Author Topic: Tipping to turn  (Read 1887 times)

Liam

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Re: Tipping to turn
« on: July 16, 2012, 11:28:27 am »
No, road bikes will respond equally well to this technique.  Road bike tires and asphalt  make for a much more predictable, tenacious, grip than the best mountain tires and loose dirt and rocks can ever hope to (which is why even unskilled roadies can handle 50+ mph descents routinely while few mountain bikers, even very skilled riders, ever see the north side of 40mph)

The key is to not over-lean beyond the angle of the bike--keep your center of mass in line with the tipping axis and be prepared to CALMLY (and yes, the emphasis is important) apply pedal power at the points your feel your balanced is being compromised. And of course, observe the tried and true position of raising the inside pedal to keep more weight on the outside pedal (puts more downward forces to the tires in the belly of the turn...hey, that's pretty similar to skiing).

Yes, this is more of a racing technique, and yes it allows for sharper, deeper turns at greater speeds, and if that is not what you are after, than don't pursue this technique.

But for those of you who profess that love of 'hip inches off the snow carving', I thought you might want a  little tip on how to produce similar sensations on a bicycle.


This is a nice article of the limits and techniques of high speed road bike cornering.  It discusses the differences in mountain bike/ road bike tires, maximum angles possible and talks to what I said that staying centered and in line with the lean of the bike (as opposed to leaning beyond it or router balancing against it) is poor technique and actually limits control and traction in cornering situations:

http://www.bicyclesource.com/descending_and_cornering

The one point on which this article and I disagree is whether or not, like in motorcycles, you can apply power (through pedaling) in a deep corner.  I say with a high enough gear a half turn gives you what you need to right a sinking ship, this article contends that in really deep corners the problem of pedal strike is too risky to do this and all turns should be coasted.   In either case, we agree on the body positioning and the technique.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2012, 11:38:47 am by Liam »