retrorider
Scooter
Countersteering works at all speeds. It's impossible to steer a bike without it. To turn right, you have to steer left long enough for the bike to lean right. Then you turn right just enough to stop the lean at the appropriate angle. Then, when you want to straighten out, you countersteer again, this time to the right, which stands the bike back up. Then you steer straight. You do the same thing on a bicycle, but the effect is so subtle that you don't realize you're doing it. Think back to when you first learned to ride a bike. You had to develop the reflex of turning the handlebars in the direction that the bike was falling to get it to stand back up. That's countersteering.
Countersteering at high speeds almost seems magical. Try riding at 50mph and put a little pressure on the right grip. The bike will slowly drift to the right, even though what you are doing is turning the handlebars to the left. Then put some pressure on the left grip. The bike will drift to the left. Countersteering gives you the control to place the bike within inches of where you want to be.
Now, if the road curves sharply to the right and you have to turn quickly, push hard on the right grip and keep the pressure. The bike will lean to the right and the bike will turn really fast. Depending on the geometry of the bike, you may have to keep pressure on the grip to hold the turn. When you want to pull out, just put pressure on the left grip and the bike will stand back up.
One last tip that you will read in those books; if you're running wide in the turns, I suspect it's because you are looking at the outside of the turn rather than the inside. My son had the same problem. When he turned onto a road, he'd always hit the divider line. That's because he was looking at the line rather than down the road at the center of the lane. It is a truism that the bike goes where your eyes go. If you look at what you are trying to avoid, you are going to hit it. Look deep into the turn and the bike will go there.
Get the video "Ride Like A Pro" by Jerry Palladino. http://www.amazon.com/The-NEW-Ride-Like-Pro/dp/B008J5EE7S/ref=pd_cp_mov_1. He shows you how those motorcycle cops can do a u-turn within a single traffic lane on a big Harley. It's all in the eyes (and a lot of rear brake). The hardest thing on a bike is to make tight turns at slow speeds. The bike does not enjoy the stability of the gyroscopic effect, so you have to control it more carefully. New riders have a tendency to look at the ground, which slows you down and makes the bike fall. If you learn the techniques in the video, you will gain a lot of confidence as you realize how much control you really have.
Countersteering at high speeds almost seems magical. Try riding at 50mph and put a little pressure on the right grip. The bike will slowly drift to the right, even though what you are doing is turning the handlebars to the left. Then put some pressure on the left grip. The bike will drift to the left. Countersteering gives you the control to place the bike within inches of where you want to be.
Now, if the road curves sharply to the right and you have to turn quickly, push hard on the right grip and keep the pressure. The bike will lean to the right and the bike will turn really fast. Depending on the geometry of the bike, you may have to keep pressure on the grip to hold the turn. When you want to pull out, just put pressure on the left grip and the bike will stand back up.
One last tip that you will read in those books; if you're running wide in the turns, I suspect it's because you are looking at the outside of the turn rather than the inside. My son had the same problem. When he turned onto a road, he'd always hit the divider line. That's because he was looking at the line rather than down the road at the center of the lane. It is a truism that the bike goes where your eyes go. If you look at what you are trying to avoid, you are going to hit it. Look deep into the turn and the bike will go there.
Get the video "Ride Like A Pro" by Jerry Palladino. http://www.amazon.com/The-NEW-Ride-Like-Pro/dp/B008J5EE7S/ref=pd_cp_mov_1. He shows you how those motorcycle cops can do a u-turn within a single traffic lane on a big Harley. It's all in the eyes (and a lot of rear brake). The hardest thing on a bike is to make tight turns at slow speeds. The bike does not enjoy the stability of the gyroscopic effect, so you have to control it more carefully. New riders have a tendency to look at the ground, which slows you down and makes the bike fall. If you learn the techniques in the video, you will gain a lot of confidence as you realize how much control you really have.