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Conference noted::bicycle

Title:	Bicycling
Notice:	Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:	JAMIN::WASSER

Created:	Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3214
Total number of notes:	31946

2535.0. "Descending and Pain" by PAKORA::GGOODMAN () Wed Apr 21 1993 01:06

	The notes that Karl sparked off about descending started making me
  look back upon my descending exploits, bringing a little chuckle to my
  lips. As I said in my note, experience is important, but the problem with
  experience is that until you get it, you've a tendency to embarras yourself.
  Often. So I thought, we should share these embarrasing experiences as a
  sort of group therapy and to help Karl realise that the 3 cracked ribs,
  2 broken legs and hairline fracture to the skull that he will sustain before
  the season is over is natural and that he is not alone in the nutter stakes.

	Unfortunately, this means that I've got to get the ball rolling...

	Before I start, I would like to point out that I was very young and
  stupid at the time (about sixteen) and I hope that I learned a valuable
  lesson, but deep down know that nothing's changed.

	I was out on a 45-mile run around the west of Fife and Kinross area
  and it was a typical Scottish sunny day, blue skies and still 10 below
  zero. I started to climb a local hill called Path o' Condie. It starts off
  a nice steady climb and the blue skies made me feel like Robert Millar and
  I was pushing up at a fair pace. It's about a 3 mile climb, but the sting
  comes at the top. You descend a 1-in-8 stretch and then stop dead to turn
  onto the side road which starts immediately with a 1-in-6. Much crunching
  of gears and swearing I tell you (and I don't care if this would make a good
  STI advert...).

	As I hauled my bulk over the last of the gradient I was faced with
  3 miles of down. And boy was I going to make the most of it. After all, I
  was Robert Millar and I was invincable! (Should've remembered that climbers
  can't descend...). As I descended, it started to get a bit damp and misty.
  Bloody Scottish summers, can't stay sunny for more than 2 minutes. But
  still, was I going to let this spoil my fun? Certainly not!

	As I went towards the last � mile of the descent, I was making full
  use of the lack of serious corners, cars or tractors and giving it laldy
  (quaint Scottish term). Then suddenly, peering through the mist I realised
  that the road going straight ahead wasn't my road. No, my road took a 90
  degree left. Straight ahead was the entrance to the farm yard.

	Decisions, decisons! Do I try and corner on the greasy tarmac even
  though there's no way I can brake in time? Or do I go straight ahead? I
  don't like the look of that farm yard entrance, all covered in loose slate.
  Right, corner it is...

	Does my back wheel hold the tarmac as if stuck there by some holy
  glue? Yeah, and Chip gets his bike parts from the $5 and under bucket!
  No, my back wheels goes into an almighty slide and my body breaks my bike's
  fall against the farm wall. Close thing...

	I lie there dazed for 5 minutes, not knowing who I am or why my left
  buttock is now hanging out of the good shorts. When the farm wife comes out.
  Here's I with the face all covered in some strange red, sticky substance
  and my eyes struggle to focus on her. She asks if I'm okay and after a few
  tentative feels on my tender body, I reply that yes, I think I am.

	"There's your bike, now bugger off, I've no time for you cyclists."

	Rule #1 in descending. If you do something stupid, don't expect any
  symapthy...

  Graham.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2535.1	prewarning to hospitals?...	VNABRW::KAMIR	The song remains the same...	`Wed Apr 21 1993 03:42`	16
	Hi Graham, ...maybe I should think about really doing this 23km up and the hell of 23km down project.... ...maybe I should give a prewarnig to the local hospital... ...or maybe the only thing is to be aware that using your muscles and rhythm (spell?) going up and your brain going down? (I mean: take no more risk (speed) than you can handle)..... is that what you meant Graham? Karl
2535.2		PAKORA::GGOODMAN		`Thu Apr 22 1993 03:33`	12
	>> ...or maybe the only thing is to be aware that using your muscles and >> rhythm (spell?) going up and your brain going down? (I mean: take no >> more risk (speed) than you can handle)..... >> is that what you meant Graham? Yep. Because you don't have physical limitations going down it's easy to get carried away. Let your confidence build up gradually and ride according to weather/road conditions. Graham.
2535.3	Descend with CARE	STRATA::ASMITH		`Fri Apr 23 1993 10:07`	11
	No sympathy from me Graham. I only do Hell to Leather ( a quaint American term ) descents on stretches of road that I really know. Here in New England the rocks are hard and can kill a person so I try to stay off of them as much as possible. By the way how does it feel to hit a brick wall at speed? The worst that I have had happen is to be hit by a relatively slow moving truck ( my body and mind freaked out - I could not touch a bike for one month ) AS
2535.4	Sounds Familiar	ODIXIE::RRODRIGUEZ	Shake that grits tree!	`Fri Apr 23 1993 10:22`	17
	AS, Ditto from me. There is a lasting feeling for those of us who have experienced the the Earth rushing up to meet our faces with great velocity. I am no longer charmed by the thought of going ballistic on anything but emaculate well surveyed stretches of road. It took alot of courage (and time) for me to get back on my bike after having surgery to get my cheekbone lifted from my skull again. I still "share" some of my anxieties with people who pass (announced) on a 45 MPH descent... --but cycling is a cruel addiction... r�
2535.5		KIRKTN::GGOODMAN		`Fri Apr 23 1993 11:16`	11
	>> By the way how does it feel to hit a brick wall at speed? Sore... I'd like to point out that I was 16 at the time. I can look back at it with a dry sense of humour now, but it did teach me a lesson. I think that it's something that every rider of that age that I know has gone through nad we're all a lot more careful now... Graham.
2535.6	Well, you didn't have a mortgage...	ODIXIE::RRODRIGUEZ	Shake that grits tree!	`Fri Apr 23 1993 12:28`	8
	G�, Sorry, I left my ;) out. It wasn't meant to be a rebuke. Just ask my wife, I still do some irresponsible things on my bike--at age 31 ! r�
2535.7	I haven't learned yet ...I've been lucky so far	CTHQ::FRERE	Ellas Danzan Solas	`Fri Apr 30 1993 10:25`	14
	I've always enjoyed going as fast as I can on a bike and hated using brakes (brake pads are sooooooo expensive). This is why I bought a tandem; the climbs are tougher but the descents are wonderfully fast. Fortunately, I haven't had the luck of Sir Goodman et al. Most of my spills occur at stop lights when trying to clip out (very embarassing but harmless). My next goal: ride the passing lane (for its true purpose) on Rte 2 eastbound down the Belmont hill. Eric P.S. I'm still looking for a stoker... and, maybe a 56+ chain ring (already have an 11 tooth cog)
2535.8	what?	SSDEVO::EDMONDS	Diane	`Fri Apr 30 1993 17:33`	6
	re .7 > P.S. I'm still looking for a stoker... When you DO start riding with a stoker present, you'll go even faster downhill! ;-)
2535.9	Rt.2 in Belmont????	ESKIMO::ASMITH		`Mon May 03 1993 13:14`	13
	re .7 Eric, Do you have a deathwish. Rt. at anytime is bad. Good luck finding someone to ride a bike with you in such a situation. Maybe I have had some terrible spills ( a crash which resulted in a hole all the way to the inner portion of my right knee ) and have reacted by holding back on descents, but I enjoy riding and especially enjoy climbing more now ( I prove my stuff going up the hill ). AS
2535.10	IT HURTS...	WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Mon May 03 1993 13:22`	7
	I did hit 50mph going down Mt Wachusett Saturday! The really scary scary part was I hit speeds upwards of 5mph on the way up. I'll tell ya I had to change ma shots when I got home (not from the speed either)... Chip
2535.11	I would not do that	JUNCO::ASMITH		`Mon May 03 1993 17:47`	22
	re .10 Chip, I have ridden Mt Wachusetts often and know the decents and climbs that you are talking about. I also know that a medical student was paralyzed after a fall on the Wachusetts decent about 1 1/2 year ago. A fellow rider almost fell ( after his rear wheel was torn up by a bump ) last year, I am glad that he did not because he would have surely gotten hurt very badly. There are concrete structures and stone walls on the Wachusetts descent not to mention a steep drop over rocks if a person does avoid hitting other structures after falling. There are also hikers crossing the the road that makes that descent. Sometimes we never regret during something until either we or someone else has been badly hurt. Please understand that I am not trying to show you up, but the situation that you created Saturday was not a good one. I know that descent and you are lucky that yourself or someone else did not get hurt. AS
2535.12	I'M CRAZY - NOT STUPID!	WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Tue May 04 1993 06:24`	16
	Thanks for your concern, but let me add a little more detail... I too, have been riding it for years. I know every nook and cranny of the up/down roads. I do it at least once a week as a part of my training regimen. I would never - ever let it all "hang out" on the down road. I was referring to Mile Hill Rd... With the exception of a small bump near the maintenance bldg. near the road (tow rope is), the road is in very good condition. I would also never attempt any mach speeds unless I was sure of my machine's condition. Other than that, what can I say... Maybe I'm not all there, but I'm going to try and better my 55mph top speed this year for that descent. Chip
2535.13	Sorry Chip, my mistake	ROULET::ASMITH		`Tue May 04 1993 17:50`	12
	re .12 Chip, Sorry, the decent that you did is safer and there is normally little auto traffic if you time it right. I thought that you was talking about the descent from the summit of Mt. Wachusettes, that descent is deadly ( by the way, I think that it is steeper than the ascent road - the Fitchburg race ascended up it last year ). Again, sorry about the mix up. AS
2535.14	oops!!!!!	ROULET::ASMITH		`Tue May 04 1993 17:51`	4
	correction on .13 The was was a "were" AS
2535.15	LACK OF CLARITY ON MY PART	WMOIS::GIROUARD_C		`Wed May 05 1993 12:54`	4
	Not your fault - I didn't mention it. You're right. The down road would be suicidal... I'm not that depressed. Chip