| Improving your cornering technique is a great way to | | | | - Get down into the drops |
| go faster, without having to slowly improve your | | | | - Look where you want to exit the turn (your bike will |
| fitness over weeks of road bike training. If you have | | | | follow your eyes automatically) |
| gone on a club ride, you will probably notice the people | | | | - Lean the bike into the turn |
| who get scared on corners, and brake a lot more than | | | | - Push down on the outside pedal (the pedal opposite |
| they actually need to. In fact, you could even be one | | | | the direction of the turn) |
| of the people who takes the corners too slow! | | | | Cornering isn't hard, you just have to build your |
| When you are racing, and you can corner faster, then | | | | confidence up! Some people feel uncomfortable |
| you can overtake people without having to tire | | | | leaning their bikes, because they feel like the wheels |
| yourself out. Before you begin practising your cornering | | | | will slip from under them. You will be surprised how far |
| technique, be sure your bike is in good mechanical | | | | a bike can actually lean before slipping. Stand next to |
| condition. The worst thing that could happen half way | | | | your bike, and slowly lean it towards yourself whilst |
| through a turn is handlebars snapping, wheels flying off | | | | pushing down on it. See how far you can lean it |
| or getting a puncture. | | | | before it slips. The bike I use for road bike training is a |
| Remember, an injury will stop you from doing your | | | | Specialized Allez, and it has conti gatorskins, and it can |
| road bike training a lot longer than the 30 minutes it | | | | lean about 50° - 60° before it slips. |
| takes to check your bike is working fine. After you | | | | So how do you include cornering with your road bike |
| have ensured that you wont become road kill, find a | | | | training? |
| nice tight turn, where you have a clear view of | | | | It's really not that hard! When you are on a training ride, |
| oncoming traffic. Approach the corner at a speed that | | | | you will have twists and turns along your route. Try |
| you are comfortable with, and get a feel for the | | | | taking the corners a tiny bit faster than you are |
| corner. Try taking a few different lines through the | | | | comfortable with. Just remember, look through the turn, |
| corner. Remember that the shortest line isn't | | | | lean into the corner, and push down on the outside |
| necessarily the fastest one. | | | | pedal. |
| If you want to practise taking corners faster, and | | | | If you feel like braking, put more of your weight on the |
| including it in your road bike training, do the following: | | | | outside pedal, it's hard to explain, but it works! Before |
| - Brake before the turn, if you are approaching too | | | | you know it, you will be taking corners a lot faster than |
| fast | | | | before you involved cornering in your road bike training |
| - Don't touch the brakes during the turn | | | | plan. |