For anyone who isn't confident about cornering...
On a group ride last year I saw a rider misjudge the Larimie-Hardie corner on the descent and end up far into the opposite lane. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic. The next time could be much worse. Given that hills and curves are part of what we love about riding here, how can we corner more safely and confidently?
Let's look at a few common problems:
Cornering line:
One I see a lot is the use of the incorrect line, or path through the corner. If a rider is worried about a corner the tendency is to start turning early. The thinking is "I'm not sure I can make it, so I need to start turning as soon as possible". This is a natural reaction. It is also completely wrong. Turning in early makes it harder to get around a corner, and is a great way to end up across the road or in the ditch.
Look at the orange line, which shows the path a nervous rider might take by turning in early. At the midpoint of the corner the rider still has most of the turning left to do and is rapidly running out of road to do it. The odds of them making the sharp last-second turn shown are low, and it's far more likely that they'll end up out of the lane or in the woods off the side of the road.
Turning in late, as shown by the green line, is a much safer choice. Stay as far outside as is safely possible(check behind for traffic), look towards the exit of the corner, and commit to a strong lean into the turn. Trust your tires -- modern tires are amazingly grippy. You'll have a much better view around the corner and much more room to adjust your line.
Imagine trying
this corner at speed starting from near the yellow line or from the white line. Which would be easier and safer?
To repeat: Turning in early -- drifting to the inside -- is the wrong thing to do if you're worried about getting around a corner. Stay outside, spend that extra second on the brakes if needed, look for the exit, and commit to a strong lean.
Where to look:
The biggest improvement in making my cornering smoother came when I changed how I used my eyes. I realized that I had to look where I wanted to go.
Obvious, right? I can hear you all saying "Well, duh!" as you read this. ;-)
Hear me out: Most of the time, we're riding more or less straight. We're looking at where we're going, which is right in front of us. In a corner, where you are going at that moment and where you want to go are not the same thing. This becomes more obvious as corners get tighter.
For smoother cornering you want to look at the exit to the corner, or as far around the corner as possible. I had to force myself to look up and around at the exits to corners instead of at the road right in front of me. I'd come into corners and start saying to myself "Look up, look up, look up..." You might still hear me doing that.
And it worked! Far fewer mid-corner wobbles, and much more accuracy in exiting the corner where I was aiming.
An extreme example of this is mountain biking on big bermed corners, where you're almost looking over your shoulder to spot the exit. It's a little scary looking away from your front wheel but it really works. Your body knows what to do.
Sure, you need to be aware of the road surface in front of you, but your focus should be on the exit to the corner. Looking up and around the corner will make cornering smoother and safer.
Body position:
Being in the drops is a more stable cornering position for most people than being on the hoods. Your weight distribution is better, you have good access to the brakes, and a good grip on the bars.
Keep a bend in your elbows. Locking your elbows straight magnifies the effects of bumps and decreases control. If being in the drops is not comfortable for you, you may have a bike fit issue.
Outside foot down, weight in the outside foot. If you're apprehensive, the best place to put that nervous energy is to push down hard with the outside foot.
Some people like to swing out the inside knee as they lean in.
Head up!
thanks,
PeterB
Copied from a post to the Upper Valley Velo mailing list by Peter Burghardt