Cornering Lessons: How to Turn, Fast

In this first of a two-part series, I will discuss the safest way to execute a turn at high speed.

Please read this post too. It discusses mental preparation for entering a corner, and target fixation. 

This guide is for fast turns while descending or accelerating out of a corner. I'm going to be borrowing a lot of concepts from the motorcycling world, because the MSF, DOT, and others have devoted dozens of studies into cornering techniques. Though there are times when the comparison doesn't match perfectly, and I'll let you know when I break from the MSF or DOT findings. Also, this guide is for bikes with freewheels. The rules change when you're riding fixed-gear.

Body Position. Lean the Bike, and the Rider will Follow.

Low center of gravity; even weight distribution between the wheels – that's the goal for the bike and rider while cornering. To achieve this:

Stand on the outside pedal.

Cornering technique is, after distillation, a sum of inputs. To achieve the most control, you want to have as few complicating factors as possible, and you want your weight to be as evenly divided as you can. That means for any given turn, your outside foot should have most of your weight –and not the saddle– because your weighted pedals give you a lower center of gravity, making it easier to make minute adjustments in the middle of the turn. You should be able to take your inner foot off the pedal at any time without upsetting the bike or altering course. It's OK to be touching the saddle as a reference point, as long as it isn't bearing weight. 

Counter-steer.

Other than the outside pedal, your inside hand should be the only other contact point that bears weight and can contribute to steering input. When entering a turn, you should be able to take your other hand off the bars and the bike won't alter course (but don't make a habit of doing this, you'll need that other hand if you hit a bump). Gradually, after the corner's apex, you can re-apply weight to the outer hand to lean the bike upright, or just ease up on the inside hand.

The goal is simplicity, when you have only two body points influencing steering, the inner hand and outer pedal, you have less to think about, and can devote more mental energy to getting through the corner. This video guide will explain the value of counter-steering with examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PbmXxwKbmA

With the inner hand and outer foot as the only two contact points that matter when entering a corner, the only determinate of how much you turn is the bike's lean angle. To get a good, controllable lean angle, you should pay attention to technique.

Check out these two riders, and guess which one is using proper form:

Rider A

Rider B

I know, on the surface this doesn't look like a good comparison because one guy rides a road bike on cement and the other rides a mountain bike on dirt, but I will try to convince you that road surface doesn't matter in cornering technique. The rules are the same regardless. 

The MTB guy, Rider B, has proper form. He's off the saddle, the outer leg has most of the rider's weight centered at the lowest possible point, and his inner hand is using the rider's upper body weight to maintain counter-steer. 

Rider A, on the other hand, is leaned way down low, presumably for aerodynamics and weight distribution, but it's negated because his knee is sticking out and his weight is up high on the saddle. Although he's doing a good job of looking through the corner and positioning his shoulders towards the exit, his outer arm is flexed, implying that it's contributing to steering input, which adds an extra, unnecessary complication.  

The best way to corner on any surface and with any bicycle is to do like the MTB guy, Rider B, and lean the bike more than the rider. The reason you want to do this is (1) because it allows for quicker responses to changing road conditions, and (2) it's the natural position for the bike to be in while only getting steering inputs from the foot and opposite hand. 

With the bike leaned, and the rider basically on top of it, you are in a better position to deal with slips and move your weight around if need be. Check out this lady, you can tell from her hand that she's intentionally loosing the rear wheel, but she's in control because her stance is over the bike:

With her weight off the saddle, she can feel when the front or back tire is slipping, and apply her body weight where ever needed. 

TLDR: For better control in a corner, keep all your weight on the outer pedal and inner hand. Lean the bike more than the rider's body, and look towards the exit. 

Also, if you are riding a fixed gear or pedaling through the corner, it's best to do the opposite of what I say here. On a fixy, with limited cornering clearance, leaning the body more than the bike is a safer way to get around a curve. I'll save fixed gear corning technique for another time.  

In the next installment I'll go over tire grip and how to pick a line for maximum efficiency and safety. Read it here. 

For more reading on the topic, check out these motorcycle books.