On my ride across America in 1984 I did not walk down any hill. I did walk down the steepest couple of hundred feet of a steep hill in New York, until I could see that it was safe to descend on the bike. Then I weaved back and forth across the road, on the pedals, until I could control the bike with the brake, and eventually I coasted the rest of the hill, legs over. I did get a surprise at the bottom, because I came to a four-way stop when the road levelled out. You can brake very heavily, legs over, if you lean back. A true wheel with no " bounce" (being vertically out of round) is a necessity for heavy braking. The dangerous moment occurs when the wheel is nearly stopped. I have twice seen the brake lock a wheel, causing a header, when the bike was nearly stopped and the rider was in the act of dismounting. The road had recently had a chip seal resurfacing, and the tire brought a chip up to lodge under the brake spoon.
