How to Corner on Gravel Surfaces?

Question

My cornering technique takes a bit of a hit on pavement, but I really struggle whenever there’s gravel. It seems unspectacular or should I say challenging? How do I adapt my cornering technique for different gravel conditions?

Answer 1

Gravel riding, and riding in general, is all about learning how to corner on different terrains. Keep an eye on the road ahead and note the type of gravel that is coming up. If possible, go practice skids on a gravel road to know how your bike behaves and what the best technique is to rectify a slide. Just remember that gravel surfaces have the tendency to be inconsistent throughout a turn so your line as well as the technique used to attack the corner should be modified.

Comments

When cornering the technical stuff I tend to lean my bike under me while I'm more upright unlike on the road where your body can lean into the turn with the bike. Often times, especially in the loose stuff, you can wash out in a turn. It's best to let the bike do the leaning, dance underneath you, and you stay centered over it. Also, don't grab the brake if you start to lose it as you'll slide out. Try to feather the brake to scrub some speed but try and take the straightest line out of your hazard whilst keeping the bike upright. Learning to skid and stay upright helps with getting you out of these jams too.

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what's the best way to practice skidding for cornering?