Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Fat Man cornering

I'm around 6'3 or 4" , 285 pounds, and when I sharp turns i feel like I can't take them very sharply. A lot of the time I go onto the grass off the path just to turn! Is it all in my head or is cornering for a fatty like myself more dangerous? :P

EDIT: In other news- I did 12 miles today with only 2 minutes break!

Congrats on the ride!

As for cornering I think its more of getting used to it then anything else, from my own experience (been ridding a road bike for 2-3 years now and I am 17). You just need to get used to doing it, remember slow down (not always brake unless needed) and accelerate on the way out...at least thats what I do.

With your size you probably won't be able to take turns as fast as a smaller rider. That being said, a lot is probably still in your head. I know I'll panic on sharp turns from time to time and end up blowing wide even though I know I would have made it without a problem if I'd just held my line. I've been working on weighting my inside pedal to shift the center of gravity and that seems to allow me to keep the bike more upright and carry a bit more speed through the turn. Experience will help build your confidence so keep riding.

With your size you probably won't be able to take turns as fast as a smaller rider.


:eek:

It's about balance, counterbalance, some confidence and knowing where to place the bike at the start and end of the turn.

Is it all in my head or is cornering for a fatty like myself more dangerous?It's most likely all in your head. You do not want to try to keep the bike more upright, though...bikes generate cornering force via camber thrust, rather than by slip angle like cars do. Bike wheels are intended to support forces straight from hub to rim, and not at an angle. So, especially if you're heavy, you want to keep your body lined up with the frame and wheels to reduce the side forces on the wheels.

practicing on a mtb is awesome, thin trails kinda force you to pick tight lines. when i went to road i noticed i corner a lot better than other "new people" (read 115 lb 5' fiance)because i lean and shift my weight a lot more than the other new people are comfortable with. I think it is more about practice than weight, a lot of smaller people feel equally uncomfortable taking tight turns. It seems much harder to get a tire to slide out from under you than people might think (on a clean road), they do their job pretty well.

Hi- I'm a newbie- but I do still remember being a teen on a bike- the way to take a sharp turn is to not turn into it at first-- the bike is actually going kinda straight till you lean into the turn... OH HECK can someone please explain the weird phenom of steering with your body first- then the bike?.. It goes against logic- but not physics.

Gyroscopic precession.

;) The same force that makes a gyroscope rotate on it's balance leg if you try to tip it while spinning.

Thanks Tom. If anyone is still reading- Google Gyroscopic Precession Steering it comes up
Counter Steering and Wikepedia has a great explanation- along w/ a diagram of bike riding and taking a corner.

you have to get the speed just right too. try and go in too fast and you won't make it;) i don't think it has anything to do with size, maybe weight has some bearing on it but i don't think so. just get out there and practice and less reading up about it!

edit: as soon as i said that i remember seeing an article by sheldon brown about it here

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

hope it helps

Congrats on the ride!

As for cornering I think its more of getting used to it then anything else, from my own experience (been ridding a road bike for 2-3 years now and I am 17). You just need to get used to doing it, remember slow down (not always brake unless needed) and accelerate on the way out...at least thats what I do.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I need to work on my turns - they are far too wide. Just like me.

You turn a bicycle at speed the same way you turn a motorcycle.Lots of good information on that subject here: http://www.lazymotorbike.eu/tips/corners/

A good tip is to turn your head and look through the curve to where you want to go.