Do you want to impress others on the trail?
Visit our Liquid-Life Bike Academy and improve your riding technique together with Marc Brodesser, riding technique expert and book author .
Cornering technique means mastering changes of direction with flow . They give trails the right spice and appear constantly. But it is precisely with this fundamental issue that many bikers have problems: Slipping tires, radii that are too wide or loss of momentum are some of the typical results of suboptimal cornering techniques. Even the most modern 2018 mountain bikes are of no help. Where do these problem areas come from, which in the worst case scenario can lead straight to the hospital ? Humans are creatures of habit and learned to ride on asphalt. Ergo: If a bend appears on forest floor while mountain biking, the brain often efficiently recalls the usual asphalt cornering technique and you quickly slide away! Hence the distinction: road riders lean our body and bike into an inclined position, we mountain bikers simply tilt the bike underneath us towards the side of the bend and remain central with our body's center of gravity!
How we achieve the incline and what to consider when riding MTBs in off-road curves. Step by step you learn new movements, master key points and work your way up to more advanced maneuvers. Marc Brodesser, riding technique expert and head coach of our bike school Liquid Life, shows you the cornering technique in detail.
1. Eye tracking with turning of the body
You go where you look - we all know this saying, of course, and yet this is often where the main construction site is! In dangerous situations, people look closely at the trigger, such as the outer edge of the path leading to the abyss. This reflex then prevents you from looking where you actually want to go (follow the trail to the exit of the bend). So that a pilot rather than passenger situation can arise, we turn our heads in the direction of the bend to look ahead - shoulders, hips and knees follow this rotation and the bike automatically leans towards the inside of the bend. Important : We now have the saddle on the inner leg as the fifth contact , and the crank position remains almost horizontal. Remember: Left bend > saddle on the left leg & Right bend > saddle on the right leg. The inside leg of the bend should be opened so that the bike does not have to lean. Especially during the relearning phase, it can happen that the saddle suddenly sticks to the outer leg again due to the autopilot, as it does when riding on the road - the wheels then quickly start to slip!
2. More incline for even more traction
When cornering fast, loose, hanging or wet, it is a good idea to increase the inclination of the bike and the pressure of the side lugs on the ground . This movement is done by the arms: the arm on the inside of the curve stretches out slightly (without engaging the elbow), the outer arm becomes more bent. This tilts the bike even more and prevents the front wheel from turning too sharply. The body's center of gravity remains central and the crank position horizontal. Active tilting also helps us a lot when changing direction quickly, where the bike is controlled significantly by tilting, which guarantees safety and traction .
3. Ideal line and timing – backing out and braking
Since you get the most flow on downhill slopes , there are two aspects to cornering technique that should be highlighted: Similar to what Vettel & Co. do in Formula 1, you make a wide swerve before entering the corner, and then turn your gaze early (turning your body) to pull inwards towards the apex of the corner, so that you are carried slightly outwards again as you exit the corner. If you choose a line too far inside, you will be pushed out of the corner at the apex! Just as important: brake the bike gently at the entrance to the corner so that you can then let it go without braking! Two advantages: you don't lose momentum in the corner and there is less risk of the wheels slipping ! If the tires have to work hard to cope with the cornering forces, additional braking forces can cause a sudden loss of traction.
- Increase step by step (baby steps) – from easy to difficult! Having patience with yourself is important!
- Tiredness and danger stimuli as well as your current form are crucial – don’t ignore them!
- Practice cornering technique on flat surfaces first before venturing out onto the terrain .
- We will not allow ourselves to be put under pressure from outside!
- Challenges to be overcome allow us to learn efficiently – don’t want too much!
- High repetition frequencies make the movements automatically retrievable.
- Video analysis with tablet or smartphone using super slow motion (Coach's Eye app) helps!
- Leave the crowbar at home and achieve success on the trails in a playful way !
TIP : For more cornering grip, install optimal MTB tires !
