Training Guide

Tips to get you down the mountain quickly and safely

Part of bike racing’s appeal is its epic scale. Road racers climb huge alpine passes and then plummet down dizzying descents at breathtaking speed, threading their way between stone walls on one side and cliff tops on the other. Mountain bikers navigate boulder fields and steep, slippery singletrack downhills. But this grandeur also contains an element of risk - a fact underlined by the tragic death of 26-year-old Wouter Weylandt in Stage 3 of this year’s Giro d’Italia.

Races are typically won on the climbs, so racers spend a lot of time making sure they can get up hills as fast as possible. But it’s just as easy to lose a race on a descent. Learning the basics of getting down a hill quickly, safely and comfortably will help ensure you’re ready to attack the next challenge. “The technical skills help you recover on the descents,” said Canadian Garmin-Cervelo pro Ryder Hesjedal - one of the few riders to compete at the top level in both road and mountain biking.

Hesjedal, 30, won a mountain bike World Cup in 2002 and finished second at the 2003 world championships before successfully switching to road cycling - he finished seventh in the 2010 Tour de France. “I love the big alpine stuff - the Dolomites, the Pyrenees, the Alps. There’s nothing like doing 15 to 20 km climbs and then descending the other side,” he said. Descents of that scale take preparation - especially as the temperature can drop significantly with altitude, leaving riders scrambling to pull on a wind vest as they crest a climb. “Keeping your body temperature warm is the big issue on the mountain passes,” he said.

After that, you need to be aware of what’s happening around you. “Get into a good position and give yourself a chance to stay out of trouble. Be around the guys you need to be around,” Hesjedal said. A lot of factors come into play on the descent itself - the road quality, the race situation and how close the finish line is. “You decide the risk level and push it,” he said. “If you’re pushing it for the stage on the descent, you’re going to be taking risks. That’s just the way it goes - that’s bike racing.”

In mountain biking, the climbs and descents are much shorter. But they’re almost more important than in road racing and the approach is fundamentally different. “It’s just not even comparable,” Hesjedal said. “You’re not just coasting down a smooth road and having to brake just right and pedal out of the corners. You’re fully involved in action with the terrain. You don’t just switch off on a road descent, but the hard work’s already been done.”

Equipment is vital to descending safely both on and off road. “You’ve got to have your game together and the equipment is even more important on the mountain bike,” said Hesjedal, whose years of west-coast racing helped make him one of the most accomplished descenders on the World Cup circuit.

Like any racer, Hesjedal can recall his share of scary moments - “happens every race,” but Stage 16 of the 2008 Tour de France sticks out. “We were going over the [Col de la] Bonette when I waited for Christian [Vande Velde] and we did the really technical descent. There was a lot of carnage,” he said. John Lee Augustyn made the highlight reel that day by overshooting a bend and falling 30 ms down a slope - fortunately without serious injury - but there were plenty of other incidents. “Christian was out of the yellow jersey [group] and I was in the break, I waited for him - he actually crashed in the early turns,” Hesjedal said. “We probably lost more time on that descent than we did on the climb. That was definitely a hairy descent.”

Basic descending tips (mountain):

- Stand on the pedals with your knees and elbows slightly bent. This lets you relax and shift your weight around.

- Use your brakes. On steep descents you should never let go of the brakes, but modulate your speed by how much pressure you put on the levers. Your front brake slows you down better but you can’t use it too aggressively. It helps to shift your weight back. In corners, gently use the back brake only.

- Enter corners as late as you can and look where you want your bike to go. As you progress through the corner, gradually look farther up the trail. Your bike will follow your eyes and you’ll be able to spot obstacles. Use the full width of the trail when possible.

- Use your arms and legs to absorb shocks and keep your head still so your vision remains stable.

Basic descending tips (road):

- Stay warm. A wind vest is crucial on long descents so you don’t get chilled.

- Relax on the bike. Your main goal is to recover - you can’t do this if you’re tense.

- Brake in the right places. You should do all of your heavy braking before the corner, when you’re travelling in a straight line. Turn into the corner as you release the brakes.

- Gently use your rear brake to control speed in the corner if you must, but as soon as you reach the apex of the corner, let go of both brakes.

- Look where you want to go. Your bike will naturally follow your eyes and you can spot hazards like potholes and oncoming traffic.

- Brake and steer smoothly, not aggressively. You will often be faster if you don’t hurry.

- Never, ever cross the centre line unless you can see what’s up ahead.

Kris Westwood is an Ottawa-based writer with more than 30 years experience in cycling as an athlete, coach and manager.