When I first joined Strava I became aware of my downhill speed compared to other riders. See Strava, QOM, and does downhill count?
But there are limits to my downhill speed caused by real world practical concerns like FEAR OF DEATH. Years ago, in Canberra, Australia (I was there on sabbatical) I did a course on safely descending at speed and I’ve gotten better with time. Interested? There are some good tips here.
I follow more experienced riders downhill and follow their lines. I don’t brake that often. Still though I don’t pedal hard downhill. Did I mention FEAR OF DEATH?
But this winter and last I’ve been riding on a trainer in the virtual world created by Zwift. One joy of Zwift riding is that you can’t crash. It’s not just that you don’t actually crash. You don’t virtually crash either. There’s no crashing at all. So there’s no reason not to keep up your watts as you zoom downhill.
My efforts in the virtual Yorkshire, speeding down hills unlocked a new achievement for me, DAREDEVIL, for exceeding 50 mph.
Me a Daredevil? I think my kids are likely laughing. But I can be a virtual Daredevil it turns out.
