Essential skills
Try these simple, fun drills to help you boost your cornering and sprinting technique
“LEAN THE BIKE SLIGHTLY AS YOU ENTER THE CORNER, PUT PRESSURE ON THE OUTSIDE PEDAL AND KEEP YOUR INSIDE PEDAL UP”
Session 01 Cornering class
Expert Coach Jason Streather of PDQ Cycle Coaching (pdqcyclecoaching.co.uk)
Why do it? “A good cornering technique is essential for safety, but it also enables you to maintain your speed throughout the corner,” says Streather.
How to do it Set up some cones on a tennis court or in an empty car park and practise weaving around them. “Place the cones so that you can ride corners in both directions, and at right angles to each other,” suggests Streather. “Aim to follow the ‘race line’ – that’s the fastest line you can take. Enter the corner wide, hug the apex, and exit wide.”
Skills to remember “Lean the bike slightly as you enter the corner, put pressure on the outside pedal, and keep your inside pedal up,” says Streather. This will increase your wheel grip and prevent you scraping your pedals on downhill corners.
Step it up “Practise taking the cones at slightly faster speeds, or change the circuit to make it more complex,” says Streather.
Session 02 Sprint school
A strong sprint is a must in your cycling arsenal Why do it? Sprinting is one of the most useful but neglected skills: a strong sprint can get you out of trouble or help you catch riders in front. “It will give you a good ‘punch’ out of a climb or out of a corner too,” says Streather.
How to do it Train with standing starts on a quiet road or in a disused car park. “After a 20-min warm-up, put your bike into a big gear and place your dominant foot forward with the crank at the 2 o’clock position,” says Streather. “Place your hands on the drops and roll to a near standstill. Now get out of the saddle and drive your hips forward, pushing down with the front foot and pulling up with the back foot, until you are up to speed. Repeat with the opposite legs. Perform 6 standing sprints with 5mins of easy spinning in between.”
Skills to remember “Keep your head up and look forward,” suggests Streather. “If you ‘collapse’ your upper body you will lose power and your back wheel will lose traction on the road.”
Step it up Try sprinting in a higher gear, on a slight uphill, or in a seated position, suggests Streather.