why are left turns/U-turns so hard (for me?!)

[RoadRaven]

One of the cycling disciplines I enjoy most is time-trialling. The courses are usually "out and back" along a straightish piece of road. This means they almost always will involve a u-turn.

Initially I wasn't confident, but we have a kilometre of flattish straight road from our gate, so one of my regular rides is to ride this back and forth along this.

So to do a 10km ride, I have to do 9 turns... a 20 km ride (verrry boring, but I do that sometimes) involves 19 turns.

This is what has made me good and relatively quick - but definately confident doing tight u-turns.

Practice, practice, practice... thats all I can say.
It is about getting to know how you and your bike feel and realising its ok... it takes time, but you get there.

Do it slowly in a car park, get a cone or some obstacle you can bike around, and over time - hours, days or weeks - turn closer and tighter to the cone.

[RolliePollie]

I seem to lose the ability to make good turns when I have to fit my turn into a specific space. If I'm out in the open, like in a big parking lot, I can do nice u-turns and tight right and left turns. But put me someplace where there's a curb or a road edge or bushes or anything else in the way, and I can't seem to turn well at all. I think practice makes perfect in this situation...at least I am hoping that will be the case for me!

And is there anyone else out there who is not flexible enough to swing a leg over the bike? I have to lean my bike towards me, bend my leg, and lift it over the top tube. I absolutely cannot swing it over the saddle. I also can't touch my toes, which kind of gives you an idea of how unflexible I am.

[latelatebloomer]

Sara, as I've been doing my bike "rodeo" (psyclepath, it's just not graceful enough for me to call it "dancing" yet) I find the same thing! I can do some very tight turns zig-zagging around the big parking lot, and when I start to do them within the parameters of the 2-lane road, sometimes I do fine, a lot of times I "clutch." What a silly headgame, eh? I reckon the only answer is tons of practice, review the basics, practice more. When I look where I WANT to go, lead with my chin, and don't brake in the turn, I do great. Then the next attempt, I might do every single thing wrong and wind up pedaling in grass.

I don't really care how many times I have to go the park and do my loopdeloops, by next spring I will execute a u-turn as smooth and easy as my racer friends do. I will, I will, I will. I don't care how many people at the park laugh at the big lady going around in circles. I know this practice is going to make me a safer rider in lots of situations and will have me positioning properly when I have more speed.

yet another reason I feel I should soon change my handle to relentless.