Corners

Post by **Skins** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:21 am

I made a pic of these corners because I know them to be good corners (if a little slow) and I thought they might look like good corners (and it's a pretty scene) but then I thought maybe they only look like good corners if you ride on the left, like we do in NZ (and Aus, SA and UK) and maybe if you ride on the right, like on the Continent and in the Americas, they look a bit tricky and not so inviting. Or maybe I'm just going a bit nuts in my old age. Anyway, there they are - corners.

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 4:51 pm

those are beautiful corners! the surface looks so smooth and sexy!

redpaso · Post by **redpaso** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 4:20 am

Thay look very nice skins, I don't think there is such a thing as a bad corner - a corner is only bad when you out ride yourself. They look very sweet although that scenery could be a little distracting

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 5:13 am

Skins,

It looks very similar to the coast road from Cape Town through Hout Bay and up over Chapman's Peak. I haven't had the opportunity to ride this road on a motorbike for more than 15 years (Cape Town is 14 hours by car from Johannesburg).

I ride it each year on a bicycle as part of The Argus cycle challenge. It is just one long flow of corners with a drop to the sea on one side and the mountains on the other.

Paul

fasterdammit · Post by **fasterdammit** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:38 pm

Now that looks like fun, whether you're on the right or the left side of the road. Which way is more fun to take - going left to right, or right to left?

We have a section near me - route 13 - which follows Chittenango Falls. It's about 7mi and all switchbacks and chicanes. And from what I've heard, talking to other riders (it's usually packed full of bikers of all walks during the summer), the general concensus is that going south is much more fun than going north. I agree that heading south on this road is definitely faster - going north is more technical.

I love how the same road can change its demeanor depending on whic direction you ride it. Decreasing radius turns in one direction mean increasing radius turns in the other; a bad camber angle on one side means you can really wack it open in the other direction. Not always, of course, but it's nice to have two for the price of one.

So skins, which is your preferred direction on that road? And great pic, by the way!

Post by **Skins** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:04 pm

The section is nice either way, faster, but has to be ridden slowly and carefully - well under 30mph. As Red guessed, there are considerable distractions - the beauty undulating around you, and traffic, which is not heavy, but ever-present, because it's such a pleasant alternative route connecting two parts of the city. You just have to ride it carefully. Actually, I did the work because I guessed I could make a composition in the location which would contain the feeling of bend-swinging, and also some beauty.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:03 am

Faster,

I ride (on my bicycle) around Kyalami race track a couple of times a week and they alternate us between riding around clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Clockwise is like one long climb with one steep downhill called the mineshaft. Anti-clockwise is one short slog up the mineshaft and a fast downhill for most of the rest of the lap. The corners are completely different too. The lines through them and where you clip the apex are different.

As for preference, one is good for speed training and one is good for building leg muscles. Each has its good (and bad) points.

Paul