How to Ride Down a Mountain Road on a Bike: Engine Braking, Gears and Not Cooking Your Brakes

Going up a mountain is the easy part. Coming down is where your brakes, your wrists and your nerves get tested.

Short answer: stay in a low gear, keep your hand off the clutch, brake before the bend and let go on the straight. That's the whole technique.

Don't pull the clutch in

This is the biggest mistake we see. People pull the clutch in and coast down the hill. It feels easier. It's dangerous.

With the clutch in, the engine isn't holding you back, so your brakes do all the work. They overheat, and you have less control than you think.

Keep the bike in a low gear, 2nd or 3rd, with your hand off the clutch. Let the engine's compression hold your speed. On a steep, long descent, the lower gear is the right one.

Use the brakes, don't ride them

Engine braking holds your speed. The brakes are for shaving it off.

Brake before a hairpin to slow down.
Then let go and let them cool on the straight sections.
Don't hold the brakes on continuously. They overheat, they fade, and if you keep holding them, the fluid can boil. Then the lever goes soft and there's nothing left to stop you.

If you ever feel the lever getting soft or the bike taking longer to slow, stop. Pull over, let everything cool down, and carry on.

Sit right or your hands will go numb

Going downhill throws your weight forward. If it all lands on your wrists, your hands go numb, and numb hands can't brake.

Grip the fuel tank with your knees to hold your body back.
Keep your arms relaxed, with a loose grip on the bars.

It's a small thing, and it makes the difference on a long descent.

A quick checklist for the descent

Low gear (2nd or 3rd), hand off the clutch.
Brake before the bend, release on the straight.
Knees on the tank, arms loose.
Stop if the brakes feel soft. Ride within your own limits.

Where this matters

Sela Pass and the road to Tawang: see Riding to Tawang and the Tawang route guide.
The steep road down to Tyrna: see the root bridge guide.
A scooter? It has no gears, so it can't do any of this. Read Can you ride a scooter to Tawang?.
More hill tips: Driving in the Northeast hills.