New to downhill grades

[Westinghouse]

Braking is braking, and the methods required for it will vary considerably according the the grades you are on. Downhill runs on the ST are a very different matter from some of the downhill runs mentioned in these posts. Make sure you get new cables and possibly levers before beginning a long tour. The braking you might do on the ST would not be adequate for extremely long steep downhill rides in other parts of the country / world. I have never had to stop and let my rims cool anywhere on the ST, but in other regions where downhills are long and steep you must stop and let your rims cool or they may heat up and pop your tubes.  The OP referred to the ST specifically, and I was speaking to that and that alone, and in no way meant that braking concerns for the ST should pertain to braking requirements anywhere else.