- Navigating hairpin bends or switchbacks, is a crucial element when
riding in the mountains, both going up and down. Here's how. (rock music) Now although it's not quite as critical as when travelling at high speed downhill, you still need to look up
and ahead to get the best, and the safest, approach to the corner. Now things to consider
include oncoming traffic. If that is the case,
you're gonna need to take a wide approach and not cut the apex. If things are clear,
once you've looked behind before changing your line, it
may be that you want to cut the apex and ride up the inside. But again, you'll have to
assess if this is a good option, as cutting the apex
uphill can mean you face a very steep, if short, gradient. Taking the wider and longer
line around a hairpin will generally mean you
carry far more speed as the gradient is less here. So it's really important that you choose the right option for you. Do you go harder and out of
the saddle, through the apex? Or generally sit down
and spin in a lower gear, faster and longer. The decision is yours. Other factors will often
determine the route that you take, like traffic, as we already mentioned, and being surrounded by other riders, like in the Maratona dles
Dolomites for example. But one thing you'll have
to consider very seriously is the cumulative effect of
the technique that you choose. Our advice, to save energy,
is to take a far wider route and maintain your momentum. But if you're feeling
good and want to take the shorter harder line, go for it. (rock music) As with descending in general, you should be looking up the road ahead, not down at the road in front of you. And doing this will
give you plenty of time to shave off enough speed gradually before you then swing
into the bend itself. Ideally your hand should
be on the drops of the bars as this is the most stable position. As you approach the bend, try and look further
down the road if you can to see if it's safe to cut
the apex of the bend or not, as this will determine
the line that you take. And if it's a left-hand bend, drop your right foot to
the six o'clock position, and if it's a right-hand bend, drop your left leg to six o'clock. Also, importantly, look
at where you want to go, and in this instance it'll be
the exit point of the hairpin. Focusing on this will assist
you in a far smoother, cornering experience, believe us. Ideally all of your braking should be done before the bend itself, but sometimes, no matter how experienced you
are, you can misjudge a bend, especially on a
particularly tight hairpin, forcing you to brake
through the corner itself. Now if this happens, don't
grab at your brakes in a panic, make sure your braking is
smooth and progressive. On tight hairpins, choose a line where you approach the corner wide before dropping in and clipping the apex. If it's a blind hairpin and
you can't see the road below or what's approaching, the
apex will be the centre of your side of the road,
not the opposite side. Keep looking up at your exit point, as this will assist you
in taking a smooth line through the bend, rather
than making micro adjustments all the way through. And for extra traction through the bend, push your backside downwards
through the saddle, and your hands downwards on the drops. So get your hairpin technique
dialled and locked in for an improved mountain experience. Now for your one-stop shop
for all things cycling, subscribe to GCN for absolutely free, by clicking on the globe. Now for some more technique videos, how about clicking just down here for descending made easy, and just up here for cornering made easy. And don't forget to like and
share this video as well.