Dear All, I've had my road bike for about 6 weeks now and am gradually becoming more confident in using it for my thrice weekly 34 mile (round trip) commute. I haven't ridden properly for 20+ years and one thing I'm struggling with is the confidence to steer by banking into & around bends / corners. Particularly so given my tires have no discernible tread! I tend to stay quite upright and fear the bike may skid from under me. Do any of you more experienced riders have any tips or hints on how I can improve and practice this area of my riding? I'm 6'0 and ride a 55 inch Bianchi frame. It feels perfect, so I don't think this is a problem. As always, your advice would be very much appreciated.
Any tips on how to 'bank' into bends?
- Thread starter JonnyRat
- Start date
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david1701
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Bude, Cornwall
bank a wee bit more each time, slowly pushing your comfort zone. That and the inside-outside-inside thing.
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
All you need to know is here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/descending.html
Tread is not needed on a road-bike.
What tyres do you have?
Practice!
First of all, be relaxed, don't grip the bars hard, the bike knows what it's doing, it wants to go where you do.
Don't look immediately in front of you, look further down the road to the apex /Vanishing-point of the turn, find a quiet well known series of bends and ride them repeatedly. Keep your outside leg fully extended and weight forward. It's amazing how much traction those skinny thres can give!
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/descending.html
Tread is not needed on a road-bike.
What tyres do you have?
Practice!
First of all, be relaxed, don't grip the bars hard, the bike knows what it's doing, it wants to go where you do.
Don't look immediately in front of you, look further down the road to the apex /Vanishing-point of the turn, find a quiet well known series of bends and ride them repeatedly. Keep your outside leg fully extended and weight forward. It's amazing how much traction those skinny thres can give!
C
chillyuk
Guest
Having no/little tread on your tyres will actually increase not diminish the rubbers grip on the (dry) road. I don't know about wet roads, do bikes go fast enough to aquaplane? Mine doesn't! On one of my rides there are long groove type dents in the road, and the edges are probably 45 degrees or so. I quite enjoy riding on the edge and trying to keep in a straight line, but my point is my tyres don't slide at all down the grooves.
Needless to say, all this is negated if the roads are wet and have diesel on them.
Needless to say, all this is negated if the roads are wet and have diesel on them.
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
If you look where you're going you will go where you're looking. Lean angles take care of themselves.
Just relax, light grip on the bars and a flat back to keep the CoG nice and low. Very few cyclists bank the bike anywhere near enough to test the limits of tyre adhesion, until you develop a lot of experience you will scare the bejasus out of yourself on a dry road long before you run out of grip.
Just relax, light grip on the bars and a flat back to keep the CoG nice and low. Very few cyclists bank the bike anywhere near enough to test the limits of tyre adhesion, until you develop a lot of experience you will scare the bejasus out of yourself on a dry road long before you run out of grip.
On the tread thing, consider racing cars, they have slicks to provide the most grip on tarmac. See here . Tread is for gripping rough surfaces, or (in car tyres) clearing surface water to prevent aquaplaning... but
Bicycles don't aquaplane (or hydroplane), which Sheldon covers Here, along with lots of other tyre related issues (or 'tires' as Sheldon was American and they never bothered to change the spelling to prevent confusion between the metal or rubber things on wheels and getting fatigued.)
Cancellara said that a good rider steers with the hips, and he is a top descender as seen here.
Bicycles don't aquaplane (or hydroplane), which Sheldon covers Here, along with lots of other tyre related issues (or 'tires' as Sheldon was American and they never bothered to change the spelling to prevent confusion between the metal or rubber things on wheels and getting fatigued.)
Cancellara said that a good rider steers with the hips, and he is a top descender as seen here.
Car tyres can aqua plane because they have a square profile and need tread to remove water, cycle tyres have a round profile and don't need tread
mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
Use as much of the road as you can - staying out wide before coming in tight to the apex and wide on the exit.
Stay loose on the bike, and low, by bending your elbows. You'll lower your centre of gravity and be more fluid. Using your elbows as a kind of rudimentary suspension means you'll be less affected by bumps in the corner, delivering more control, confidence and speed.
Learn the principles of 'counter steer'. All riders of two wheeled vehicle use countersteering - the vast majority of them without even knowing. Understanding it is the real key to improving your cornering.
Stay loose on the bike, and low, by bending your elbows. You'll lower your centre of gravity and be more fluid. Using your elbows as a kind of rudimentary suspension means you'll be less affected by bumps in the corner, delivering more control, confidence and speed.
Learn the principles of 'counter steer'. All riders of two wheeled vehicle use countersteering - the vast majority of them without even knowing. Understanding it is the real key to improving your cornering.
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
Don't do what I did on a motorbike and bank into a corner screaming in fear.
The louder you scream the more the bike carries on in a straight line. Fortunately, on both occasions, nothing was coming round the bend the other way.
I don't ride motorbikes anymore.
I think the being relaxed thing is quite important as bikes do tend to be well balanced and will go in the direction in which you are looking. If you are relaxed and look to the furthest point, around the bend, that you can see and the bike will just go there.
Watch out for potential hazards in the road though. Potholes, greasy spots, road kill, etc. if you notice any don't look at it as your bike will run through it and have you off.
You can always stick on a pair of elbow and knee pads just in case.
The louder you scream the more the bike carries on in a straight line. Fortunately, on both occasions, nothing was coming round the bend the other way.
I don't ride motorbikes anymore.
I think the being relaxed thing is quite important as bikes do tend to be well balanced and will go in the direction in which you are looking. If you are relaxed and look to the furthest point, around the bend, that you can see and the bike will just go there.
Watch out for potential hazards in the road though. Potholes, greasy spots, road kill, etc. if you notice any don't look at it as your bike will run through it and have you off.
You can always stick on a pair of elbow and knee pads just in case.
yello
back and brave
This ^^^
When I read the thread title, I didn't really know how to help. Because I don't think of banking, I just go around corners. They key is though that I'm looking through the corner at the road ahead. I don't think about how to get around it, it just happens.
Counter steering (as mentioned by Mickle) is the 'just happens'... but you can get a real appreciation of the effects of it by deliberating pressing down on either your left or right hand. Not hard, just gently. It's useful to know for when/if you misread a bend and need to turn more sharply!
Also, position yourself (where possible/safe) for maximum visibility around a bend. It helps you to see further through the bend. And just be as relaxed. Take it steady, as slow as you like, until you feel the confidence start to build.
Fab foodie - thanks for the link - fantastic stuff in there. Have saved for future reference.
Svendo - really appreciate the You Tube link - gosh that guy can ride! Made me queasy just watching him negotiate some of those bends! Helped me appreciate the limits of what can be achieved though. Thanks very much.
Night Train - great response, made me laugh - as an ex-motorbiker, can relate to your experience. Will perhaps add 'nappy' to your suggested attire below!!!
Don't do what I did on a motorbike and bank into a corner screaming in fear.
The louder you scream the more the bike carries on in a straight line. Fortunately, on both occasions, nothing was coming round the bend the other way.
I don't ride motorbikes anymore.
I think the being relaxed thing is quite important as bikes do tend to be well balanced and will go in the direction in which you are looking. If you are relaxed and look to the furthest point, around the bend, that you can see and the bike will just go there.
Watch out for potential hazards in the road though. Potholes, greasy spots, road kill, etc. if you notice any don't look at it as your bike will run through it and have you off.
You can always stick on a pair of elbow and knee pads just in case.
Fab Foodie - Great stuff - I use Vittorio Zaffira Slick tyres. They came with the bike and seem fine so far. It's the rider that's the problem. Really appreciate the links and advice.-
