Cycling UK Forum

I had an epiphany today, as I was overtaken by a lycra clad roadie. There are two types of cyclists; those who peddle down hill and those who don't. I'm very much in the latter group.

Stephen

Ive got a massive 120+" gear for doing just that. Its fun you can exceed 40mph quite often round here. It makes climbing the hills seem more worthwhile.
My son still cycles downhill in his granny gear, I admit that is a bit stupid.

I have a 52/12 700c = 115 inches. I regularly cycle down hill. I can just keep up with the pedals at 40mph!

Ooh the gravel rash

Did it again today. Lovely feeling of satisfaction as I pulled away from a lorry that had been catching up with me. I realised that I actually put more work into the downhill cycle than I do into the uphill. When I am going uphill I feel I have to conserve energy to ensure I make it to the top. When you go downhill you can try as hard as you like because if you run out of energy you just carry on coasting.
Unfortunately most hills I go down at 20 mph or less using the brakes because as the man said I am too experienced to go through the gravel rash thing. On a big wide road going downhill and straight for a mile or more how can you resist it with nothing to worry about except millions of car drivers.

Mine was one beautiful day when a group went 'round the loch' comfortably in 6 hours (riding up Glen Doe 1 in 4) - avoided Foyers because someone had set the trees on fire but everyone was clocking 35-40mph down to Whitebridge. Since all was running so well I added a loop via Farr and Tomatin and came down the A9 dual carriageway in 124" top gear - cadence well up to the extent I could not keep pedalling fast enough, so tucked in and enjoyed the strange looks from the cars (presumably doing 70mph) which passed me slowly estimated 55-60 mph - exhillerating in a scary sort of way.

I would like to see any of you cycle allway down the A449 from Malvern to Ledbury i managed to pedal for the first mile or so then coasted down at about 40mph all the way to the bottom do not recall seeing any cars but was a long time ago.