Bike Handling - Understeer

[fabregas485]

I am most likely being daft, but I use schwalbe marathon plus on my Carrera road bike and I seem to find I have under steer around corners. I am unsure if its the tyres or my riding style, but I find that if I go around a roundabout or sharp corner the bike tends to lead me towards the edge of the road.

Any ideas? Might I need to use a slightly increased tyre pressure?

 

[jack smith]

Are you cornering properly? Pedal up on the side you are leaning, bringing the bike to an angle but keeping your body centred over the bike to keep grip and control? If your doing this you'll find you can corner much faster and sharper without sh*tting yourself haha takes abit of practice

 

[Globalti]

If it was understeer in the same way as a car where the front tyres wash out, you'd have fallen off, certain.

More likely the fault is with your technique or inside your head.

 

[Norry1]

I think I know what you mean. When I first bought my cyclocross bike which had wider, heavier tyres, I found holding a tight line more difficult than the riders I was with (who were on skinnies). When I swapped the tyres for 23c, the issue went away. It could just be the weight etc. Easy to check, try some lightweight tyres.

 

[mattobrien]

As has been mentioned, if it were proper understeer then you'd have lost traction between the front tyre and road and if this had happened, it would have been game over. This post would have been about injuries sustains rather than cornering technique.

As for cornering technique, right speed, right line and right lean and hopefully all will be fine.

Sometimes it is easy not to put as much faith / lean into tyres as they deserve and can handle, this can result in drifting wider than planned.

 

[raleighnut]

My first mountain bike did this to me the first time I took a roundabout at speed but that was just the knobbly tread squirming in protest at the lean angle. With Marathons that shouldn't happen unless they are a bit soft, check that they are at, or close to, their rated pressure and then they should be OK mine are.

 

[fabregas485]

To be honest guys, I never gave a thought to whether I have the pedal on the side I am leaning up or not. I shall give it a go tomorrow and report back.

 

[ColinJ]

As jack smith said above ... inside pedal up, outside pedal down. Put your weight down through the outside pedal and you will feel a lot safer cornering.

 

[Moodyman]

To be fair to the OP, the M+ is a stiff tyre that just doesn't give any confidence when cornering. If you don't trust the tyre you're more likely to drift wide. When I replaced the m+ with a softer compound tyre, I found that I could lean at silly angles with 100% confidence

 

[gbb]

Two mechanical things to check Fabregas...not likely but..
Make sure your brake cables are long enough or not binding. Swing the handlebars and make sure you have full and free travel of the front wheel.
Or..
Lift the front wheel and tilt the bike to allow the handlebars to swing on their own. Any reluctance for them to swing freely from the forward direction could indicate a worn headset bearing...which might effect handling.

 

[fabregas485]

To be fair to the OP, the M+ is a stiff tyre that just doesn't give any confidence when cornering. If you don't trust the tyre you're more likely to drift wide. When I replaced the m+ with a softer compound tyre, I found that I could lean at silly angles with 100% confidence

Before I swapped to them I was cornering fine, I think I just have to get used to them.

Also noticed that The one time I checked this morning, I had the foot on the inside down as cornering. I shall work on my technique.