youngbeginner

I fiond that whenever I am on my hybrid (2012 Redline DS1) and am going over 20-25 miles per hour, it is extremely hard to make a 90 degree turn onto another road. I don't want to lose all of my momentum by breaking, so usually I don't and just end up crashing... (I should probably start using the break.) But I corner just as I would on a road bike (inside foot at 12 oclock, weight outwards, lean inwards) but I feel much less control. Does anyone have any pointers on how I can corner better and maintain my speed?

otter22

POINTER #1 - WHEN DOING SOMETHING CAUSES YOU TO CRASH, STOP DOING IT!

At some point one would hope that the repeated crashes might give you a clue that (1) your hybrid and your road bike were designed for different activities and have different handling characteristics, and (2) perhaps maintaining 100% "momentum" is not as important as making it around the corner without crashing.

BTW, you might want to use the "brake" (not "break") to engage in "braking" (not "breaking" - although I must admit that the incorrect usage in the particular phrase above did have a certain delicious irony).

dhunley1

You would rather crash and lose all of your momentum as opposed to slowing down a bit and not crashing?

treadtread

Use the brake to stop the break - sorry, couldn't resist

fietsbob

Wanting to cut a Square corner at 25 MPH? sounds like a Darwin tester.

weight the outside pedal , slow down to a speed appropriate to the corner and conditions.



Motorcycles lean off the saddle, into the corner , with that knee skid block to lower their mass
and keep the bike more upright.

... On a closed course which was swept before the race.

Rootman

I'm going out on a limb here and making an assumption that this is a troll post.

Be that as it may, I had the same issue when I tried to corner real fast in my old VW bug, just couldn't corner as fast as I could in my sports car

Same goes for bikes, hybrids aren't designed for that, your center of gravity is higher, you are typically riding on the edge of tires with lugs as opposed to smooth tires, tires that may flex more and your ground clearance may not be as great either. So slow down before we read about you in the obits.

youngbeginner

One, I'm not trolling
Two, sorry about the break vs. brake issue
Three, I guess I'll start breaking
Four, Any other pointers other than I should try to stop crashing**********

treadtread

What tires do you have, and what surfaces do you typically crash on? Is there sand? Whatever the reason though, slowing down a bit will probably solve most of your cornering troubles.

dynaryder

Horses for courses. If you're looking to go fast,use your road bike. You wouldn't race a minivan if you owned a Ferrari.

If you can lock your suspension,that will help. Also if you're running slick performance tires.

youngbeginner

I don't know what tires I have, I can lock my suspension. Also I don't have a road bike but am in the process of buying one and have rented before. Oh, and I typically crash by shooting across the street, hitting the curb and falling on the grass before the sidewalk, so I have never gotten hurt (besides cuts and bruises) so I never really think about changing...

giantcfr1

Your issue is not the bike as your road bike tyres will hardly stick to the road at that speed on a 90 deg bend. My only suggestion is to firstly make sure there are no cars around either direction, go wide early, brake gently as going out. Release the brake but keep your fingers on the lever, and then cut back across the corner. I use Vittoria rubino pro tyres which stick fantastically for my style . Monitor your speed and force on your tyres and pedal out.

clarkbre

In all seriousness, I would highly recommend removing the crankset from your bike, lowering the seat, and use it like a Strider. My 3 year old has logged many rides on his Strider and handled some serious terrain without a wreck.

Also, if you're piss-poorly rounding these corners and overshooting, carry a business card with the link to this thread. Once you come in contact with a vehicle, give the card to the driver to help their claim against your reckless behavior so you may fix their vehicle. Its the least you can do.

And...Use your brakes. Thank God your bike is only human powered!

youngbeginner

Thanks alot, that really helped........

I'm just gonna go with wider streets and maybe breaking a bit....

clarkbre

You do realize the whole point in successfully navigating a corner is to not break?

youngbeginner

Ok, one of the two sides is f**king with me, so please tell me a CORRECT answer rather than completely contradicting the opposition! Plus its not like I'm racing, so I can slow down a bit (Although I don't want to...)

ttusomeone

Sounds like you're taking a bad line through the corner. Slow down, practice proper cornering (a Google search will show you how to corner outside, inside, outside), and once you get it down increase your speed. Also read this - https://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Bill Kapaun

I wouldn't change a thing!
Sometimes the gene pool needs chlorinating.

deerfly

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying but I think you are misunderstanding what the previous poster said. He's giving you a hard time about the way you are using the word "break", To slow down would be to "brake", not "break". His point is that, when you round a corner, you don't want to "break" an arm, "break" your bike, or "break" that little old lady who's desperately trying to get out of your way.

youngbeginner

Thanks, my brain just fills in what I want to read...

youngbeginner

This article was really helpful. I'll try the experiment later! thanks

Delmarva

The only way to stop crashing is to find a way to keep the wheels from sliding out from underneath.. You can slow down or turn wider. 25mph making a 90 degree right turn and staying parallel to the curb seems nigh impossible to me.