It's the hips - seriously - try it. Ride in high, weight outside foot rotate hips and feel the flow. It's ok this is free advice.
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What's the technique for tight switchbacks?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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I love the internet
I started reading this thread thinking I know nothing on this subject and I might learn something and I have
Not only does the world contain people who will advise others to corner inside foot down, they are happy to defend there advice when people who know better correct them
The last time I fell off my bike I tried to pedal round a moderate corner going down hill. The inside pedal clipped a small stump I hadn't seen and that was it I was off. As I lay on the ground at no point did I think. "I must have the inside pedal down going round corners more often".
My advice is this (if this is wrong please tell me)
If you are going round a tight corner, say a turn to the left, where the outside of the exit is a steep drop (on you right as you leave the corner) don't cut into towards the apex. When I do this I seem to end up approaching the drop head on and having to slow right down and then sort of wobble round the last bit. It seem to work much better to ride right round the out side of the corner and not try to cut to the inside until you are at least half way round. Does that make sense?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I also agree with the hips thing. Lean the bike, feel the camber thrust steering. Sorry I'm a geek
Posted 1 year ago # -
some "different" techniques....
Posted 1 year ago # -
Some of you lot seem to be talking about corners not switchbacks.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Outside foot down, look where I'm going, lean the bike and point the hips towards where I want to go got me round the more 'swooping' corners at Cannock today...well mostly, there were some errors made and the going was shall we say 'loose'!
I'll see if the same techniques applied to the really tight set I ride regularly works.
Posted 1 year ago # -
What I (try to) teach in the Alps (for tight, technical, slow-speed switchbacks):
Start super-wide. Ridiculously wide. If this requires riding over rocks, roots, cabbages, etc, do it!
Outside foot forward.
Stay wide until your cranks are about level with the apex.
Turn like you mean it! Turn the bars, rotate your hips, shift weight to the front wheel (as much as possible when it's steep & techy).
This should be enough to get you round, but you can get some extra help from making a quarter rotation of the pedals (so that your outside foot is now down, this also helps keep you moving when you might stall). With your outside foot now down and you more or less past the apex, driving the outside foot will help to get the back end of the back round (a bit of low-speed drifting might result if the surface is wet/loose/rock slabs/cow poo/whatever).
Most importantly, keep your eyes locked on where you want to go, all the way round - look for the apex on the way in, then look for the exit as soon as you can.
When you move to the outside to enter the turn, if you can do this dynamically, with an up and down weight movement (like a skier turning) it helps a lot, as you can get the bike leaning the right way - if you just steer to the outside, you'll probably find yourself leaning the wrong way and hence slow down your turn initiation.
Posted 1 year ago #
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