Understeer Whilst Cornering

[Slammed]

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[Alexbn921]

Yes, that’s mine, you’re probably right about the weight distribution although I am running a 120mm stem.

A large frame is never going to handle as well, plus I’m a big guy and I weigh a lot.

I wish I could tell you all that I noticed this handling characteristic coming a windy Alpine pass, but the truth is that I was going round a traffic roundabout a bit too fast

A large frame will handle just as good or better and there is nothing wrong with a 120 or longer stem.

I'm 193cm and 84kg. I ride a 61cm comfort bike and have many DH KOM's.

For a good handling bike, you need:
Grippy tires at low pressure. I run 5000TL 28's at 70psi front 72psi rear.
A flex free handlebar/stem combo. Having a solid wheel build with strong QR's or thru axles also adds reliable handle traits.
Always look ahead. you should never be reacting to the corner you are in.
Confidence and commitment in your bike handling ability. Mountain bike and motocross can teach you these skills with a slip angle. This ability to feel the slip and respond correctly is huge.
Also, you need to learn proper straight line braking and transition to correct cornering lines. Weight balance, body position and vision play a huge roll.

I would suggest that you take a skills class on a mountain bike or even a road bike. A profetional teacher will get you skill in one day then years of internet research.

Couple links that might help you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GAaheigvgg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmND0XW5KJg

[BobDopolina]

The post about trail is correct. The bike will always want to stand up and go in a straight line. You have to work it through the corner, but not so much with your hands as with your butt.

Many newer riders have far too much input in the bars. The bike doesn't need it. Think about the countersteer, the lean and guiding the bike with your behind. The handlebars are actually secondary.

Practice is key.

[DaveS]

I'd say it's all about the coutersteer because that's what causes the lean and the turn. You butt doesn't need to do anything. Ride a bike and a motorcycle over the same route and this becomes obvious. I rode over 7000 miles of twisting mountain road, including Mt. Evans 6 times with its 25 mile descent from 14,000 feet, in 7 years. I always got down quickly with minimal braking. I did slide out once due to sand in a corner.

[Gary71]

I wish I could tell you all that I noticed this handling characteristic coming a windy Alpine pass, but the truth is that I was going round a traffic roundabout a bit too fast


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You mentioned this was from going round a traffic rounabout a bit too fast......., most roundabouts are build with a negative camber......., the pitch of the camber will push you to the outside of road. The greater the pitch, the more it will want to push you wide.
Think of mountain bikers going through a berm - they "rail it' through the berm because it has a steep positive camber...., I suspect the opposite happened to you in the roundabout.

[hlvd]

I wish I could tell you all that I noticed this handling characteristic coming a windy Alpine pass, but the truth is that I was going round a traffic roundabout a bit too fast


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You mentioned this was from going round a traffic rounabout a bit too fast......., most roundabouts are build with a negative camber......., the pitch of the camber will push you to the outside of road. The greater the pitch, the more it will want to push you wide.
Think of mountain bikers going through a berm - they "rail it' through the berm because it has a steep positive camber...., I suspect the opposite happened to you in the roundabout.

Excellent point, I'll have a look when I'm next there, thanks.


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[Etienne]

Drop your inside knee and elbow while pushing on your outside hand and pedal. That's the proper technique to rail corners on a road bike. Or just ignore that and blame your bike for not being able to corner.

Well, if you push on your outside hand, there's a chance you will understeer I think ... I personnaly push my inside hand slightly to countersteer and lean the bike in the right direction, and as long as the leaning angle is not too much, I keep on pedaling to maintain the grip.

[wheelbuilder]

Drop your inside knee and elbow while pushing on your outside hand and pedal. That's the proper technique to rail corners on a road bike. Or just ignore that and blame your bike for not being able to corner.

Outside hand?

[Slammed]

Drop your inside knee and elbow while pushing on your outside hand and pedal. That's the proper technique to rail corners on a road bike. Or just ignore that and blame your bike for not being able to corner.

Well, if you push on your outside hand, there's a chance you will understeer I think ... I personnaly push my inside hand slightly to countersteer and lean the bike in the right direction, and as long as the leaning angle is not too much, I keep on pedaling to maintain the grip.

Outside hand?

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[menkar]

Just remember if taking a corner at speed turning right for example........push down with right hand and push down with left foot while left pedal is at 6:00. Simple to remember and works every time.

This is what works (for me). I also lean forward and low over the bars to get more weight toward the front.

What turns a bike is how far it's leaned over - The harder you push down the bar with your inside hand the sharper you'll turn.

[wingguy]

Yes. Outside hand.

If you push with both outside hand and outside pedal both those inputs are trying to stand the bike up, and you’re relying only on the hips to lean it over. Doesn’t really make sense to me.

Pushing on your outside hands gives you the most grip.

Why?

[Slammed]

Yes. Outside hand.

If you push with both outside hand and outside pedal both those inputs are trying to stand the bike up, and you’re relying only on the hips to lean it over. Doesn’t really make sense to me.

Pushing on your outside hands gives you the most grip.

Why?

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[wingguy]

I feel that pushing on your outside hand puts more pressure on the outside and the middle of the tire.

A) How?
B) How does that help?

Pushing on your inside hand definitely leans the bike harder but I think you have a greater chance of loosing your front wheel.

Why?

[Slammed]

I feel that pushing on your outside hand puts more pressure on the outside and the middle of the tire.

A) How?
B) How does that help?

Pushing on your inside hand definitely leans the bike harder but I think you have a greater chance of loosing your front wheel.

Why?

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[Karvalo]

These are just sensations and ideas from my experience racing. It's hard to explain why but it works very well for me. I race most of the fastest crits in North America and have no problem hanging through the corners with the best.

Hang on, how do you know which methods give you a greater chance of losing the front wheel if you have no problems through corners? In order to find that out you kinda do have to crash a whole bunch

I'd also say that you're all taking this discussion in a different direction. 'Understeer' in the sense that it is being discussed by the OP in this thread actually has next to nothing to do with the physical limit of grip on the front tyre.