Ride your bike downhill | Top tips on how to descend on a road bike

Do you have this question, “how do you ride a bike downhill?”

Should you grip your handlebars and hope for the best?

What gear should you use going downhill on a bicycle?

How should you use your brakes to control your speed?

We’ll dive into all the things you need to know on how to descend on a road bike in this post. 

Let’s get started.

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HOW TO RIDE YOUR BIKE DOWNHILL | THE TOP TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR DOWNHILL BIKING

You’ll find the tips for how to ride your bike downhill here, but if you also need cycling tips on how to climb hills on a bike, head on over to this post.

Lower your center of gravity

The lower your center of gravity, the more stable you’ll be biking downhill.

That means, rather than riding your bike in an upright stance (it’s unstable), you’ll want to be more aerodynamic (and stable) by positioning your hands in the drops to lower your center of gravity. 

Riding in the drops also distributes your weight evenly between your front and rear wheel and gives you quick access to your brakes.

It’ll be a good idea to check if you can reach your brake levers without stretching. If it’s too much of a reach, go to your local bike shop to have it adjusted.

Practice looking ahead

Your visual skills aid your bike handling skills because (and you may have heard it before) your bike goes where you look.

And when you’re flying downhill, it’s natural and more comfortable to look down at your front wheel rather than keep your chin up to look ahead. 

But look ahead rather than down for anything that might be in your way—rocks, trees, and debris. This way, you can be prepared to tap your brakes to avoid any obstacles ahead.

If you’re riding in the drops and find it straining and uncomfortable to lift your chin, think about modifying your bike fit.

Feather your brakes if you need to slow down

There’s this temptation to tense up and grip the brakes all the way downhill, and that’s understandable—no one wants to spin out of control on the bike. 

But clenching your brakes for the entire downhill stretch makes you tenser, will cause your rims or rotors to overheat and makes it difficult to push your weight back for stability. 

Fortunately, there is a better and safer way to use your brakes and control your speed while going downhill on a bicycle.

To use your brakes while riding your bike downhill: squeeze your brakes for a second or two instead of squeezing hard and swerving.

To control your speed biking downhill: use your body to block the wind, so instead of riding in the drops, sit up and use your body as a sail and slow down. Remember, this is a more unstable position than riding in the drops, so you may want to only sit upright for a short while.

Before we move on to tip #4 below:

Do you run through a pre-ride checklist to make sure your bike is safe and ready to ride? If you don’t, snag this free pre-ride checklist, so you don’t forget a thing.

Shift your weight to the back of your saddle

You’ll move forward in the saddle as you ride your bike downhill, so you’ll need to move your weight backward on your saddle for more balance and control of your bike going downhill.

What gear should you use going downhill on a bike?

Use a bigger gear as you bike downhill but watch for when the downhill ends, because you’ll need to downshift ahead of time to a smaller gear so can continue your momentum

HOW TO GET OVER THE FEAR OF CYCLING DOWNHILL

We’ve just gone over the 4 top tips on how to ride your bike downhill, but putting it all together in practice takes a bit of work.

You don’t want to be on a hill *and* try to remember all the tips you’ve learned to ride your bike safely downhill. 

So let’s break it down into some manageable bite-sized chunks to help you manage your fear of biking downhill.

Let’s break it down into some practice sessions.

Practice riding in the drops on flat road

Placing your hands in the drops can feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but you can get used to this position with practice*. 

Step 1: Practice moving your hands from your handlebars and into the drops. 

Step 2: While you’re riding in the drops, shift your weight back on your saddle.

Step 3: While your hands are positioned in the drops, squeeze your brakes for a second or two.

Practice riding in the drops for 5 minutes.

On each future bike ride, repeat this skill for 5 minutes until this length of time and the skills feel comfortable to you.  

Then, extend your time riding in your drops from 5 minutes to 10-minutes.

If these steps together are too much to handle at once, practice each step one at a time. Do step 1 until you feel comfortable, then step 2, and finally step 3. 

*You should be able to extend the time you spend riding in the drops with practice. However, if you’re still feeling tension and fatigue despite practice, you may need to adjust your bike fit.

Practice looking ahead anytime you’re riding your bike on a flat road

Your visual skills and bike handling skills go hand in hand, so remember to keep your chin up and look ahead for any obstacles. 

Much like riding in the drops, lifting your head might feel uncomfortable and if you’re feeling too much tension and fatigue, you’ll need to readjust your bike fit.

Put it all together on a gentle downhill

Ride in your drops, shift your weight back, look ahead, and shift to a bigger gear.

Repeat this on a gentle slope until you feel comfortable.

Then, find a steeper downhill, and continue to fine-tune your downhill bike riding skills.

I hope that you’ll be coasting downhill with confidence with these biking downhill tips. And don’t forget to run through a pre-ride checklist to make sure your bike is safe and ready to ride. Grab this free pre-ride checklist so you don’t forget a thing!