A while back, I got some advice about improving cornering technique. One of the key points was having your correct foot forwards for the corner. Another was to use the rear brake (if you have to brake during the turn itself).

The idea of the first bit was that for a LH corner I would have my left foot forwards and up a bit with the right foot back and down a bit. That was intended to make the tyres bite more whilst keeping my weight fairly spread out. A side benefit is that if you fall on a switchback you tend to fall left i.e. into the mountain instead of off it.

The idea of the second bit was that you lean the bike over to turn, and using the front brake will tend to make the bike want to stand up again, thus messing up your cornering. So get the right speed before the corner (with both brakes) and then use the rear if you need it through the turn.

Having spent a while practising it like this, I now read on some advice on bikeradar that is the opposite way to how I thought it was:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/article/technique-alpine-riding-skills-part-1-weight-watching-21802

Of course, it’s not as simple as doing the same thing for every corner. As someone pointed out to me recently, if you had to brake on a flat slippery corner, you be best using the front brake gently to get some grip instead of just losing the rear end with the back brake. But, have I just mis-remembered the original advice? Are Bikeradar talking rubbish? Having changed my approach to the way described above, it does seem to have helped so I’m tending towards the latter.

From the limited amount of peer-teaching I got when I first started to race DH.

– Left hand turn, right foot down (not forward). Right-hand turn, left foot down.

The theory (as I understand it) is that by putting the required foot down you are shifting the weight downwards (or something) and are therefore pushing the tyre down in an effort to get a bit more grip.

It also lessens the chance of your ‘inside’ pedal catching on the inside of the corner.

Seems to work alright for me but you won’t seem me cluttering up UCI podiums so make of it what you will.

I understand the answer is neither, it’s outside foot down and weighted, inside foot up.

Outside foot front.

Just thinking about that makes my head hurt. 😉

I’ve never before heard anyone advise you to switch which foot you lead with depending on which way you corner, but getting your outside foot down is suppposed to help, particularly if you’re leaning over or negotiating a turn with a steep backslope. (Edit: I see abotu 12 people have already said as much)

Seems to help but then cornering fast seems to depend on confidence as much as technique.

I’m not good at switchbacks, but isn’t the move slightly different in a proper steep switchback to how you’d do it on a banked turn particularly? That bikeradar piece is talking about an alpine switchback.

I must say I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking corners at speed with my pedals level, it just doesn’t feel right and a few big crashes I’ve had DHing have been mainly due to not getting my pedals in the right position and catching them on the inside.

That bikeradar piece is talking about an alpine switchback.

A descending, sharp corner then?

Can’t think of anywhere better to try and get your inside pedal as out of the way as possible.

Outside pedal down isn’t going to work everywhere. I was riding (well, mostly walking some bits) at Gawton at the weekend. Insanely steep switchbacks that are basically pedal-deep ruts, so you wouldn’t necessarily be able to have your pedals where you want them and still avoid clippage.

Foor virtually all corners: outside foot down and all weight on that foot. Bikeradar thing is about cornering level-pedalled on downhill switchbacks and what he’s suggesting is that if you lead with the outside foot (rather than having it down) it is easier to twist your hips to face the way you want to go.

Cornering is a massive subject and it makes a huge difference once you build up the correct techniques. It is massively more useful to corner well than it is to learn a bunnyhop or wheelie, for example.

A proper skills session will reveal very much more than just discussing it (but I would say that, wouldn’t I?).

As for braking in the corner – don’t do it! If your confidence starts to desert you mid-corner then look further ahead, turn your hips to face the exit, and stand harder on that outside pedal.

Mr Agreeable – Of course there are occasionally trails where the ‘standard’ way of doing things doesn’t work but surely teaching technique is all about the usual rather than the occasional? You can’t teach for every situation after all.

Bikeradars advice is good if its a steep tight alpine switchback, which is most unlike your average trailcentre bend.

We’d hardly know you ran coaching sessions for a living glen. It’s very subtle. 😉

Well, I think the idea as it was explained to me was that the outside foot would tend more towards being down depending on how extreme the corner was. I’m certainly not suggesting that you should have them flat – the outside would be down to some extent. But if they’re not at 6 and 12, then one of them is forwards.

This advice was given for riding steep switchbacks in the Pyrenees.

I think I’d better chip in a bit less, BigDummy. Apart from coming over as a smart alec (I don’t think I actually am like that) I’m giving it all away!

keep the inside pedal up when cornering so you don’t crunch it into ground whilst leaning the bike over. If you have to brake whilst in a corner you’ve already made a mistake by going into it too fast.

Kev

Assuming this is for unbermed corners.

It’s outside foot down and heal down, which will naturally force weight through the front wheel, increasing front wheel grip.

For tight switch backs it’s feet level and a fair chuck of front back, to lift the rear end, then twist the hips and back the rear end around, let go of the brake, power down and wheely out of the corner, doing MX impressions..

BRAPPP!

As others have said – outside foot down and weighted (puts your body weight over the tyre contact patch, or at least closer to it)

Steep alpine style hairpins, technically you should have outside foot forward which opens up the inside (so more room to pull the bars right round) and makes it more natural to turn your hips and shoulders to face around the corner. That all said in those situations I tend to ride right foot forward at all times, and there’s not much I can’t get round – if its that tight I start relying on twisted stoppies to get round (not that I can do them near as well as Ash or Ian Potter, both of whom I bow down and worship before…)

outside foot down and if you’re running out of corner, don’t brake, slight nudge of the bars in the opposite direction to the corner will bank you over further and tighten you turn.

depends on the corner as others have said.

bend (i.e. however fast you go into it theres no danger of losing grip) – feel level, weight evenly distributed (attack position, even though i hate that phrase)

corner (the type sam hill looks good on) – outside foot down, nuts to the stem untill the rear is breaking loose (more weight forewards helps the front grip, weight on the beack makes the back grip). Youd be amazed how fast this will let you go even on dusy/loose/sandy trails!

Berms – pump them! Same positioning as for a bend, It’s kind of a flick with your legs while you look at the next straight. Go into the corner, look at the next straight and realy push wit your legs.

switchback – arse on the rear tire, almost lock the rear wheel and let the front rollllllllllll. Feels wierd the first few times, but it works. Practice carving up quaterpipes to get used to the feelign of lettign the front wheel roll when the back is stationary.