[Closed] Cornering/Berms - pedal position

I got taught outside pedals down, push your tyres into the floor for grip.

Flat corners, definitely drop outside pedal. Big berms, you don't really need to since you should be perpendicular to the trail and the shape of the berm is the thing giving you grip. Any corner in between totally flat and huge berm is going to depend really.

I'd argue that countersteering has more effect.... 😉

I'm of the weight on outside and press that tyre into the floor - that doesn't have to be pedal down.

I've been Jedi'd, so it's weight on the outside pedal and inside hand for everything!

I don't think it's possible to weight the outside pedal and not have it at the bottom of the stroke, is it...?

Pedal down for me. There are plenty of corners you can get away with riding flat but I think its good practice to always drop the pedal as a habit. I struggle to do it but the best flow for me is to go in flat, drop the pedal about 1/4 round, then flatten out again 3/4 round. If its a succession of berms you've then swapped front foot ready for the next one and got a half pedal stroke in.

Flat ground with limited grip and smooth - pedal down
Flat ground with limited grip and bumpy
Flat ground with grip - inbetween/flat
Berm - flat
Berm with a dribble in or our - inbetween in the dribble
Berm to berm - flat in the berm, dripped in the transition between

Guess the message is it's far from a static thing...Remember when your bike is lent over with locked limbs range of motion is limited, the bump forces are off axis from the suspension so in terms of getting the optimal weight distribution for/aft as well as tracking the ground is compromised.

outside pedal down is just part of the whole turn the hips in to the direction of turn and then slide the hips backwards to put more weight over the outside of the bike movement - you can even see roadies using this technique if they also mountain bike.

This video shows it well, although ignore that point-your-pecker bit :

https://www.pinkbike.com/video/256736/

Depends on the corner surely, you cant pump anywhere near as hard with one leg almost straight.

I’m of the weight on outside and press that tyre into the floor – that doesn’t have to be pedal down.

Unless we're missing something, that doesn't make sense. You can't weight one pedal more than the other unless it's at the bottom.

I used to down outside foot down, but after a recent trip to Morzine where we hired a guide, level pedals, the outside foot naturally goes lower. Steer with hips and an attack position. Gnar!

On a berm? both pedals pretty level, the berm is there to hold you, and body position - hips and looking through the corner - will keep you right.

Flat, fast corners I'd drop the outside pedal combined with the above. Or 'laser cock' as Northy so succinctly puts it. 🙂

I don’t think it’s possible to weight the outside pedal and not have it at the bottom of the stroke, is it…?

Almost but not quite, your inside foot is still pushing down too. My cranks tend to end up diagonal, outside foot hovering a little behind the bottom of the stroke. I used to think that was sloppy technique, but have learned it's a good thing.

Lowering your outside foot drops your centre of gravity and increases traction, which is why it's more important for flat corners. If you overcook a berm and lean too steeply into it though, it'll start to behave like a flat corner and your rear tyre will likely break loose. At that point, from a slightly diagonal cranks position, your outside foot gets pulled forward and down, lowering your CoG that last bit and helping you regain traction. If your outside pedal is already all the way down, then it's more likely the tyre will just keep sliding.

I can't find the one right now, but Lee McCormack regularly does good explainers on his blog: https://www.leelikesbikes.com/

He talked about diagonal cranks, inside foot leading as a good general cornering position that gets your CoG lower for traction, or lets you level the pedals out to pump.

feet flat-ish. dropping the outside pedal is making the bike want to stand up and go straight on.

dropping the outside pedal is making the bike want to stand up and go straight on.

You've either never tried it or are doing it very wrong. It really pushes the bike round and you take a corner much faster

It depends  🙂

It isn't what you do with the pedal per se, it is how that affects what you do with the rest of the body, how it enables you to dig the inside edge of your tyres in. Which is needed on flat turns.

I wouldn't advise either pedal down in a fast well banked berm, if there are bumps as well pedal strikes are a real possibility.

you can even see roadies using this [outside down] technique

I think of it as more of a road thing - makes you feel more confident as you screw into a corner on a fast descent. But then I know zilch about this stuff.

Thanks all - I need to brush up on my 'laser hips' technique....

Next question - when in the attack position should you be tall or squatted?

Having this debate with a lad at work - I recon tall as it allows more movement of the bike.

Next question – when in the attack position should you be tall or squatted?

Tall

I think about weighting the trailing leg/outside foot, the weighting is what drops that pedal. dropping the pedal is not always the same as weighting it.

Here's another video, shows more attach position maybe :

Pedal down for best weight distribution, or wherever is safest to avoid grounding.
Its difficult to compare leisure & racing in the photos above, as in at least one of them, the rider would have been pedalling.

Looks like most of the pros are flat at Andorra's classic railing berms 3:20 onwards take from that what you will

Interesting question. I think the thinking has changed over the years. The outside pedal down, position on the bike etc... the modern bikes are longer, bigger, slacker, way better sus and tyres. I’ve watched the DH guys over the last twenty years, the current crop are getting a size up in bikes and getting into the bike, coming more forwards (not getting over the back ad much, if at all) and where possible keeping pedals level. Listen to Laurie and watch his riding evolve, he was more upright and often further back, he’s worked hard and changing his position and now getting even better results.
Still that’s them, not us, from a simple physics position, weighting the outside pedal puts your c of g lowest and inline with the tyres. Just keen a bike over with the outside pedal down, and you will see it’s inline with the tyres. This can only improve grip and balance for us mortals. And probably not fully applicable to DH pros riding on fairy dust, belief and speed. Though watch them and often they will really lean in, to cut in, create support etc... and will slide and then with all of that they just need that inside pedal out of the way (sometimes but not always getting that inside foot out) - if only I could lean that far, go that fast (take my foot off, I am I not alone in struggling to take a foot off when needed?). First on a mountain bike in the early eighties and still dreaming..