This week we are covering two of the most important skills cyclist of all levels require, braking and cornering. No matter how good a rider you are or become it is essential to always practice so that in case of an emergency situations you are prepared to react on instinct.

Have a read, and let us know in the comments below how you have applied (ppun intended) your braking skills!

Brakes – don’t grab a handful in a hurry

Probably the best piece of advice regarding braking is to do it before you need it. Keep you eyes up and scan the road and your surroundings for potential hazards. This will help you to avoid an emergency stop which can easily end up in a spill or worse.

Which brake?

The rear brake is on the right and the front brake is on the left. The front brake is 60% more effective at stopping a rider and so you want to be a bit cautious with it. Practice often in a safe environment and learn how much brake you can grab before you unsettle the bike or skid the rear tire.

And a good practice is to use the rear brake for slowing the bike and the front brake for stopping

Top tips for braking effectively

1. Look at the point you want to stop at, NOT right in front of your wheel
2. Shift your weight back on the bike
3. Keep your arms and shoulders nice and relaxed, this will help keep the bike settled
4. Start to use the back brake to slow your speed
5. Evenly and gradually pull the front brake while you push back against the handlebars
6. Keep using the back brake to regulate speed or bring yourself to a stop

Of course, explaining how to brake is harder than demonstrating it. Luckily the pros at GCN  have made a great video braking…I mean breaking…down the art of stopping on a dime.

Cornering

Cornering on a bike is one of the most exhilarating moments you can have. It can also be one of the most terrifying if you aren’t well-prepared! But good cornering all comes down to two rules:

1. Always look where you want to go. If you want to go into the ditch, look at the ditch. However, it’s more likely you want to end up somewhere down the road so look well ahead and keep your eyes on that point no matter what.
2. Put your weight on you outside foot! It really can be that simple. Put your inside leg up with the pedal at the 12 o’clock position and put your weight on the outside pedal. To get a bit more refined try pushing the inside handle bar down.

Like braking, good cornering comes down to practice. Find a local parking lot and set up a course with a couple water bottles and practice, practice, practice.

Entering the corner

• Think about the corner before you enter. Is it a tight corner? An open corner? Do you have the right amount of speed or do you need to brake a bit beforehand?
• Can you see around the corner? If you can’t use caution – especially when riding on a city path or the busy road.
• What is the road surface like? Is there a rough patch or sand in the corner? How will you adjust for that?

Get aggressive

• Get aggressive on the bike, get low and over the front of the bike. This helps to drops your centre of gravity puts more weight and control over the front the bike.  The best place to have your hands is in the drops with your arms relaxed and bent so that you can absorb any bumps in the road.

Take a deep breath

• Corners can be terrifying no matter how skilled a rider you are, that pucker moment when you enter a corner faster than you think never goes a way but fight the temptation to tense up. Doing the opposite and keeping you body relax
• Take a deep breath, drop your shoulders and bend your elbows – you’ll make it through
• Never forget to look where you want to go – it’s all in the eyes!

Again, our friends at GCN have done a great job demonstrating cornering.

Drop a line in the comments and let us know your best tips and lessons learned. What’s the scariest corner you’ve made it through?

Header image “Cornering cyclist” by J-26 licensed under Creative Commons 2.0