Look Through Corners

Look Through Corners

Where do you look when entering a turn? If you're like most riders, you focus on the apex (the heart of the bend).

But the apex is usually the area of least concern. If you enter the turn wide, cut through the apex and then exit wide, your bike will on a fairly straight line through the deepest part of the bend.

Tires are more apt to lose adhesion when the bike is first laid over. That is, entering the turn rather than at the middle. And further danger lurks as you're exiting, especially if you make the bike less stable by getting out of the saddle.

With these things in mind, here are the best places to look. We've listed them in order. Sweep your eyes through this sequence as you approach each turn.

Check the "apron." This is the section of pavement where you enter the turn and lean the bike. Look for gravel, oil, potholes, slippery leaves, sand, manhole covers, painted lines. In other words, anything that could lessen your tires' grip. Adjust speed accordingly before you begin turning.

Check the apex. Cracked pavement where the concrete curb meets the blacktop is a common danger. So is water seepage from sprinklers or puddles on the roadside. In winter, this area could harbor ice. Of course, there could be gravel or a pothole.

Check the exit. Sweep your eyes ahead, through the turn and up the road on the line you're riding. Don't do everything correctly during the turn only to find yourself in trouble coming out of it.

The trick is to keep your eyes moving. It's common to fixate on the apex or focus on an obstruction (a stone, for instance).

Remember: Once your eyes freeze on something you're likely to ride right into it. And even if you miss it, you still haven't looked ahead to scan your line through the rest of the turn.

Keep your eyes moving until you've exited the turn, and then look for what's next.