Something to think about.

[Craig Brossman]

I was doing some trails maintenance with Trails 2000 yesterday, rerouting the Sale Barn trail
because the gravel pit will gobble it up soon. Bill and I were talking about how turns get widened
by bikers, I was focusing in on riders coming too fast into a turn and increasing the size of the
trail to the outside, he was discussing cutting corners and increasing the size to the inside. Then
he made an astute comment, something like most bikers loves twisty turning trails, yet in a sense,
most try to straighten them out a bit in an attempt to get more speed and a smoother ride.

Most of us don't do it to the point where a 12 inch wide trail becomes 24 inches, but I myself will
try to stay on the inside part of the turn on the exiting trail occasionally.

Something to think about.

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove .nospam. if replying)

 

[Jd]

"Craig Brossman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I was doing some trails maintenance with Trails 2000 yesterday, rerouting the Sale Barn trail
> because the gravel pit will gobble it up soon. Bill and I were talking about how turns get widened
> by bikers, I was focusing in on riders coming too fast into a turn and increasing the size of the
> trail to the outside, he was discussing cutting corners and increasing the size to the inside.
> Then he made an astute comment, something like most bikers loves twisty turning trails, yet in a
> sense, most try to straighten them out a bit in an attempt to get more speed and a smoother ride.
>
> Most of us don't do it to the point where a 12 inch wide trail becomes 24 inches, but I myself
> will try to stay on the inside part of the turn on the exiting trail occasionally.
>
> Something to think about.

I agree that it's something to think about. Most dirt trails are cupped and the best place for
traction is right in the bottom of the cup. Why? Your tire's contact patch will be much larger in
the bottom and you can naturally go faster through the turns without breaking traction.
Straightening of twisty trails only shows lack of skill and the lameness of many who think thay are
fast, but are not smooth.

JD

 

[Westie]

"Craig Brossman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I was doing some trails maintenance with Trails 2000 yesterday, rerouting the Sale Barn trail
> because the gravel pit will gobble it up soon. Bill
and
> I were talking about how turns get widened by bikers, I was focusing in on riders coming too fast
> into a turn and increasing the size of the trail to the outside, he was discussing cutting corners
> and increasing the size to the inside. Then he made an astute comment, something like most bikers
> loves twisty turning trails, yet in a sense, most try to straighten them out a bit in
an
> attempt to get more speed and a smoother ride.

Maybe it's more about being able to survive at the speed you have as you enter the turn, rather than
about getting more of it. You naturally try to straighten the line.
--
Westie

 

[Stephen Baker]

Westie says:

>Maybe it's more about being able to survive at the speed you have as you enter the turn, rather
>than about getting more of it. You naturally try to straighten the line.

That's fine if the turn is cambered and you can late-apex the sucker, otherwise JD has it, in that
you have best traction where your tyre is perpendicular to the surface, and the cornering G-forces
compress the tyre the most, making a bigger contact patch.

Steve