Nearly Came Off

[david1701]

right I was coming up to this corner at speed while braking (bottom of big hill) and I turned leant in a bit and completely lost the back of the bike and slid sideways. I didn't come off because I caught myself on my foot and stood up. (which surprised me )

Now was this because I was going too fast for the corner, because I was braking while turning and it made the back wheel lock or because I'm not that used to riding with panniers and they unbalanced me?

I'm new to cycling properly and was riding a front sus mtb with 2" 'all terrains' and a rear rack with 2 light (mostly empty) panniers.

All help/insults appreciated

 

[david1701]

I actually meant to put this in general cycling :s but you guys will be helpful too

 

[david1701]

I was braking before the corner but was going too fast and was worried about hitting the parked cars the other side of the road

hehehe small world

 

[Matthames]

If the back was stepping out, then you were going into that corner at too great a lean angle, with too much weight on the back wheel. Probably due to the camber on your side of the road being against you and the suspension rebounding after the braking. Usually it is the front wheel that lets go when you brake into a corner. It is perfectly possible to save the rear end from stepping out without putting your foot down. All you do is steer into the turn, this will stand the bike back up on its new course, however once the rear comes round to too steep an angle, instead of correcting itself, it will over correct and go into a highside.

 

[david1701]

aaah I'm with you. I had panniers on and was leaning back a bit to slow down on the way in. So solution is to break harder on the in and be careful with the angle I lean to.

I've been pootling whenever i have panniers on ever since

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Like an instructor told me on a race circuit, get all your breaking done before the corner, then you'll have less to worry about altering the dynamics mid corner.

Braking more mid corner will shift weight about, especially with panniers, very easy to get it wobbly.

Could have been poor road/worn tyres/to much speed

 

[david1701]

it was also poor road tyres, I need to get something a lot less knobbly for the road