Step By Step Drills?

[AryM]

Hi to all the Pro's and instructors (Cobie etc),

 

I completed Levels 1 and 2 on the 1-2 October this year.

I never managed to ride since then and back on Track Saturday this weekend.

 

I went through my notes, and cannot seem to remember all the advice and tips from the Instuctors @ CSS.

4th gear no brakes, quick turn, bike pick up and 2 Step being the drills that stick out in my head.

 

And now back on track, I'm worried I might NOT use all the knowledge I gained....

I know Rome wasn't built in a day but I'm so eager to get quicker.

 

Is there a step-by-step guide to getting to put all the drills to use?

What advice have you got to make it easier to grasp and use the skills I've learnt to put into practice on track?

 

Many Thanks

Ary

[faffi]

I think the slowest way to get faster is to be eager. Hurry slowly is the best way, working on one skill at the time, understanding what you are doing and what your actions cause. If you can think ahead of how fast you want to be in 2 years from now and what progress you need to achieve your goals, you will be faster (and likely crash free) then compared to trying to be as fast as you can over the next weekend. However, I fully understand your frustration and I've caused myself all sorts of injuries working out over the years because I chased short term goals instead of long term goals. And even today, nearing 50, I fail to follow my own advice

[Crash106]

Hello AryM,

 

I'm not an instructor, but I can recommend you read "Going Faster," by the instructors at the Skip Barber Racing School. Just the section on "Grading Corners" is worth double the price of the whole book. Then, of course, there is The Procedure" (page 76) and a whole chapter on "Working Up a Track." you can learn a lot about cutting lap times even when you are not on the bike.

 

If you don't have the "Twist" video, that might spark a whole bunch of memories and ideas for what to work on next.

 

Good luck.

[Mika]

...or; read Twist of the Wrist I & II. Many of us use these books as reference guides all the time. It gives you a broader analytical foundation of the drills you learned in School.

 

Mika

[Cobie Fair]

Hi Ary,

 

For sure Twist Books and DVD's are the references--its what the coaches use! On top of that, we have booklets for students that have done the level, did you get the ones from Level 1 and 2? If not, could snail mail them to you, easy if you are in the US.

 

Let me know, and you can e-mail me directly if you want them sent, we'll need an address: cobie@superbikeschool.com

 

Best,

Cobie

[Jasonzilla]

It's almost going in the order that the school teaches, that you need to practice the drills.

 

If you're not familiar with a line around the track, do that first. You can sometimes get that line, or refresh, by walking the track and doing the warm-up laps. You'll be able to focus on the riding part once you have a good basic line, and don't have to worry about just getting around the track.

 

I say "almost going in order that the school teaches," because you've already learned the two-step, and have been coached up in it. I'd do it second. It's going to put you more at the speed you should be going, and everything else, especially the quick turn, goes so much better when you're doing the two-step.

 

Rider input is HUGE, and will eat up a lot of your time just getting used to. It's always in the back of my mind, and monitoring my shoulders for relaxation was a huge thing for me, because I can check it real quick in a large corner, and just keep myself relaxed through the turn.

 

I'd say do the drills you're weaker at next, but always keep track of the drills you're doing, and give a session here and there to the things you're stronger at. I'm really strong at picking the bike up, but at the Pridmore STAR school, my instructor said I needed to get the bike up quicker. I haven't practiced it in a long time, and was lagging. It used to be one of my stronger points.

 

The deal is this: if you work on improving, you'll get faster. If you work on everything at once, you won't improve near as fast as if you work on one thing at a time. You can't accurately gauge what drill you're weaker at, and what you just may need a refresher at, if you're doing 3-4 things at once.

 

And keep it fun. I've been known to get real frustrated with my riding, and have had a couple of bad trackdays in a row, just because I was down about it. And tell us how you did, or post up some questions. We'll try to help anyone who asks.