Upped my game 300%
Instead of investing in different tires and bike parts, put it into good training. Then, you can ride ANY bike and still kick ass.
the number one thing that keeps me on the brakes
- Thread starter TrumbullHucker
- Start date
Instead of investing in different tires and bike parts, put it into good training. Then, you can ride ANY bike and still kick ass.
You can use counter steering mid-turn. Before the turn. Even after the turn. It's like pedaling. You can use it whenever it works.
Think of it this way. Unless you're going 100% straight ahead all the time, there's a bit of a turn in most of your riding. Any time you're turning, counter steering techniques can help you.
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Yeah I know what you mean. You cant really ride a bike and not countersteer.
Not exactly with the same force as Rossi into a 5th gear corner but you´re still doing it
What BB said.
I'd word it slightly differently "practice being slightly out of your comfort zone".
Doesn't have to be big or fast, just push what ever your working on till you lose it. Then do it gain, work on bringing it back once you lose control. Being able to manage slight moments of "OH ****" in to saves is key. In my progression at least. When that moment of totally losing control on something gnarly does come. You should still have trained your mind to do what you can to help the crash not happen. Not think about the fear, then just go along for the ride. I am amazed at the seemingly imposable saves I see other riders do. Or be able to know that it is happing, your crashing. Make the call to bail and you need to manage the result. Rather then freeze. To me it is all about being able to process what is happening and what you are doing. This takes time on the bike and off. Think about what happen during your last ride the next day and try to slow it all down in your head. Talk it over with some one that knows how to do it and was watching you. So when you try it again you will have more ideas of how your going to deal with what is happening.
I ride with a blank mind when I am riding my best. Letting things happen that I have trained my mind and body to deal with. That is my take on it.
To touch on tires: Size, make, model, psi... it is all about your feel. Try everything you can think of, find what works for your feel. There are a million different set ups, just the suspension. Once you find something you like work with it. Generally it seems 2.5 front and rear Minnion Fs at 30psi. passes for a good all around combo. That does everything ok and gives good feed back for drifting. But really it all comes back the mental game.
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Do not pull up on the outside grip, sorry thats wrong. and a great way to unweght the front tire making it nice and easy to washout.
Weight goes in two places when cornering<since this is being related to Moto so much> Basic counter steer....... PUSH the bar in the direction you want to go.... that means you are keeping weight on the bar, not lifting it up. Youill get the same reaction from the bike, but lose traction.
Weight the inside handle bar, weight the outside foot. That will drive BOTH tires into the dirt.
Hi speed turns are all abou countersteerin. pre turning, continuing through, pin pointing ETC. the countersteer induces the lean, Push the left side of the bar away, you turn left, right side turn right. But here is the key as to why its called a "push"... your pushing your weight into the bars.... in turn your also loading the front end, not unloading it like you are if you lift the outside.
All two wheeled vehicles countersteer, with the differences in geo, suspension ETC, they also all start to CS at different speeds as well. Its a defenite feel though when you get to the point were you go from steering, to counter steering.
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awesome thread very helpful. Will have to take what i have learned and practice once this rain quits.
I have a cornering question...in general, what is everyone's foot positioning when entering a turn? Level? At which point, if any, is the outside foot dropped into the 6:00 position?
Does anyone switch up their forward foot depending on the direction of the turn? Or does everyone turn with their dominant foot forward, regardless of the direction? I have tried practicing switching my footwork depending on the turn direction (inside foot in front upon entering the turn) but I am wondering if that is time wasted working on that technique.
Does anyone switch up their forward foot depending on the direction of the turn? Or does everyone turn with their dominant foot forward, regardless of the direction? I have tried practicing switching my footwork depending on the turn direction (inside foot in front upon entering the turn) but I am wondering if that is time wasted working on that technique.
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I try to corner with my outside foot anywhere from crankarm parallel to the ground (or 9:00 position), to crankarm pointing straight down (or the 6:00 position). But I don't always switch feet. Sometimes I swap forward feet and sometimes I don't. Laziness is why. I know I corner faster when my outside foot is anywhere from 6:00 to 9:00, but sometimes I'm just lazy or spaced-out.
You don't have to switch feet, it's really a question of how important it is to optimize your cornering speed.
A lot of this has to do with the kind of turn (berm, off camber, flat, etc)
On a flat off camber turn, you will definately benefit from having your outside foot down wiht as much weight as you can put, on that pedal. On well banked turns where you are able to get up into the bank (think pump track) you will be better off with the pedals level (and obviously evenly weighted).
As far as switching leading foot...IMO that is a personal thing. For me, I am slower with my 'wrong' foot forward. I could certainly see a benefit if you were able to switch foot, but upper body positioning (angle, weighting) is IMO more important than which foot is forward.
Something that was really important for me in tough corners was getting my hips cranked around getting forward and keeping my elbows up. You lower your center of gravity and keep your weight over top of the bike as it leans so that when it does begin to slide out, it's not sudden and scary but smooth and controllable.
Great advice...this is one I forget to consciously work on a lot. Turning your hips into the corner seems to make all the other adjustments fall into place.
FOr me, if its a long, hi speed sweeping turn, I will drop the outside foot, if its a snappy quick hi speed turn, I will tend to keep my feet level, with the inside foot forward
Def agree with Dvae though, there are many different turns, they aer all going ot be different situations, you just have to adapt to each one.