This is AWESOME Neil, harkens back to that vid you made with Peaty- 'Don't be a sheep". PLEASE make another video, longer etc about cornering. Your pro DH experience and super friendly approach is really helpful, & we learn a LOT!!
Great video, Neil! Sharing this with my wife who's just getting into MTB. Another mistake that I have been focused on myself is leaning your body more than your bike. I'm trying hard to always lean my bike more than my body to make the most of the tire cornering knobs. I think Blake covered this in an older episode, and Aaron Gwin has a fantastic video on it.
True story. I live near the forest where the most of the trails are basically gravel roads and they are straight. There are a couple of sort of downhill trails which are too short to truly enjoy descending and you can ride them even on a xc hardtail
Thanks for the tips neil I always wash out on corners as im a speed freak and love going fast Love the content from the gmbn team you never fail to teach me something new
Glad you found this video useful, Joshua! Haha! That's not always a bad way to be, just remember to keep a good body position and to lay off the brakes in corners. Safe riding! 🤘
I think another common mistake is not leaning the bike enough - especially in flat corners. By leaning the bike more, you're exposing the side knobs of the tire to the ground. These are designed for turning. The center knobs are good for braking but tend not to do so well in corners. At first you will feel like you're over-leaning the bike.
Yes leaning the bike to turn is actually safer than turning with the bars . When that wheel is turned to much it locks up . Also it creates resistance tire to ground leaning keeps the tire straight .
You understand that concept instantly when you take a performance driving course for sports bike, or even motocross I've learned that concept in 95 when I tried a motocross for the first time, most underrated cornering skill in MTB, Jeff Kendall Weed is probably one of the few "bigger" TH-camrs who leans enough...
I have seen some other advice to lean the bike not the body. I have found that if I lean forward, like an XC rider, I will have more confidence in the curve. However, more importantly, it's the tires.
Just had the "Don't take your foot off the pedal" tip... few seconds later in the "Don't be a sheep" bit.... you actually take your foot off the pedal (1:51)..... :P
My biggest problem is uphill hairpin bends. Find it hard to maintain momentum and the same time try to stop the bike wanting to go straight ahead! Verderers in FOD is a classic location for this!
A bit of a slight drag on the brakes is not a bad idea especially if it's a blind corner . It really difficult to get the right speed into a turn . I never really agreed with no brake within a corner . Many times braking only right before a turn you may not brake enough and to to fast or brake to much and go to slow so that slight modulation works for me
You're already doing it subconsciously. It's the only way to change direction on a bicycle or motorcycle. It's absolutely worth understanding and practicing it!
The thing I always struggle with is keeping my elbows too stiff. I have to remind myself, at the beginning of every ride, to keep my elbows loose and flowy. If I don't do this I won't get enough weight on my front tire, and I won't create good bike/body separation. Which means that railing corners tends to end in me washing out the front and hitting the dirt.
I think both taking foot off and dragging brake are mostly mental. I find when I haven’t ridden in a while or as much in a while and am lacking confidence in knowing where my grip break point is tends to be when I’ll drag my brake. I’ll also find myself grabbing some brake when I don’t need to before jumps and drops for the same reason- just mental insecurity. As I ride more it goes away. One solution I found to get rid of the habit quickly is to stop covering the brake on trails I know well. So when riding well know trails where I know the speed for the turns, I’ll brake appropriately prior and then consciously make myself not cover the brake and put all my fingers on the grip. I’ll do the same thing for jumps and drops. A couple rides of this and that grabbing and dragging in the turn or just before a feature goes away- mentally I have the trust again in my tires and grip and bike and I can go back to covering the brake when I need to and not go grabbing it out of comfort.
Weight the bars to lessen the chances of front wheel washing out. And if your bike feels like it wants to push the front end in every corner, your effective spring rates front and rear could be wrong. Adding air in the rear and taking air out of the front shock will accomplish the same thing for the initial turn in bite. Other than that great video! Weighting the outside pedal is the key!
The counter steering concept is hard to grasp. The best way I know how to explain it is push left lean left go left and push right lean right go right. The push left or right is which hand you slightly push the handlebars away from you with.
When to Counter Steer ? Looking at the video you seem NOT to Counter Steer, but indeed pull in the handle bar to turn in that direction. On motorbikes there's a definite point where forward speed means Counter Steer, and only, Counter Steer.
Funny how so few understand how a two-wheeled vehicle corners. You have to lean to shift the center-of-mass off center. To do this, you can either shift your body weight, or by counter steering. The speed does make a difference, but the principles still apply.
On a dirt bike foot off the peg and forward is about weighting the front wheel. Of course on a dirt bike you're also able to slide way up on the tank, really getting that weight forward. Not sure if throwing a foot forward on a MTB has the same effect. Is it about weight transfer or just acting as an outrigger?
its hard for me to drop the outside pedal, i find that im more likely to keep the pedals level and just lean my body and bike and with precision i can corner somewhat (im talking about cornering a windy berm, standing up on the bike). Do you only drop the outside pedal if its a hard corner? I feel like leaning the bike that hard would make me slip out. Great video! this is an essential skill that always needs working on.
Most of the tracks I ride the corners and trail is so steep and tight it is impossible to be off your brakes in the corners. Even if you were at a stand still at the entrance of the corner it is impossible to make the corner with out braking so not braking around corners only works for flatter trails. I watched a video once where they install a light switch at the point of contact on the brakes and only the camera could pick up the light bulb going on and off, not the rider, they had pros bomb down trails and all the pros couldn't believe how many times they were braking around corners so I think it is one those ideals that just is not realistic in real life.
The last one, most people won't be fast enough to accomplish that, timing is crucial if you need to readjust and do a counter steer manoeuvre pls don't do that if you're exiting the corner and starting to lose compression, you'll just wash out and fly off the berm or curve ... No shit
You actually can't steer a bike without countersteering. Super funny video out there from Veritasium I believe where he has a bike that'll lock out the steering from going at all to one side, but free motion in the other. Can't steer to the right without going left first. It's ingrained in your riding skills from childhood and you don't even think about it.
In typical bike park 180 degree corners, I know that I should brake before the corner and then open up the brakes but when it gets steeper, it feels like the bike is „accelerating away under me“ in the actual corner and that throws my balance to the rear. What can I do?
Try not to move the bike a lot on those long 180 turns and feather the brakes into the apex. Not enough to where the bike stands up though. Also, hips and shoulders! I'm always reminding myself to drop my shoulder into turns (unless it's flat obv)
Hey Paul! So if you image a corner like a race track - You have the inside line and the outside line. By taking the outside line you're going around the corner the "wider" way, giving you more space to manoeuvre into the inside line of the corner, dodging and riding through whatever the terrain you are riding on.
Counter steering is most in play on a motorcycle over about 25kms or so (i ride motorbike very regulary). Im yet to experience this on a mountain bike, though i have tried. I think for rough technical riding it wouldnt come in to play all the easily. Ill keep at it to see if its really a thing on the pushy
The heavier motorbike then higher or lower speed is needed to benefit from counter steering? Mtb is at least 200kg less heavy than motorbike with the same rider, then 25km/h is break even point 😉 or the other, loudly thinking 🤔😊
I think it might feel different on a fast corner in a small berm, if my weight goes too much off center I hit the brakes and salvage what's left to stay on the trail. I just can't get myself to counter steer to see if it would fix or prevent going over the side. This is the first video that I've seen that mentioned it, So I'm not sure if it is the same counter steering technique as we do on motorcycles or not. I don't think so. If you do it please come back here and comment on how it went compared to a motorcycle, I've been interested in this a long time now.
Counter-steering is the only way to change direction on any bicycle or motorcycle and at any speed. Even barely creeping along but rake and trail have an effect while stationary as the contact patch of the tire moves out from under the center line of the bike when you turn. You're balanced on wheels that are in line with each other. If you push your body weight one way you're just pushing the bike the other way resulting in no change without a counter-steer input. The only possible way to make a direction change is by counter-steering at any speed.
@@sadiejones7991 I will not be able to share fresh, up-to-date experience because I do not ride motorcycle for 30 years 😉 already and probably will not do, so I will not able to compare; I will try it on bicycle, because I did not pay attention so far if I am doing counter steering consciously, trying to move back my body when it is pushed out of the turn or out of narrow line
Hi! We'd recommend going for composite pedals as they tend to be cheaper than aluminium pedals. On the channel we're sponsored by Crankbrothers Pedals and can't recommend them enough! 👍
The front wheel wash out is awful. I used to cycle to work and got rhe route nailed so well that i could get there in 12 mins (driving was 8). There was a wooden bridge that i used to fly across at speed, then one morning it was wet (and extremely slimy), i was swearing for at least ten minutes. I thought id broken my leg. 🤬
Hey! We have the GMBN Community that runs over on Facebook. Head over to check it out. We're sure there are people on there looking for riding mates! facebook.com/groups/GMBNCommunity
Push left go left.
My Counter-steering mantra.
I have always really liked the folks at GMBN because of their friendly, humane and down-to-earth approach. Thank you for your work!
This is AWESOME Neil, harkens back to that vid you made with Peaty- 'Don't be a sheep".
PLEASE make another video, longer etc about cornering. Your pro DH experience and super friendly approach is really helpful, & we learn a LOT!!
Great video, Neil! Sharing this with my wife who's just getting into MTB. Another mistake that I have been focused on myself is leaning your body more than your bike. I'm trying hard to always lean my bike more than my body to make the most of the tire cornering knobs. I think Blake covered this in an older episode, and Aaron Gwin has a fantastic video on it.
He Leans his bike not his hody. Its more like pushing the bike. His Body is upright.....same as cornering slow on a motorbike
Thanks, Harold! Yeah, that's quite a common mistake. Moving with the bike will help with getting a more natural feeling in corners. 👍
I avoid all those mistakes by not having trails in my area..
✌️😂
I feel that 😭
True story. I live near the forest where the most of the trails are basically gravel roads and they are straight. There are a couple of sort of downhill trails which are too short to truly enjoy descending and you can ride them even on a xc hardtail
Move or travel!
Dig some
Great video 😃 corners 😳😳 too much braking that's my problem 😳😳 videos like this are always welcome
Glad you liked it, Anita! Yeah, it's something we all struggle with. 😅 Thanks for watching! 🙌
Nice tips Neil,.. great video shot ,. Thx for sharing
Thanks for the tips neil
I always wash out on corners as im a speed freak and love going fast
Love the content from the gmbn team
you never fail to teach me something new
Glad you found this video useful, Joshua! Haha! That's not always a bad way to be, just remember to keep a good body position and to lay off the brakes in corners. Safe riding! 🤘
I would rather washout than TOB.
Neil your an excellent teacher even after 4decades of mtbing I'm still learning Cheers mate 🇦🇺
Great to hear DD! Never too old!
I liked that last tip, thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the support!
Just entering a mountain biking club in my highschool. This is super helpful!
Great one, Neil. I would have liked to see the counter steer technique from the front though!!
Maybe we could make a video explaining this more in-depth?
I think another common mistake is not leaning the bike enough - especially in flat corners. By leaning the bike more, you're exposing the side knobs of the tire to the ground. These are designed for turning. The center knobs are good for braking but tend not to do so well in corners. At first you will feel like you're over-leaning the bike.
Yes leaning the bike to turn is actually safer than turning with the bars . When that wheel is turned to much it locks up . Also it creates resistance tire to ground leaning keeps the tire straight .
You understand that concept instantly when you take a performance driving course for sports bike, or even motocross I've learned that concept in 95 when I tried a motocross for the first time, most underrated cornering skill in MTB, Jeff Kendall Weed is probably one of the few "bigger" TH-camrs who leans enough...
Thanks
Wkd show for sure! I love corners I have a sneaky suspension that it's where a lot of time is lost.
I have seen some other advice to lean the bike not the body. I have found that if I lean forward, like an XC rider, I will have more confidence in the curve. However, more importantly, it's the tires.
Great vid Neil!
Thanks, Connor! 👍
good tips.
Just had the "Don't take your foot off the pedal" tip... few seconds later in the "Don't be a sheep" bit.... you actually take your foot off the pedal (1:51)..... :P
I feel like there could be a whole video to explain how counter-steering works. Happy was in the last 10 seconds of the video. 😅
Thanks for the suggestion, Frank! 👊
My biggest problem is uphill hairpin bends. Find it hard to maintain momentum and the same time try to stop the bike wanting to go straight ahead! Verderers in FOD is a classic location for this!
Useful tips, thanks 😊
Glad it was helpful, David! Thanks for the support!
A bit of a slight drag on the brakes is not a bad idea especially if it's a blind corner . It really difficult to get the right speed into a turn . I never really agreed with no brake within a corner . Many times braking only right before a turn you may not brake enough and to to fast or brake to much and go to slow so that slight modulation works for me
foot down always reminds me of those dirtbike loops, imo makes sense on very loose ground/sand but apart from that... nice list btw!
Counter steering sounds like a Scandinavian flick in rallying. I totally understand what you mean and can't wait to try it
You're already doing it subconsciously. It's the only way to change direction on a bicycle or motorcycle. It's absolutely worth understanding and practicing it!
The thing I always struggle with is keeping my elbows too stiff. I have to remind myself, at the beginning of every ride, to keep my elbows loose and flowy. If I don't do this I won't get enough weight on my front tire, and I won't create good bike/body separation. Which means that railing corners tends to end in me washing out the front and hitting the dirt.
I think both taking foot off and dragging brake are mostly mental. I find when I haven’t ridden in a while or as much in a while and am lacking confidence in knowing where my grip break point is tends to be when I’ll drag my brake. I’ll also find myself grabbing some brake when I don’t need to before jumps and drops for the same reason- just mental insecurity. As I ride more it goes away. One solution I found to get rid of the habit quickly is to stop covering the brake on trails I know well. So when riding well know trails where I know the speed for the turns, I’ll brake appropriately prior and then consciously make myself not cover the brake and put all my fingers on the grip. I’ll do the same thing for jumps and drops. A couple rides of this and that grabbing and dragging in the turn or just before a feature goes away- mentally I have the trust again in my tires and grip and bike and I can go back to covering the brake when I need to and not go grabbing it out of comfort.
Third clip does exactly what he said not to in clips 1 & 2. Lol
Weight the bars to lessen the chances of front wheel washing out. And if your bike feels like it wants to push the front end in every corner, your effective spring rates front and rear could be wrong. Adding air in the rear and taking air out of the front shock will accomplish the same thing for the initial turn in bite. Other than that great video! Weighting the outside pedal is the key!
The counter steering concept is hard to grasp. The best way I know how to explain it is push left lean left go left and push right lean right go right. The push left or right is which hand you slightly push the handlebars away from you with.
When to Counter Steer ? Looking at the video you seem NOT to Counter Steer, but indeed pull in the handle bar to turn in that direction.
On motorbikes there's a definite point where forward speed means Counter Steer, and only, Counter Steer.
Holy crap I felt that last advice... "I want to go there but I just can't I keep going straight for some reason!"
Staying low and putting pressure on that front wheel!
4.17 took your foot of Neil!
Funny how so few understand how a two-wheeled vehicle corners. You have to lean to shift the center-of-mass off center. To do this, you can either shift your body weight, or by counter steering. The speed does make a difference, but the principles still apply.
Will you make a video about your torque?
Basically every component. But tires is one that sticks out. Especially fat bike tires.
Don’t be a sheep = break rule 1 & 2 (go wide and take your foot off)
On a dirt bike foot off the peg and forward is about weighting the front wheel. Of course on a dirt bike you're also able to slide way up on the tank, really getting that weight forward. Not sure if throwing a foot forward on a MTB has the same effect. Is it about weight transfer or just acting as an outrigger?
Forgetting to turns a good one 😂
its hard for me to drop the outside pedal, i find that im more likely to keep the pedals level and just lean my body and bike and with precision i can corner somewhat (im talking about cornering a windy berm, standing up on the bike). Do you only drop the outside pedal if its a hard corner? I feel like leaning the bike that hard would make me slip out. Great video! this is an essential skill that always needs working on.
Riding in the wet tips? I always find myself sliding in some way or another, i want to know if i'm doing something wrong pls help
Most of the tracks I ride the corners and trail is so steep and tight it is impossible to be off your brakes in the corners. Even if you were at a stand still at the entrance of the corner it is impossible to make the corner with out braking so not braking around corners only works for flatter trails. I watched a video once where they install a light switch at the point of contact on the brakes and only the camera could pick up the light bulb going on and off, not the rider, they had pros bomb down trails and all the pros couldn't believe how many times they were braking around corners so I think it is one those ideals that just is not realistic in real life.
The last one, most people won't be fast enough to accomplish that, timing is crucial if you need to readjust and do a counter steer manoeuvre pls don't do that if you're exiting the corner and starting to lose compression, you'll just wash out and fly off the berm or curve ... No shit
Mine is I keep getting scared to go to high in the berm so I keep braking
You actually can't steer a bike without countersteering. Super funny video out there from Veritasium I believe where he has a bike that'll lock out the steering from going at all to one side, but free motion in the other. Can't steer to the right without going left first. It's ingrained in your riding skills from childhood and you don't even think about it.
1:51 "Dont take your foot off" 🤨
In typical bike park 180 degree corners, I know that I should brake before the corner and then open up the brakes but when it gets steeper, it feels like the bike is „accelerating away under me“ in the actual corner and that throws my balance to the rear. What can I do?
dragging the brakes a little is probably ok in that scenario. its better than coming out to fast lmao
Try not to move the bike a lot on those long 180 turns and feather the brakes into the apex. Not enough to where the bike stands up though. Also, hips and shoulders! I'm always reminding myself to drop my shoulder into turns (unless it's flat obv)
What does it mean by going wide on the corner?
Hey Paul! So if you image a corner like a race track - You have the inside line and the outside line. By taking the outside line you're going around the corner the "wider" way, giving you more space to manoeuvre into the inside line of the corner, dodging and riding through whatever the terrain you are riding on.
Counter steering is most in play on a motorcycle over about 25kms or so (i ride motorbike very regulary). Im yet to experience this on a mountain bike, though i have tried. I think for rough technical riding it wouldnt come in to play all the easily. Ill keep at it to see if its really a thing on the pushy
The heavier motorbike then higher or lower speed is needed to benefit from counter steering? Mtb is at least 200kg less heavy than motorbike with the same rider, then 25km/h is break even point 😉 or the other, loudly thinking 🤔😊
I think it might feel different on a fast corner in a small berm, if my weight goes too much off center I hit the brakes and salvage what's left to stay on the trail. I just can't get myself to counter steer to see if it would fix or prevent going over the side. This is the first video that I've seen that mentioned it, So I'm not sure if it is the same counter steering technique as we do on motorcycles or not. I don't think so. If you do it please come back here and comment on how it went compared to a motorcycle, I've been interested in this a long time now.
Counter-steering is the only way to change direction on any bicycle or motorcycle and at any speed. Even barely creeping along but rake and trail have an effect while stationary as the contact patch of the tire moves out from under the center line of the bike when you turn. You're balanced on wheels that are in line with each other. If you push your body weight one way you're just pushing the bike the other way resulting in no change without a counter-steer input. The only possible way to make a direction change is by counter-steering at any speed.
@@sadiejones7991 I will not be able to share fresh, up-to-date experience because I do not ride motorcycle for 30 years 😉 already and probably will not do, so I will not able to compare; I will try it on bicycle, because I did not pay attention so far if I am doing counter steering consciously, trying to move back my body when it is pushed out of the turn or out of narrow line
@@kowioutdoortv I appreciate your time friend, I'm going to start practicing it myself.
The biggest cornering mistake I've seen is remaining seated, needles to say it didn't end well.
Can anyone recommend any decent cheap flat pedals?
Hi! We'd recommend going for composite pedals as they tend to be cheaper than aluminium pedals. On the channel we're sponsored by Crankbrothers Pedals and can't recommend them enough! 👍
@@gmbn Thank you
Washing out is the worst experience ever. You’re at the mercy of the tire gods…
May they be forever in your favour!
The front wheel wash out is awful. I used to cycle to work and got rhe route nailed so well that i could get there in 12 mins (driving was 8). There was a wooden bridge that i used to fly across at speed, then one morning it was wet (and extremely slimy), i was swearing for at least ten minutes. I thought id broken my leg. 🤬
Yeah that can be nasty! Glad you didn't break it
Leaning your whole body instead of just the bike can get ya 😬
Biggest mistake - Riding 29s
if you go fast enough you can just jump over all the corners.
You don't even need brakes, just trees!
@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ oh I hit all kinds of shit!!!🤣
Facts! 😂😂
Overconfidence. If you aren’t sure you can make the turn safely at your current speed, you probably can’t. 😬😄
no riding friends anybody?
Hey! We have the GMBN Community that runs over on Facebook. Head over to check it out. We're sure there are people on there looking for riding mates! facebook.com/groups/GMBNCommunity
First
🥇👍
I love GMBN, but at this point it's just rehashed videos. Why not focus on a couple of high quality videos per week instead of basic videos every day?