RIDING THROUGH A CORNER ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE

Although it might seems easy, not everyone has the skills to get through a corner without losing too much speed. Especially when you are new to mountain biking, it is good to master a few principles. After some practice, we learn to ride through corners at speed and thus save a great deal of energy.

RIDING THROUGH AN OPEN CORNER

A normal open corner should be ridden in the most direct possible way, just like in Formula One. We take the outer line, ride through the middle, and exit on the outer line again by gaining some speed.

On a berm, we lean inwards and put more pressure on the inner elbow. This enables us to lean even more and ride at a much higher speed.

A TIGHT CORNER

If the corner is tight, we can shift our centre of gravity more towards its centre, putting more weight on the tires and preventing the bike skidding. As soon as we reach the second half of the corner, we start pedalling and accelerating again.

ALTERNATIVE MTB TECHNIQUES

There are also some alternative techniques to get through corners for advanced cyclists, such as skidding or turning round on the front wheel.

SKIDDING

By locking the rear wheel, turning our hips to the side and the handlebars towards the direction of travel, we can force the rear wheel to skid. This technique is best executed on a loose gravel surface that allows us to skid easily. To ensure we do not crash while skidding, we can put our inside leg out to use as a prop if we lose  balance.

TURNING ROUND ON THE FRONT WHEEL

We need to be fully in control of our entry speed before entering the corner. After the front wheel locks, we move the rear one using our hips. As we achieve the required riding direction, we release the front brake, shift the centre of gravity back towards the middle of the bike, and ride on.