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How to Master High Speed Corners

By Sylvie Allen

When you carve a corner like a Pro it feels fast and smooth, like it should, and good riders will leave their friends in the dust once the cornering starts. This is where you can gain or lose a lot of speed. This article will break down the main skills it takes to carve one of those awesome feeling corners.

Every turn is different, whether it’s bermed, flat, loose, off-camber, etc. First, we’ll discuss the fundamental skills for all corner types, then add changes for some of the variations.

Body Position

Photo courtesy of Brad Holmes

Choose your line wisely, enter corners wide, look for the smoothest path and scan for the exit.

Where you are over the bike is the first thing to tackle. Like the previous article on descending [July 2011 Bicycle Paper], you want to be in the proper neutral position and lower into your “attack” position as you initiate the turn. Neutral position means your center of mass is balanced between both front and rear wheels — too far back and you lose control of the front end. Your feet should be weighted equally and pedals level to the ground. Your joints are relaxed with your elbows out and ready to absorb bumps and move the bike from side to side. Your attack position is achieved by bending in your elbows, hips, knees, and ankles with your butt out and back flat. Keep your shoulders over your bars, if you drift back your bike will want to shoot out ahead of you; don’t let it take you for a ride, you should be the one in charge!

Lower into the attack position right as the corner starts and spring back up when the corner straightens out. Load your feet as your going through the corner to improve traction and increase speed.

Look

... with your whole body! Where you point it, not just your eyes, will determine where the bike will go. Turn your head to scan through to the exit of the corner, looking as far into the turn as you can. Lead with your chest and your belly button will also point in that direction. Lastly, your inside knee should open up and point in the direction of the turn (there’s an eyeball on your kneecap, did you know that?) This action will get your hips in the correct spot over your bike, slightly to the outside. Commit to where you’re looking and you’ll get there!

Lean

Your bike will carve when you lay it into the corner. Extend your inside arm. Remember you are already low at this point so you have lots of reach to use up. Your hips and torso, moving as one unit, will counterbalance your movement. The tighter and faster the turn, the more you have to lean.

Low — Look — Lean. Got it? Good. But that’s not all...

Line Choice

Entering wide is the best bet for most corners. Plan your entry as you’re looking way down the trail. Coming in to the inside might force you to make a sharper turn, which will slow you down. Look for the smoothest and widest path.

Braking

There’s usually nasty braking bumps leading into a sharp corner — don’t brake in them! The harder you squeeze the levers here, the rougher your ride. Just because everyone else does this doesn’t mean you have to as well! Brake before and after, to the inside or to the outside of the bumps; stay loose to absorb the turbulence if you do end up braking. Ideally, you’re applying pressure just before the corner while you’re still going straight, letting off the brakes as you enter the turn (or at least by the apex), and please, no front brake here.

Photo courtesy of Brad Holmes

Open up your inside knee and point it in the direction of the turn. Look ahead and follow through (Pika leading the way).

Fine Tuning for Different Types of Corners:

1. Bermed Corners

If you’re lucky enough to have a bike park in your backyard you will probably have access to lots of sweet berms. This playground is the best place to practice since you can do so many repetitions, thanks to not having to climb! In this instance you will need to lean with your bike and body at the same angle, your hips just slightly to the outside of your saddle. Hang on, as you will accelerate out with g-force. Commit to your vision and low position and enter high — the slower you go, the more you get sucked down to the lower part of the berm, and that’s usually where it’s loose.

2. Flat Corners

Opposite of a berm, there’s nothing to lean against! In a flat corner you’ll need more bike/body separation. Lean your bike into the corner by extending that inside arm and get the hips and shoulders counterbalancing to the outside.

3. Loose Corners

Oh, even worse — no berm and it’s loose! Here you may drop your outside pedal to the bottom of the stroke to weight the rear tire as you also lean your body to the outside — this helps to maintain traction.

Have fun out there and hopefully this gave you a few tips to try on your next ride to speed away from your friends.

Sylvie Allen rides for Fanatyk Co. out of Whistler, BC and has been instructing mountain biking for more than 10 years. She runs her own Sweet Skills clinics for women out of Whistler and does privates and guiding on request. An accomplished elite downhill and cross-country racer (from 1993-2002), she still participates in local events. If you’re planning a trip to Whistler and need a guide to show you the area’s best, whether uphill or downhill, or would like a lesson, give her a call at 604-966-8330.