What is the secret to fast, flat corners?

W

wendle

Likes Bikes
Hey,
I have gotten into downhill riding kind of by accident and am really enjoying it. After having a BMX racing background (1980's) it is good to be going fast on a pushbike again.
I have no problem with any of the jumps, gaps, rock garden tech type stuff, we have even built some timber obstacles on our track and I can hammer through all of that stuff.
The one thing that is giving me grief is carrying speed through flat (non-bermed) corners. It is something I never had to deal with on a BMX.
I have been trying to carry most of my weight on the outside pedal, stay low and push the front wheel through, but the front end seems to want to wash at a much lower speed that what I feel I should be able to scream through at?

What is the trick?
 
W

wendle

Likes Bikes
Dirt Devil said:
Are your bars/fork/stem nice and low?
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Direct mount stem on 888's, I think the bars are 30mm rise?
Bike seems to handle everything else beautifully, I just can't seem to pull through flat corners fast.

EDIT: Sorry this is the bike I am using (IronHorse Yazuka), I should have put it in the first post. Bone stock setup.

 
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Oddjob

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
There are a few things I can think of.
  1. What tire pressure are you running? If it's more than 35 PSI, you might want to think about dropping it.
  2. Mess around with the compression on the forks so that they stand up a bit better through the corner. If the forks have a low speed compression setting, adjust that rather than the high speed compression.
  3. Perhaps the tires you're using aren't suited to the track?
  4. Keep your body position directly above the bike and twist the angle of the bike under you rather than leaning into the corner like you would with a berm.
 
W

wendle

Likes Bikes
Oddjob said:
There are a few things I can think of.
  1. What tire pressure are you running? If it's more than 35 PSI, you might want to think about dropping it.
  2. Mess around with the compression on the forks so that they stand up a bit better through the corner. If the forks have a low speed compression setting, adjust that rather than the high speed compression.
  3. Perhaps the tires you're using aren't suited to the track?
  4. Keep your body position directly above the bike and twist the angle of the bike under you rather than leaning into the corner like you would with a berm.
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Ta.

Running 25psi front 30psi rear.

The forks have no compression adjustments, only rebound, which I did think was a bit strange.

Unsure on tyres, I haven't been able to find much info on them, not many seem to run this brand. I actually thought about buying some Maxxis or something that is a bit more of a known quality to take that out of the equation.

Not sure on the twisting point, still trying to visualise it in my head :lol:
 
scblack

scblack

Leucocholic
wendle said:
Not sure on the twisting point, still trying to visualise it in my head :lol:
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I agree with Oddjob.

I too am from BMX background initially.

What he means is your body stays essentially upright (as much as possible), and you lean the bike through the corner, not so much the rider leaning with the bike.
 
jimmy-dh

jimmy-dh

Likes Dirt
i usually try and keep most of my weight to the font but suppose you would usually need some nice grippy tyres
 
W

wendle

Likes Bikes
scblack said:
I agree with Oddjob.

I too am from BMX background initially.

What he means is your body stays essentially upright (as much as possible), and you lean the bike through the corner, not so much the rider leaning with the bike.
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Cool. So twisting the bike on an imaginary axis running front/rear and staying over it rather than leaning with it.

Cheers. This is the only thing I am having trouble with. I think maybe I have grown too old to learn new things easily :eek:
 
2

24alpha

mtbpicsonline.com
I am guessing you're running the Intense FRO tyres on it. They should be fine. The bars and top crown are not the lowrise versions. Putting on the Funn low Rise or Sunline V1's or something and a flat crown will lower your centre of gravity as well. The other thing to do is make the corner as straight as possible. Move more of your weight to the bars, do what the guys above have posted and hold on.....:D Drop your inside foot down when needed! Sam Hill esk!:eek:
 
Gruntled

Gruntled

Likes Dirt
wendle said:
I think maybe I have grown too old to learn new things easily :eek:
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Hmmmm, same age as me..... you'll be alright mate :D
You can teach an old dog new tricks, but you can't teach a new dog old tricks. So you're ahead.

High speed drop the bike but stay above it, and weight the front end so the rear slips before the front (you hope). Lower speeds drop your body to the side of the bike and keep the bike upright and evenly weighted. Practice.
If the surface is loose just let it all go and drift it. Practice with a foot off the pedals until you're comfortable. Eventually the inside foot will drop off the pedal automatically (you hope) when you lose the rear. If you lose the front, just accept the fall gracefully :D
 
Oddjob

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
wendle said:
Ta.

Running 25psi front 30psi rear.

The forks have no compression adjustments, only rebound, which I did think was a bit strange.

Unsure on tyres, I haven't been able to find much info on them, not many seem to run this brand. I actually thought about buying some Maxxis or something that is a bit more of a known quality to take that out of the equation.

Not sure on the twisting point, still trying to visualise it in my head :lol:
Click to expand...
The forks can probably tuned then by changing what weight oil you run in them. I'm not much of a fork servicing guru so have a look around on the forum for what 888s run as standard and how to change the oil over.
 
thecat

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
Drut outside pedal so it's slightly down and back and push outside knee into frame and weight outside hand. You wont to push the tyre sideknobs into the dirt as much as possible rather than having your weight push through the center of the tyre

If that make sense. If not, just watch some DVD action of the good guys and copy their body positioning as much as possible
 
Liam Thomas

Liam Thomas

Likes Dirt
I've learnt on a hardtail, racing dh and general riding, when you ride on a hardtail, i suppose that you can feel when the bike is at it's limits and gives you plenty of warning when the front wheel wants to go elsewhere. i learnt by watching some of the elite riders coming down in their race runs. having the ability to know when you are about to loose the front or rear has worked wonders with my confidence.
...Practice makes perfect...


Liam
 
steffo123

steffo123

Likes Dirt
i find it easy to use your hips when riding. i angle my bike toward the way i am turning and twist my hips the opposite way. it feels a bit weird at the start but when you get used to it, it is good. also try just hitting it slow at the start and find the best line and then hit it faster and faster.
 
A

Alex Aylmer1

Squid
i found whats best for me its to lean my bike into the corner and have my foot ready too put down quickly if i start to slide out, and always try to make you center of gravity as low as possible.

thats my 2 cents...
 
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