Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducati999
Sorry for the delay in answering your post, I had to really think to work out what the difference really came from. I guess if im honest, its me being lazy. Since we are not racing, I can safely assume they bike I am following (in the slower groups) will not be braking anywhere near 100% and will not be carrying max corner speed. This allows me to simply match their speed down the straight until I reach my brake marker, then just brake + or - a little bit to again keep the gap between us approx the same. I only use my line thru the turn so they may be on the same line but usually they are on a different enough line that I can run up along side to show a wheel or slow a bit more to maintain the gap. I believe this means I use my own reference points but that the other rider I am following becomes a moving reference point. Most of the time when this is happening now, I am setting them up for a pass driving out of the turn so matching their speed on entry then looking to get on the gas earlier than them to get the good drive out.
I dont think I have an issue with not looking far enough down the track(see my posts about looking beyond the next turn focusing on the jersey barriers or the huge rock wall beyond) but I will take a mental note of how far ahead I really am looking at speed.
I have a real test ahead of me now. My next track trip is just over a week away and I will be riding an unfamiliar bike at a track I have never been to. Going to Road Atlanta for 2 days and borrowing a bike. I have no doubt that I am in good hands down there just the normal worries of a borrowed bike on a new to me track. I will report back once the event has concluded
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Thanks for answering the question
Curious to know how your track day went and how you found riding on the unfamiliar track! Are there things you do in order to help you learn an unfamiliar track quickly?
As for following faster riders, I usually find that when I'm following a faster rider, it is actually forcing me to look further ahead or further down the track, SOONER, which helps me feel like I'm not actually going as fast. There are other things you can learn as well, like the angle they approach the turn-in area, where they turn the bike, how much of the track they use etc. I'll never forget my second session riding at Aragon as part of Troy Corser's Racing School Europe and having Troy himself blast by me and tap the back of his bike- follow me! I barely knew if the corner went left or right but I was doing everything I could to tag along with him. He was giving me all sorts of hand signals, move this way, 2nd gear, look up the track, etc....it was too much at once, but the biggest take away were some of his lines, how much more of the track he was using than I was, and just getting my eyes up higher because I was watching him!