I Corner Like A Buffalo. How Can I Be More Like A Cheetah?

All your ride quandries solved.

Get Low

You’ll feel more secure steering through sharp turns if you keep your centre of gravity low. That means using the drops (the lowest part of the handlebars on a road bike); or on a flat-barred bike, simply bending your elbows and dipping your torso a bit.

Loosen Up

Since you’re cornering with your whole body, you need to keep your hips, feet, hands and torso free to move. So you have to keep loose! If you tense up your arms will straighten and you’ll end up fighting your bike through the turn. As you approach a turn, consciously relax your hands and arms, so you have a firm – but not white-knuckle-tight – grip on the bars, and your upper body feels loose. Your elbows should be bent.

Feather Your Brakes