stuman Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Do you practice skills that might improve your riding even when your not riding? For example, I like to work on "wide view" when driving on the freeway. I look past the car in front of me, try to keep track of ALL the cars around me. I try to move my attention to the mirrors without "looking" at them. What do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonzilla Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Do you practice skills that might improve your riding even when your not riding? For example, I like to work on "wide view" when driving on the freeway. I look past the car in front of me, try to keep track of ALL the cars around me. I try to move my attention to the mirrors without "looking" at them. What do you do? I practice looking into corners, and since learning to look before I hit my turn point, I practice that. I'm always looking ahead of the car in front of me as well as the cars behind me. Thanks to my US Army provided PTSD I'm hyper-alert, and I'm always being followed (they DID say that my combat related PTSD isn't military related, by the way). With that, if I space for a second on the track and someone passes me (I get passed a lot), I over react. I've learned to adjust the bike well, but it can still get me every now and again. I do work on expanding my vision. I've just started, but every once in a while I remember to try paying more attention. WITH PTSD I'm forgetful, so I do forget that a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sslowmo Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 looking through the corners, and being smooth with the controls ( wipers, turn signal, stereo) :<) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullet Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 looking through the corners, and being smooth with the controls ( wipers, turn signal, stereo) :<) I always try and practice 2 step and 3 step turns in the car, especially when I'm pushing on in my Elise and having some (ahem) fun, honestly officer. You can definitely practice the visual skills just as well in the car as on a bike. Bullet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harnois Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 The visual skills like the wide view, looking ahead, looking around the corners, etc, are all extremely useful when playing car or bike racing video games! And practicing it in the video game definitely transfers to real life riding. I find that the visual skills take constant practice and conscious effort in both the video game and in real life else I revert back to old habits. And yes in my car on the curvy backroads on the way to work, all the same visual stuff, looking through the turns, wide view looking for deer, plus working on getting on the throttle sooner, although it's a bit disappointing with an automatic - you know push the gas and 8 seconds later it finally gets its ass in the right gear and accelerating! haha. oh well it is a station wagon! And quick turning applies even in the car. And nothing like the 5 lane highway with stop lights going through my home town for practicing wide view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuman Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I also think video games are good for practicing skills. I was playing Need for Speed Shift (great game by the way) last night and I was having trouble with a corner at donignton. I was running wide in the same corner lap after lap. Finailly figured out I couldn't see the apex when entering the corner and I had no referance point for a turn point. Dooh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sslowmo Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I also think video games are good for practicing skills. I was playing Need for Speed Shift (great game by the way) last night and I was having trouble with a corner at donignton. I was running wide in the same corner lap after lap. Finailly figured out I couldn't see the apex when entering the corner and I had no referance point for a turn point. Dooh! I also find if I use some of the tools I've learend from the school,and use them while playing racing games,I do so much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalihe74 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Like others, I practice looking through corners while driving. Scares the tar out of passengers, sometimes, as they fixate. Also constantly practice looking ahead and reading the pavement ahead of me, as well as the environment around me. I fell asleep last night visualizing a couple of tracks I've ridden recently, running through how I rode them, and trying to figure out what I could do differently/better next time I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwarner Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 I sometimes catch myself quick-turning in my '94 accord... bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sof Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 I also think video games are good for practicing skills. I was playing Need for Speed Shift (great game by the way) last night and I was having trouble with a corner at donignton. I was running wide in the same corner lap after lap. Finailly figured out I couldn't see the apex when entering the corner and I had no referance point for a turn point. Dooh! Hey Stuman, Great thread by the way. Do you play any of the MotoGP games? They help me learn the track and the 2008 game on simulation mode is really challenging. You can ride Donington too which is amazing how narrow it feels in the game. Playing online is also fun especially around the time of real MotoGP races which gets very competetive. Regarding practicing skills while driving my car, I find myself doing what you do in shifting my attention without moving my eyes. It's amazing how all the (visual) information is there all the time and we just have to learn how to process it. Takes a lot of patience and practice! Another thing I like is to brake hard when nobody is behind me so I can feel where the limit is in case I need to brake hard. It has helped me avoid skidding during heavy braking even in the rain. I like to know where the limits of traction are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalihe74 Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Finally got to ride my Sprint in to work yesterday and was practicing quick turning (both in corners, and during lane changes), hard braking (when possible) & body position during the cruise. First turn was a little pucker-inducing, since I'm used to my track bikes which have the suspension dialed in for me. The Sprint's suspension is waaaay soft, so I went into a turn at a would-have-been-comfy-on-a-track-bike speed and had the joy of pogoing along for a while. Funny thing I noticed: I have absolutely no problem getting my torso off the bike, head over by the mirror, on the Sprint but when I hop on the 'tona or the SV, I have a ~20% chance of getting it right and ~80% chance of just being crossed up. Something to practice practice practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fajita Dave Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 I have been playing SBK for the PS3 and recently switched to the "rider view" and I have to control his body position forward to back. Jeez what a new experience that is, I just wish they dampened the shaking a little bit. If I start sliding the rear tire around and let it recover the bike shakes all over the place and I can hardly see where I'm going. Next thing I know I see my braking marker fly by and now I have to shoot up the inside of the corner to avoid flying off the track! Everything feels so unnatural when you can't feel where the limits of traction are or move your head around to get a better view for a turn. After I got the throttle control smoothed out I think it would be excellent training aid. Reference points are critical and you NEED to be smooth with your inputs on this game otherwise the bike will throw you off quick. You can't apply throttle while leaning the bike over otherwise the rear end kicks out quick just like if you tried it on a real bike. Of course on a video game you tend to be slightly more aggressive then you would be in real life . I rarley go fast enough on the street to practice anything on my sportbike. Even when I do ride faster then I should on the street I hardly ever have to brake for a corner but I do pay attention to my turn in points, apex, and on throttle points. There are a few turns that got a whole lot easier after changing those three things and hopefully that kind of experience will help me find smooth lines when I get to the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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