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Tyres slipping with fast cornering

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l2eeFer13

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So after getting more and more confident I am starting to take corners a lot faster than I used to while riding single tracks. If I have a good amount of pace and head into the corner and lean into it my bike always starts slipping from underneath and throws me off. It's anoying as I have to slow right down at most corners.

im just wondering if it is my tyres. They are Bontrager LT3s. Just cheap ones that came with my Trek 3500 Disk. They are directional tyres and not proper nobby tyres.

i am buying a Trek Fuel Ex 8 on Sunday and am just wondering if it is the tyres and not me doing something wrong. Yes theirs YouTube for techniques etc but I'm sure I'm doing it right
 
#3 ·
comparing your new bike to your old bike is going to be very, very different. working against you are tire tread, suspension design, and bike geometry. those LT3s don't have a very aggressive tread. I would imagine that the fork on a 3500 is not the smoothest thing available, so it does not follow the contour of the trail very well. the geo on Trek's entry-level bikes are more upright and easy-riding and don't lend themselves to aggressive riding well.

you can control tire pressure (could be too high to grip the trail) and your skills, but see what happens with the new bike. be sure to get the suspension air pressure dialed in at the shop, front and rear. they should be able to help you set that up based on sag. tire pressure is a personal thing but you can get away with lower pressure for more grip by going tubeless.
 
#4 ·
When I bought my bike, I was having issues with cornering slippage too. Being that I ride on a mountain with some steep walls, I was afraid my tires will slide like a cow on ice one day. I bought the Kenda Nevegals and they are great. Check them out.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Tire selection for the conditions can be a huge factor depending on the conditions. Every tire out there excels at some particular set of conditions, and sucks at some others. As you push the limits of your bike, you will find conditions where your tires aren't quite so good and others where you kinda like 'em.

Tire size, rim width, and tire pressure, I'd put into a group, because they are so heavily related to each other. But these factors make a huge difference. Rim width is the toughest one to play around with, but tire pressure is the easiest. On a mtb, you want your pressure high enough to avoid pinch flatting, but low enough to conform to the terrain you're riding. Tire size plays a role here, because with a bigger tire, you can run lower pressure. Rim width is a limiting factor, because for a given rim width, tire size can only be so big and pressure only so low before the tire starts to flop side-to-side and will really screw up your handling. You'll see this referred to as tire squirm.

And yeah, like the video you posted, cornering technique is something else that you can control.

Further, there are some conditions where no matter what you do, you just have to slow down in the corner. Namely, I'm thinking of deep sand and loose-over-hard conditions. Especially if the turn is flat or off-camber, and when it's really sharp. Berms give you a little more forgiveness and let you take a turn faster with less concern for your tires and conditions.
 
#7 ·
I had the same problem with my Kenda Nevegals. I've even wiped out a few times. Even running tubeless and at low psi, I would still lose traction around turns. I loved those tires anyways, but decided to switch. I tried a few Schwalbe tires like the Rocket Ron which were great, but settled on a set of WTB Bronsons which makes me feel like I'm on rails around a turn and have never looked back. My first thing to do before buying new tires, since they can be expensive, is lowering your PSI. What PSI were you running? Your weight?
 
#8 ·
AshevilleMtBiker said:
When I bought my bike, I was having issues with cornering slippage too. Being that I ride on a mountain with some steep walls, I was afraid my tires will slide like a cow on ice one day. I bought the Kenda Nevegals and they are great. Check them out.
Click to expand...
Nevegals are okay, but they wear ridiculously fast IME. I've found I get better wear out of something like a Maxxis Highroller, etc.

The whole wide rim fad is amusing. I was running 33mm wide rims 15 years ago and every wanna-be expert would explain how they weren't any good for trail riding, along with my riser bars and fat tires.
Now all the marketing victims will tell you need to splurge on wider rims. At leat for a couple more years, until it's 'proven' that you actually need to purchase a completely different 'new' thing in order to ride your bike.

Don't believe the hype - unless your tires are wildly wrong for your prevailing conditions, it's a combination of technique and proper pressure.
 
#9 ·
It is probably a 50/50 split between your tires and technique. The Bonty XR3 or XR4's are going to be a great upgrade for you. As far as technique, that video is the best cornering video I have seen for keeping traction in a corner without braking.
 
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#10 ·
Appropriate tires... End of story

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Opinions are like A-holes... everybody
has one & they're usually full of...??
 
#11 ·
New tires will always have grip issues until the slippery freshness has been worn off, it doesn't take long. Ride around the street and brake hard a few time for like 2 miles. Also a huge reason for slipping is too much tire pressure. I had that issue with my Kenda Small Block 8's and once I let some air out of the tire they were fine. More air= less rolling resistance, but less grip, good for road. Less air= more rolling resistance, more grip, better for offroad.
 
#12 ·
VideoboyMatt said:
More air= less rolling resistance, but less grip, good for road. Less air= more rolling resistance, more grip, better for offroad.
Click to expand...
Too simplistic.

High pressure on rough terrain (road or not) supplies MORE rolling resistance. Tire volume also plays a role. 20psi in my fatbike tires might not seem like much, but that is what I use on pavement. It's HARD. 20psi on my skinny mtb with 2.2/2.4" tires is borderline insufficient to avoid rim strikes on the trail at my weight (I prefer about 22 or so). Keeping tire size constant, lower pressure on rough terrain not only provides more grip, but it allows the tire to conform to the trail surface instead of bouncing, thereby making you faster, and providing less "rolling resistance". As the surface gets smoother, optimal pressure rises because the tire doesn't need to deform as much in order to conform to irregularities in the surface. But even road riders are making use of the "larger volume allows for less pressure and a more supple tire that makes you faster over rough pavement" axiom. Most roadies now are running 700x25's, and some have gone to 28's.
 
#16 ·
targnik said:
Who's editing my post!?

Technique, smechnique!!

You don't know what you don't know...

Get some decent tires

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Opinions are like A-holes... everybody
has one & they're usually full of...??
Click to expand...
So if I get the right tires I'll ride like Greg Miramar eh?

I'm with Elwood, it's a little of both. One's no good without the other, but if I had to choose only one it would be technique hands down.
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
My tyres were running about 40 PSI so should i be dropping it down to around 20-30? Im 85kg. It was basically my last ride on the trek 3500 yesterday so i will see how the new tyres go. So basically after reading through all the posts i will drop the PSI, try the new tyres that come with the Ex 8 and try the technique in my second post
 
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