Originally Posted by
JeffOYB
I'm saying there are (at least) 2 notably different ways to turn, useful for common and different handling needs. ...One being "swoopy" for fast downhill turns. The other being "steery" for slippery, detail-oriented turns, flat and uphill turns, and obstacle avoidance.
If you're cornering close to the limits of traction the lean angle defined by your center of gravity will be the same in both cases you've mentioned. The only difference is the speed is different. The horizontal force provided by the tires is v^2/r so as speeds increase the radius of the turn increases as well. What you're describing as a 'swoopy' turn is simply a turn taken at higher speed with a large radius. The lean angle (defined by CG) doesn't change.
I find that riders today are bad about the second kind, resulting in frequent crashes.
I've raced in crits with riders from Cat 5 to 1. The biggest difference I've observed is that inexperienced riders are not smooth, largely because they tend to stare at the wheel in front of them and don't keep their vision up. If your vision is focused on the horizon the need for quick turns is greatly diminished. I've never seen a crash caused by someone who didn't know how to turn.