Quote Originally Posted by Velocivixen View Post
I spoke to a Category 1 bike racer and we discussed cornering. As I newby I mentioned that I knew enough to keep the pedal in the "up" position on the same side as I was turning toward, so I wouldn't clip my pedal on the ground. He asked if I knew the more significant reason for that, and I said "No". He said that while the inside pedal is up, the outside pedal is down and the leg is straight. That straight leg is not relaxed, but the rider should put active, downward pressure on that leg to cause the wheels/tires to have grippier contact with the road so the bike does't slip out from beneath the rider going around sharp curves. He also mentioned keeping the body slightly more level and upright while the bike leans in the direction of the turn.
Ok, so then this is what I do. I say lean left when turning right, but really, my body is upright. I also have the turning side leg in the up position. I thought about this alot on my ride this morning, and I actually looked at my speed around corners for the first time. I can easily do 20mph around a corner without feeling any slip.