One of the biking skills that can be helpful to you is cornering. Cornering can be scary, until you get confident at it. There is a thin line between holding an edge and losing it. Basically, that is where those who love thrills want to be. But you do not have to push too far to corner well. You just have to possess the necessary skills and judgement to corner with confidence.

Each turn requires a different angle of attack and speed. However, all need the same principles to maintain control. A gradual radius may let you pedal all the way through a turn and hold a high riding pace. A sharp turn requires lots of bicycle lean, and if bike cranks continue to go round, the inside pedal may hit the road, which is not good. When the rider misjudge the turn, the worst may happen — a tire lifting off the pavement.

So each turn requires an important decision: coast or pedal through. Unfortunately, you can be able to make the decision through experience. If you are uncertain, just lean and coast. Always remember that the most vital part of the lean and coast strategy is that your crank arm on the outside of the turn is in the down position, with the inside crank up.

The first biking skill you need to learn well in terms of cornering, is weight shift. As you approach a certain turn, you should stop pedaling and shift some of your weight to your outside foot, which is on the pedal attached to the crank, which is in the down position. Some of your weight that would typically be on your saddle, must shift to the foot in the down position. This will lower your center of gravity.

For most turns using the lean and coast technique will work well if you just keep your shoulders centered over your handlebars. However, sometimes a weight shift of your upper body could provide you with additional grip.

Contrary to natural instinct to keep the bicycle as upright as possible, if you push your bicycle slightly to the inside while you’re keeping most of your weight on the outside pedal, you will be pushing your bicycle into the ground and increasing grip. This is an advanced biking skill which you should only try after you have mastered the basic shifting of weight.

Aside from developing your bicycle handling skills, you have to take into account the conditions on the road. How fast you could a turn depends on how much friction your tires require before they slip, and the stiction factor on the surface of the road. A smooth pavement with an abrasive surface provides the most grip. A bumpy surface can leave your tires airborne for a split-second. This increases the chances of a slide. Anything loose on the surface of the road, such as leaves or sand, must be ridden over at low speed or completely avoided without a lean.

One rule of cycling is to never look where you do not want to go. It is true that the more you look at an obstacle, the more likely that you will run over it. This can be a risky problem when cornering. If you stare at the line you have picked to carve the corner, chances are you’ll ride right out of the turn and off the road. It’s advised that you look inside of the turn, and do not turn your eyes. Slightly rotate your head so you are looking just to the inside of the line you like to follow around the curve – or in a tight turn, almost at the edge or centerline of the road. This will make it a lot easier to hold the right line around a scary corner. But be safe. Practice this biking skills at slow speed until you get comfortable.

For easy-to-use bicycles, visit Zize Bikes, the maker of custom built, extra strong bicycles for every body, including bicycles for heavy riders which can support weight up to 550 pounds.