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Cornering Fixed
id like to improve my skills as a rider across the board. one thing skill i never really learned was how to corner tightly. being relatively new to cycling, i havent yet learned to trust my tires and dont really push the envelope when it comes to traction. a lot of cornering info on the net doesnt apply to fixie riders. im putting 165mm crankarms on my new fixie... there any other helpful suggestions on improving my cornering?
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slowly get used to leaning into your turns more. if your frame is track it will naturally respond much more than a MTB or regular road bike.
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lean with your body instead of with your bike.
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i've found that clenching my butt and holding my breath seems to help...:)
actually i ride a track frame, so the B/B is higher than on a 'regular' bike, but i'm not willing to find out either! i try to keep the steed perpendicular to the black pebbled ouchy stuff. i'm also very new to this though, so there could very well be a 'technique'--i dunno. |
I've found its just like riding a motorcycle. I ride an old converted schwinn with 170mm cranks. You just have to look through the turn. Don't stare at the ground or at anything you can hit. Just look at the point you want to end up at. You can corner alot faster and you've got to be leaned over pretty far to scrape.
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if you're going fast, to make a smooth corner push forward on the side of the handlebar that is to the inside of the turn....so if you're turning left push on left bar. it will cause you and your bike to lean into the turn. it may sounds backwards, but its not. it a motorcycle technique, but works with bikes too. i learned it a while back when getting my motorcycle license, its in the handbook.
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put your pedals vertical up and down and lean your bike over to get an idea of where pedal strike occurs. hopefully you have a high enough bb, short enough cranks, and small enough pedals that this isnt a problem.
i wouldnt suggest leaning your bike or you body more than the other. keep your body in line with the bike. it is the safest, most stable way to turn. practice quick turns by zigzagging around and playing at it. pick spots in the road and try to turn at the last second before rolling over them, etc. one the most enjoyable things about track bikes on the road. :) a couple more things -- slick tires are always better than treaded. generally a 45 deg angle is a good guideline limit to the angle you want to make with the ground. (one way cornering is not like a motorcycle!) |
Totally wrong, try leaning your body more than your bike before saying not to do it. Ifyou don't believe me read Sheldon Browns site on fixed gear bikes.I did then tried it and it works. [QUOTE]i wouldnt suggest leaning your bike or you body more than the other
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[QUOTE=p38karl]Totally wrong, try leaning your body more than your bike before saying not to do it. Ifyou don't believe me read Sheldon Browns site on fixed gear bikes.I did then tried it and it works.
i wouldnt suggest leaning your bike or you body more than the other |
do what suits you best...and kill off those who tell you what you NEED to do.
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Yo wrench... even though everyone else hates ya, I think you've got the funniest damn tagline. Nice.
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Originally Posted by The Wrench
do what suits you best...and kill off those who tell you what you NEED to do.
Here's my advise :: Don't take my advise |
Originally Posted by p38karl
Totally wrong, try leaning your body more than your bike before saying not to do it. Ifyou don't believe me read Sheldon Browns site on fixed gear bikes.I did then tried it and it works.
Originally Posted by from the horse's mouth
# Leaning the upper body sharply while keeping the bicycle more upright
This approach is popular with riders who are afraid of striking a pedal on the road. This is a particular concern for riders of fixed-gear bicycles, since they cannot coast through corners. This technique is also recommended by some racers and coaches as offering the possibility of recovering from a skid, but I don't believe it. # Leaning the upper body and the bicycle together, keeping them in line as when riding straight. This technique has the advantage of keeping the steering axis, tire contact patches and center of gravity all in the same plane. This preserves the proper handling characteristics of the bicycle, and makes a skid less likely. You can verify this yourself by performing an experiment suggested by Jobst Brandt: "Some riders believe that sticking out their knee or leaning their body away from the bike, improves cornering. Sticking out a knee is the same thing that riders without cleats do when they stick out a foot in dirt track motorcycle fashion. It is a useless but reassuring gesture that, on uneven roads, actually works against you. Any body weight that is not centered over the bicycle (leaning the bike or sticking out a knee) puts a side load on the bicycle, and side loads cause steering motions if the road is not smooth. Getting weight off the saddle is also made more difficult by such maneuvers. "To verify this, ride down a straight but rough road standing on one pedal with the bike slanted, and note how the bike follows an erratic line. In contrast, if you ride centered on the bike you can ride no-hands perfectly straight over rough road. When you lean off the bike you cannot ride a smooth line over road irregularities, especially in curves. For best control, stay centered over your bike." i second the advice from motorcycling, push out your leaning arm and drop into the turn more. |
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