Watch ALL the How To Bike episodes below! Ep 1: How To Actually Learn New Skills On Your Bike - ua-cam.com/video/BGsNvd9EhvQ/v-deo.html Ep 2: Pro Mountain Bike Setup Guide - ua-cam.com/video/PfUyN6znF3c/v-deo.html Ep 3: Decoding The Best Mountain Biking Body Position: ua-cam.com/video/iVLJIuYwW_g/v-deo.html Ep 4: Absorbing Trail Features & Maintaining Speed: ua-cam.com/video/Iu4plluUVtA/v-deo.html Ep 5: How To Use Your Brakes To Actually Ride Faster: ua-cam.com/video/aFcj7078gtA/v-deo.html Ep 6: How To Get More Speed From Trails With Pumping: ua-cam.com/video/04e_s9_LpVA/v-deo.html Ep 7: Line Choice Is Easier Than You Think With These Rules - ua-cam.com/video/82T0m_uja4g/v-deo.html Ep 8: How To Corner Properly - ua-cam.com/video/ZOqFywGllFw/v-deo.html Ep 9: Stop Crashing On Drops - ua-cam.com/video/uJJAW0iNhUY/v-deo.html Ep 10: Make Jumping Easier - ua-cam.com/video/IB5GmIL0slg/v-deo.html
I’ve said it years ago when Ben was running SickSkills, some people are meant to coach, and Ben is absolutely one of them . It’s not just his ability to ride, but his ability to put that across to others in a way that is understandable and inspiring. Nice one Ben 👍 keep them coming
@@MD-uu5nt and punter has gone off the rails, his channel is boring, he took an easy cash money sponsorship with giant and he went on about how giant bikes are the most modern like wtf
That was without a doubt the best cornering video ever created. Thanks for addressing all those cookie cutter techniques that MTB coaches keep telling people to do on every corner, regardless of the situation.
You guys should totally rig up a little indicator that turns on an LED when you grab the brakes. Then you can see live in the video when Ben is actually applying brake pressure with which hand.
Moto gp has some historical video on the amount of brake used and where they use it from.0 to 100 percent throw of the lever, likewise byb telemetry can do that for mtb ,interesting for sure. Its not as simple as on or off though its about how much you need to slow and available grip ,constantly modulating. Practice on flat grass so the surface is semi consistent and get some time on the bike ,most are worried about locking the front end, but its possible to do that on a straight and modulate out of it and ride on if you have built up the skills, best to start on grass so you can just roll straight if you overshoot the corner with no real consequences, then you learn much faster and can push the limit faster.
@@Palios33 sort of the whole point of the video. There's so much instruction out there--good intentions all--that confuses more than helps. Most learn by just riding, figuring out what works and what doesn't, using bits of advice along the way
Wow, this is one of the best videos I've come across. The breakdown of the information was spot on. I loved how you dissected different turns and then showed how you handle them at pace. The information was very well presented with great examples, graphics, and just the right amount of humor. Exceptional. I really appreciated it!
Well done, mate! There are thousands of more or less misleading explanations in the WWW how to turn your bike in corners well (""lean your bike!", "don´t brake in corners!",etc. etc.), but you´re able to choose the right words, and this is a rare talent. For example I really tried not to touch the brakes in corners, because "they" said that braking in corners is baaaad, then I realized by practising the hard way (^^) that hard braking before entering the corner (you call it race braking) and trail braking in the corner just for not accelerating any more (you call it comfort braking) until you reach the critical point in the corner is crucial. And to lean your bike in any corner like mad (another common "advice") isn´t helpfull, too.. ^^
00:00 Intro 00:11 What’s going on with cornering 02:29 Line choice 03:15 Braking 06:22 Weight shifting 07:01 About the fancy stuff 08:03 Pumping in corners 08:29 Shralp 09:40 Vision 10:23 Example about “the most challenging part of the turn” 11:50 The fancy stuff 12:11 Angulation 14:08 Dropping outside pedal 16:01 Foot of the pedal 16:19 Angling the torso through the turn 17:44 Example 1: Chunky turn 19:50 Example 2: Steep bermy turn 21:13 Wrapping things up 22:15 Motivational Ben :-)
FINALLY for the 1st time in a corner skills video you teach comfort braking and bike angles instead of "never brake in corners" and "elbows, peddles, looking at the end of a corner" Love it
Handsdown the best and most helpful video I've seen on cornering. Watched this a couple times, went out for a ride, and my cornering had already improved by halfway through the first run. These techniques are easy to digest and understand, easy to apply on the trail, and are broken down in a way that is simple, effective, and doesn't leave you thinking about a hundred different things each time you approach a turn. You're able to actually learn and improve instead of getting lost in the mire of a dozen super specific, detailed techniques. I love how he breaks down different types of berms and explains how he's doing something slightly different for each one vs other videos that say for berm, do this + this = good turn. This conceptual approach to teaching vs super specific approach is great. Great vid.
Ben you are amazing. I just started MTB at a mature age (57) and feel motivated by your easy going coaching. Carry on, you inspire us. I still panic with some basics but i'll get there. Gracias amigo.
@@chris4536 Great. I'm much better but with lot of limitations. Can't jump but that does not stop me from biking. I'm on my way back from Saalbach Hinterglimm. Survived few bad falls.
I've viewed comfort braking as a vice and only use the rear to make the front heavy until the apex, and that was a vice. Thank you Ben for the means to give myself permission to lightly brake into the apex.
Have been doing the same and felt like all the other videos were telling me I was wrong, but now I have more confidence in what I am doing is right for me.
How to bike series is super knowledgeable. I'm from another continent watching all those repeatedly. One more thing, u have got a kid heart and that's make you done all this 😍
I’ve been mtn biking since 1987 but I’m going to watch all the back videos. For me bike setup is so important for “feel” then I go front there . Line choice and braking is so important. Or know how and when . I’m a brake fanatic and a shift fanatic. Setting up for the corners and coming out , ect , ect , ect . Every ride , every bike very day we learn . Loving it, concentrate on the basics , no truer said .
Loving your serious Ben! I use it to iron out some worn in ruts from my well over 20 years of riding. You put me at ease with my slight brake-dragging into some corners. I always thought that I should try to eliminate this completely. THANK YOU!!
I am learning a great deal from you. Thank you. Once the snow melts, I promise I will practice. As an adventure motorcycle rider who rides mostly off-road, I want to make one comment about lane position on turns. On a motorcycle we use the aphorism, always "Ride Right" for safety especially in blind turns. In this video, many of the demonstrations were descending into a blind left turn on gravel. Meeting someone coming up while cutting the turn too tight could be unpleasant.
I’m new to MTB and I’ve consumed a fair bit of “how-to” videos. This one ranks highest amongst them all. The info was great, the amount of do and don’t examples and the over all video quality (props to your video guy). Looking forward to the rest of the videos.
I taught and coached skiing for many years and you are a born teacher, by far the best coach I have seen and your videos have been instrumental in my MTB journey, even at 61 you can still progress. A big thanks and when are you coming to Australia?
This has been a great series, for beginners and more experienced riders, so much to learn but i live the way it is integrated and not chopped into overly complex thinking. Well done and a great sense if humour. Keep it up , love your work
Got back into mtb last year and have been not confident about my cornering. I'll always be learning, but this video was so great in helping me realize I've been doing a lot of things right with braking and foot position already. That alone will help me attack corners a little more. Great series so far.
This is by far the best cornering video I've seen so far, and I've seen like 100000 now lol. I love how he points out that line choice, weight shift and braking makes the biggest difference. This video helped me figure out what I've been doing wrong on a corner I've gone down on a few times. I wish someone would explain using more and less front braking on tight technical corners to help pull the rear end around though, because it helps me out majorly and I've noticed most people don't really use the front brake to pivot around stuff that's too tight for the bikes length but the pros do
As always, incredible video by Cartho. Good cheer, humor, super digestible advice - you, sir, have a gift! Oh, and did I mention the biking? I do, despite being a vastly inferior rider to Ben, have a bone to pick with the ‘don’t worry about angulation until you’re trying to get that last few percent’ thing. Reason is, that if you’re Ben, or even a much less skilled rider than him, who has the braking nailed, then you’ll have enough speed coming into a corner to lean way over and get your tires up onto the outer, most supportive part of a berm. But if you’re a much, much less skilled rider than him, like I am, then on your shredding-like-a-god days, you won’t need angulation, but on your more mortal days, you’ll come flying out of a long section of fast flowy trail into a bermed switchback, and brake really hard before the turn to make sure you don’t eat a tree. Then, you’ll be going too slow to lean the bike over to get the really good support, and everything will get squirley. You resume more confident flow, build up tons of speed, and then are even more afraid of the next corner, break even harder before it, and the problem gets worse. This is where I’ve found angulation is magic. If I think about angulation, I get the tires up onto the really good part of the berm, and I can feel the support. Next turn, my confidence boosted, I come in with more speed, and it works even better.
I realise theres is a lot of things I was doing right and was trying to change due to online tips and such. Like : "NEVER TOUCH YOUR BREAKS IN A BERM" or "ALWAYS LOOK AS FAR AS YOU CAN AT ALL TIMES". I guess it's more complicated than that and thank you so much for simplifying it !
Hey Ben, just curious if you're familiar with 'countersteering' ? With motorcycling, by pushing (pressuring) forward on the inside grip, you can get the bike to actively turn-in. It's like power steering. Want to turn right? Pressure the right grip. Want to turn left? Pressure the left grip..... As an experiment, ride in a straight line with only your left hand on the grip. Then, push forward on the left grip - and see where the bike goes. Without fail, the bike will turn left. Seems counterintuitive, but it really works - and by remembering this, it's a great tool to use when riding. Countersteering also works well with slight angulation and also if your feet are level'ish or outside foot dropped in a corner. I see from your video in the 2nd half, that you are doing all that, but the term 'countersteering' is what you're describing "palm pressure at the inside hand" (at ua-cam.com/video/ZOqFywGllFw/v-deo.html ). Fantastic video, and lots of riders will benefit greatly from how you've broken down all the million things that happen when cornering.
Mate, you deserve much more subscribers. It is simply amazing how you knowledge and educate us in a such a fun-fill manner. Cheers for all your hard work.
It's nice to hear all this put into words so eloquently, even for those of us who learned pre internet through trial and error. Painful error! Especially the part about dropping your leg versus centering pedals.
Thanks for that "Masterclass" Ben, really advanced videos that clear up a lot of confusion done by over simplified videos. Especially "1 Thing at a time" and not have to do every corner technique in every corner, was so important for me.
Great video, I've watched lots of how to corner videos but this is the only one that I think has actually taught me something useful. I was 100% the person that was trying to not brake through the whole corner, crashing, thinking this advice is BS and then wobbling down the trail in a huff 😅
I’ve come to do this comfort braking on my own but I always assumed it was because I just didn’t properly perform the race breaking step. Glad to hear It’s ok to have some comfort braking!
I find that inside hand pressure can naturally bring the chest inside the bike, and have found more success by initially using the inside hand to lean the bike and quickly transitioning to pushing in and down with the outside hand -- in a sense, I'm applying pressure along the bar instead of into the bar. This keeps my body more balanced and stable while still allowing for bike-body separation and a good weight distribution.
Yes I do not understand that: why applying inside hand pressure? In a corner it actually makes lower pressure on the tyre, thus induces front wheel slipping easily. Either I do not understand or there is something missing in the video?
All the videos in the série are SOOOO GOOD! Thank you guys! The amount of work to have the multiple trajectories, the what-not-to-do, etc… much appreciated!
Great videos from Ben - very technical and in-depth. Coming from an automotive/motorsport background it's very interesting to see how "vehicle dynamics" concepts are applied to MTBing 🤓
20:00 very valid point that which I notice when riding in mountains - the turns are steep and when into high berm, if I am in a centered position I can feel how front of the bike is being sucked by the berm - on the other hand, I am a little bit afraid to lean back due to the fact I have been washed out many times... I am afraid that If I lean back, the front will have not enough wight and thus loose grip.... what to do! Probably ride more. Cheers! :)))
I'd argue that leaning the bike over is actually one of the more important bits, I couldn't corner reliably, aspecially on loose over hardpack, untill I followed that "lean the bike over much more than you feel is enough" didn't fix my often suboptimal line choice etc. but automatically fixed some of my positioning (more confidence) and definitely made my riding safer in sketchy conditions.
Depends on the situation. I come from motocross, when hard flat pack turns are never dealt with by leaning over. The only time I'd ever lean is if there's a supporting rut. Mountain bikes have a high centre of gravity and are rolling on skinny tires, theres nothing really supporting us when we turn. I agree with cathros stance, especially as a fellow giraffe boy.
@@andrewlindley4865 in motocross you can use the engine to accelerate in the proper direction, in MTB as mentioned centre of gravity is higher, and side lugs make a lot of difference ime, I cannot say it's not just icing on the cake, might be I had other things figured out already when I made myself lean the bike over more.
@@piciu256 same principle. Sometimes in motocross you need to roll through a corner too off power. Cathro basically explained cornering in the way I've always ridden, except my body position is front heavy if anything
Have to say Ben you are very good at breaking it all down and getting it across in a straight forward fashion. I am still using all the techniques you gave me in some lessons a couple of years back, more importantly still riding and hopefully still getting faster!
This a great video so good that it explains that the technique you use is massively situational. So many videos say always use this or that technique but the reality is when they just don’t work well in all situations. Like it Might be great to lean the bike more than your body in many situations, but try do it hauling over big breaking bumps in a rough high speed corner and you won’t be able to take the impacts because your body is too awkward and out of position to act as a strong shock absorber.
Love love love these videos. Awesome work! Please turn them into a reference book/pdf. I've been applying these casually (except EP1..) and my riding has already improved.
Invaluable info. I’ve been experimenting with different techniques. I did not realize unweighting the bike by pumping in the corner helps that much. Thanks for the info!
I think a couple reasons for pedals up on a loose corner and for leaning the bike more than your body is so that if the bike starts sliding in the corner the bike slides under you and not out from underneath you. If you've ever been in a situation where you were leaning too much with your bike and the front tire starts sliding you know it usually doesn't end well. Leaning the bike more than your body can help prevent a crash like this. It's useful when riding in sandy or loose conditions. Something I've heard about having your outside pedal down is that you can press down into it with your outside leg to push the bike upright. Personally I think I should be entering more corners than I do with flat pedals but leaning the bike more than your body has been a staple riding on Sandy trails in Arizona and I feel that having a higher inside pedal helps with this. From watching UA-cam videos it would seem that maybe I need to slow down in the corners more so that I am braking less in them. I'm still learning and experimenting, especially since recently riding with someone that was faster than I am and now I'm trying to figure out why. 😆
a tip that worked for me is when leaning the bike concentrate whatever amount of weight you feel you need on the bars, on the outside hand and not he inside one it feels waaaay better
Watch ALL the How To Bike episodes below!
Ep 1: How To Actually Learn New Skills On Your Bike - ua-cam.com/video/BGsNvd9EhvQ/v-deo.html
Ep 2: Pro Mountain Bike Setup Guide - ua-cam.com/video/PfUyN6znF3c/v-deo.html
Ep 3: Decoding The Best Mountain Biking Body Position: ua-cam.com/video/iVLJIuYwW_g/v-deo.html
Ep 4: Absorbing Trail Features & Maintaining Speed: ua-cam.com/video/Iu4plluUVtA/v-deo.html
Ep 5: How To Use Your Brakes To Actually Ride Faster: ua-cam.com/video/aFcj7078gtA/v-deo.html
Ep 6: How To Get More Speed From Trails With Pumping: ua-cam.com/video/04e_s9_LpVA/v-deo.html
Ep 7: Line Choice Is Easier Than You Think With These Rules - ua-cam.com/video/82T0m_uja4g/v-deo.html
Ep 8: How To Corner Properly - ua-cam.com/video/ZOqFywGllFw/v-deo.html
Ep 9: Stop Crashing On Drops - ua-cam.com/video/uJJAW0iNhUY/v-deo.html
Ep 10: Make Jumping Easier - ua-cam.com/video/IB5GmIL0slg/v-deo.html
I’ve said it years ago when Ben was running SickSkills, some people are meant to coach, and Ben is absolutely one of them . It’s not just his ability to ride, but his ability to put that across to others in a way that is understandable and inspiring. Nice one Ben 👍 keep them coming
this dude really loves his job. He's not even trying and yet he keeps me glued with an undivided attention.
@@MD-uu5nt and punter has gone off the rails, his channel is boring, he took an easy cash money sponsorship with giant and he went on about how giant bikes are the most modern like wtf
Well said. Doing and Teaching are totally independent skillsets. Ben demonstrates both very well.
For sure he's very articulate
I've watched this video 20 times by now I reckon...
this series is so good, ben actually knows what he's talking about
its cuz he can actually ride a bike, unlike a lot of other mtn bike youtubers
Not only does he know what he’s talking about, he can teach it really well.
Considering he has his own coaching company you’d like to think so wouldn’t you
@@dazeccles thats news to me, whats the name?
@@elevatexd sickskills
Finally some good advice about braking into a turn.
100% I've only been riding for a year and was like, what about all these steep turns, how do you just not brake at all?
That was without a doubt the best cornering video ever created. Thanks for addressing all those cookie cutter techniques that MTB coaches keep telling people to do on every corner, regardless of the situation.
You guys should totally rig up a little indicator that turns on an LED when you grab the brakes. Then you can see live in the video when Ben is actually applying brake pressure with which hand.
The point is not to copy but to get a general idea and make your own riding profile. Just go out and ride
Prob be able rig something like that up via the BrakeAce system
Moto gp has some historical video on the amount of brake used and where they use it from.0 to 100 percent throw of the lever, likewise byb telemetry can do that for mtb ,interesting for sure. Its not as simple as on or off though its about how much you need to slow and available grip ,constantly modulating. Practice on flat grass so the surface is semi consistent and get some time on the bike ,most are worried about locking the front end, but its possible to do that on a straight and modulate out of it and ride on if you have built up the skills, best to start on grass so you can just roll straight if you overshoot the corner with no real consequences, then you learn much faster and can push the limit faster.
@@Palios33 sort of the whole point of the video. There's so much instruction out there--good intentions all--that confuses more than helps. Most learn by just riding, figuring out what works and what doesn't, using bits of advice along the way
Guys... You should upload this videos more often, they're so good
Wow, this is one of the best videos I've come across. The breakdown of the information was spot on. I loved how you dissected different turns and then showed how you handle them at pace. The information was very well presented with great examples, graphics, and just the right amount of humor. Exceptional. I really appreciated it!
Well done, mate! There are thousands of more or less misleading explanations in the WWW how to turn your bike in corners well (""lean your bike!", "don´t brake in corners!",etc. etc.), but you´re able to choose the right words, and this is a rare talent.
For example I really tried not to touch the brakes in corners, because "they" said that braking in corners is baaaad, then I realized by practising the hard way (^^) that hard braking before entering the corner (you call it race braking) and trail braking in the corner just for not accelerating any more (you call it comfort braking) until you reach the critical point in the corner is crucial. And to lean your bike in any corner like mad (another common "advice") isn´t helpfull, too.. ^^
Just watch out for rocky corners and front brake. You'll get slammed down before you know what hit you
00:00 Intro
00:11 What’s going on with cornering
02:29 Line choice
03:15 Braking
06:22 Weight shifting
07:01 About the fancy stuff
08:03 Pumping in corners
08:29 Shralp
09:40 Vision
10:23 Example about “the most challenging part of the turn”
11:50 The fancy stuff
12:11 Angulation
14:08 Dropping outside pedal
16:01 Foot of the pedal
16:19 Angling the torso through the turn
17:44 Example 1: Chunky turn
19:50 Example 2: Steep bermy turn
21:13 Wrapping things up
22:15 Motivational Ben :-)
Man, you deserve a cold beer... or two!
Pin this one!
FINALLY for the 1st time in a corner skills video you teach comfort braking and bike angles instead of "never brake in corners" and "elbows, peddles, looking at the end of a corner"
Love it
Ben's "awful" technique at 2:17 is exactly what I look like trying to shift my hips in a turn lol
Yes been waiting for this one! Can’t wait for the jumping one
Handsdown the best and most helpful video I've seen on cornering. Watched this a couple times, went out for a ride, and my cornering had already improved by halfway through the first run. These techniques are easy to digest and understand, easy to apply on the trail, and are broken down in a way that is simple, effective, and doesn't leave you thinking about a hundred different things each time you approach a turn. You're able to actually learn and improve instead of getting lost in the mire of a dozen super specific, detailed techniques. I love how he breaks down different types of berms and explains how he's doing something slightly different for each one vs other videos that say for berm, do this + this = good turn. This conceptual approach to teaching vs super specific approach is great. Great vid.
Ben you are amazing. I just started MTB at a mature age (57) and feel motivated by your easy going coaching. Carry on, you inspire us. I still panic with some basics but i'll get there. Gracias amigo.
How ya getting on mate?
@@chris4536 Great. I'm much better but with lot of limitations. Can't jump but that does not stop me from biking. I'm on my way back from Saalbach Hinterglimm. Survived few bad falls.
**Comment about how helpful this video was before it was even possible to watch it all**
Comment about how good your comment is about the video I haven't watched yet
*like your comment before I've even read it*
reply comment before even ridden a bike
Looked at comment before I even left the womb
@@theexplodinggrape8009 hey son I’m your dad
this is by far the best explanation video ive seen that clearly eplxain without being so dramatinc about technical stuff, keep it up
I've viewed comfort braking as a vice and only use the rear to make the front heavy until the apex, and that was a vice. Thank you Ben for the means to give myself permission to lightly brake into the apex.
Have been doing the same and felt like all the other videos were telling me I was wrong, but now I have more confidence in what I am doing is right for me.
Perfect timing, right before the snow falls haha. Love this series, Ben is the man!
This is DEFINITELY the best cornering video on UA-cam
How to bike series is super knowledgeable. I'm from another continent watching all those repeatedly. One more thing, u have got a kid heart and that's make you done all this 😍
Please keep Cathro videos coming! Really enjoyed this series!
I’ve been mtn biking since 1987 but I’m going to watch all the back videos.
For me bike setup is so important for “feel” then I go front there .
Line choice and braking is so important. Or know how and when . I’m a brake fanatic and a shift fanatic. Setting up for the corners and coming out , ect , ect , ect .
Every ride , every bike very day we learn .
Loving it, concentrate on the basics , no truer said .
Loving your serious Ben! I use it to iron out some worn in ruts from my well over 20 years of riding.
You put me at ease with my slight brake-dragging into some corners. I always thought that I should try to eliminate this completely.
THANK YOU!!
Ben, you absolute legend! Tried this breaking teqnique today and felt faster and more confident than ever. Even set a few PRs. Cheers to you good sir!
I am learning a great deal from you. Thank you. Once the snow melts, I promise I will practice. As an adventure motorcycle rider who rides mostly off-road, I want to make one comment about lane position on turns. On a motorcycle we use the aphorism, always "Ride Right" for safety especially in blind turns. In this video, many of the demonstrations were descending into a blind left turn on gravel. Meeting someone coming up while cutting the turn too tight could be unpleasant.
Best no nonsense cornering video I've ever seen
I’m new to MTB and I’ve consumed a fair bit of “how-to” videos. This one ranks highest amongst them all. The info was great, the amount of do and don’t examples and the over all video quality (props to your video guy). Looking forward to the rest of the videos.
I taught and coached skiing for many years and you are a born teacher, by far the best coach I have seen and your videos have been instrumental in my MTB journey, even at 61 you can still progress. A big thanks and when are you coming to Australia?
Love this guy u can tell he genuinely wants to help people out.
This is the best cornering explanation i have ever found in youtube.
Cathro having me realize I've been doing and showing it right all this time...
This has been a great series, for beginners and more experienced riders, so much to learn but i live the way it is integrated and not chopped into overly complex thinking. Well done and a great sense if humour. Keep it up , love your work
Got back into mtb last year and have been not confident about my cornering. I'll always be learning, but this video was so great in helping me realize I've been doing a lot of things right with braking and foot position already. That alone will help me attack corners a little more. Great series so far.
Ben is amazing! Charismatic, knowledgeable and backed up with his mad skills. He's just such a great lad
Learned a ton of great info, and got more than a few chuckles from Ben's humorous delivery. Top notch !!
Best MTB course on the entire UA-cam.
The best mountain bike content on the internet
This is by far the best cornering video I've seen so far, and I've seen like 100000 now lol. I love how he points out that line choice, weight shift and braking makes the biggest difference. This video helped me figure out what I've been doing wrong on a corner I've gone down on a few times. I wish someone would explain using more and less front braking on tight technical corners to help pull the rear end around though, because it helps me out majorly and I've noticed most people don't really use the front brake to pivot around stuff that's too tight for the bikes length but the pros do
As always, incredible video by Cartho. Good cheer, humor, super digestible advice - you, sir, have a gift! Oh, and did I mention the biking?
I do, despite being a vastly inferior rider to Ben, have a bone to pick with the ‘don’t worry about angulation until you’re trying to get that last few percent’ thing.
Reason is, that if you’re Ben, or even a much less skilled rider than him, who has the braking nailed, then you’ll have enough speed coming into a corner to lean way over and get your tires up onto the outer, most supportive part of a berm.
But if you’re a much, much less skilled rider than him, like I am, then on your shredding-like-a-god days, you won’t need angulation, but on your more mortal days, you’ll come flying out of a long section of fast flowy trail into a bermed switchback, and brake really hard before the turn to make sure you don’t eat a tree.
Then, you’ll be going too slow to lean the bike over to get the really good support, and everything will get squirley. You resume more confident flow, build up tons of speed, and then are even more afraid of the next corner, break even harder before it, and the problem gets worse.
This is where I’ve found angulation is magic. If I think about angulation, I get the tires up onto the really good part of the berm, and I can feel the support. Next turn, my confidence boosted, I come in with more speed, and it works even better.
I realise theres is a lot of things I was doing right and was trying to change due to online tips and such.
Like : "NEVER TOUCH YOUR BREAKS IN A BERM" or "ALWAYS LOOK AS FAR AS YOU CAN AT ALL TIMES".
I guess it's more complicated than that and thank you so much for simplifying it !
Here are a couple more: "NEVER SPELL BIKE STOPPERS 'BRAKES'" and "ALWAYS SPELL BRAKES 'BREAKS'"
Thank you so much for clearing up the priorities vs tiny details.
Finally a cornering video that uses common sense, thank you!
finally, a cournering video about braking 🙌🙌
Best cornering video. Now I need to go through all others. Thanks for putting this together.
Gosh - I wish Ben was offering in person coaching. What a star he is.
Hey Ben, just curious if you're familiar with 'countersteering' ? With motorcycling, by pushing (pressuring) forward on the inside grip, you can get the bike to actively turn-in. It's like power steering. Want to turn right? Pressure the right grip. Want to turn left? Pressure the left grip..... As an experiment, ride in a straight line with only your left hand on the grip. Then, push forward on the left grip - and see where the bike goes. Without fail, the bike will turn left. Seems counterintuitive, but it really works - and by remembering this, it's a great tool to use when riding. Countersteering also works well with slight angulation and also if your feet are level'ish or outside foot dropped in a corner. I see from your video in the 2nd half, that you are doing all that, but the term 'countersteering' is what you're describing "palm pressure at the inside hand" (at ua-cam.com/video/ZOqFywGllFw/v-deo.html ). Fantastic video, and lots of riders will benefit greatly from how you've broken down all the million things that happen when cornering.
Great explanations as usual Ben! Best cornering vid ever and I have seen most of them..... Thanks!
Mate, you deserve much more subscribers. It is simply amazing how you knowledge and educate us in a such a fun-fill manner. Cheers for all your hard work.
Ben Cathro, you are the best thing about this channel! Thanks for your guidance and brilliant presenting skills! Charge On!
As someone that's been riding a while, these are really tips.
It's nice to hear all this put into words so eloquently, even for those of us who learned pre internet through trial and error. Painful error! Especially the part about dropping your leg versus centering pedals.
Thank you for all the extra effort, that's something! All the extra visuals, camera angles etc ppc Thanks!
I had a near death experience where I shralped like a MOFO. Kids hanging around the trail cheered like I was some hero. I damn near shat meself.
Do it again
You'll see it coming though, desert mouse..
@@rifu2301 nice one
Cathro ist absolut best! I love every video of him. He is so precise in describing processes. And for me, as a german guy, really good to unterstand.
Thanks for that "Masterclass" Ben, really advanced videos that clear up a lot of confusion done by over simplified videos. Especially "1 Thing at a time" and not have to do every corner technique in every corner, was so important for me.
Dude I love your delivery. Positive energy bro!
Great video Ben. Always learn something when watching A HOW TO BIKE WITH BEN CATHRO always!!
Great vid. Watched it during a comfort break.
Great video, I've watched lots of how to corner videos but this is the only one that I think has actually taught me something useful. I was 100% the person that was trying to not brake through the whole corner, crashing, thinking this advice is BS and then wobbling down the trail in a huff 😅
Hi Ben...for me you are one of the best teacher for tutorials...i'd like to see something for jumping technique
I’ve come to do this comfort braking on my own but I always assumed it was because I just didn’t properly perform the race breaking step. Glad to hear It’s ok to have some comfort braking!
Fantastic video. Glad I came across it. The section on pedal position is gold!
I find that inside hand pressure can naturally bring the chest inside the bike, and have found more success by initially using the inside hand to lean the bike and quickly transitioning to pushing in and down with the outside hand -- in a sense, I'm applying pressure along the bar instead of into the bar. This keeps my body more balanced and stable while still allowing for bike-body separation and a good weight distribution.
Yes I do not understand that: why applying inside hand pressure? In a corner it actually makes lower pressure on the tyre, thus induces front wheel slipping easily. Either I do not understand or there is something missing in the video?
This was the best cornering video I've ever seen! Thanks for the help...can't wait to put some of this into practice.
Im a total newbie to MTB skills but these vids… Highly helpful and absolutely hilarious! Such a teaching pro👌
All the videos in the série are SOOOO GOOD! Thank you guys! The amount of work to have the multiple trajectories, the what-not-to-do, etc… much appreciated!
And Ben helps to keep making the light brighter!!
Why are you so good at explaining things? Keep it up videos are brilliant.
Lol I've been riding for 23 years and I'm still watching this whole series... And learning stuff!!
Great videos from Ben - very technical and in-depth.
Coming from an automotive/motorsport background it's very interesting to see how "vehicle dynamics" concepts are applied to MTBing 🤓
Ben's the teacher I always needed
Dude, you are so good at doing this. Like really good. Seriously.
20:00 very valid point that which I notice when riding in mountains - the turns are steep and when into high berm, if I am in a centered position I can feel how front of the bike is being sucked by the berm - on the other hand, I am a little bit afraid to lean back due to the fact I have been washed out many times... I am afraid that If I lean back, the front will have not enough wight and thus loose grip.... what to do! Probably ride more. Cheers! :)))
I'd argue that leaning the bike over is actually one of the more important bits, I couldn't corner reliably, aspecially on loose over hardpack, untill I followed that "lean the bike over much more than you feel is enough" didn't fix my often suboptimal line choice etc. but automatically fixed some of my positioning (more confidence) and definitely made my riding safer in sketchy conditions.
Depends on the situation. I come from motocross, when hard flat pack turns are never dealt with by leaning over. The only time I'd ever lean is if there's a supporting rut.
Mountain bikes have a high centre of gravity and are rolling on skinny tires, theres nothing really supporting us when we turn. I agree with cathros stance, especially as a fellow giraffe boy.
@@andrewlindley4865 in motocross you can use the engine to accelerate in the proper direction, in MTB as mentioned centre of gravity is higher, and side lugs make a lot of difference ime, I cannot say it's not just icing on the cake, might be I had other things figured out already when I made myself lean the bike over more.
@@piciu256 same principle. Sometimes in motocross you need to roll through a corner too off power. Cathro basically explained cornering in the way I've always ridden, except my body position is front heavy if anything
Nice tips, im a beginner (1 year in) and learn alot by watching this
Ben is the master... sooooo much good info in this entire series.
I like this comfort braking zone. Especially in techy corners!
Have to say Ben you are very good at breaking it all down and getting it across in a straight forward fashion. I am still using all the techniques you gave me in some lessons a couple of years back, more importantly still riding and hopefully still getting faster!
This a great video so good that it explains that the technique you use is massively situational. So many videos say always use this or that technique but the reality is when they just don’t work well in all situations. Like it Might be great to lean the bike more than your body in many situations, but try do it hauling over big breaking bumps in a rough high speed corner and you won’t be able to take the impacts because your body is too awkward and out of position to act as a strong shock absorber.
Best Sensei in the business😊
Love love love these videos. Awesome work!
Please turn them into a reference book/pdf. I've been applying these casually (except EP1..) and my riding has already improved.
Invaluable info. I’ve been experimenting with different techniques. I did not realize unweighting the bike by pumping in the corner helps that much. Thanks for the info!
Can't tell how much I love you for this series! So so so so good! ❤
Nice Dharco jersey there Ben! Love those.
Great video everytime but this one is what I needed the most I totally suck in cornering.
The best tutorial ever! Thanks Ben!🤙🏽🤙🏽
This Master Class is just INCREDIBLE!
Thank you very much! 🤜🏼🤛🏼
Thank you!!!! Love your coaching... Now to get out and practice!!
That video series is just amazing!
I think a couple reasons for pedals up on a loose corner and for leaning the bike more than your body is so that if the bike starts sliding in the corner the bike slides under you and not out from underneath you. If you've ever been in a situation where you were leaning too much with your bike and the front tire starts sliding you know it usually doesn't end well. Leaning the bike more than your body can help prevent a crash like this. It's useful when riding in sandy or loose conditions. Something I've heard about having your outside pedal down is that you can press down into it with your outside leg to push the bike upright. Personally I think I should be entering more corners than I do with flat pedals but leaning the bike more than your body has been a staple riding on Sandy trails in Arizona and I feel that having a higher inside pedal helps with this. From watching UA-cam videos it would seem that maybe I need to slow down in the corners more so that I am braking less in them. I'm still learning and experimenting, especially since recently riding with someone that was faster than I am and now I'm trying to figure out why. 😆
I must say, your material covers all aspects and more. Kudos man, great stuff, appreciate the time and energy you put into these.
Excellent video guys, thank you for putting that content together.
Your videos are awesome. I really appreciate your focus on the basics and good technique.
Haha this is hilarious. Mix of technique and stand up comedy. Ben for president 😀
This video is gold!! Excellent coaching Ben!
Here in Utah, "When you need to find grip" is almost every single corner. Loose and dry is all we got. 15:25
Ready for season 2!!!
a tip that worked for me is when leaning the bike concentrate whatever amount of weight you feel you need on the bars, on the outside hand and not he inside one it feels waaaay better
Brilliant Lesson, cant wait to put this into action!
Finally the one I’ve been waiting for