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FR, DH, XC, whatever, how do you handle corners at high speeds? Specifically your choice of braking method and pedalling technique.
Cornering technique?
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www.leelikesbikes.com has a good article about it.
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i turn and lean into the conor and use my rear brake to slow me down a bit. i rearly use my front for slowing down cause the terrain i ride is really rocky. Also keep my body right in the middle of the bike so that i have evenly grounded.
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Start on the outside of the turn and be braking here, then cut the appex while looking to where you would be (about 15 to 20 feet ahead)
Stay off the saddle but low on the bike, turn your hips in the direction of the corner, try to keep your weight upright, but lean the bike independantly of your body into the corner. Keep weight on your inside foot, that's what will steer the bike. Look through the corner, this is also key. This is what was taught to me in a cornering clinic with Shaums March and Dave Watson last weekend. It feels weird at first, but it sure works. If you've seen "The Collective" watch the high speed sections with Matt Hunter and Steve Romaniuk for a perfect example of this theory.
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brake before the turn, outside foot down, weight the front as you push thru the turn.....
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on short turns i have the leg opposite of the turn down and keep all the wieght on the outside foot and lean into the cornor so when it is down i can easily get back up into riding position. or the long turns i keep my pedals flat and level to the ground. also stay off the saddle.
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if im goin super fast, then i grab a little rear brake
but if im goin at a managable speed, then i just lean my bike in the direction of the turn (not too much of course), stand up but keep knees bent and not much off saddle, and keep body upright so center of balance is not thrown off much
wish i could find a pic to go along with this
edit: upright as in perpendicular to the ground
but if im goin at a managable speed, then i just lean my bike in the direction of the turn (not too much of course), stand up but keep knees bent and not much off saddle, and keep body upright so center of balance is not thrown off much
wish i could find a pic to go along with this
edit: upright as in perpendicular to the ground
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high speed thru a tight turn..
If you want to increase your speed through a tight turn try drifting through it. Kinda like a power slide on a MX bike.
Set up just like your going to apex except turn in a little too soon and as you enter stab the back break for a fraction of second, sending you into a two wheel drift. This combined with properly distributing your weight can allow go thru tight corner faster, effectivly shortening your wheelbase. It's take practice but once your used to distributing your weight properly and learning to countersteer you can slow down less before and come out of the corners a little faster.
Just practice and learn to control the drift.
If you want to increase your speed through a tight turn try drifting through it. Kinda like a power slide on a MX bike.
Set up just like your going to apex except turn in a little too soon and as you enter stab the back break for a fraction of second, sending you into a two wheel drift. This combined with properly distributing your weight can allow go thru tight corner faster, effectivly shortening your wheelbase. It's take practice but once your used to distributing your weight properly and learning to countersteer you can slow down less before and come out of the corners a little faster.
Just practice and learn to control the drift.
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Turn your handlebars in the direction you wanna go..
Fo realz tho: Brake before the turn; dont lock the wheel. Approach the turn from the opposite side of the trail; if you are turning, right, approach from the left, and vice versa.. Keep your chin up, try to keep it pointed at the apex of the turn. Look far ahead of you, try not to look down. You should begin pedalling just after the apex, if not, you approached too fast and will most likely end up off the trail..
Try turning with your cranks parallel to the ground, I seem to have more control in turns doing this, as I dont have the tendency to lean to the pont where I lose traction.
Fo realz tho: Brake before the turn; dont lock the wheel. Approach the turn from the opposite side of the trail; if you are turning, right, approach from the left, and vice versa.. Keep your chin up, try to keep it pointed at the apex of the turn. Look far ahead of you, try not to look down. You should begin pedalling just after the apex, if not, you approached too fast and will most likely end up off the trail..
Try turning with your cranks parallel to the ground, I seem to have more control in turns doing this, as I dont have the tendency to lean to the pont where I lose traction.
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You wouldnt happen to have a short vid of drifting I could watch would you?t66 said:
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imagination, use ittrojan_source said:
yea, it would be nice to have a vid
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Braking is key for a couple reasons
I just slapped a new longer travel fork on my bike, and I have noticed some things about braking that have been helping me. I try to brake hard and short just before the turn, but while I'm still on the break, I rock forward to compress the front suspension and then use the rebounding springs to keep the front wheel pinned to the ground as my body returns to the center of the bike (keeping the back wheel tracking etc). I noticed how well this worked on an unexpected blind turn where I had to brake frantically not to overshoot it, and I have been trying to replicate the feeling.
I just slapped a new longer travel fork on my bike, and I have noticed some things about braking that have been helping me. I try to brake hard and short just before the turn, but while I'm still on the break, I rock forward to compress the front suspension and then use the rebounding springs to keep the front wheel pinned to the ground as my body returns to the center of the bike (keeping the back wheel tracking etc). I noticed how well this worked on an unexpected blind turn where I had to brake frantically not to overshoot it, and I have been trying to replicate the feeling.
I disagree. That defeats the whole point of braking before you enter a turn. When you're on the brakes you lose traction, on a bicycle when you lose traction you slow down. You want to go as fast as you can without losing traction.t66 said:
I can see this working with a motorcycle, not on a bike... you can't spin the wheel and slide at the same time without a throttle.
I wish I could follow you through a turn and see this first hand. Untill then I don't believe it.
Cornering...
I have read all these posts....most are filled with good advice....some are goofy.
I have raced motocross for a while...and believe that alot of skills from that transfer over to DH mtn biking....except the drifting thing, you do need power for that. As for wide flat corners, I depending on the corner...I would take an outside/inside/outside approach...in case you do drift some...you have room for it. In a corner like this, stay off the brakes...as you should always get your braking done early...and weight the outside pedal. Always lead with your head(looking through the corner) and the rest of you will follow. Weight the front tire. On fast corners...keep your weight forward and trust your tires. Keeping your wieght on the front tire will keep it tracking. No one mentioned elbows. You have to keep yourself in the attack position...elbows up. You want to keep your arms in line with your forks...so that your elbows will pivot up and down with your fork. This will make is easier to attack the braking bumps as you enter the corner. If your elbows drop...then all the stress is put on your hands...causing arm pump, and making your corning speed slow.
Just some thoughts...hope some of this helped.
I have read all these posts....most are filled with good advice....some are goofy.
I have raced motocross for a while...and believe that alot of skills from that transfer over to DH mtn biking....except the drifting thing, you do need power for that. As for wide flat corners, I depending on the corner...I would take an outside/inside/outside approach...in case you do drift some...you have room for it. In a corner like this, stay off the brakes...as you should always get your braking done early...and weight the outside pedal. Always lead with your head(looking through the corner) and the rest of you will follow. Weight the front tire. On fast corners...keep your weight forward and trust your tires. Keeping your wieght on the front tire will keep it tracking. No one mentioned elbows. You have to keep yourself in the attack position...elbows up. You want to keep your arms in line with your forks...so that your elbows will pivot up and down with your fork. This will make is easier to attack the braking bumps as you enter the corner. If your elbows drop...then all the stress is put on your hands...causing arm pump, and making your corning speed slow.
Just some thoughts...hope some of this helped.
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Not my idea
I agree that skidding and over braking is not gonna gain you any time but this technique effectivly shortens your wheel base and allows you to go faster thru a tight turn that would normally toss you off the trail at the same speed without drifting.
You set up wide just as you would normally but aim just short of where you would normally apex. Try it on a familiar turn where you have room to work. You don't always need to use your back brake to throw you into a drift. If you first turn in deliberatly hard and light up on the rear it can do the same thing. Sometimes a light tap on the back brake is all you need to just brake the rear loose. Just practice conrolling the drift by shifting your weight fore and aft and counter steering thru.
You've all seen people drifting thru the corners, this is just a technique that help you brake traction so you can. Give it a shot is all I can say.
I read this advise on line I believe. It came from one of the current pro DHers' who was asked how they kept up so much speed thru the tight corners.Alloy said:
I agree that skidding and over braking is not gonna gain you any time but this technique effectivly shortens your wheel base and allows you to go faster thru a tight turn that would normally toss you off the trail at the same speed without drifting.
You set up wide just as you would normally but aim just short of where you would normally apex. Try it on a familiar turn where you have room to work. You don't always need to use your back brake to throw you into a drift. If you first turn in deliberatly hard and light up on the rear it can do the same thing. Sometimes a light tap on the back brake is all you need to just brake the rear loose. Just practice conrolling the drift by shifting your weight fore and aft and counter steering thru.
You've all seen people drifting thru the corners, this is just a technique that help you brake traction so you can. Give it a shot is all I can say.
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