Road Cycling - Tight turns

I suck at turning tight, I need at least half to 3/4 of a lane to make a turn at speed. What techniques can I use to turn better and how should I practice them?

I suck at turning tight, I need at least half to 3/4 of a lane to make a turn at speed. What techniques can I use to turn better and how should I practice them?

get in the drops, keep low, and lean rather than turn the wheel. practice zig zagging on a straight road and get comfortable increasing the angle you lean at. also, make sure your pedal is up when your leaning for clearance.

The line through the turn needs to be correct. You generally want to straighten out the turn as much as possible. Start at the outside and go to the inside at the apex and then drift back to the outside at the exit. If you are going through the turn at full speed, you will have to use the whole lane. If you don't need the whole thing, then you are not at max speed for the turn.

Slow down.

Or lean a lot and hope there is no pothole, sand, oil slick, metal plate... in the corner.

The line through the turn needs to be correct. You generally want to straighten out the turn as much as possible. Start at the outside and go to the inside at the apex and then drift back to the outside at the exit. If you are going through the turn at full speed, you will have to use the whole lane. If you don't need the whole thing, then you are not at max speed for the turn.

i forgot to mention about the importance of keeping a good line, as avalanche stated. you might want to practice keeping a line rather than worrying about how tight you can turn. this will help when you ride in groups.

Practise by leaving the start of the turn as late as possible then do a sudden countersteer, to get into a sharp lean. This technique is invaluable when you are caught by a car making a right turn while it is passing you.

I can turn okay except when I am hitting a turn at a good/fast speed. I read that the goal is to keep your body straight and lean the bike (not you) while making the turn.

Push hard on the out side pedal as you counter steer. Look out ahead of you drawing your line and following it while scanning the road for debris, holes, ect...

There are lots of switch backs here in the high country with lots of hazards ...pot holes, fissure cracks, loose gravel, animals, etc. Knowing how to handle a turn on a twisty downhill highway is critical here.

Pressure the inside hand, lift and steer with the outside hand and pressure the outside foot. There are a multitude of nuances you can incorporate into that basic technique.

eg. Shifting your butt inside the turn. Leading with the chin. Shifting your weight a little forward. It really depends on your riding style and how aggressive you want to be.

I personally don't agree with using the whole lane as a regular practice. It won't teach you to change lines if necessary. You need to know you can keep the line of the curve comfortably with a certain speed. After you master that, then taking the whole lane for more speed is more fun, faster and safer.

Be safe. :)

I personally don't agree with using the whole lane as a regular practice. True. I am talking about max speed for a given turn here. With proper visibility, knowledge of the paticular turn, etc.

Following the curve of a turn is not the fast way through. To gain some insight on proper, and the results of improper, lines, watch some motorcycle or car racing. Or read a performance driving book. For techniques, read cycling books. Practice the effects of techniques WAY below top speed.

True. I am talking about max speed for a given turn here. With proper visibility, knowledge of the paticular turn, etc.

I agree. Once the fundamentals are nailed, then let it rip! Woooo whoooo!

Thanks for all the inputs, I''m workin on it! Now that I'm clipped in, I'm really trying to work up my bike handling skills.