Drawing Lines

[Cobie Fair]

I saw somewhere that Keith says to make up time in the fast sections and just get through the slow ones.

Unfortunately, at my level my club doesn't allow lap timers. I have to get bumped for that (soon I hope).

 

You've answered more questions than I've had the vocabulary to ask. I've been a lurker on this board for awhile, mostly reading Keith's articles. I've only recently decided to register and post.

 

Keep up the good work-EVERYONE.

 

I'm intereseted to know about what the deal is with your club, why they don't allow timing--I know some tracks in Oz and UK don't, is that your situation?

 

Good for getting out of the closet and not just lurking

 

C

[Jaybird180]

I saw somewhere that Keith says to make up time in the fast sections and just get through the slow ones.

Unfortunately, at my level my club doesn't allow lap timers. I have to get bumped for that (soon I hope).

 

You've answered more questions than I've had the vocabulary to ask. I've been a lurker on this board for awhile, mostly reading Keith's articles. I've only recently decided to register and post.

 

Keep up the good work-EVERYONE.

 

I'm intereseted to know about what the deal is with your club, why they don't allow timing--I know some tracks in Oz and UK don't, is that your situation?

 

Good for getting out of the closet and not just lurking

 

C

 

 

Another club I rode with was the same way. I figured they didn't want N00bs looking at laptimers. They don't require the speedo is covered but I do it anyway.

[tweek]

Still not satified with the 1 line theory and I think I understand better the reason for the tape markers in school.

[if my reasoning isn't acceptable then just go with - the kid is bored and tired of not being on the track and is killing time by writing lame blog posts]

 

http://guerillaprogrammer.com/blogs/tweek/...8/11/lines.aspx

 

Happy monday! 12 days to Cresson!

[racer]

Hi Tweek,

 

To the point: as has been previously stated... although there are many possible lines through any corner that could be called "good", foregoing any competitive considerations, there is one "best" line for a given machine and corner. One that allows the best control with the least effort which by default leads to the fastest lap. Perhaps it is not far off of your so called "mechanical" line. Regardless, I don't think this is your real issue. As you state in your blog post, you are having difficulty consistently sticking to the same line. Well, the bottom line is that until you can reliably and consistently achieve a specific particular line that you have planned to use, the rest is so much irrelevancy. By default, you will always be, by definition, out of control, ie. rather than you choosing your lines, your lines are choosing you.

 

Considering the difficulty you are having, it is understandable that one might wish to find fault with the goal. Why have a plan? It is so much more fun to simply see what tomorrow brings and isn't that the ultimate challenge? To go through life or lap able to dance with any situation that may arise unexpectedly? Isn't that the real skill? To live the Neverending state of crisis management that allows or enables one to ignore the ugly truth one doesn't want to confront....? (It is a kind of rush isn't it? The adrenalin, the surprise. It can be rather addictive actually.) I mean who can really predict the future anyway? Is there really any such thing as control? Isn't all control merely an illusion when there could be an earthquake or a pothole or an act of God? Is there really any such thing as freewill at all? Even in such a "controlled" environment a racetrack, a corner worker could spaz and jump out in front of you...

 

I think that if you are honest with yourself, and according to your blog post it seems you are, then you must realize that until you can actually ride a line that you choose, falling back on some beat zen philosophical BS is at best avoiding the truth and more likely a cop-out. Only when you are able to ride a line of your choosing at will, to put the bike anywhere you want as if you were one with the machine and closer to thinking the bike around the track as opposed to riding the bike around the track does the endless choice of lines become a reality for you. Until then, it is not an infinity of choices, it is merely an infinity of possible random outcomes. You might as well hold a lottery. How much skill does it take to guess a winning number? About as much skill as it takes to guess where you will be ten seconds down the track.

 

You know, some people really do live their lives like that.

 

I wonder if ones riding style or approach to the track might reflect ones approach to life in general? How much could you tell about a person by watching them ride, I wonder?

 

Baa...

 

The trick is to slow down. Choose your reference points ahead of time. Make a plan and stick to it. Only go as fast as you are able to see and use your reference points to guide you. Once you can master the process going slow, adding more speed is easy. And once you understand how to choose the best line, then you will be able to ride any line you choose.

 

Keep working at it. You'll get it.

 

 

r

[tweek]

hmmmm.......

Han Solo: Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other, and I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen *anything* to make me believe that there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. 'Cause no mystical energy field controls *my* destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.

 

Perhaps I've been using the Han Solo riding plan - just some simple tricks and nonsense.

[racer]

hmmmm.......

Han Solo: Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other, and I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen *anything* to make me believe that there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. 'Cause no mystical energy field controls *my* destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.

 

Perhaps I've been using the Han Solo riding plan - just some simple tricks and nonsense.

 

Maybe you should try riding with the blast shield on your helmet down, erm... a dark tinted shield on your helmet so you can't see anything?

 

[Jaybird180]

hmmmm.......

Han Solo: Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other, and I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen *anything* to make me believe that there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. 'Cause no mystical energy field controls *my* destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.

 

Perhaps I've been using the Han Solo riding plan - just some simple tricks and nonsense.

 

Maybe you should try riding with the blast shield on your helmet down, erm... a dark tinted shield on your helmet so you can't see anything?

 

So that's my problem!?

[racer]

It seemed to work for Luke.

[tweek]

Evolution from the no-brakes drill to the no-eyes drill.

 

might catch on. but think I'll let somebody try it out first. I stick with my plan of just staying on one line for a bit and see where that takes me. I get what you are saying racer. Up to this point my aim has been very much about control over the bike. Can I make it go where I want it to go without much consideration toward where it should go. Just get around the track while staying on the paved stuff was the primary concern. Got that down pretty well. So now we'll take the control up a notch and become consistent. The line I pick might not be the 'fast line' or 'mechanical line' but I don't care right now. I just want to stay inside a channel about 12" wide all the way around the track lap after lap. If I can get good at that, and I can, then I'll start worrying about good lines and stuff.

[racer]

Did you say that you had read A twist of the Wrist?

 

If you haven't at least read the first book, you really need to get it. All of this is covered in the books. How to choose a good line, how to pick reference points, etc, etc. I know I'm beating a dead horse, but, I can't emphasize it enough. What we discuss here barely scratches the surface. There is so much information in Keith's books and they are very, very easy to read. They are written so anyone can understand them and the information is absolutely critical. All the fundamentals that form the foundation the more advanced stuff is built on. Help me out here, dude. Meet me half-way. Throw me a bone. Or at least a 12mm combination wrench....

[tweek]

I have all three books and have read them all multiple times. The trick is taking the theory and turning it in to reflexive practice.

 

It is really easy to get distracted on the track. You are out there with a bunch of other squids. Some faster, some slower. Some are placed so as to prevent you from staying on the line you want. It's a complex dynamic environment.

 

However, the question is: if I were given the track on my own could I do two things - stay on a line as I described lap after lap and secondly: keep the times really close (ie less than a second difference lap to lap). I'm really not sure I could do that right now.

 

However, it is just a skill that needs to be developed. some practice and coaching and I'll be good to go. Plus, it gives Keith and crew something to work on next year .

[racer]

I have all three books and have read them all multiple times.

EXCELLENT!

 

I think the first book has the most info about choosing RP's and basic "line theory".

 

The trick is taking the theory and turning it in to reflexive practice.

Indeed!

 

It is really easy to get distracted on the track. You are out there with a bunch of other squids. Some faster, some slower. Some are placed so as to prevent you from staying on the line you want. It's a complex dynamic environment.

No doubt. It can be very challenging. But learning to deal with that is also part of the game.

 

If the track is really full, it can be difficult to find some personal space. When I feel the need for some open track, I'll sit at pit out and watch for a couple of laps to get a feel for where the "clumps" are. Then I'll wait until the biggest group goes by and/or the group with the biggest empty space behind them and try to insert myself behind that group or in that space. That way, assuming they are faster than I am, it will give me the most time on my own before the next group catches up. Then I'll ease off a bit and let the next group by to catch the next empty space.

 

However, the question is: if I were given the track on my own could I do two things - stay on a line as I described lap after lap and secondly: keep the times really close (ie less than a second difference lap to lap). I'm really not sure I could do that right now.

There's only one way to find out! But I think you might be surprised. I'll bet your lap times would be more consistent than you think.

 

However, it is just a skill that needs to be developed. some practice and coaching and I'll be good to go. Plus, it gives Keith and crew something to work on next year .

It is a skill that can be developed. And being coached is an invaluable experience. But, keep in mind that, even when they are there, Keith and crew can't really work on it. Only you can. The real goal is to learn how to learn, how to be your own coach, so to speak, when Keith isn't there. You can start by working the same drills even when you aren't at school. And perhaps find a buddy to work together so you can critique each other. Does that make sense?

 

racer

[tweek]

Just did my first trackday sense I crashed.

 

Worked a bit on my reference points and did ok. I guess. not really. Bigger concerns were consuming me:

 

First my bike didnt feel right. On entrance to turns it just didnt want to go in. Given my mental state I wasnt sure whether it was me or the bike, but I went to see the Suspension doctor anyway. There was no friggin nitrogen in my rear shock. all my settings were jacked up, spring sag in front was wrong. so on and so forth. He got the bike back to a nice middle of the roar setup. Good enough for the rest of the day.

 

Second, my pace right now is so slow my lines really don't matter that much. I could hug the inside of the entire track for all the difference it would make. Toward the end of the day my pace was coming back but I'm so far out of shape I ended up skipping the last session.

 

What I did observe though is that I really do seem to have trouble picking and recalling reference points. I really don't know why. In general the lines I follow without specific reference points are pretty consistent, but they are also pretty wide.

 

For now I'm going to leave this alone and pick it backup when I'm comfortable again.

 

June 7th - Thought I was channeling Rossi, but it turned out to be Depuniet.