bike more.
To achieve this stable position, plant your weight heavily onto the pedal facing the outside of the corner. Then, extend the arm facing the inside of the corner to help drop the bike into the turn.
Weighting the outside foot increases the tires’ adhesion and allows the bike to pivot quickly underneath you, reacting better to bumps.
Maintain Balance and Level Head
Ensure your body is centered between the wheels to guarantee weight remains on the front wheel for cornering and traction.
You can check this by making sure your chin is positioned over the stem.
Keep your head more level or upright relative to the road, rather than tilting it rigidly in line with your leaning body.
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