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[robbosliding]

I've done 4 trackdays this year already and I haven't enjoyed one of them, my riding is frustrating me. I think there are a few factors involved. I had a big crash (taken of by a rider inside and behind at Cadwells Chris Curve) a season ago. This didn't seem to have much effect on me, I jumped back into the saddle a month later and no real hesitation. This January I highsided on the road and fractured my collar bone, its been plated and I have 9 screws in my shoulder. I am finding that I am backing off "in case" someone is coming under me on approach to my apex, its taking me off pace by as much as 5-10 seconds a lap and I'm pleased to see the end of each session. What isn't helping is because I have done alot of track days I keep being pushed into the advanced group when I am booking on as intermediate to find my feet again. With all due respect to other riders 6 feet of space on passing doesn'y involve brushing bars into corners. I am having a midlife track day crisis.....   Added to this I don't know if it is because I have bought an immaculate track bike but what is for sure is despite all the briefing inthe worls there is some very questionable riding in all of the groups. Fast nowadays is bloody fast (take my hat off to them!) but the inters is not far off and I'm seeing speed in the novice group that I would have expected to be in the fast group. I would hate to be starting as a novice nowadays. Are these organisers being greedy and filling the groups to get their return irrelevant of ability and is this why novice only days are becoming more regular? One thing is for sure, I have dropped from averaging 1.54 at Cadwell to failing to go sub 2 minutes,I need to sort myself out, I'm riding like a right wa**er!!!

[Chrisblack10r]

dude just read through your post and have to say "so fucking what if you've slowed down a bit" we have a sense in our brains and its called self preservation, being taken out by someone else and then a bad crash on the road will effect any rider, and bolloxs if they say it doesn't that just pure lies

I had exactly the same reaction after having a crash 3 years ago where i got a corner wrong and had a head on with a tree on the opposite side of the road, should of been dead buddy.

new bike and couldnt ride it for toffee

You need to go back to basics, if that means dropping groups then so be it just accept the fact and then it will be easier to get over the fears that keep popping up buddy

either it be inters or novice at least you wont be being pushing into riding fast to "save face", get back to entering the corner slower and winding on and coming out quicker, it will start to come back slowly but surely buddy

hope this helps bud, good luck too

[robbosliding]

Thanks for that mate, it is the common sense advice that I no doubt would tell someone else. I am my own worst critic and I think my frustration is being counter productive as I am now approaching track days in the wrong frame of mind. I'm not a racer and never will be but I enjoy riding as quick as I can but I don't enjoy swapping paint. I am slowly eliminating all excuses (suspension, seat etc), I concurr with the sense of self preservation and this worries me that it will get worse with age. There are some very quick fast older fella's out on circuit. I have a cracking bike and am fortunate enough to have the full rig, van, tyre warmers etc but some road riders are embarrassing me. I am falling into the "all the gear no idea bracket". Three more trackdays booked before the end of the month....Must do better

[Shongololo]

I had the same....high side at Snetty broke both feet. Last year didn't do to much riding due to work.
Did a track day in September last year and rode like a wanker until the last session before lunch where I was back to myself. Then after lunch was rubbish again. The differance was I decdided to stop trying and have fun.

This year the couple of rides I've done I'm back to myself.

Go back to basics but also have fun. the harder oyu try the harder it will be to go fast. Just go back to enjoying riding

[Jak]

Reading your posts Robo, I cant help feeling you're putting yourself under an awful lot of pressure to perform. Maybe its time for you to relax a bit and try to enjoy it without the lap timer running 

Once you get your confidence back you wont have to suffer the dodgy overtakes by frustrated riders behind. Its deffo safer to  go a bit quicker 

I dont have a lot of experience on trackdays, deffo no where near as much as you, but I have had an off and yes, I lost confidence to the extent I just wanted each session to end. But it does come back and it will again for you I'm sure 

[arek PL]

At least u have an excuse. I ride like a fanny, period 

[fringe80]

   

[robbosliding]

Arek, you made me laugh there!
I made some progress today. I took my ZX6 out on some scratching roads this evening. I went back to basics, smooth entries, correct lines and the biggest thing, short shifting using more midrange and carrying more speed in- I have been guilty of revving the engine and have found myself reducing entry speed because of too much engine braking on the way into a corner and then trying to retrieve it mid corner with peaky revs. Crap. Better ride tonight, I need to recapture these habits on track. Thanks for the kind words of reassurance, I'm still smiling at Arek!

[greenman43]

I had a similar experience mate, came off at speed while riding round Phillip Island a couple of years ago, and broke a few bones. I know exactly what I did wrong (loss of concentration going into a fast turn, turned out I had penumonia at the time), so I expected to get straight back into it. Next time out (after I'd healed up) I tried too hard to get back up to speed, and succeeded in scaring the crap out of myself several times. All that did, was do my head in completely, and only now I'm starting to get a lot of confidence back.

Moral of the story : slow and stady does the trick, build up at your own pace, and remember why you're there - it's all for fun, and no-one is racing for sheep stations 

Cheers,
Brian

 

[jamma10566]

As all above have said, take your time and let it come back to you. It will.

[EXJ10R]

robbo, if you haven't already, get yourself a copy of "twist of the wrist II" either book or DVD, study it and most of what's been said here is highlighted plus the dynamics of riding broken down and explained in lay-mans terms.  The more time you give yourself to develop the easier it will be.

[robbosliding]

robbo, if you haven't already, get yourself a copy of "twist of the wrist II" either book or DVD, study it and most of what's been said here is highlighted plus the dynamics of riding broken down and explained in lay-mans terms.  The more time you give yourself to develop the easier it will be.

All of the above is good advice. I have Twist of the Wrist both book and DVD, excellent stuff. Mirrors what I did out on the road yesterday on the twisties. I slowed myself down and quickly found I was riding smoother, quicker with less effort. I have been trying to ride off the limiter more like a racer when clearly I'm not. Yesterday did me alot of good. Being put out with the fast group on a friday when the club meeting riders for the weekend are there was not good. I tried to set off far to quick, beyond my own ability to avoid being mobbed and swallowed up and caused myself alot of problems and quickly went backwards. Dropped into the inters to find as many club racers there too. As well as being regressive it isn't fair on the common garden track dayer to allow this to happen. You can brief racers to behave all day long but they (understandably) will revert to type. I am hopeful I am bouncing back by finding my feet again slowing down. Will update after my next TD

[arek PL]

and when u find yourself (i bet it will happen sooner than u think)


i will need u to give me some advice on the track day at Waddington, maybe i start to ride a bit less like a .... fanny 

[chaospunx]

slower to go faster always works for me if im riding bad on a trackday i use a session riding a bit slower and really concentrating on the lines for corners and usealy find by the end of the session im back in the grove

[r1ninja]

If you've got the cash mate i highly recommend the california superbike school. All the teaching using Code's principles, plenty of track time, no one out there cutting you up and lots of instructor time ironing out any bad habbits.