HaydenWilson Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 So i have noticed that i keep losing grip on my front wheel on off camber/flat corners. I think it may be due to a technique problem. How do i diagnose what i am doing wrong? i think it may have something to do with weight distribution. I tend to drop my seat and put my body weight on the outside pedal but then sometimes the front wheel will just lose it. Possibly weight distribution on the bars?
ChUkKy Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 So i have noticed that i keep losing grip on my front wheel on off camber/flat corners. I think it may be due to a technique problem. How do i diagnose what i am doing wrong? i think it may have something to do with weight distribution. I tend to drop my seat and put my body weight on the outside pedal but then sometimes the front wheel will just lose it. Possibly weight distribution on the bars? Seems you're doing exactly what I would have said, depending in the corner put all your weight on the outside pedal and lift your ass off the saddle... try keep your weight balanced because if the front wheel does go with more of your weight there. Youre gonna be smiling like Maraai en Gatiep from the flats.
bullet77 Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 So i have noticed that i keep losing grip on my front wheel on off camber/flat corners. I think it may be due to a technique problem. How do i diagnose what i am doing wrong? i think it may have something to do with weight distribution. I tend to drop my seat and put my body weight on the outside pedal but then sometimes the front wheel will just lose it. Possibly weight distribution on the bars?Make sure your tyre pressure is right. What front tyre are you running?
ChrisF Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Make sure your tyre pressure is right. What front tyre are you running? Newbie question - so how do you know what tire pressures to run; for different conditions, tire size etc .. ?
Grease_Monkey Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 A mate of mine had the same thing happening to him, his problem was that he was trying to hard to move his weight to the back of the bike. Once he actually weighted the front wheel a bit more, obviously not all of his weight, his tyre bit a bit more. He also dropped his front tyre pressure from 2.0 bar to about 1.6 - remember your tyres are primary contact point so you wanna make sure you have a lekker grippy front tyre (maybe Onza Ibex/Maxxis Ardent if you're a trail rider, something like a DHF if you are a bit more aggressive?), and make sure it is not pumped up too hard! Note: Obviously tyre choice depends alot on riding style so my suggestion are just suggestions
Grease_Monkey Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Newbie question - so how do you know what tire pressures to run; for different conditions, tire size etc .. ?Very loaded question that haha. It depends on your tyres (what sidewalls, how grippy, widht, front or rear?), internal rim width, riding style, etc etc etc. You can make a real science out of it. For your average guy with the average south african bike (being something between an XC and trail bike, internal rim width of 21 to 23mm, and tyre width of 2.25") doing average South African riding (more XC type of riding) a good starting point would be 1.6 bar front and 1.8 bar rear. From there adjust for weight, and play around with it until you are happy - it is a very subjective thing! What you will generally see is the more the trail points down, rims and tyres get wider, sidewalls get thicker, tyres get more aggressive - tyre pressures go down. The converse is true for when the trails point up and the distances get longer. Of course this is just the general rule...
mecheng89 Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 So i have noticed that i keep losing grip on my front wheel on off camber/flat corners. I think it may be due to a technique problem. How do i diagnose what i am doing wrong? i think it may have something to do with weight distribution. I tend to drop my seat and put my body weight on the outside pedal but then sometimes the front wheel will just lose it. Possibly weight distribution on the bars?Feather the back brake instead of the front. Keep as much weight off the front wheel as possible. Slow down a bit. Learn to read the surface better (this comes with experience). Keep an eye on the rider in front of you. Less pressure for rocky terrain, higher pressure for flatter, smoother terrain. Once you get a better feel for your bike and what you like you will know what to pump your tyres. I for example go right up to 3 bar for flattish races, but right down to 1.5 bar for rocky technical races.
s14phoenix Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Google "mtb cornering technique" plenty vids and write ups on technique. Tyre pressures are very dependant on everything and there is no right answer. However the science says that lowering tyre pressure increases grip. this is very dependant on what you are running already - less could make the tyre roll and lose grip also. Wider tyres also help. wider rims also help best to use both together but using the right tyre thread pattern on the right surface also makes a difference. Off camber corners are always tricky and you may not be loading the tyre sufficiently or overloading it - its about balance front->back weight distribution and skill. Lower weight.Right amount of bike lean. (body lean is also important as your weight needs to be over the tyres as you described already)Forward/Back weight distribution.Too much steer angle due to late turn in (line selection through corner) - this could cause tyre scrubbing/wash. It really is rocket science and many still get it wrong all the time (inc myself)
carbon ghost Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Do what you are doing but also flex your elbows and move your chest toward your handlebars to load the front wheel on the entrance to the corners. Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
ChrisF Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Thanks .... so fair to say my old tar-pressures may just be a "tad high" ... Trek with dual suspension, and 2.35 width on 29'' was delivered with about 4bar pressure .... okay, maybe they allowed for some settling with the tubeless
mecheng89 Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Thanks .... so fair to say my old tar-pressures may just be a "tad high" ... Trek with dual suspension, and 2.35 width on 29'' was delivered with about 4bar pressure .... okay, maybe they allowed for some settling with the tubeless4 bar?! Hopping around all over the place!
s14phoenix Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Thanks .... so fair to say my old tar-pressures may just be a "tad high" ... Trek with dual suspension, and 2.35 width on 29'' was delivered with about 4bar pressure .... okay, maybe they allowed for some settling with the tubeless (in my best hillbilly voice) - "Now theres your problem" and corner like this..... see even moto-x has same principals... (note to self... you still can't corner for sh!#) Note also how loaded the suspension is... make sure yours is set plush enough but also not too soft that it dives and rebound quick enough but not pogo-stick-quick.
porqui Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 To OP what tires are you running and at what pressure? Phoenix the 4 bars is not the OP.
GrahamS2 Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 So i have noticed that i keep losing grip on my front wheel on off camber/flat corners. I think it may be due to a technique problem. How do i diagnose what i am doing wrong? i think it may have something to do with weight distribution. I tend to drop my seat and put my body weight on the outside pedal but then sometimes the front wheel will just lose it. Possibly weight distribution on the bars?MTB or road? If MTB, it's a common problem on 29'ers - they don't turn in very well. Try dropping your inside elbow a little, like a superbike rider.
AlanD Posted April 21, 2017 Posted April 21, 2017 Apart from good tyre pressure, grippy front tyre and technique, suspension setup is important. I used to wash out the from wheel every time until I went for a bike fit a while back where they adjusted my suspension and didn't have the problem again. I regularly check the suspension to make sure it right
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