To really improve your cycling you need to become a ‘master’ at cornering. To corner better you need to understand what you should be doing, how to do it and then go out and practice.

We have compiled a list of cornering techniques from simple to more advanced with some videos from GCN cycling to demonstrate.

The Basics

• Look where you want to go
• Drop speed before the corner and avoid braking in the corner
• Drop the outside foot to the bottom and push weight through that pedal
• Lean into the corner
• Relax

More Advanced Cornering

• Judge the speed you can take the corner
  • Scan the road
  • Can you see the exit – if not probably sharp
  • How wide is the road – wider = faster
  • Road surface, rough, wet, moss = slower and more upright
• Advance your technique
  • Keep weight low
  • Ride the drops
  • Bend the elbow
  • Backside slightly off the saddle
  • Lean the bike more than the body on very sharp corners
• Lines
  • Enter wide
  • Aim for the apex (and look at it)
  • Exit wide – once through the apex aim for the exit
  • On sweeping turns can ride the corner tight the entire corner
• Exiting corner
  • Pre select gear for exiting the corner when you have had to decrease speed, or there is a rise after the corner. Do this prior rather than in the corner

Perfecting It

• Body position
  • Lower centre of gravity
  • Thinking about weight distribution over front and back – ability to change depending on the road surface and tightness of the corner
  • Do this by bending at the waist and having upper body parallel to the ground
  • Easier to change lean and direction from corner to corner when centre of gravity is lower
• Counter Steering
  • Use counter steering when very tight corners, as an example descending switch backs
• Practice, practice and more practice