Specific cornering technique question.

[PaulB]

Right, in the poor, wet weather that seems to have bedevilled us all year, I do laps of a 3.5 mile loop near our house. That way, if the weather gets really bad, I'm not too far from home. Anyway, I'm lucky that this loop is quiet, scenic and hilly. Here's my question:

There's one section where there is a left-hand turn slightly tighter than right-angles at the bottom of a long, straight, fast descent on which it's possible to reach up to 70 KPH. What's the best technique for negotiating this turn bearing in mind I want the fastest possible lap time on each loop?

I've tried slowing right down and turning tight on, going less slowly and giving it a wider turn and even cutting tight across almost touching the corner itself and going wide on the road I'm turning on to (this isn't advisable at busier times). The road I turn on to is flat for a couple of hundred metres before a climb so I need as much momentum from the descent at this point. In the panel's expert opinion, what's the best technique at this corner?

 

[mickle]

Keep it wide on the approach to get as much change of direction and braking done before clipping the apex, you'll be able to straighten up sooner which will allow you to resume pedalling sooner. Going wide in will also allow you to see into the corner earlier allowing you to decide whether or not to cross the centre line on the exit.

 

[PaulB]

Keep it wide on the approach to get as much change of direction and braking done before clipping the apex, you'll be able to straighten up sooner which will allow you to resume pedalling sooner. Going wide in will also allow you to see into the corner earlier allowing you to decide whether or not to cross the centre line on the exit.

Good one. Just to clarify though, which I should have done; there's only a low dry-stone wall so it's possible to see a long way up the road I'm turning on to.

 

[mickle]

Great, which gives you the option of using the full width of the road on the exit.

Jackie Stewart reckons that if you're not on the brakes you should be on the throttle. The sooner you can get the bike upright the sooner you can pedal so wide approach, body weight as low as possible, hard on the brakes, turn in, offside pedal in the six o'clock position, drop your left knee into the apex and get on the gas as soon as you can.

 

[PaulB]

Great, which gives you the option of using the full width of the road on the exit.

Jackie Stewart reckons that if you're not on the brakes you should be on the throttle. The sooner you can get the bike upright the sooner you can pedal so wide approach, body weight as low as possible, hard on the brakes, turn in, offside pedal in the six o'clock position, drop your left knee into the apex and get on the gas as soon as you can.

Marvelous! My pulse went up 15-20 beats just reading that and thinking about doing it! That's a good tip on the offside pedal position as well as I'm sometimes too cautious and have the nearside pedal at 6 o'clock.

 

[mickle]

Remember Obiwan; hard on the brakes or no brakes at all. Applying the brakes into the corner will have the effect of pushing your centre of gravity away from the apex, what motorcyclists call high-siding.

 

[robz400]

extra points if you get your knee down

 

[ASC1951]

But minus points if it's both knees

 

[peanut]

I'd check out where you are going to slide to and what it is possible to hit with various parts of your anatomy first. I may be getting old but that sounds unecessarily dangerous to me to gain 1 second or so.
Maybe you should vary the route. Add an additional section, try going round the other way, Have a friend or two join you and do a time trial .

I do the same as you and have 5 short routes around my home which I lap. By going round both ways I can get 10 different routes around my home which varies it a bit.

You could try this. Number each route option . Roll a dice a few minutes before hand to select which route you are going to take that day. You'll never know which route until the off !

 

[Scoosh]

You'll never know which route until the off !

Isn't that what they call an "audax" ???

 

[peanut]

Isn't that what they call an "audax" ???

you've been on them too then

 

[Scoosh]

you've been on them too then

errrr.... actually .... not yet !
... but I've heard about them

 

[peanut]

errrr.... actually .... not yet !
... but I've heard about them

you cannot be serious ok you have to attach some mudguards and stick some lights on but they are great events. Cheaper than sportives .

 

[Tynan]

'the racing line'

flatten the curve as already instructed

and 'slow in fast out' is the other cliche

 

[Scoosh]

you cannot be serious ok you have to attach some mudguards and stick some lights on but they are great events. Cheaper than sportives .

Always serious, me

I haven't done an audax yet, as I've been off-bike for a while .... but audax looks like the sort of ride I would enjoy, as long as it's not 100km first off !