Two Big Cornering Pieces Of Advice I Learned From Greg Minnaar – the “Greatest of All Time”.
Before first working with Greg in 2004, I was taught the old school, “get way back while you brake” which does help the rear brake a bit BUT actually hurts the effectiveness of the much more powerful front brake.
Getting back also puts me out of balance, and makes it hard to corner correctly. Getting back
- straightens my arms which puts me in a non-neutral position,
- shifts my weight back, and
- takes weight off the front tire
For more on braking read this article: Your Butt Is Not Your Third Brake
Greg Minnaar showing us how it’s done in my 2007 course on a very small bike.
I learned another important part of cornering technique from Greg last year. In an interview, he mentioned that he had learned from the “Frenchies” to brake hard and early for a corner.
By braking early you finish braking a bike length or so before the corner giving you and your suspension time to fully set up for the corner. This makes cornering safer and less stressful.
Perhaps more importantly, this creates more exit speed (by starting your acceleration higher) making you faster and more efficient.
Next to looking through the corner, my main focus when cornering is:
- to stay centered as I brake,
- use A LOT of the front brake in a straight line, and
- then let off and attack the corner.
The entrances to many corners are really rough and brake-bumped, but you can still stay centered.
When working with Greg he really stresses this as it is the only way to stay in control as you brake.
By staying centered you can brake in a much shorter distance with more control. More weight on the front wheel means no front wheel slide which allows you to brake harder if needed.
By braking early you are in a much better position to corner when you let off the brakes.
Pro Tip: When riding, don’t always follow the “dominant line” (the most worn-in/used path), it is often not the best choice for you.
When entering a corner (if you are doing a good job of looking ahead as you enter the corner) you might notice that just to the outside of that dominant, brake-bumped line there is a nice smooth line!
That smooth line is better for:
- braking,
- better for your suspension,
- won’t beat you up as much and
- it might just give you a better entry point for the corner.
Give that a try and let me know how it works for you.
Find one corner and repeat these techniques two to three times then find another corner to practice.
Please share this article with anyone you think may benefit and feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.
Cheers
Gene
Love it! Thank you Gene!!!