Body Position

[the razor]

I've been riding for a long time. I did some racing back in my days (way back). With the new techniques and equipment nowdays. I had to learn and still learning so I can be more secure and more efficient when I ride. I am a street rider per say. I took level one and I am getting ready to take Level 2 and 3 early next year. It is something I am doing to be a better rider and for my own pleasure. It is like a dream come true. I am not a kid anymore unfortunately, Having said that. I have a question to everybody out there with more experience than me on the subject. When I ride on the street I do switch my body position when cornering. Also, I use my shoulder as a pointer sort of speak. (push the shouldedr to the corner right or left). It is a modest switch but a switch after all. My problem is I do not open completely my leg (angle). I do it to some degree but not to drag my knee to the ground. Whar are the advantages and disanvantages between semi open to open leg. Considering I ride 99% on the street. My confidence in cornering is 100%. I learned to approach, pick line , apex and exit on a corner and also how to be relaxed , I practice throttle control and speed in which I enter a corner. Lots of practice though. I hope I did not bother you guys with the story of my life. But I am curious to hear what you guys have to say on the matter. I keep my knee like the one in the red bike. As you can see in the picture below, there are two different style. the one with the open leg the other is not quite opened.

 

 

Thanks

The razor.

[Bullet]

Hi Razor,

 

Well, I see nothing wrong with not sticking your knee all the way out, if you feel it's not detracting from your riding in anyway, why change? For my own riding, I find I use the knee only as a guide for lean angle, i.e. when it hits, I know I'm leaning quite a long way, and I don't have lots of lean angle left. I personally have a tendency of just finding lean angle, then brining it in a little anyway. I can make a set of knee sliders last about 2 seasons because of this.

 

So, if you're body is well aligned as in the pic, your relaxed and going with the bike not fighting it, I personally see little wrong with keeping the knee in a little, it certainly doesn't make much in the way of cornering speed difference one way or the other.

 

Bullet

[the razor]

Hi Razor,

 

Well, I see nothing wrong with not sticking your knee all the way out, if you feel it's not detracting from your riding in anyway, why change? For my own riding, I find I use the knee only as a guide for lean angle, i.e. when it hits, I know I'm leaning quite a long way, and I don't have lots of lean angle left. I personally have a tendency of just finding lean angle, then brining it in a little anyway. I can make a set of knee sliders last about 2 seasons because of this.

 

So, if you're body is well aligned as in the pic, your relaxed and going with the bike not fighting it, I personally see little wrong with keeping the knee in a little, it certainly doesn't make much in the way of cornering speed difference one way or the other.

 

Bullet

.

 

Thanks Bullet for you input. The thing is, I do not feel confortable when I open my leg all the way. By doing that my attention goes to if I am leaning to much etc. I feel much comfortable with the position like the one in the picture. I will see when I take level 2 and 3 what is going to happen with my body position. Having said that. I want to thank you and to tell you that I appreciate your input which is well taken. Good luck to you.

The razor.

[ॐ Carles ॐ]

If you don't feel confident don't do it. I don't stick my knee out in the street, it's not necessary. I use it as a lean angle indicator on track only

[Jasonzilla]

I commute on my bike most of the time, and when I'm really riding on the street, or am not thinking about it while riding on the street, my knee habitually comes out. Nowhere near the ground, but it just does it.

 

On the track I've gotten into the habit of having my knee out just before where the hard parts drag as a warning. On a 2.75 mile, 21 turn course, I drag my knee on 2-3 of them on any given lap. Unless I know where the photographers are.

 

When I'm working on increasing my entry speed in a particular corner, once I'm at full lean, I'll put my knee out to let me know how much more speed I can carry through that corner. Sometimes I've got a few inches, sometimes my knee was hovering just above the ground.

 

As long as your knee is farther out than your hard parts, it's a matter of comfort.

[the razor]

I commute on my bike most of the time, and when I'm really riding on the street, or am not thinking about it while riding on the street, my knee habitually comes out. Nowhere near the ground, but it just does it.

 

On the track I've gotten into the habit of having my knee out just before where the hard parts drag as a warning. On a 2.75 mile, 21 turn course, I drag my knee on 2-3 of them on any given lap. Unless I know where the photographers are.

 

When I'm working on increasing my entry speed in a particular corner, once I'm at full lean, I'll put my knee out to let me know how much more speed I can carry through that corner. Sometimes I've got a few inches, sometimes my knee was hovering just above the ground.

 

As long as your knee is farther out than your hard parts, it's a matter of comfort.

 

Thank you carles 3 and jasonzilla for your input. I really appreciate your opinion.

I do not know how but I have a pretty good idea of how much lean I have when I am on the street. Race track is a lot different due to the fact there are some corners that you really have to lean. I hope when I take level 3 I get that straighten it out.

Thanks again guys and be safe.

The razor.

[spthomas]

For my own riding, I find I use the knee only as a guide for lean angle, i.e. when it hits, I know I'm leaning quite a long way, and I don't have lots of lean angle left. I personally have a tendency of just finding lean angle, then brining it in a little anyway. I can make a set of knee sliders last about 2 seasons because of this.

Glad to hear this. On guy I knows is grinding his pucks off, partly because now he can, but I'm thinking every pound you're pushing into the pavement with your knee is a pound the tires aren't pushing down. The way I like to think of it is like those short-track speed skaters you see in the Winter Olympics- they put their hand down when leaning around corners as a position gage rather than a body support. I think.