Effecient

Short Version: 2 months ago i crashed going around a u-turn in a TT. Still scares the crap out of me going into moderate-light turns greater than 20mph. What can i do?

Less Short Version: Same as above plus; i was going a good speed into the corner, no wet roads or any excuses, a lot of room to corner but my back wheel just slipped out. Now every time i corner i have the same fear, the back tire is just going to slip out from under me for no reason.

I have tried descending down hills at almost 70km/h and just hope it will come back to me, but it hasn't. On my group rides i match the guys speed into turns, but when it comes to leaning over i wussie out and feather the back brake. It is worse when i corner to my right, same side i crashed, and my upper body just tenses so hard through the corner.

I am young and before the crash would go into corners at crazy speeds. Now 2 months after (and i have been riding 3 times a week min during that time) i still stutter. I want to carry speed, but i just can't. Is there any suggestions?

nitropowered

It'll come back with time. But you must accept your fear and push on. If you are passive about it and never try to overcome it, then you won't.

Once you get over the hump, it'll be easy

gurana

Yea... like in "Days of Thunder" when Cole Trickle is basically scared to race, but then he goes through the smoke of a crash and comes out all the better?

OK, that's mostly in jest, but, scarry enough, I guess it's kind of a good point. The only way to deal with it is to force yourself into it, I suppose. I'd also add that hesitation or timidness in turns can often lead to undesired results as well.

AEO

if you know someone who can really keep up the momentum in corners, follow him/her like a suckerfish.
if they can do it, you can do it.

Kotts

Just ride. Regaining your confidence will come, probably when you least expect it. By pushing, you're setting yourself up for the fear.

DScott

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."


IMO, maintaining good form is more important than speed right now. Speed will come.

Your homework: https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bike-racing/468205-cornering.html

carpediemracing 

a note - don't feather the rear brake - that's what causes the rear to slide out. I use the front brake more (in general), at least consciously, because I'm trying to undo a long history of bad habits (like feathering the rear when it's not appropriate).

Practice cornering on grass with lots of clothing on. Or ride mtb. Or cross. That all helps.

Really you just have to work back up to it.

cdr

merlinextraligh

Also sliding the back wheel does not have to mean a fall. Loosen up, and you can often recover from the back wheel sliding a bit. Ride tense, and little things put you down.

CastIron

Dangerous advice. The variables still in play are many.

MONGO!

Put weight on the outside pedal and don't lean with the bike

OCshark

You need to get back into a race ASAP. It's the only way.

ZXiMan

I got hit by a car on sunday and although I feel like I got hit by a mack truck right now, I cannot wait to get back on the bike and resume training. I don't know if I'll be a bit scared to ride on the open road again, but right now I'm not at all. You just need to go out and ride and do as many corners as possible.... the "block" is all in your head. It might take awhile, but it will come around.

sstorkel

Not leaning with the bike sounds like bad advice to me...

Red Rider

Look for some skills clinics and re-learn cornering. You'll get practice at slow speeds with a coach who can offer immediate feedback, and you might pick up something new to help you overcome this block.

timster

why?

DannoXYZ 

Not leaning the bike, but leaning the body more, is an age-old technique developed by crit-racers to take any given corner at faster speeds than normal by pedaling at the same time. You end up going around the corner faster than guys who coast AND you have an added safety margin of not hitting the pedals.

I've also found that when the front-end slides due to hitting gravel or kissing the rear-wheel of the guy in front, that a more vertical tyre tends to cause you to slide sideways while keeping the same lean-angle. A less vertical tyre tends to wash out and causes the lean-angle to increase rapidly and gets worse and worse and your ear's kissing the ground very quickly before you even recognized what happened.

To the OP, don't sweat it so much. Just get out and ride more and practice cornering. Follow a crit-racer around on practice laps in practice-crits. It's insane how fast you can go around a corner once you've mastered all the various techniques possible. Then choose the one that gives you the fastest speed around any particular corner. The late-apex is a good one to learn as it gives you the best results 80% of the time. Good luck!

MONGO!

You'd better tell Chris Carmichael.

sstorkel

Exactly! Leaning with the bike, or leaning more than the bike, reduce the amount of lean angle. A more upright bike has a larger contact patch, and is less likely to slide. If you lean away from the corner, as MONGO! seems to be suggesting, then the bike leans more. More lean typically results in a smaller contact patch and less margin for error.

Motorcycle racers figured out the physics of this long ago, even if Chris Carmichael hasn't...