Trouble going down hills

[CRF150gal]

I'm an mx rider, and i've been spending a little more time on trails lately. The only place I seem to be having problems is going down hills, then slowing enough to make a turn at the bottom. Do you guys drop gears or use the brakes? I can't seem to find a good way to do it. Thanks!

[witdogg]

I leave my bike in first or second (depending on how fast I am going down the hill) but I have my clutch pulled in most of the time. I apply medium pressure to the front brake and I play with the back brake as I am rolling down. If I am going down too fast I’ll sit as far back on my seat as possible and apply hard pressure to the rear brake, to the point it is locking up occasionally. If your back end starts to slide let up of the back brake just a hair to get the wheel moving again and slowly reapply pressure.

It’s a fine line between too much brake (going over the bars or having your back end try and come around) and not enough brake and you start to build up speed. That’s not fun on a really steep downhill because it’s hard to slow your bike back down.

The only reason I leave it in gear and pull in the clutch is just in case I need to use the power (large rock to go over, etc…) I can let the clutch out and go for it. Being in neutral will be a little easier on the hand but you don’t have the option to quickly pop the clutch if you need to.

[Twhit]

Just like any sport......the more time you put into it, the better you'll become! Marbley, off camber, rutted out down hills certainly keep your attention however!

Tom

[Psycelt]

Here's a good thread on the subject. Downhill Confidence.

[camaro_guy_z28]

Here's a good thread on the subject. Downhill Confidence.

Very good read

[dirtsquirt101]

You shouldn't pull your clutch in and coast. Engine braking of any kind, even if it is a 2 stroke it keeps the rear wheel much more planted.

[NVDESERTKID]

2 things:

1. If there is a trail there it is doable.

2. You already know to look way ahead, but look way ahead. Keep an eye out for good braking spots/bumps to beyond obsticles so that you don't have to brake as hard in/on obsticles. For example: if the section is loose fist sized rocks for 10 feet, then good dirt for 10 feet, then loose rocks again for 10 feet: roll w/enginebrake the rock section and then brake hard on the good dirt, then roll w/enginbrake the second section and so on. Getting a sensitive front brake on the steeps is key, when the front gives out there is alot more force and gravity trying to wash your tire out... a front tire skid on a steep hill handles much different than it does on the flat.

[Matt 193]

When I go down a tough hill I pull in the clutch and only let it out if I need too, but if it's an easy hill I will just coast. Also don't be afraid of the front brake start off easy and graduallly apply pressure instead of grabing a handful and taking a spill.

[BaileyAZ]

Do not pull in your clutch! You will will have better control with your bike in gear and on the throttle. Keep your upper body and hands loose, but not so that you are out of control. Look to where you want to go, dont focus on objects you want to avoid. Lay off the front brake, use the rear to move you around the obsticles. Most important...relax. Hope this helps.

[kumaclimber]

the real steep stuff i get as far back as possible off the seat knees bent 1st gear and let the engine do the slowing and float the front brake to regulate the speed a little better and the back brake also.. Oh and if you have a compression release lever Grab that thing and then just keep calm and cool and be ready for the back wheel try to pass the front verticly

[witdogg]

Do not pull in your clutch! You will will have better control with your bike in gear and on the throttle. Keep your upper body and hands loose, but not so that you are out of control. Look to where you want to go, dont focus on objects you want to avoid. Lay off the front brake, use the rear to move you around the obsticles. Most important...relax. Hope this helps.

Not sure what kind of downhills you are going down but they sound about as steep as my driveway.

You are saying to be "on the throttle" while going downhill and to "lay off the front brake"??? If I were to listen to your advice while going downhill I would be dead. ?

[mikeylikesit]

I used to be death afraid of steep downhills but now I've learned that since there is a lot more weight on your front tire it grips better while braking downhill. I've found on almost anything I can ride up, I can almost stop dead on going back down useing a strong front and light back brake. Also I now freefall down steep drop-offs I wouldn't even try to climb up. I usually keep the clutch pulled in.

[jbusa8]

downhills and uphills are awesome....until it gets rutted, rooty and rocky.

[Plushpuppy]

HI! I'm learning downhills too, it really helps to break it down into bits at a time and PRACTICE, and be sure to push yourself a little past your comfort zone too. The road up to my house is a very steep gravel road, there are parts with a 18% grade(and I hate that because it's so hard to stop and so easy to slide out on the curves, and there are CARS), so I practice going faster, slowing down on the more level parts to practice brake control(It is so easy to lock it up on loose gravel), and even if I do lock it up and slide, I work on going with it and not freaking out--like letting go of the brakes or controlling the slide. For speed I've worked up so I'm on the gas in 4th going down (on that road)and I practice slowing and stopping from that).

Learning to stand up with the butt way back is so helpful too, you dont' get bucked around. Find a downhill that is flat and straight and a good run out at the bottom, and practice form going down, and controlling the brakes and clutch, controlling speed, and being on the gas going down. Then add in the hard parts--rocks, ruts, mud, turns.

For the really super difficult stuff I turn off the bike and keep it in gear and pull in the clutch to roll. That way I won't bump and whack the throttle(which I've done, ick). Though I still have to be careful because my bike is super easy to bump start. Another thing I keep mindful of is that if I get out of control, I want to fall uphill with the back end swinging downhill, not me falling downhill over the bars ?

Yeah everybody gives good advice, especially learn to read the trail, pick lines and see the good traction parts and use them to slow down or get better control.

I generally use 2nd to go down, the engine braking speed works pretty good with going back and forth pulling in the clutch and varying speed. 1st will lock up a lot in going between coasting and letting the clutch out, at least for me.

[idamoh]

I really don't understand pulling in the clutch. I was always taught if you can go 60 on flat ground you can go 60 down a hill. I use the engine to brake, and acutally shift into higher gears as I'm going down hill climbs. If there's a tight turn in the hill I try and control my speed a little bit more by using both the front and back brakes. If it's nice and straight though lean back and let the engine do the work.

[Plushpuppy]

I really don't understand pulling in the clutch. I was always taught if you can go 60 on flat ground you can go 60 down a hill. I use the engine to brake, and acutally shift into higher gears as I'm going down hill climbs. If there's a tight turn in the hill I try and control my speed a little bit more by using both the front and back brakes. If it's nice and straight though lean back and let the engine do the work.

True, but are you going 60 in tight woods with ruts and rocks? Usually I am working the clutch just like I would on a hillclimb or in curves, just a bit more because when you're going slower it's easier to stall(and skid or tip over--at least my bike tends to stall easy?) especially if you're going slow cuz you're not skilled yet to bomb down hills. Also, I think clutch + throttle controls traction, right? Yes use the drag of the engine going down. WHen I said turn off the bike and coast down with the clutch pulled in that's for the bulldog situations, I'm inching down or rolling real slow.

I LOVE those nice and straight hills, I'm on the gas on those--now I just need to learn how to do that with curvy rocky there is no hard braking stopping if you need it stuff(like if you need to emergency slow down just run it into a tree or the bushes or dump it). I know I'm a total spode going downhill--but I wanna live to ride another day:thumbsup: and it always feels so good when you make it to the bottom in one piece!

[Soul Man]

Best thing when learing is to get your speed down BEFORE you enter the hill.

It is a lot easier to maintain speed then to decrease speed on a downhill.