bends advice

[ASC1951]

A good idea to practice counter steering is to find somewhere quiet and can go at speeds >12mph. Take one hand off the handlebar and with the remaining hand push the handlebar slightly. What you would notice happen is the bike will turn in the direction you have just pushed, ie you push with your right hand the bike will turn right, and vice versa with your left.

Are you sure? That's not what happens on my bike. If I'm cornering at speed - usually on a descent - I slightly straighten my inside arm i.e. pushing the right side of the bars makes me turn left, not right.

That is why it called counter-steering, surely?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Sorry, but I think that's bad advice. Sitting up is going to put you in the wrong lane with oncoming traffic or could send you over a guardrail Frank Schleck style. If you really overcook a turn and crashing is unavoidable, laying the bike down may well be less disasterous.

There's some good food for thought here, including some stuff about braking in turns.

Agreed. The Jobst Brandt article is very good.

But whoa Guys.
Here's a beginner asking for advice, no need for all that countersteering stuff that is seems some here still don't understand (mattjames rethink). Also handling of a motorcycle differs slightly in that the rear wheel is still powered which gives more options than a pushbike.

Keep it simple!

Distillation of the good stuff:

Look ahead and plot your line around a bend carefully to avoid gravel, ironwork, potholes, oil wet leaves. If necessary as Arch states be prepared to take the lane (do this well in advance) to make the turn.

Do all your braking before the turn is verygood advice, however... braking (contrary to popular opinion) is still possible in a bend (and I would suggest as a last resort) but must be done very gently with both brakes applied evenly.

Look where you're going not down on the road in front of you, look 'through' the bend and strangely enough the bike will go where you're looking by a kind of telapathy.

Keep the outside pedal down and keep your weight on that outside pedal (but your bum on the saddle!). Keep your body in-line with the bicycle.

Keep tyres at their proper inflation pressure. BTW, I've assumed you're on slick-ish (or proper) road tyres.

Finally practice makes perfect. If you can find an empty car park or trading estate go there and practice taking corners (as long as no cars) to get the feel of how your bike handles and grow your confidence in it.

I've only become a decent corner-taker in recent years having spent a holiday on the edge of the Pyrenees, through repeated fast descents over the same twisty roads I learned just how far I could push my current bike&tyre combination and hence my confidence grew... yours will too.