Weight distribution for turning

Lee,

As I have said in previous e-mail; you book has been a great help to me and other, lent it out to many riding buddies. I am looking forward to ii. Any chance on an advanced copy?????

My question is weight % on corning / turns. As I have read and been working on most of the season is dropping the outside pedal and placing weight on it and at the same time placing weight and pulling on the handle bar, opposite to pedal side. Should I be distributing my weight similar to downhill skiing turns 80 / 20 rule (80% down on pedal and 20% on handle bar??????). I have noticed that if you do to much on the bar it actually tips you funny and also puts more weight down on the front tire, giving me to much traction.

Would this also apply for either hardtail for full suspension?

Any help would be great. I am always looking forward to your tips and advice.

Rob

Fun — and useful.

Hey Rob,

You pose a great question, but for now I have to keep this brief:

As a default, learn to corner with all of your weight on your pedal(s) and none on your hands. This drives weight roughly 50/50 into both wheels, and it works awesomely in most corners — especially if you apply some downforce (through the pedals, not the bars).

As the turns get looser/tighter/sketchier, the front end will start to wander. Gradually practice shifting your weight onto the bars. This encourages the front end to stick. The rear end … it can do what it wants. In a very aggressive corner, your front/rear weight distribution might be almost 100/0.

This principle applies to any bike, but the more suspension you have, the more effort it takes to connect with the ground. The bigger the bike, the more it helps to cram the front end into turns.

This story has lots of detail: Steep, loose downhill turns

Rip it,

— Lee

PS: Thanks re: the book. Version ii is greatly refined and much bigger. The publisher has the manuscript. I’ll see about a sneak preview for the site.

Know more. Have more fun!

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