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Ride SAT, June 29th - Tomin, Yanagisawa, Sasago-toge

Yes and keep your lines - I see so many riders on public roads using the majority of the road when descending. Sadly me and Tim Kendal witnessed some poor lad go through the front windscreen of a car on Saturday morning.
 
Yes and keep your lines - I see so many riders on public roads using the majority of the road when descending. Sadly me and Tim Kendal witnessed some poor lad go through the front windscreen of a car on Saturday morning.

Yep, too many cyclist come into the corner too late and too hot, and are forced to swing out into the oncoming lane as they exit the turn. NOT GOOD!! IMHO, do the opposite. Get all your breaking done before the corner, start wide (maybe even into the other lane if it is visibly clear and free of traffic) and be able move the apex closer to your exit so you can finish at higher speed within your own lane. And, always have "bailout" options should some unexpected car or obstruction appear suddenly.
 
Yep, too many cyclist come into the corner too late and too hot, and are forced to swing out into the oncoming lane as they exit the turn. NOT GOOD!! IMHO, do the opposite. Get all your breaking done before the corner, start wide (maybe even into the other lane if it is visibly clear and free of traffic) and be able move the apex closer to your exit so you can finish at higher speed within your own lane. And, always have "bailout" options should some unexpected car or obstruction appear suddenly.
Or, always let Pete go ahead, knowing that he will scream "CAR UP" when need be.

Hope the guy who went through the windscreen heals up really soon.
 
Or, always let Pete go ahead, knowing that he will scream "CAR UP" when need be.

Cheers Mark! While I enjoy descending quickly, I always strive to do it in safe and controlled manner.

That being said, I confess to being guilty, on very rare occasion, as a result of misjudgment of exactly what James described, of coming out of a corner too fast to the point that I had to use the opposing oncoming lane. Not a good thing to do! As I said, very rare for me and something I always try to avoid. I have counted myself very lucky on those occasions to not meet a car coming up the hill. I would wager if we were all honest that most of us have done this before. For your safety and everyone else's, please don't do it! It's not worth the risk! BE SAFE!
 
Anyone want a lesson in good road position Pete is definitely a good guy to follow.

Basically it comes down to this, Always ride with options. Never commit to a line you cannot alter. eg, into the corner too early.

Always aim for as late an apex as possible, which means holding the bike out as long as you can. This serves two purposes, lengthens your entry to the corner, allows you to tighten the time you spend leaning. It reduces your risk of breaking traction and allows you better vision through the corner it also gives you road position to react effectively should a hazard be awaiting you mid corner.
 
That being said, I confess to being guilty, on very rare occasion, as a result of misjudgment of exactly what James described, of coming out of a corner too fast to the point that I had to use the opposing oncoming lane. Not a good thing to do! As I said, very rare for me and something I always try to avoid. I have counted myself very lucky on those occasions to not meet a car coming up the hill.
Another important factor to consider is that a motor vehicle may well appear around the corner on the wrong side of the road because its driver has no skills. Despite your superior skillz, the bicycle will almost certainly lose. Splat! .... Crunch! ... Ouch!
 
Anyone want a lesson in good road position Pete is definitely a good guy to follow.

Thank you Ant!

Basically it comes down to this, Always ride with options. Never commit to a line you cannot alter. eg, into the corner too early.

Always aim for as late an apex as possible, which means holding the bike out as long as you can. This serves two purposes, lengthens your entry to the corner, allows you to tighten the time you spend leaning. It reduces your risk of breaking traction and allows you better vision through the corner it also gives you road position to react effectively should a hazard be awaiting you mid corner.

Yep, completely agree! For those that don't know, Anthony is an experienced motorcyclist and a quality descender on bicycle. He knows what he is talking about, IMHO!


Another important factor to consider is that a motor vehicle may well appear around the corner on the wrong side of the road because its driver has no skills. Despite your superior skillz, the bicycle will almost certainly lose. Splat! .... Crunch! ... Ouch!

Yes, as the descending cyclist this is where leaving yourself options and understanding the concept/art of ukemi come into play!

Also, FWIW, I'd like to say that I think Mark (leicaman) is very good descender!
 
One other thing is LEARN TO CRASH - Putting the bike down when you know you can't avoid a hazard is a very useful skill. I do believe HF Mike has done this before.
 
One other thing is LEARN TO CRASH - Putting the bike down when you know you can't avoid a hazard is a very useful skill. I do believe HF Mike has done this before.
Not sure if HFM was heading for the river or not.
 
I had about an hour discussion with one of my customers today 'how to brake and corner' He is a big guy, getting lighter, but he jammed up on a corner and took some heat to his body and gear. Same things always hold true (noted above). Yeah, crashing without extending unnecessary appendages is important. Tuck the chin and elbows in.
 
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