The science of cornering

Your center of gravity is of great importance. Surfers, gymnasts, trapeze artists, ballet dancers, and cyclists all depend on the manipulation of their center of gravity. Your center of gravity in relation to your saddle is what turns your bike. The handlebars are often labeled responsible for turning, but other than at low speeds, this is not so. If you move the saddle left, the bike will lean and turn left.

Bike control equals the control of your sense of gravity in relation to the centerline of the bike.

There are a few “forces” at play when cornering:

- Gravity, which is pulling you and your bike down to the ground
- An opposing force, pulling in the opposite direction in which you are turning
- Diagonal, the combination of these two forces meeting

Gravity remains equal, so the other forces will determine the flow of the turn:

- If your opposing force increases in intensity, the diagonal will become wider or more arched
- As your opposing force shortens or decreases in intensity, the diagonal comes more comparable with gravity or a straight line

The trick in efficiently turning lies in your ability to keep the center line of your bike in unison with gravity and the opposing force while keeping the center line of your bike between that of your own center of gravity and the direction at which the turn is pulling you.

For proper technique:

- Sit relaxed on your saddle
- Dig the tires into the ground a bit for traction purposes
- Let your bike arch through the corner
- Keep your upper body and head low and towards the inside so your head is just above the inside brake lever
- Keep a constant arching line through the corner
- You and your bike will follow your eyes- Look ahead into the corner to stay on course
- Attempt to go from the outside, to the inside, to the outside in order to “open up” the curve (If you are engaged in a series of turns, you would have to modify your positioning to consider the multiple maneuvers)

Before you approach the corner

Before approaching the corner, read the surroundings ahead. Consider road conditions before you lean into the corner:

- Is the road wet
- Are there other riders in the turn
- Are there other riders around me
- What is the road surface- rock, sand, etc.

Cycling with others sounds simple, but there are some rules to follow in order to establish a sense of safety and awareness to the other cyclists and others on the road. The following article’s purpose is to relay some rules in relation to group riding.

Group Riding Tips

When riding in a line or a close pack, the riders in the front and back of you are going to assume you will keep at a certain pace and position. To do otherwise warrants a warning. For group turns, it is common for the “leader” to alert the others of upcoming turns, giving them enough time to properly position themselves.

- Be verbal when it is possible and know the hand signals:

• Left arm straight out= left turn
• Left arm at a right angle facing down with palm facing out= slowing down or stopping
• Right arm straight out= right turn

- In the event of removing yourself from the road, make sure to move far away as not to risk your safety or to obstruct the flow of traffic.

- Vision is limited when riding in a group, so it is good etiquette to announce and point to hazards on the road such as bumps, debris, holes, etc.

- Some roadways are narrower than others. Use prudent judgment in alerting riders in front of you of approaching cars from the rear. This is especially needed before approaching turns.

- Every rider needs to know to act independently amidst heavily crowded areas such as intersections. It is not safe to adopt a “follow-the-leader” mentality in heavy traffic. The safest approach is to consider others’ warnings in conjunction with looking around you.

- If you are new to group riding, or new to the group you are riding with, hang near the back of the group until everyone gets to know each other and their movements.  There’s no need to take down the whole pack as you try to integrate with a new group.

- If you are new to group riding, it is best to leave about a bike-length gap between riders in your front and rear. This increases the likelihood of avoiding a mass collision if a rider is met with an impediment.  It reduces the benefit of drafting in a pack, but can reduce the likelihood of road rash and taking down your fellow riders if you are not confident in a group.

- The use of aero bars, clip on or otherwise is strictly forbidden. Though safe to use individually, the delay in breaking and the reduced steering performance puts the entire group at risk when riding with others. Do not use aero bars or clip on bars while group riding. Save them for solo use.