Why is it that I struggle with steep and tight right turns but that I don't with left turns? This is on "holiday type" rocky switchbacks, Northshore, off camber rooty trails and anything else remotely technical. The common feature appears to be stalling and then over compensating but I guess my body position must be completely wrong in the first place. Could this be a leading foot thing...right feels natural, left doesn't; does dropping your shoulder have a big part to play?
Zoolander on an MTB!
My "blue steel" is normally a winner.
Eye dominance? I'm very right eye dominant and turning left is always easier for me as my eyes look further round the bend from the outer eye. Sounds odd I know.
Do you have the problem regardless of whether pedalling, level pedal attack position or outside foot down ?
Everyone has a weaker cornering direction. simply work on improving yours. I must warn you though, just like any weakness it will take time and effort to overcome. this will mean riding your bike outside of "holidays".
"I'm not an ambiturner"
But yes, I find when it gets tight and techy its a leading foot thing. I naturally lead with my left and always used to struggle on tight lefthanders. Lead with the opposite foot to the direction that you want to turn whilst keeping the pedals fairly level (unless seriously off camber) it makes it easier to turn your hips in the direction you want to go. That and keeping your chin up and looking where you want to go works wonders
Yup it's to do with your brain like right and left handed.
If you pull skids (stop the s****ing at the back) on a flat piece of track road whatever, where there is no definitive path to be followed, you nearly always pull a skid in what feels the most comfortable direction, same with whips!
As above, I'd make a sizeable bet that you're a naturally right-foot-forward rider.
Try switching feet so that you approach right-handers with your left foot forward. Makes it much easier to turn your hips and get the bike around.
This can sometimes be a bit go-backwards-before-you-go-forwards as you may initially find it hard to ride with your feet this way round! Practise!
Yep swap feet. To work out why stand in the same position as on your bike and turn to the left and right, your body can rotate much more to the side of your back foot, rotating the body helps turning
Might sound stupid, but when you push your bike do you stand on the left or right. If it is the left, then try pushing standing on the driveside more often.
If you already push on the right I'm talking bollocks.
Because Boris says no.
Me too.
It helps massively to exaggerate the head turn, and turn you hips/pelvis, too. Concentrate on getting your weight through your inside hand and outside foot, so that the outside pedal goes down (not level through turns...)
Guess who's been Jedi'd...
Thanks all. Just pretending to steer down steep, tight chutes at home (the kids are giggling) and I think my back muscles are also playing a part. I definitely have more movement to the left. I will work on feet and body position and try and sort out my flexibility (and unfortunately I push from the right hand side when walking).
In this case (assuming it's just a switch back)I'd maybe simplify it and try the Jedi method.
This is a sound method for a switch back or off camber, but I've found it difficult to use in natural surroundings;in hitting a couple of quick turns you can't rotate the cranks 180 deg quick enough, and you need an alternative pedals level solution. Same problem applies to trying to lead with a left or right foot, you don't always get time to rotate them or something physical in the trail will stop you from switching.
I definitely have more movement to the left. I will work on feet and body position and try and sort out my flexibility
Don the foot swapping?
Man up Derek!
OP just be sure that it's actually your right turns that are the problem. I'm right handed, I was convinced I sucked at right hand corners. However, when I took a careful look at what I was doing (by sessioning a twisty trail) I realised that when the going got fast or technical I was very inclined to drop my left off the pedal to get around the corner. It never occurred to me that this was a problem because, well Sam Hill does it doesn't he?.
Once I focused on turning, aiming to keep my foot on, I realised my left turns werw absolute crap compared to my right and constantly dropping my foot was throwing my balance off everywhere ruining any flow I might have for set up and exit.
I've worked on it for a while now and things are much improved.
I get this a bit too, but it's only on very specific right handers*. I'm left handed/footed but ride with my right foot forward generally. I was weaker on normal right handers and hipping to the right but built some trails with lots of right hand berms and hip jumps to practice on. It worked in that i can do them better but it doesn't feel as comfortable. I blame years of riding half pipes and mini ramps and almost always carving/airing to the left. There were lots of comedy crashes (and a few sore ones) trying to hip to the right properly 😆
* There's only two corners that i've ridden that still cause issues but they are very steep (70 degrees +) and have a sharp corner at the bottom. I only ride them maybe once or twice a year so i'm not bothered enough to do anything about it.
You'll have a dominant cornering direction and one you have to work on, next time you're turning right make motorbike noises and ask yourself what would Steve McQueen do, if this doesn't sort you out nothing will.
unfortunately I push from the right hand side when walking
Told you I was talking rubbish 😆 Apparently it is a Joe Barnes tip...
The world's fastest cornerists don't switch feet.
I'm ambi but often don't either as it's faster and less hassle not to
practice the drill with some handy markers like at 1:20 in the vid somewhere flat.
OP - have you spent a lot of time at the velodrome?
OP is the Labour Party and I claim my £5
I've been trying to learn to be ambifooted! Cripes it feels wrong the first time you try to ride something with your "wrong" foot forwards! 😆
Bushwacked - Member
Man up Derek!
Thanks for freaking me out 😯 As for MFU'ing, just trying to avoid your recent experience 🙁
No velodrome experience, just many years of bad mtb practices. Right hand bermed corners are fine - it is really just the slow, technical, steep ones. More practice and foot shuffling needed.
The world's fastest cornerists don't switch feet.I'm ambi but often don't either as it's faster and less hassle not to
Agree, but switching feet is a good way to learn. Once you're in the habit of turning your hips, you can do it regardless of your foot position.
Outside foot down (rather than forward) is at least as good (probably better) on smoother corners and miles better on flat / off-camber turns, but may lead to high levels of doom on very technical rocky / rooty Alpine switchbacks.
The videos above are good.