High Speed Cornering Tips

October 28, 2009

cornering

photo by Veeral Patel

Crowie has some invaluable tips stored away from his lifelong experience as a pro cyclist.  Most pro’s don’t know how to break down these skills and techniques to teach them properly to cyclists like you and me.  This is why I love listening to Crowie so much.   Here’s some great high speed cornering tips in Q&A style from a reader that I passed onto Crowie to answer.

For some other cornering tips that I wrote a few weeks back, click here.

TOP 9 Strategies To Maximaze High Speed Cornering!

By Rob Crowe – Ridewiser

Q:  How soon after the apex should I be back on the gas? I’m guessing it’s the same as in my rally car, ie: ASAP.

A:  Start pedaling again ASAP, without hitting the pedal.  This is so much of an issue that riders have been known to execute these TOP 9 strategies to minimise the out-of-corner delay time for re-applying the accelerator!

  1. Go very fast into it ‘as the first rider’, lay right over but wait for longer to pedal (have a rest!), and then accelerate harder than everybody else when they start to come around in the sprint
  2. Put 170mm cranks on instead of 172.5 or 175mm (Crowie is usually on 172.5mm for criteriums for this reason)
  3. Take the corner as wide as possible & don’t stop pedaling (recommended)
  4. Enter the corner very ‘late’ which in turn means that the ‘lay-over period’ is quite brief and the angle of departure from the apex is tight to the inside gutter
  5. Use a higher built Bottom Bracket in the bike frame (lift the clearance another way)
  6. Use shallower pedals (slimmer models such as Speedplay instead of old bulky LOOK type)
  7. Get out of the seat & tilt the bike for each LHS (left-hand-side assuming you’re riding on a anti-clockwise course) downward drive-stroke so as to ‘miss’ the bitumen while starting pedaling sooner
  8. ‘Lay off the wheel’ of the guy in front; a pseudo-vacuum is created between riders during the corner, which means that the re-acceleration is late, but there’s less resistance to pick up speed again into the air-pocket behind your lead man
  9. Just dig in early, hit the pedal & try to hold her up!? (not recommended)

Tagged as: cornering, criteriums, racing, technique

  • There is no real special gear to be in when leading up to the final sprint. Its alot to do with your instincts and what is happening around you. Patience is the name of the game. Some races I have been near the back of the field going into the final lap, but have been able to move up through the field on the sides without too much energy cost and slot in behind some good wheels, waiting to pounce in the last few hundred meters. It does depend on the type of course you are on too. I have raced enough where I find changing into the "right" gear comes naturally. Changing gear mid-sprint is not recommended, but if you still have 100-150 metres to go and you are spinning out and the competition is slowly edging past you, then I would click down one or two cogs and then make your final last ditch effort!
  • Tommy P
    The guy in third wheel seems to know what he's doing. A touch wider probably carrying a bit of extra speed and will slot right in behind Jamie, with less pedalling, when the corner opens up.

    This must have been taken in the first 10 minutes of the race as I am much further back when it counts!
  • Tommy P was that extra speed or weight
  • Good position & style regardless Tommy.
  • Jake S
    I'd be really keen to understand which gear people select for the last corner in a crit.. I reckon I'm getting this wrong..
    Do people go down a gear? (i.e. cog 14 to 13) so that they have plenty of resistance for the sprint (no gear changes), leave it unchanged or go up a gear (say 14 to 15) to get an early jump? I find myself either running out of steam down the home straight because I'm in too easier gear coming out of the corner and end up spinning too quickly after getting an initial jump, or losing the wheel in front just out of the corner because I'm in too harder gear and they get a bit of a jump..
    I'm not sure whether my best tactic is to practice spinning up a harder gear (i.e. HTFU) or practice changing gears while sprinting??? (maybe both in combination)..

    Cheers,
  • Hey Jake,

    It depends on a few things. I would consider these on the day, preferably before the crit.

    Visualize yourself in the race whilst considering these questions.

    1. How far is it from the corner to the finish line?
    2. Is it a head wind or tail wind sprint finish?
    3. Is it uphill or down hill sprint?

    For point 1 - the shorter the distance from the corner to the finish, the closer to the front of the bike race you'll need to be.

    ie: if it's 150m from the corner to the line - If you're not first, second, or third wheel out of that last corner - you'll be drinking coffee thinking about what could have been.

    Point 2 and 3 will determine your gearing AND when to kick your full tilt sprint. In a head wind sprint ALWAYS hold off, hold off, hold off and then sprint.

    People always go way to early and use too big a gear in a head wind sprint. The same goes for up hill sprints.

    For a down hill, tail wind sprint - chuck it in your biggest gear and sprint from the front. You'll be surprise that very few people will come over you.

    So to recap - gearing is dependent on environmental conditions. Head wind uphill = 14, 15 ish. Tail wind downhill = biggest gear possible (12, 11).

    Re; changing gears whilst sprinting - yes, there is nothing wrong with going from the 13, 12 to the 11 mid sprint if you need it. Generally in a tail wind sprint.

    You'll need to practice changing gears mid sprint. I use Shimano and it's easy to change mid sprint in the drops.

    My two cents - Hope that helps

    Mark
  • Anonymous
    I'd also add the the "gear" also depends largely on what the bunch is doing. In an organised bunch, a few lead outs can make the spring longer and faster, whereas without the organisation, it can be later and punchier.

    I'm a sprinter, but I have no idea which gear I use to sprint. For me, it's all feel - too big - no, too little - ahh, just right! It's about getting the gear right in the lead up, ready for either pace changes or high top end speed.

    Anyway, it sounds like your starting to get the feel for it. Just visual the final straight in the lap before, and keep changing whilst your not comfortable. (Rarely do I change once the sprint has started).
  • Jake S
    Cheers Mark :-)
  • Great posting! Cornering skills come with practice and the only way to get better is to practice in groups or in racing! Another technique that is used for 'fast' cornering is to swing wide just before the corner and then apex it sharply. I have seen this executed by some top riders, and this is a move that can throw followers off their game if not paying attention. Not recommended if you want to keep every one happy!
  • Me
    Agree only way to learn is to turn up to the "pov" crits and have a crack.
  • jack
    Nice photo of the Ridewiser rider executing a textbook number 9!
  • That's Jamie Kelly. He'll take a trough of concrete out with his pedal if he wishes. No one messes with Kelly - not even cement
  • minimasher
    what a pro! looks great on the bike. would be great to get some skills like that and get amongst it this crit season.
  • Nathan Merckx
    This is the second post in about a week where you are tempting me with Speedplays!
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