Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducati999
Tgold: Great advice, next time out I am going to just take 2 corners and make them my focus. I really feel this is the best way to achieve what I am looking for. I have been focusing on trying to put it all together and get a little faster overall but I really feel you are onto something there. I have a lap timer on my bike and that is how I know I was actually going faster at the end. I have a lot of responsibility at work so I cant push too hard and put any more risk into the equation than there needs to be.
I have been slightly out of my comfort zone for a while. I had my best improvement while following a better rider (Jon a control rider for TTD) He told me to follow him and I did. Every lap he would turn around and I was right behind him. He would bring the pace up a little more and again and again I stayed with him until he finally waved me past and followed me for a few laps. This is when I managed to drag my knee thru a few of the turns because I had the confidence of his entry speeds and I was really flying (for me) and had to ride like that to keep his pace. dont get me wrong I did not feel like I was not in control or over my head but I had never run that fast before. All this was before Csmith taught me to corner with the power on thru the turns and I was just entering the turn with steady throttle then getting on the power late at nearly the apex. Now as I ride by myself I continue to try to keep the entry speed close to what Jon showed me was a good safe speed and I am getting on the gas earlier and still (mostly) hitting my marks. I am just not sure how much more speed the front (or rear) will take before there is none left. I know I am not at the limit but as I said I dont know how to interpet the feed back I am now getting. There is a limit but where that is I have no idea. I will continue to follow what has worked for me and focus on two turns until I get used to what I am now feeling then I will slowy begin to add speed in the 2 chosen turns and just focus on good lines and form thru the rest of the track. 
PS: Jon followed me back to the paddoc after he led me then let me lead. That will forever be my trophy! I have never felt better (Riding) than when he said "You were really flying out there!" TRACK JUNKIE FOR LIFE! |
The part about not knowing were the limit is, well I'd use this analogy: The 18 year old gymnast who has been on the balance beam since she was three, well, she's spent so much time on that beam and she's developed her sense of feel and balance to such a degree that to her that beam feels like she's on a 4X8 sheet of plywood. But to you and me, it feels like we are on a razor blade.
The way to develop your feel for the edge of traction on a bike is to spend a lot of time near the limit. It doesn't have to be over the limit, just near it. The things that I can feel on a bike now are far more subtle than when I started out racing many moons ago. Practice, think, practice, think, repeat.