For riders trying to feel more confident, get faster, or progress up a trail grade, getting around steeper corners can often be a real blocker to enjoying the flow of the trail. Below, we describe and show the process we used with this client to open up corners so she can ride them faster and smoother.

As always, if you’d prefer to watch the process in video format, link at the bottom

If your bike is happiest straight with the frame what does this mean for turns?!

When we want to go around turns at lower speeds, we can steer the bike, turning the front wheel to get around the corner.

However, as the terrain gets steeper and the bike gets faster, to keep good balance and control, we need to keep the front wheel as straight as possible.

This is achieved by leaning the bike more and relying less on steering.

Steering in a steep, fast, or loose turn can quickly lead to an OTB (over the bars) or a front-wheel skid!

To keep speed and flow use all the corner…

If you want to rely on leaning, hold a higher speed with flow, or make a tight corner easier, look for the widest line.

Often, the wide line looks slower because you are taking the long way around. But it enables you to put this into practice.

This normally involves looking at a corner (or sequence of corners) and making a plan before riding through. Some cones or video feedback from a mate or a coach can really help with this bit.

We often find when coaching clients that they do not take as wide a line as they want until the 3rd or 4th go. However, once they have done this several times, it becomes much easier, and they become more proficient at spotting the wide line, even when riding trails blind!

This is where things really get fun and progressive for a lot of riders…

By the time we get to coaching corners, most of our clients have already heard us say… “Look where you want to go.” But it’s not until we get into this section that we talk about all our eyes!

Getting your bike around a corner requires a big rotational movement. We find that suggesting people think about having an eye in their belly button and one on each knee really helps to get that movement activated at the right time and, with enough repetitions, consolidated into muscle memory.

Simple, understandable, actionable movements, repeated = progress!

Final tip… DUCK!!!!!

Getting low when the terrain gets steep and rough is a fantastic way to get your centre of gravity closer to the bike and so feel more stable.

When cornering, this has the added advantage of opening up space to rotate your body into the corner even more.

We often suggest riders imagine a low tunnel going through the key section of the corner and try to make sure they get through it.

Then, whilst exiting the corner, you can stand back up. This will reduce fatigue in the legs and, if done with enough force, can generate exit speed by pumping the ground.

The results follow 🙂

Want to see this process in action? Click here

Maybe give it a try. Take it slow, don’t try and do everything at once, and be patient. The movements required to go fast around corners are not particularly familiar to most people, so don’t be surprised if it feels a bit strange at first!

If you want to find out more about our in person coaching in Bristol and The Forest of Dean Click Here