Cornering

[tomato paste]

So I have discovered cornering, which is a very small progression past death gripping my bar, mashing my brakes, and wobbling slowly down the trail until I run out of sweat.

I found this video on Youtube and I think it's pretty useful. Any other videos people found useful in their progression?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Yup. Not sure why, but something about the way they explained/demonstrated just seemed to sink in more than everything else I've been told or seen. I guess all our brains absorb things in different ways.

 

[Stihldog]

I’m liking the scallops. Something to practice.

 

[ronianash]

In theory this is a great video for advanced cornering techniques. If you're just getting started with MTB'ing and you're "mashing your brakes", you should learn how and when to use brakes through or before the corner. These guys don't touch on the braking aspect at all.

Slow down significantly on the straight before the corner then lightly drag your rear brake through the corner so you don't pick up speed going through the corner. Once you get use to that, you can gradually not rear brake through the corner and pick up speed slowly as you exit the corner.

 

[Gary]

So you think teaching beginners a Bad technique to then later have to correct is the way to go?
M'kay

 

[tomato paste]

In theory this is a great video for advanced cornering techniques. If you're just getting started with MTB'ing and you're "mashing your brakes", you should learn how and when to use brakes through or before the corner. These guys don't touch on the braking aspect at all.

Slow down significantly on the straight before the corner then lightly drag your rear brake through the corner so you don't pick up speed going through the corner. Once you get use to that, you can gradually not rear brake through the corner and pick up speed slowly as you exit the corner.

To be fair, where I'm at there are no straights, its just really steep with lots of corners, rocks, and roots.

 

[ronianash]

So you think teaching beginners a Bad technique to then later have to correct is the way to go?
M'kay

No. I just meant to try and get good at one thing before trying to do every single technique the guy in the video is showing.

 

[Gary]

Why Git Gud at a terrible technique like brake dragging through corners was my point incase you somehow missed it.

 

[7869hodgy]

Why Git Gud at a terrible technique like brake dragging through corners was my point incase you somehow missed it.

 

[Gyre]

I was recently told to drag rear brake through corners when going very fast. In consept it is logical, the rear brake uses the bikes frame as leverage pressing the front tire more in to the ground. Of course you don’t want to touch front Brake.

Trail braking is definitely a thing on asphalt where traction is relatively consistent and predictable. Not finding much support for it for motocross. Even flat track riders only seem to use it to kick out the rear end.

 

[KnollyBro]

I was recently told to drag rear brake through corners when going very fast. In consept it is logical, the rear brake uses the bikes frame as leverage pressing the front tire more in to the ground. Of course you don’t want to touch front Brake.

why does this not work When you’re at the edge of tire grip? at Least for berm turns

-to me it seems logically mandatory when you’re doing a pre turn before the turn and helps with the schralp effect.

for hella high speed berm turns I think even weighting is #1.

but im not an expert that’s why I’m asking.

Tires can only do one thing well at a time, turn or brake. Brake to set your speed before entering the corner, lower the angle of your bike to match the angle of the berm while riding the highest line to stay out of the lose gravel, load the front wheel on the entrance and shift back on the exit and start pedaling. These are the things I tell myself every corner. Some day I will stop telling myself this as what I actually do remains a mystery. I suck at high speed corners.

 

[B1rdie]

I made a grafic explanation to rear and front sliding.
If the R rear wheel slides, its Right
When the F front wheel slides, your F…
The bike took it ok, my left leg got F…

 

[KnollyBro]

View attachment 95154
I made a grafic explanation to rear and front sliding.
If the R rear wheel slides, its Right
When the F front wheel slides, your F…
The bike took it ok, my left leg got F…

First off, that area needs a good rake, there are so many things to slide on! Not that I can see the incoming and outgoing lines to the corner but if your bike is pointing in the direction of travel, are you able to use the built up area as a berm to apex your corner off of without losing too much speed? Trails like these make me enjoy the tech trails which are slower speed with more rock slabs and roots to keep you on your line.

 

[B1rdie]

The red line into the berm was the planned path, usually I just let it drift until the rear wheel gets support from the berm, but this day I started to lean too far from the berm and could not (had not enough time to) balance after the front wheel slid.
By streching the left leg trying to reach the berm with the rear wheel, I severily strained the left hamstrings. Got a little scratch to the right knee also, but that strain resulted in a big hematoma and still hurts, three weeks after the crash.