Go Back  Bike Forums > The Racer's Forum > Cyclocross Racing
Reload this Page >

Picking the right line through corners

Notices
Cyclocross Racing Discuss pro racing, the big races, and even the small backyard races. Don't forget to update all the members with your own race results.

Picking the right line through corners

Old 10-01-14, 06:12 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
The Domestique's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 127

Bikes: CycleLogix FC1, CycleLogix Black Mantis TT, Jamis CX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Picking the right line through corners

Below you will find the video. It's best to start at 46 seconds if it doesn't already do that for you. I may just didn't know what you think of the lines I am taking. I was watching this video from last year and noticed that other people were doing it 1 million different ways. What's your advice? I know that...
  • you are supposed to carry as much speed as possible
  • come into the apex from the outside
  • and pedal through

Is that right in cyclocross? Watch and help me out if you would be so kind.

The Domestique is offline  
Old 10-02-14, 10:48 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 800
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 171 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Watch some World Cup races

Originally Posted by The Domestique
Below you will find the video. It's best to start at 46 seconds if it doesn't already do that for you. I may just didn't know what you think of the lines I am taking. I was watching this video from last year and noticed that other people were doing it 1 million different ways. What's your advice? I know that...
  • you are supposed to carry as much speed as possible
  • come into the apex from the outside
  • and pedal through

Is that right in cyclocross? Watch and help me out if you would be so kind.

I didn't watch the whole vid, but some things I've realized in the corners:
1) Lines change with course condition, tactics, other riders, etc. Go watch some Svenness (google it) videos. He's always doing stuff nobody is.
2) Fast line is not always the best line....if your bunched up you may need to protect your line, keep tight going into a corner so nobody sneaks in and blocks.
3) Generally tape to tape is the best...but that doesn't take into consideration the worn in racing 'line', ruts, berms, etc. that build up over the course of a race.
4) Also, you need to think about upcoming corners....the fastest way through corner #1 may mess you up for corner #2 .

I like thinking of a cross course as a whole, each corner plays off the next. You can be slow through a section, losing -5 seconds, only to recover and kill the next section and be up +10.
nickw is offline  
Old 10-02-14, 02:37 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Andy_K's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,785

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 522 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3228 Post(s)
Liked 3,848 Times in 1,435 Posts
I couldn't really judge your lines from the video. Nothing looked awful.

In isolation entering a corner wide, hitting the apex and exiting wide is a smooth way to go, but as nickw says above if someone is on your wheel they can dive to the inside ahead of you and even if their turn is slow yours will end up slower and they'll pass you. That happens to me all the time because I just don't have the handling skills to choose from a variety of lines.

One mistake I made all the time as a beginner was letting the tape tell me what the shape of a corner was and where it started. A lot of times the course is taped out in an S-shape but you can shoot a nearly straight line through it if you plan ahead. With U-turns the tape will generally give you a wide arch around the apex but riding past the tape on the inside before you start turning doesn't make the turn any more gradual.
__________________
My Bikes
Andy_K is offline  
Old 10-03-14, 09:33 AM
  #4  
Tiocfáidh ár Lá
 
jfmckenna's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: The edge of b#
Posts: 5,475

Bikes: A whole bunch-a bikes.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 460 Post(s)
Liked 123 Times in 76 Posts
Nick sums it up well. One thing I would add and I see all the time is that people are afraid to take the optimal line because it's all worn out and muddy looking and looks slippery so they look for some outside grass area thinking they can keep grip better. In most cases it's still best to just take the best line rather than try and avoid it. IF you are new to cross and racing in cat 5 or 4 then stick around the whole day and watch the rest of the race especially in corners that you had problems with. Look at what the cat 1/2's are doing and you will learn a lot.
jfmckenna is offline  
Old 10-24-14, 10:08 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
grolby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BOSTON BABY
Posts: 9,787
Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 287 Post(s)
Liked 85 Times in 59 Posts
It all depends. On a course like the one in your video, you can get away with a lot because it's just not that technical - the ground looks relatively smooth, the turns seem pan-flat, lots of room, good traction, etc. That's actually what's fun about a grass crit - it's easy to experiment with different lines, and you won't really screw up if it's not optimal.

It's important, like nick said, to experiment with different lines, definitely during your pre-ride, sometimes during the race as well when conditions change. Though the conventional wisdom of outside-inside-outside is correct much of the time, sometimes ground conditions or camber or what have you can make this not the optimal line. An example: a straightforward 90-degree right turn into a downhill at Gloucester last year. The standard line on a turn like this is to come as tight to the apex as possible, both because it's normally faster and because the turn was more off-camber further to the outside. And that's what most people were doing. But that inside line was extremely loose and bumpy. I found that, for me anyway, I was faster sticking more to the middle of the course through that turn, in spite of the fact that it was not what you would conventionally consider the fastest line. So try different things and you'll have a leg up, because most of your competitors won't.
grolby is offline  
Old 10-26-14, 08:01 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Jiggle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Somewhere in TX
Posts: 2,266

Bikes: BH, Cervelo, Cube, Canyon

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 212 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Excellent video. The woman pushing the stroller in front of the sand pit at 7:50 was hilarious.

You looked fine.
Jiggle is offline  
Old 11-10-14, 08:17 PM
  #7  
or tarckeemoon, depending
 
marqueemoon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: the pesto of cities
Posts: 7,020

Bikes: Davidson Impulse, Merckx Titanium AX, Bruce Gordon Rock & Road, Cross Check custom build, On-One Il Pomino, Shawver Cycles cross, Zion 737, Mercian Vincitore, Brompton S1L, Charge Juicer

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
My personal mantra is "find the traction". If I have to go a little wide to get up something or be able to accelerate out of a corner I'll usually do it.
marqueemoon is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
JeffOYB
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
8
10-22-13 03:43 PM
nacler22
Masters Racing (All Disciplines)
5
11-23-12 01:12 PM
The Domestique
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
14
07-19-12 05:35 PM
The Domestique
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
6
10-22-11 05:23 AM
shiz702
"The 33"-Road Bike Racing
49
06-11-11 07:10 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.