# Mtn Biker = Good Descender???



## KenS (Jan 28, 2004)

Phil and Paul keep stating that so-and-so is a really good descender because he was originally a mountain biker. I can't make sense of this statement.

I do both mountain and road biking, as I bet a lot of people on this list do. I am pretty comfortable doing fast descents on a mountain bike but am much more careful doing a descent on pavement. Road descents can involve higher speeds, trees and rocks seem less dangerous than cars because trees don't move very fast or switch lanes, and mountain bike tires are built better to deal with small, pointy debris.

So why do P & P keep saying that so-and-so will be a really good descender because he came to road racing from a mountain-bike background?


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

KenS said:


> So why do P & P keep saying that so-and-so will be a really good descender because he came to road racing from a mountain-bike background?


I think they feel obliged to say something! Afterall thats what they get paid for.
I can choose between P & P and Eurosport's coverage with Sean Kelly, I must admit I prefer the latter. 
In their defence P&P's coverage is being repackaged for a number of English speaking nations and the result seems very corporate and formulaic. They appear to be tied to speaking about what's on the screen at that moment which is probably the safest option for the widest audience. Trouble is if you have to "fill" over four hours, often with very little happening, you are going to suffer from reptition and banality.
Eurosport seem to have a much wider discretion often speaking at length about items of general interest in cycling and just let the pictures tell the story of the race.
The arguement about mountain bikers I think stems from the fact that they tend to be happier with their wheels sliding, and are deemed to have better bike handling skills. Similar things are said about sprinters who are deemed to be fearless and happier cornering at speed.


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## nate (Jun 20, 2004)

Wasn't Rasmussen originally a mountain biker? Didn't he have terrible descending skills or am I remembering wrong and he was actually good? I couldn't name others with mountain bike backgrounds that are known for being bad on the descents, but I'm sure there are some.

There are certainly many riders that descend very well and don't have a mountain bike background, like Cancellera, Voeckler, Contador, Hushovd, and more.


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## drussell (Aug 6, 2010)

Ryder Hesjedal...

Go Canada


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

drussell said:


> Ryder Hesjedal...
> 
> Go Canada


Heck Alison Sydor could descend better than him


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

drussell said:


> Ryder Hesjedal...
> 
> Go Canada



After being in the press car in front of the break with Ryder in it on the Mt Baldy stage of this years ToC I can tell you the boy can go down hill. He flew down the hill causing a panic in the caravan, the break caught the Regulator (the moto in front of the race that controls the vehicles forward) and had us all scrambling to get away from them.


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## makeitso (Sep 20, 2008)

I think mtn bikers tend (I said tend) to be able to see the line and feel the level of grip better than your average road racer as you really need to feel your way around many of the mtn bike race courses. Also, in mtn biking (assuming they still do it as training) you tend to have a lot better spike power as you rarely can just hammer out a constant power # as you can in road racing. You have to vary it to get up small sharp inclines, clear rocks/roots, etc. A lot of descending is just ramping up the power on corner exit back up to the terminal velocity for that grade and doing it the X amount of times you need to brake going into a turn.


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## nathanbal (Feb 23, 2009)

i tend to think that you're either a good descender or you're not. the skills between road and mtb are different but the common denominator is being fearless in both situations. i consider myself OK on the mtb but am scared sh1tless going super fast downhill on the road bike... how these guys get up to 100km/h+ going around corners baffles me!


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

nOOky said:


> Heck Alison Sydor could descend better than him


What about Emily Batty?


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Not entirely sure, but since I started cyclocross, I've noticed a big improvement in my descending confidence. I used to mountain bike, and I notice that if I ride the MTB and then get back on the road bike, I feel supremely confident in handling at speed.

I think that riding in rough terrain (or riding cross in loose, nasty stuff) really forces you to understand what the bike/tires are doing at any given moment, and lets you anticipate things a bit more.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

makeitso said:


> I think mtn bikers tend (I said tend) to be able to see the line and feel the level of grip better than your average road racer as you really need to feel your way around many of the mtn bike race courses. Also, in mtn biking (assuming they still do it as training) you tend to have a lot better spike power as you rarely can just hammer out a constant power # as you can in road racing. You have to vary it to get up small sharp inclines, clear rocks/roots, etc. A lot of descending is just ramping up the power on corner exit back up to the terminal velocity for that grade and doing it the X amount of times you need to brake going into a turn.


/\this/\

the power spike think goes for the cross riders as well.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Floyd was a great descender and started with mtb.


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

robdamanii said:


> Not entirely sure, but since I started cyclocross, I've noticed a big improvement in my descending confidence. I used to mountain bike, and I notice that if I ride the MTB and then get back on the road bike, I feel supremely confident in handling at speed.
> 
> I think that riding in rough terrain (or riding cross in loose, nasty stuff) really forces you to understand what the bike/tires are doing at any given moment, and lets you anticipate things a bit more.


I agree. Mtn Biking made a definite improvement in my confidence and speed on the road bike.


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## OnTheRivet (Sep 3, 2004)

KenS said:


> Phil and Paul keep stating that so-and-so is a really good descender because he was originally a mountain biker. I can't make sense of this statement.
> 
> I do both mountain and road biking, as I bet a lot of people on this list do. I am pretty comfortable doing fast descents on a mountain bike but am much more careful doing a descent on pavement. Road descents can involve higher speeds, trees and rocks seem less dangerous than cars because trees don't move very fast or switch lanes, and mountain bike tires are built better to deal with small, pointy debris.
> 
> So why do P & P keep saying that so-and-so will be a really good descender because he came to road racing from a mountain-bike background?


Coming from the mountain side of things, DH then XC then to road racing I agree. Skill is skill, there are some extremely good bike handlers on the road who have never straddled a MTB and there are A LOT of MTB'ers who are spazzes on a bike. Again, skill is skill. Phil and Paul say a lot of things that are just flat out wrong.


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## BCSaltchucker (Jul 20, 2011)

I did a lot of MTB racing along with road racing. MTB definitely improves the confidence and bike handling skills. Plenty of the roadies I road against were sketchy and nervous in crits and downhills and could be instantly dropped by me picking a smoother faster line. I also only went down once, but had to jump curbs and tracks and other simple stuff that wiped out a lot of timid riders. I would think in Europe it is a lot different, though - riders over there learn to handle tighter turns and cobbles and such making them pretty skilled just doing roads.

Actually the best descenders of anyone I knew were ex-motorcycle racers who took up mountain biking. Knew a lot more than those in the MTB XC scene. I knew one successful guy who would do screaming dirt trail descents and corner the bike like Steve McQueen dragging a foot, counter turned and sliding sideways at 80 kph.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

I think the biggest difference between a "Pure" roadie and somebody that started out on a MTB or rides off road in the off season is the ability to "Feel" what the bike is doing and not freak out when the bike isn't solid.

I started out on a MTB both riding and racing and am a much better descender then other teammates of mine (also riding a motorcycle doesn't hurt either  ). I can feel when the rear wheel is losing traction, when the wheels start drifting through a turn, how to relax at speed, apexing corners, handling bumpy sections, etc. so the feel developed riding in conditions that don't give great grip is very important.

The other aspect is learning to lay it on the line and not worry about the consequences...that and forgetting about a mistake you made on the last corner. Never underestimate the ability to quickly forget a mistake heading into the next corner and just concentrating on what's ahead instead of behind.


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## ColdRider (Mar 17, 2005)

I wonder how much of it (in Thor's case) is the fact that he is 180lbs vs the 150s out there. Especially looking at the stage where he caught Jérémy Roy on the descent.

il Falco was... well pure beauty tho!


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## mtbykr (Feb 16, 2004)

In my experience, all of the guys that came from Mt Biking are better descenders, at least instinctively. If there is a fast or technical decent, friends will usually ask me or a couple others to take the lead and they will follow our line. I have no basis for this, it just seems to come more naturally to guys that started out mt biking.


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## DZfan14 (Jul 6, 2009)

Lance was a pretty awesome descender and bike handler, he did some cross races in the offseason and did some mountain biking as well. DZ is a good descender and his favorite bike to ride is basically a mountain bike with drop bars. 

Sprinters seem to have some crazy bike handling skills and they also seem to be sick descenders, probably out of neccessity in trying to catch the peloton after getting dropped on climbs.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Another advantage MTBing gives you is the ability to relax on the bike and trust the bike to do the work, rather than hanging on for dear life. (Also, to stay off the brakes, just find the line and let the bike flow along it.)

They always say that good descenders on tarmac are the ones who are relaxed, whereas you can see Andy S is stiff and awkward.


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## smartyiak (Sep 28, 2005)

*Bmx*

I started racing BMX as a kid and raced for about 7 years. I think things like BMX and Mtn biking throw things at you that allow a person to be able to handle different circumstances that a road bike doesn't.

On a road bike, you get on and pedal...stop for stop signs...go around objects. That's about it. WHile off-roading there's starts and stops, technical switch-backs, wide-open rut filled descents. Braking and balance are much more important. I think these types of things make a person a better bike handler and thus a better descender.

I would be willing to bet that bike messangers are decent descenders b/c they encounter circumstances that an ordinary road biker won't. 

-Smarty


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

At least they're giving mountain biking some respect

I don't agree that mountain bike descending skill translates to road descending.. Speeds are different... surface is different.. obstacles.. if anything the balance and confidence are the only true carry overs.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Going down a road fast is much less scary to me than a rocky trail with trees inches away on either side of me.
Anyone can go down a hill fast in a straight line. It's the corners that scare folks, and for that I'd have to say any track riding I have done on my sport bike aids a lot more than any mountain biking I have done.


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## mopartodd (Dec 1, 2010)

KenS said:


> Phil and Paul keep stating that so-and-so is a really good descender because he was originally a mountain biker. I can't make sense of this statement.
> 
> I do both mountain and road biking, as I bet a lot of people on this list do. I am pretty comfortable doing fast descents on a mountain bike but am much more careful doing a descent on pavement. Road descents can involve higher speeds, trees and rocks seem less dangerous than cars because trees don't move very fast or switch lanes, and mountain bike tires are built better to deal with small, pointy debris.
> 
> So why do P & P keep saying that so-and-so will be a really good descender because he came to road racing from a mountain-bike background?


I think it is just a generalization that MTBer's should be better bike handlers because of the loose/varying surfaces.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

ColdRider said:


> I wonder how much of it (in Thor's case) is the fact that he is 180lbs vs the 150s out there. Especially looking at the stage where he caught Jérémy Roy on the descent.


Yes, that's true.
Add: As a kid Hushovd did mountain biking and other fun stuff with Sean Yates (who was on 7-Eleven/Motorola with Thor's fellow Grimstadian Dag Otto Lauritzen). Yates was maybe THE descender of his generation.

Generally, the good road downhillers can do the two wheel slide trick like the Moto GP guys do. Watch Hushovd, Evans and Nibali.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

makeitso said:


> I think mtn bikers tend (I said tend) to be able to see the line and feel the level of grip better than your average road racer as you really need to feel your way around many of the mtn bike race courses. Also, in mtn biking (assuming they still do it as training) you tend to have a lot better spike power as you rarely can just hammer out a constant power # as you can in road racing. You have to vary it to get up small sharp inclines, clear rocks/roots, etc. A lot of descending is just ramping up the power on corner exit back up to the terminal velocity for that grade and doing it the X amount of times you need to brake going into a turn.


Yeppers.


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

I believe most of the downhill skiers who races can also descend quite well.


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## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

ColdRider said:


> il Falco was... well pure beauty tho!


OH! how I miss il Falco. 

I made a comment similar to the OP's to my husband last night. He agrees w/ P&P, but I don't see how it translates to descending at the pro level. Sure, I handle my road bike better than non-MTBers when it comes to gravel, getting hit in the rear wheel, railroad tracks, running over crashed riders,  etc. But regardless of having some minor skills for technical handling, my max on the mtb is what...25? For me that does NOT translate to having the ability or willingness to do freakin' 69 MILES per hour as some were reported to do last week. oh no. i think it's more about fear than skills.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

All I know is that being an MTBer "by trade" and the bike handling skills Ive developed riding my MTB have DEFINITELY translated well to my road riding.


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## ZoomBoy (Jan 28, 2004)

My take is that P&P are talking about a riders ability to make the transition to road racing while using their MTB skills and confidence as an advantage going downhill. Take Evans for example: I remember watching him race at Mt. Snow in the late 90's when he raced for Diamondback and he flew down some of the technical decents on the course. His ability to pick a ridable line and not lose it on uneven surfaces has to help on some of those mountain roads.


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## Wile_E_Coyote (Jul 15, 2011)

I ride a motorcycle quite a lot in my free time. One thing you have to know in order to ride a motorcycle well is how to countersteer. I have also heard that this is an important skill in mountain biking. I'm still pretty novice to road biking, but I have not minded the descents at all so far. Mind you I'm not risking it all like some of the TdF guys, but I dont like to just hang about either. This could partially explain how a natural mountain biker might do well on descents.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

interesting discussion. i think riding mtb will help w/ some aspects of descending, but i saw a tweet from Ben JM the other day saying how stupid it was that P&P kept saying that because so and so was once a mtb racer that made them a demon on the downhills. he directly attributed downhill speed to big...uhmmm...attachments.


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

ZoSoSwiM said:


> I don't agree that mountain bike descending skill translates to road descending.. Speeds are different... surface is different.. obstacles.. if anything the balance and confidence are the only true carry overs.


Well, balance and (even more so) confidence are probably the two key factors involved in descending at speed, so developing those in MTBing would be useful in road descending.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I don't agree that just because you were a former mountain biker, you are automatically a good descender.

I think the most accurate statement is that you are more likely to be successful as a pro mountain biker if you are a good descender. Most cross country MTB races are circuits, so half the course is going to be downhill. If you want to win, you have to be good there. Therefore, if you are good descender on dirt, I think it's very likely you'll be a good descender on the road as well. 

So really, I think some people are just born descenders, for whatever reason. It has nothing to do with what kind of racing they do.


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## jspharmd (May 24, 2006)

What mohair said.

Really good mountain bikers (most of the pros in road racing were good mountain bikers) have handling skills. They are comfortable laying the bike over in a turn, they can handle trail/road obstacles, they can downhill fast because they had to and developed the courage to do this.

I am much faster on a road bike than several mountain bike buddies.  When we get on the trail, they only pull away in the sections that require good handling skills.


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## danielc (Oct 24, 2002)

I ride with a couple of guys who use to ride motorcycles fast, and they descent on bikes like demons. I was always under the impression that I was a bad descender until I realized that they were just incredibly good. I figured with the much slower speeds and lower weights on a bicycle compared to a motorbike, taking lines would a lost easier.


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## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

cpark said:


> I believe most of the downhill skiers who races can also descend quite well.


I think this has an influence. I'm a full time mountain biker and friends tell me I'm faster than average going downhill. I grew up alpine ski racing and have basically spent my whole life going downhill fast on skis and snowboards. I think when you have a lot of experience at speed, your brain is better at processing information at high speed. Skiing is 100% gravity powered, you scrub speed and you can't get it back. So you learn how to take the most advantage of the terrain to build and maintain speed. Reading and picking lines, feeling what gravity is doing to your body mechanics, and riding with confidence at speed is something that can certainly carry over from skiing to biking. AS far as mountain bike descending translating to road descending, I couldn't say since I don't road bike really at all. But I do agree with a lot of points regarding mountain biking creating a good sense of descending technique and understanding how to work with gravity.


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## huez (Mar 15, 2002)

kbwh said:


> Generally, the good road downhillers can do the two wheel slide trick like the Moto GP guys do. Watch Hushovd, Evans and Nibali.


Sorry, but that's BS. Road bikes do not drift around corners no matter who's riding them.

A good descender is a good descender. 

Voeckler does not look like a good descender to me. Just because he pulled away from the peleton a little bit and P&P keep saying it does not make it true. The Falcon was beautiful to watch. 

Thor doesn't look all that great to me either, but I haven't seen him much admittedly.


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## huez (Mar 15, 2002)

Wile_E_Coyote said:


> I ride a motorcycle quite a lot in my free time. One thing you have to know in order to ride a motorcycle well is how to countersteer. I have also heard that this is an important skill in mountain biking. I'm still pretty novice to road biking, but I have not minded the descents at all so far. Mind you I'm not risking it all like some of the TdF guys, but I dont like to just hang about either. This could partially explain how a natural mountain biker might do well on descents.


So many misunderstand countersteer. Countersteer is something everybody does every time they make a turn on a two wheeled vehicle.


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## SeeVee (Sep 25, 2005)

pretender said:


> Floyd was a great descender and started with mtb.



I think his fast descent was cause by dope, not mountain bikes.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

godot said:


> I agree. Mtn Biking made a definite improvement in my confidence and speed on the road bike.


For what it's worth, focusing on my descending skills by working on them on the road did the same for me . . . .


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

huez said:


> Sorry, but that's BS. Road bikes do not drift around corners no matter who's riding them.
> 
> Thor doesn't look all that great to me either, but I haven't seen him much admittedly.


Two bollocks paragraphs there.

Did you see Hushovd ride down the Aubisque?


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## tricycletalent (Apr 2, 2005)

I believe that former MTBikers are automatically good descenders, or will be after not-so-long. Have a look at some of the speeds on some of the terrain the top riders are confronting in the world cup. These guys are insanely fast on bikes that are underequipped suspension-wise, due to weight issues/the fact that most time is spent climbing. 

I also know for sure that sports directors are morons, not picking/inviting the best mountainbikers into their teams for GC riding. Look at Peraud, silver medalist in the olympics, WTF didn't he get a road contract before killing the other frenchies in the national TT championship?

There is no question, Absalon, Kulhavy, Stander, Schurter, Vogel - these all belong on teams as potential GC candidates, they do nothing but climbing as a profession, they are tough as nails, the would kick focking a$$, they just need the adjustment period to get hold of how to dope and peak as roadies.


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## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

Fast forward to 1:25 to get right to the excitement


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## stoked (Aug 6, 2004)

Mtn Biker = Good Descender??? 

When I started riding MTB 11 years ago I have to admit I was pretty scared of downhills. After years of riding trails and learning what to expect now I bomb them full speed. This is due to more confidence and gaining bike handling skills such as being in attack position on the bike(off the saddle slightly and centered, low to the bike), mastering front braking, taking the correct path on a switchback turn(brake early,enter wide, cut sharp into inside apex and exit fast to outside of turn while pedaling) , push on the handlebar and pedal on the outside when leaned into a turn etc. On an MTB I could tell when tires are starting to brake loose. If you ever drifted and had a controlled skid of both tires on MTB on a downhill turn then you know what I am talking about. 

It has been my experience that MTB riders who ride in technical trails with rock gardens, drops and roots have much better descending skills than pure XC MTB riders. 

Many of the sprinters come from BMX background so they have good descending skills. 

You can learn good descending skills on a road bike. I think due to more technical nature of MTB you learn them faster.


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## Ronman (Feb 12, 2007)

I've been riding motorcycles for over 20 years, all of them sport bikes. More than anything, including MTBs and racing dirt bikes, riding sport bikes helped me tremendously when I started riding road bikes about 6 years ago. The high cornering speeds, knowing how to lean, apex turns, maintain momentum, counter-steer, brake and choose the correct line through a turn are all necessary skills when riding motorcycles, especially sport bikes. Getting on a road bike and descending was almost second nature to me due my time on motocycles. And it's not just me, as the fastest descenders in our club are motorcycle riders. Too bad knowing how to twist the throttle doesn't translate into powering the pedals...............


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## lwrncc (Oct 7, 2010)

Because they can't say testicular fortitude = good descender.


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## Gatorback (Jul 11, 2009)

mohair_chair said:


> I don't agree that just because you were a former mountain biker, you are automatically a good descender.
> 
> I think the most accurate statement is that you are more likely to be successful as a pro mountain biker if you are a good descender. Most cross country MTB races are circuits, so half the course is going to be downhill. If you want to win, you have to be good there. Therefore, if you are good descender on dirt, I think it's very likely you'll be a good descender on the road as well.
> 
> So really, I think some people are just born descenders, for whatever reason. It has nothing to do with what kind of racing they do.


This is similar to the way I see it. Riding a mountain bike does not make you a good descender--because you may not necessarily have the mountain biking attributes that transfer over to make you a good descender.

But what about an elite world cup level mountain bike racer?

Very different. You do not get to that level on the mountain bike without having some serious bike skills and some serious cajones. Or whatever name we want to give cajones for the women racers. The vast majority of elite mountain bikers absolutely fly through singletrack, technical terrain, and downhills. Those skills and the fearlessness it takes can make a great descender.

My mountain bike skills are good but certainly nothing to brag about. I do have some fearlessness, probably too much for my own good. Even with just average skills for a mountain bike racer, flying around corners on a road bike, and going downhill fast, seems easy in comparison to a nasty descent down a rocky, rooty trail in Pisgah.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

It's more than just having the courage to bomb down hills....

there is the "smarts" also, especially bombing down technical terrain because you have to constantly be aware of what's several bike lengths in front of you so you choose the best line possible.

If you miss... you either be slowing down to avoid something or worse yet, you'll be launched from the bike (if you manage to unclip in time).....

It's sort of like the Finnish term... Sisu...


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## DZfan14 (Jul 6, 2009)

tednugent said:


> It's more than just having the courage to bomb down hills....
> 
> there is the "smarts" also, especially bombing down technical terrain because you have to constantly be aware of what's several bike lengths in front of you so you choose the best line possible.
> 
> ...


MTN and CX place a higher premium on bike handling. In order to descend well, you have to be a good bike handler therefore formerly successful MTN bikers and CX guys tend to be pretty good descenders.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

DZfan14 said:


> MTN and CX place a higher premium on bike handling. In order to descend well, you have to be a good bike handler therefore formerly successful MTN bikers and CX guys tend to be pretty good descenders.


Handling is a portion of it... even if you're the best at handling the bike... if you choose the wrong line at any given time, you'll be forced to scrub off the speed quickly and/or crash...


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## huez (Mar 15, 2002)

kbwh said:


> Two bollocks paragraphs there.
> 
> Did you see Hushovd ride down the Aubisque?


Yes, I saw Hushovd ride down the Aubisque. He looked ok, but just because you're willing to go 69mph doesn't necessarily mean you're a good descender. It's certainly part of it, but the bigger part is railing through corners and knowing the right way to take them. Anybody heavy can tuck up and get to a high speed, but only the skilled can carry that through the corners. Watch some video of Savoldelli.

As for the drifting you say the top guys do through corners, you show me some pictures of guys drifting their road bikes (that are not about to crash) and I'll agree with you.


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## cityeast (Sep 16, 2004)

huez said:


> As for the drifting you say the top guys do through corners, you show me some pictures of guys drifting their road bikes (that are not about to crash) and I'll agree with you.


I'll second this. Anything that I've seen even closely resembling a drift on a roadie has ended in tears.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

drifting or sliding through turns on a mountain bike is only used as a last resort, as it really tears up the trails. The local grassroots organizations whom volunteer their time to maintain the trails really hate it...


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

For me, it just gives me confidence to know (believe?) that due to my MTB'ing, I can handle pretty much anything I'll find on the road, I guess. I've also ridden motorcycles most of my life, so maybe I'm just not worried about speeds as much on the road, as I've gone much, much faster w/ an engine in the frame. I don't know, but on a nice clean smooth road, speeds of 50-60 mph on my road bike just don't phase me -- they're just lots of fun -- where the guys I ride with (who haven't mbt'd much) start scrubbing off speed at 40. I have no idea how any of this translates to being a good descender in a pro race.

Or maybe it's bike handling and keeping your feet on the pedals and being ready to roll your way through it, rather than putting a foot down and getting ready to bail. Where I've seen guys running off the road and crashing on the descents in the TdF, they've usually got one or 2 feet off the pedals (like that dude who ran off the road into the car port yesterday), sitting on the seat w/ their feet flaring out -- they've already given up. Any mountain biker knows that on a downhill, once you're sitting on the seat and your feet come off the pedals, you're going down!


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## huez (Mar 15, 2002)

tystevens said:


> For me, it just gives me confidence to know (believe?) that due to my MTB'ing, I can handle pretty much anything I'll find on the road, I guess. I've also ridden motorcycles most of my life, so maybe I'm just not worried about speeds as much on the road, as I've gone much, much faster w/ an engine in the frame. I don't know, but on a nice clean smooth road, speeds of 50-60 mph on my road bike just don't phase me -- they're just lots of fun -- where the guys I ride with (who haven't mbt'd much) start scrubbing off speed at 40. I have no idea how any of this translates to being a good descender in a pro race.
> 
> Or maybe it's bike handling and keeping your feet on the pedals and being ready to roll your way through it, rather than putting a foot down and getting ready to bail. Where I've seen guys running off the road and crashing on the descents in the TdF, they've usually got one or 2 feet off the pedals (like that dude who ran off the road into the car port yesterday), sitting on the seat w/ their feet flaring out -- they've already given up. Any mountain biker knows that on a downhill, once you're sitting on the seat and your feet come off the pedals, you're going down!



Agreed. I could have written that exact post.


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