TURN FASTER

Slick cornering can save vital seconds. We show you how...

GET SET

Adjust your speed before you reach the corner, so you don’t lose time and control having to brake during it. If you can see the entry and exit points, you can gauge the right speed to safely pass through it. If it’s wide and sweeping you may not need to brake. If you can’t see the exit, err on the side of caution – you’ll lose more time picking yourself up off the deck than applying a smidge more pressure to your brakes.

HOLD YOUR LINE

If you’re riding in a bunch, it’s vital to hold your line through corners – imagine you’re a car on a Scalextric track. If you are alone, though, or safely ahead of the pack, look at straightening the bend by taking a wide line into the corner, cutting as close to the apex as road conditions (and white lines!) allow, then exiting wide. This widens the corner, so you can maintain a higher speed through it.

LEAN IN

Good technique is a case of practice makes perfect. First, find a corner you know and are comfortable with and take it at gradually increasing speeds. As you corner faster, lean your bike into the apex to help with balance and control. In dry conditions, trust your tyres, but ease off in wet or freezing weather. Keep your inside pedal up as you lean, and apply pressure to the outside pedal to aid balance.

GET GOING AGAIN

As you ride through the apex, keep your eyes on your exit point. This will help you to balance, judge how successfully you’ve adjusted your speed and keep you on line. Once you know you’ll make the corner safely, it’s time to get pedalling again. Your inside pedal will already be up so, if you’re looking to sprint out of the corner, press down hard and get back up to speed as quickly as possible.