Need some advice on turning
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rides4sanity
Posts: 1,269 Member
I am a decent rider, I can hold pace on the flats and not get dropped on the climbs, but I an terrified of turning especially on a downhill. I'm losing a ton of time because I ride my brakes and swear all the way down the hills. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
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Are you clipped in? That's what throws me the most frickin clips, specially with multiple turns. I do better out of clips because I can get my foot out for balance.0
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Yes I'm clipped. Down hills I usually ride feet level, knees against the tube for stability, its great for straight.0
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Are you talking about road cycling or?0
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Yes, I'm a roadie. I live in WV so I ride my share of hills, I just can't seem to get a grip on the turn if I have any sort of speed.0
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Thanks for the link cohophysh0
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Are you clipped in? That's what throws me the most frickin clips, specially with multiple turns. I do better out of clips because I can get my foot out for balance.
^This ! balance with my foot, and just let go of the fear0 -
Maybe it would help to try out mountain biking on some local single track. It would help to make you a lot more comfortable with turning and braking. Also, cross training on a mountain bike uses a whole different set of muscles which would help with overall fitness levels. Just a thought.0
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Thanks all, TRH I've been thinking about mountain biking just for that reason, thanks for the reinforcement. Otherwise I'm just trying to tail the "A's" on out club rides and follow their line, it scares the crap out of me but I've stayed up right.0
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Nothing's better than swooping down a hill - but you have to develop the confidence. There's two major techniques, and they apply to both road and off-road riding:
1. Outside foot down, and press that outside foot down.
2. Look in to the turn - the bike goes where you look, so don't look at what you are trying to miss! Don't look at the ground under you either, it's too late to do anything about that!
Beyond that, don't death-grip the bars and keep your body loose and relaxed. Tense up and you can't flow around corners, all you can do if you're a board is go straight into a tree. Using your foot for balance sounds like a recipe for disaster - I'm assuming you're talking about dragging it on the ground, there, but even if you're not it belongs on the pedal where it can contribute to your stability.
did0 -
Nothing's better than swooping down a hill - but you have to develop the confidence. There's two major techniques, and they apply to both road and off-road riding:
1. Outside foot down, and press that outside foot down.
2. Look in to the turn - the bike goes where you look, so don't look at what you are trying to miss! Don't look at the ground under you either, it's too late to do anything about that!
Beyond that, don't death-grip the bars and keep your body loose and relaxed. Tense up and you can't flow around corners, all you can do if you're a board is go straight into a tree. Using your foot for balance sounds like a recipe for disaster - I'm assuming you're talking about dragging it on the ground, there, but even if you're not it belongs on the pedal where it can contribute to your stability.
did
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Your right confidence is a biggie, and I learned 2 the hard way. Thanks!0
