Video: Getting the Most Out of Corners - Full Enduro Episode 5

Nov 9, 2019 at 9:58
by Pinkbike Originals  


FULL ENDURO

EPISODE 5


Zoe is back in Squamish to do some turns with local shredder Christina Chappetta. Cornering is one of the most important aspects of enduro racing and getting the most out of corners can take seconds off a stage time. Identifying a corner and deciding the best way to attack it isn't a skill that is learned in a day, but with a solid foundation Zoe can put these principals into practice on future rides and races.

Presented by

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Filmed & Edited by Will Binamé.

Special thanks to Corsa Cycles.


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99 Comments
  • 86 3
 SPOILER ALERT! Tune in next week to see Zoe discover how a hacksaw can unlock her true riding potential.
  • 68 3
 What's the point of wearing a helmet if it's going to fly off in a crash because your chin strap is loose AF?
  • 16 1
 I guess the few ones who downvoted your comment already had a head crash...
  • 8 1
 If you don´t wear it tight to your chin you could pretty much could skip the helmet. The same stupid fashion in skiing. Even Christinas is too loose in an accident and I would say she is wearing it after "normal standards"... Tight your helmets people or save your buks, definitely save your buks on Mips anyway because that ain´t doing shit when your helmet is on the side of your face hitting the ground. Kids fashion isn´t that cool after all...
  • 2 0
 Disclaimer: this video features riders wearing their chin straps as loose as f..k. Viewer discretion is advised ...
  • 37 8
 Grab a broom. Hold the handle out in front of you like a set of bars. Grip the broom as wide as possible. Push the broom handle away from you. Check how far from your chest. Now slide your hands inwards until they are shoulder width. Notice that the broom handle is several inches further from your chest. If your bars are too wide you lose range of motion and your body position will have a forward bias to it. Because... geometry.
  • 4 3
 Is there a general rule of thumb that you're aware of for bar width related to height? I never cut my bars, so running 800mm on everything but the hardtail (785mm there). I'm 5'6" but I'm +3.5" wingspan
  • 34 1
 but why male models?
  • 3 0
 @kellsbells: lol nailed it.
  • 4 0
 @twonsarelli: ‘it’s all about limb length imho
  • 4 1
 @twonsarelli: Nope, personal preference. My personal sweet spot is 760-770mm although I went to 750 on my new 29'r. Seams to feel pretty good, speeds up the steering that is slowed by the big wheel & wider tire than I am used to.
  • 75 3
 @iamamodel - while I was reading your comment further and further an anticipation was growing inside of me that you will reveal how to fly the broom... i must say I am disappointed.
  • 4 0
 You had me sucked in at a few inches from the chest!
  • 13 1
 @eshew: I don't know if the "personal preference" argument works for someone who is relatively new to the sport though. I doubt you can call something like that when your body position and technique isn't fully developed yet.
  • 18 4
 are we still doing this?
  • 3 0
 @iamamodel in theory, but we are talking a few mm on width on each side, not several inches per your example....it makes a very minor difference
  • 2 0
 @twonsarelli: I’m old-school-meets-new-school, so I tend towards a slightly narrower run, but for a reach that’s equivalent to someone 5’9” I’d say u want to be around 760mm bars. I say this because a wise buddy told me bars that are about 45% of ur wingspan puts ur wrist angle at an optimum position where u get great leverage, but don’t strain ligaments and don’t end up too close to ur bars (AKA nose-heavy, far-forward). Hence I cut my bars to 765 and it feels damn perfect.
  • 1 2
 @twonsarelli: www.llbmtb.com/lessons/bike-setup/ridelogic-handlebar-width

You have to sign up but the free one gives handlebar width calculator and I've found Lee to be pretty spot on with bike setup
  • 3 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I had to go back and re-read it...laughed sofa king hard.

For real though, MTB is like Kiki’s Delivery service, remember when she lost her flying skill and kept trying to do that road gap but ended up crashing and breaking her broom?
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: hahahh
  • 8 1
 @jzPV: I wouldn’t say Zoe is new to the sport, rather developing her “enduro/DH” skills to compliment her very strong XC skills. Here in B.C., there is a big step in difficulty of trail when changing disciplines. If you saw this chick, you’d be surprised by how strong her upper body is for a petite woman. She could probably bench press 2x her body weight. Just sayin
  • 9 0
 @twonsarelli: I’d say.... it’s complex. It’s important to take into account how broad/wide your shoulders are, length of arms, type of bike/terrain that you like to ride etc. I can say that I personally ran 760mm bars for a long time on my Dh and enduro bikes but swapped to 750mm bars when I got my 29r. I felt the longer reach and higher/bigger wheel made the bike harder to control and maneuver so a bit narrower bars helped to correct my body position on THAT bike. As my shoulders are quite wide and strong for my stature, I can confidently say that 740mm bars are way too narrow and make my chest feel restricted and closed vs open and strong. Hope this is helpful information!
  • 4 2
 @cchappetta1: Yeah I'm not having any problem running 800mm bars on my bikes but I was curious mostly why everyone was freaking out about bar width in this video. I wonder if anyone would have brought it up in the first place if there wasn't that disclaimer at the beginning of the video.
  • 3 1
 @twonsarelli: oh, they have been complaining about bar width this whole series. The comedy is that I don’t think anyone seems to have read the warning at the beginning, because they are quick to post about it without any sense of irony.

On another note, it was refreshing to see riders on PB talking about and taking the late apex lines (even if they didn’t use the term) as opposed to squaring off every corner to schralp.
  • 1 0
 Zoe could do very well with some forward bias, imho.
  • 2 0
 @whambat: OK thanks
  • 1 1
 @whambat: Because it is kind of ironic to see someone teaching cornering ride with really wide bars Smile Yes it matters, but I won't lose sleep over someone doing whatever they are doing. Please - I live and let die. Nobody will get hurt becaue someone rides really wide bars.
  • 7 0
 I wear a 42R sport coat, 32 waist, 5' 9", 10" shoes, large socks, drink one iced tea a day, drive a white car, like 80's punk music, never been skydiving, and have seen John Wick 3...How wide should my handlebars be?
  • 7 0
 @vjunior21: Just wide enough, anymore than that and they are too wide. I personally try to get my bars to be the "perfect" width, you should try it
  • 3 0
 @vjunior21: 685MM +/- 5MM. And they should be blue or maybe green.
  • 2 0
 @vjunior21: 42S would fit you much better, from a 40S wearer Wink
  • 4 0
 @twonsarelli:

Sam Hill and Ritchey Rude run like 750mm. So if you want to be like them cut to 750mm.

I gut mine to 750mm to get more clearance on trees. Works well. I am 6 foot with a plus 1" wing span.

Riding park only wider can make sense. A lot of it is what you prefer, however, going from 800mm to 760mm did feel a lot better after a couple rides.
  • 2 0
 @vjunior21: 760mm
  • 4 0
 @vjunior21: As a bar fit specialist/engineer/life coach/whatever else it is people claim expertise about, I can confidently say that given your penchant for '80's punk music, you need 400 mm bars.
  • 4 0
 @cchappetta1: no way in hell she can bench over 200.
  • 1 1
 @Noah353: I don't know about that, Noah. Her background is XC, and I found XC racing really developed my upper body strength and increased my bench press max.
  • 3 0
 @TEAM-ROBOT: serious...joking? leaning towards latter...
  • 2 0
 @TEAM-ROBOT: don’t forget Yoga and always supplement protein from broccoli sprouts, improves bench, grip strength and vertical jump. Don’t do refined carb unless it’s microdosing before race. You are what you eat.
  • 31 7
 I've got balls of cookie dough. When I grow mammaries of steel and have race-level skills I'll think about confronting someone about their bike set up preferences. Besides that, of all these consults Zoe is getting, if it were truly impacting her riding I'm sure one of these coaches would have suggested experimenting with a different bar. None of that is happening and they put a warning in for those of us who think they know better, so maybe we can let Zoe get her ride on and she can put it all together at the end to see what comes of it.
  • 6 2
 Best suggestion thus far! Thank you Smile we can all assume we know what’s best for another rider, but in reality it’s up to that particular athlete to decide what feels best AND helps them perform the best. We will all adjust our set ups as time goes on and nothing ever stays the same as “standards” continue to change within mtb.
  • 20 3
 This series feels like the goal is to just make the video as opposed to make the video about the progress. It feels awkward because it is rushed and she 'has' to figure it out quickly and she 'has' to agree with the coach. Anyone that has tried to teach MTB to anyone or got coached will know that it very rarely happens like this. You can teach someone the theory but it might take 50 to 1000 reps to actually figure it out.
  • 18 2
 We’re never rushed when filming and always take a lot of time to make sure Zoe understands what the coaches are trying to convey. That being said, you are totally right about the 50 to 1000 reps and that’s why Zoe also puts the knowledge into practice off-screen on her own rides.
  • 6 0
 So very true in that I would never expect someone to perfectly perform a technique after just having heard about it! Zoe has been riding for a while now and is a very strong XC rider, so we can be assured she is no beginner. Even the best riders in the world would agree that they are not perfect at cornering, or any skill for that matter. We can always practice and get better.
  • 2 7
flag Noah353 (Nov 16, 2019 at 10:00) (Below Threshold)
 @jasonlucas: sorry but this series is kind of shit. It just doesn't feel real at all.
  • 17 0
 I do not want to be rude, but I suggest she should adjust the laces of her helmet. In case of a crash, the helmet will move and will not protect her head.
  • 16 0
 Full Enduro "getting the most out of the cost of your bars by leaving them as wide as possible"
  • 16 0
 Yes Christina!
  • 3 0
 Yes Remy!
  • 4 0
 Cheers buddy
  • 9 0
 I don't know if its just me but I find them awkward when turning. Both of their elbows are too wide, isn't that the outside elbow is the one that's high to support your turn and your inside elbow is kinda straight? The inside knee is pointing too much outward in the corner too. Zoe's behind is still way over at the back, imo...
  • 11 1
 "We want, like, gain some speed here, with just natural gravity"
Pro tip: use Artificial Gravity™ on top of the natural one for even more significant speed gains.
  • 11 0
 I want 950mm wide bars.
  • 5 0
 Great tips overall but nothing on foot positions. Pedal level or outside pedal down. Driving with hips. Chin over stem is great but be careful that it doesn't become leaning on the bars.
  • 8 0
 Cheers for the positive feedback! We talked about many things like this during our 4 hour private session. Unfortunately, cutting down that boring chat to a short video for viewers to hold attention makes it difficult to see everything we discussed and practiced. Luckily Zoe has the rest of her riding life to work on these skills Smile
  • 5 1
 I have an idea. Instead of saying she needs to cut her bars, I'm going to say she just needs to get looser over her bike, let it work on its' own and use more body motion to control what it's doing. I think the bars looks ridiculous right now because of how still she's riding.
  • 2 1
 Way to think outside the box! I love it! Being loose on the bike is critical at times. Zoe is an extremely good and fit XC rider so the idea with this series is to develop and refine her skills for future enduro racing. I’d say she has become a much stronger rider since lesson 1 for sure!
  • 3 0
 to be honest, I've been thinking this too. Ep 1, I was like WTF are those bars, but actually everyone else's bars are not really too dissimilar a width in each episode. The difference seems to be most noticeable when seeing master and student from side on. Zoe's back's at like 15 degrees whereas everyone else's is at 30. Made up angles, but you get the idea. Standing a little taller (bringing hips forward a touch, and opening them/unbending) would give the bike more space to move around which goes hand in hand with being looser Smile
  • 2 0
 I also think you may have hit on something here. While at first her bars look very wide, I think what could be happening is that she is riding physically tense. This could be a result of being filmed/coached or as someone mentioned earlier, Zoe is very strong for her weight and it looks like she is trying to force the bike where she wants it to go. With practice a well set up machine will only require a subtle physical suggestion from the rider to change direction. We are talking very light inputs to the bars here and the only way to properly modulate these inputs is to be light/loose on the bike.

What about this? How about using narrower bars as a training tool. They amplify steering inputs and make you really learn to do small movements with a light touch. Then once that is learned you can step up to a wider bar and gain the leverage/stability that is needed for enduro style riding. Zoe, what is your favorite song? Try singing it in your head when you ride these trails and see if it reflects in your body position and overall relaxed feel on the bike. Keep up the good work.
  • 9 2
 you've been doing a lot more enduroing lately? really? who talks like that? 'enduroing'??
  • 14 1
 I talk like that hahah
  • 5 0
 That line is resoundung in my head! Enduroing... Jesus H Christ!
  • 4 0
 @billythegerbil: enduroing....it's a lifestyle
  • 4 0
 Okay. I have watched dozens of how to videos on cornering and this by far was the best advice I found. The "Low, look, and lean" approach worked today as I gave it a shot and it made my cornering smoother.
  • 3 0
 Yes! That’s amazing! Thank you! If I’ve helped 1 viewer, plus Zoe, I feel like it was well worth it to be a part of this project. Cheers for the positive feedback.
  • 2 0
 Overall I'm really enjoying this. Thanks PB for the great content. I love how it is showcasing a load of rad female talent. This armchair quarterback still feels they put the wagon before the horse if they were to put together a training program. Body position should have been first IMO- leaning the bike without understanding all three planes of body-bike movement is a lot harder to do. Line choice is great to learn but should come way after learning how to stand a bit higher and drop low at moments where the movement is needed. Minaar is a master class in this because of his height and technical precision- www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt3B1ahTFBs watch how high up on his legs he is through most of the course and how much energy that saves and movement it frees up on the bike by using that horizontal range- it takes so much energy to stay in that tense squat and also bottoms you out so you are unable to respond with as much body if the terrain calls for it. Zoe seems like a fast learner and is really throwing herself into that that learning role in a great way. Thanks again for the great content!
  • 3 1
 Are they riding bikes or running for a hug? (yeah, cut your bars, there is no reason the have bar half meter longer than your shoulders width is, personal preference? you just started riding trails/en so there is no personal preference at all at the moment, just ditch it, stop telling us it fits you well and cut it to just try it, you can thank us later, or hate us, but try it)

Just watch the Marine Cabirou´s last edit, 770mm on DH bike, you see how she is handling it? How much power is she able to put in? How is she able to put her weight forward or backward and simply work with the bike? That is the difference between a pilot and a passenger, and it starts in cockpit
  • 1 0
 Agree, 750mm on full sus bike and 720mm on DJ bike is my way to go haha
  • 4 0
 Here's an idea; take Zoe to a pump track! She looks so tight sometimes. She's super strong, but needs to get loose and flowy. Girl needs some steaze. Wink
  • 2 0
 Pump tracks for the win! Such a great place to practice all the skills required to be a good mountain bike or “enduro’er” hahah but seriously, everyone could benefit from time spent in a pump track!
  • 5 0
 “They’re all good corners” Hell yeah they are!
  • 3 0
 Okay, so as I understand it, she's Canadian but speaks with something akin to a NZ accent. Unless she grew up outside of North America, that accent is very odd.
  • 1 0
 Agreed. She absolutely did not grow up in North America/Canada....
  • 4 0
 She’s Australian married to a Canadian.
  • 2 0
 @harrybrottman: Makes sense. Thanks mate.
  • 1 0
 @harrybrottman: thank you.
  • 6 1
 So much mansplaining in this thread...
  • 27 24
 Lady’s, BARS TOO WIDE. Cut them down ffs.
  • 16 4
 Sad that they need a warning to reduce all the barsplaining they get
  • 15 1
 WARNING , The following content contains riders with handlebar widths that they prefer but some viewiers may find too wide . Viewer discretion is advised.
  • 12 8
 @tulipanek: yeah that disclaimer don’t mean shit if the f*ckin bars be too the f*ck damn wide.
  • 7 3
 Something about bars
  • 4 2
 Guess everyone's notice how wide and flat those bars are...Wonder how those will perform on the very tight switchbacks?
  • 1 0
 Those bars seem like they'd limit how much they can lean the bike down in a corner, or how much they can move around on the bike.
  • 3 0
 Sam Hill called, please cut your bars it hurts to watch!
  • 1 0
 I think if they originally called this "the over-exaggerated enduro body position series" they could have cut the PB comments section down in half.
  • 1 0
 That inside knee must hit the Saddle... A fail often done by former Motorcyclists.
  • 2 1
 How does a Yank move to Whistler? Asking for a friend.
  • 3 0
 You don't :-)

Try and get a work visa is the best chance.
  • 1 1
 @MMOF: How does a 38 year old get a work visa and move to Canada? Asking for a friend lol.
  • 3 0
 Step 1) be rich
  • 3 0
 marry a canadian, nevermind male or female
  • 3 0
 @ismasan: This could work...I'll approach the subject with my girlfriend later Big Grin
  • 2 0
 climb the wall
  • 3 2
 When don`t I have a girl-friend like that. Life is cruel...
  • 11 1
 All the time?
  • 3 1
 @dingus: ha!
  • 4 5
 This sucks do anything but this
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