Originally Posted by
njkayaker
They are pretty apparent if you know to look for them. It's an experience thing.
You practice because you can get better at it (obviously). If you countersteer more deliberately, you can make sharper/quicker turns.
I can see it (in your video).
I started the thread to see how steering fits into turning. I use steering to make sharper/quicker turns in races than those around me. Also safer turns. I also use steering to increase my safety in many emergency moves. I use steering as part of keeping my bike more upright. This reduces crashing by itself. But it also lets me apply power in turns where others are just leaning. So that I leave them behind or just string them out while using less energy. So whatever it is that I'm doing, it's faster/safer than what the others are doing in those situations.
Also, I see many others using "swoopy" maneuver technique in straight forward riding as they try to avoid obstacles and that this leads to them crashing. It also leads them to being more concerned in the pack. ...While I use my steer method to easily avoid obstacles and not crash and have zero nervousness in the pack. I compare and contrast and advocate for my method.
I gave 2 examples: a leaned downhill turn where you steer less, and an uphill turn where you keep the power on and lean less, steer more. I find that I can use the steered uphill technique on faster, flatter turns to advantage.
My common scenario is that I'm in the field in a crit and there's a flat 90-deg turn that often has bumps, bad pavement details. The group is going fast, its standard pace, then tends to coast or soft pedal the corner. This increases the accordion effect. So I go to the front to avoid that. But I also change how I corner. I start applying power throughout the corner, stringing out the pack and leaving behind those who just coast and lean. They might even think they are cornering fast. But because of the bumps and roughness and my need for precision in the corner I dont want to be powering AND only leaning to turn. Steering lets me manage the details better and powering lets me go faster. I pressure my hip to the outside of the corner to stand the bike up more. I'm not going harder in the corner than on the straight. I'm just not slowing down. I can ride steady and hurt the field because they're not using my technique. I'm safely saving energy.
I'm not saying anything about countersteer. But nobody is cornering faster. Nobody is using countersteer to leave me behind or make me struggle. I conclude that I have the fastest cornering technique in that common crit situation. (Of course a couple other riders might be on par, if they know the skill. Several of us have totally rolled away from the pack doing this. Also some can compensate coz they're just stronger -- but it keeps them much tamer. This is just one place where I use skill to offset having less power.)
If anyone knows anything about the science involved in faster, safer cornering and obstacle avoidance -- not in theory but in practice -- please share.