how to look cool and stay stable while cycling downhill

A couple of days ago, two beginners told me that whenever they see those professional mountain bikers' cool and graceful downhill moves in videos, they get very excited and want to learn those agile downhill techniques.

Today, Bass Cat will explain some techniques and precautions for beginners when using sports bicycles to go downhill.

1. Slow down: Although many videos show riders rushing downhill at extremely high speeds, for beginners, blindly pursuing the thrill of high-speed downhill without a certain level of skill can easily lead to danger, especially on winding mountain roads.

During one ride, Bass Cat was resting at a bend on a mountain road when suddenly a few middle school students came roaring down the mountain. They didn't slow down after entering the bend, and one of them lost control of his bike and fell five or six meters. Even more frightening, none of these students were wearing helmets! Fortunately, the one who fell landed on the road and only suffered some minor injuries. Had he fallen off the road, he might have tumbled down the mountain!

When going downhill continuously, many cyclists can't help but pursue extreme speeds, but you must always act according to the actual road conditions and your own abilities. Danger often strikes when you least expect it!

2. Correct downhill posture: When going downhill, your hips should leave the saddle and extend backward according to the steepness of the descent. The steeper the slope, the more you should extend your hips backward and lower your body to control the overall center of gravity.

Additionally, your arms should be slightly bent and relaxed, never stiff, to balance your center of gravity and maintain flexible bike control on downhill sections.

At the same time, keep both pedals level with the ground, not one foot high and one foot low. Your legs should be drawn towards the saddle, lightly touching it to better maintain body balance during downhill riding. As shown in the picture below:

3. Proper brake control: When riding downhill, excessive use of the front brake can cause the front wheel to lock up and even lead to a forward flip. Excessive use of the rear brake can cause the rear wheel to lock up, leading to skidding and falling, especially on wet or slippery roads. Therefore, you must learn to control the front and rear brakes' force and technique reasonably when riding downhill.

In fact, most riders, after gaining experience, will have slightly different ways and strengths of controlling the front and rear brakes when going downhill. This requires repeated practice to find the safest braking method that suits you.

Additionally, when riding a bicycle, always keep the fingers used to operate the brakes (usually the index finger or index finger + middle finger) on the brake levers. This is a good and necessary habit that allows you to brake immediately in case of danger.

4. Pay attention to road conditions: On continuous downhill sections in the mountains, there are often visual blind spots caused by mountain walls at bends. Therefore, regardless of the traffic on the road, you should always slow down when entering a bend because you cannot judge the situation on the other side of the bend.

Moreover, when going downhill on road sections, avoid riding over various lines on the road surface. These lines have certain protrusions and smooth surfaces, which can cause a fall if you ride over them at high speed.

5. Wear protective gear: When riding, always wear a helmet, gloves, and other protective gear to ensure safety.

Finally, here are two animations of the correct downhill posture for your reference: