I have recently discovered that my major weekness is when turning left, sharp left more so. Its particularly poor on berms. Any other 'Zoolanders' out there? advice please!

just turn right 270 degees?

or perhaps more hepfully, I'm the opposite and struggle with big right turns, it just feels alien to me, but good planning and focussing on the trail rather than my mind means I can do both now, just need to concentrate more on not concentrating!

i was the same, some tuition has helped, hugely.

it's beacause of your strong/ weak leading foot.

now I can see there's an advantage in not knowing which is which :o)

yeah, I realised how bad I was at the pump track at Lee Quarry last night. nursing a reasonable graze to my shoulder!

Advice in the book of knowledge says "mirror, signal, manoeuvre". I tend to get my hands back on the bars though before actually turning.

The other approach is jam on the rear brake and skid round, proper 12 year old style

it's beacause of your strong/ weak leading foot.

if you steer with your feet…

if you steer with your feet…

Which you do! (or should!)

I'm a little bit zoolander myself. Much better on right-handers – down to naturally riding left-foot forward, which works best in a right-hand corner. Switching feet between corners works well for me.

Which you do! (or should!)

perhaps you're mistaking moving the downside pedal away from the ground with steering ? Steering is actually achieved by moving weight and slight opposite pressure on the bars ie push right to go left 🙂

How do people manage winding sections, do you move your weight about, countersteer, lean, or a combination of the above?

Much better on right-handers – down to naturally riding left-foot forward

I too prefer right-handers but I am Right-foot-forward favouring

I'm astonished by this! Does it mean some people favour clockwise or anticlockwise rides because more of the turns will be one way ? Bizarre 🙂

couldn't you all just ride and stop over-analysing?

How does one learn how to do something without analysis of what one is doing wrong? asking people with similar problems allows me to learn what I might change to improve.

How does one learn how to do something without analysis of what one is doing wrong?

I'm not convinced this isn't an intentional wind-up 🙂 Do these people also walk/drive in circles ? We have more or less symmetrical bodies, and I don't think the 2 halves of the brain need to be taught each operation individually…

So you're totally ambidextrous are you SFB?

I also find left turns more difficult, although I find good technique ie looking at the exit, correct body position etc minimises any issues!

…ride and stop over-analysing?

Isn't that how you improve though?

Can you write with both hands equally well? if you can, you will be one of the few who are truly ambidextrous. now please crawl back underneath that bridge from whence you came!

So you're totally ambidextrous are you SFB?

not quite, but I can walk in a straight line despite having to use 2 legs 🙂

I find good technique ie looking at the exit, correct body position etc minimises any issues!

with me it just happens. I don't know how I do it any more than I know how to walk

This is very often case, and as stated earlier is because of which is your natural leading foot. It feels weird to try and train it out because you need to lead with your "wrong" foot.

As for steering with your feet – I agree that this is the best way to visualise the turn. Or something close to the best way. Pointing your hips to where you want to go, combined with the correct footwork is the most powerful and direct way to learn more assertive cornering. Counter-intuitively it is better to not think too much about your hands, in my experience.

I have Similar turning right.
Am not an ambi turner

Hence the Name, eh Zoolander?

I'm much better at left handers, which i put down to being a left foot forwards person. Often I will wash out on right handers if I lean over as much as I do on a left, putting right foot forward helps but feels unnatural.

And strangely when I think about it, the majority of the berms on my local trails seem to be left handers….. surely that can't be right or I'd be going round in circles…..

i'm happier turning left.

based on nothing more than my own musings, i think it's because i lead with my left foot, so i'm only a quarter of a backpedal away from the correct cornering position.

but with a trailing right foot, i'm 3-quarters of a backpedal from the correct position for a right-hander.

(back-pedalling is better so you're not fighting the brakes)

That's the normal way of things. Especially for a quick turn where you snap from your normal cruising footwork into the turn. I lead with the right, so left pedal down is only a few degrees away.

It will make a big difference if you set your feet in the entry to the corner (ie on the straight) and then turn as a separate action. Alternatively you can consciously pedal forward as you drop on to the outside foot – some people prefer an all-in-one movement.

i had to laugh as i passed someone yesterday and they said to their mate ( oh your bike turns sharper than mine-wots wrong with my bike ?…. duh ? lol …… its got handlebars just steer ! ? 😆

Or their bike had a longer wheelbase…

Seems a relatively reasonable comment to make!

better at left turns but I presumed this was due to riding on roads, more practice doing fast left turns whereas right turns normally need brake check for traffic etc.

interesting point ahwiles, also a few weeks ago I had serious problems dodging a rock aimed squarely at my right pedal, had to fight the brakes to lift pedal to dodge it.

(left foot forward rider)

highclimber – Member
Hence the Name, eh Zoolander?

Indeed!

This is not a wind up some people are more confident dropping into fast turns on a motorbike one way more than the other me included

Edric, SFB is just trolling. its best to beat the Trolls back under their bridges

I'm the other way around. Lead with my right foot, and am happy dropping that forwards a quarter of a stroke (or sometimes less) to get a good purchase in a elft hand flat turn.
I am much less comfortable dropping the left foot. Any advice?

As for steering with your feet – I agree that this is the best way to visualise the turn. Or something close to the best way. Pointing your hips to where you want to go, combined with the correct footwork is the most powerful and direct way to learn more assertive cornering. Counter-intuitively it is better to not think too much about your hands, in my experience.

might you not as usefully imagine your guardian angel gently shoving you round the bend ?? Give me strength! What cobbblers 🙂 Perhaps you also brake with your nose ?

Edric, SFB is just trolling. its best to beat the Trolls back under their bridges

Oi! No I'm not! I just ride my friggin bike without complex visualisations.

Perhaps you also brake with your nose ?

Considering your claim on another thread recently that you end up in A&E at least once a year, is this not your preferred tactic? Do you prefer your face in general? Perhaps you should be listening to some of the advice…

its all to do with being in the northern hemisphere.

when i was down under, i really noticed my cornering was all messed up.

Left is best.

I subscribe to the road riding/more practice theory but there agin, left is only best when I actually think about it!

When I'm riding it is all the same to me.

LOL at SFB with his complex visualisations! Last time I did one of those I went over the bars as I exited a 3 foot platform into space – I missed the exit ramp altogether. Funny thing is, having thought about it as I approached, I cleaned the bloomin' thing with aplomb!

Perhaps you should be listening to some of the advice…

I didn't get where I am today by ever doing that!

Also I think people demean themselves by insisting that anyone who disagrees with them has to be a troll 🙁

much as i hate it, i'm with sfb on this. Do you really notice that much difference? If you do, I'd say there's a fundamental problem rather than anything else.

Analysing it verbally on the internet will do f'ck all as opposed to getting out there and riding, and at the very worst getting a mate to watch you go all grinder round your chocolate side.

I corner left better than right and I am sure it is because I press nice and hard on the right pedal when going left but dont automatically do the opposite when going right; I am right footed.

Sometimes it is nice to play on a section and try different things.
(I spent 30 mins the other day seeing how fast I can go over a particular log, for example) Did the same on a jump, too. (until I fell on my face – Ill keep the wheels on the ground for a bit)