Derek's awesome and never ending thread

[SVRACER01]

Thanks, Ox. Honest, I really like the down to earth advice you give.

But I think we need to meet in person or something because I must be doing something to trick you....

Whenever I'm at the track all I do, all day long, is look for help. Neither am I the "try to get knee down" kind of person. In fact I'm riding in an Aerostich that dosent have knee sliders so I'm trying really hard not to touch my knee!

im a down to earth kinda guy
some pics you look great, other pics you look like your falling off or hanging on for dear life. youre right though, i would need to see it first hand.

[Paul_E_D]

THE TURN IN, THE TIGER'S TEETH, & THE PATCH.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZKYRzegjdk

2 of the informous now extinct SRR team...... (Paul, Chris, Graham, Ken, Debbie).......

Nice line! I wonder who was filming that guy?

Seriously, you can see that to get the bike turned in you have to initiate the input between the 2nd to last cone and the last one. Lots of people initiate the turn at the last cone, which is too late IMO.

[xsiliconkid]

Nice line! I wonder who was filming that guy?

Seriously, you can see that to get the bike turned in you have to initiate the input between the 2nd to last cone and the last one. Lots of people initiate the turn at the last cone, which is too late IMO.

[xsiliconkid]

Nice line! I wonder who was filming that guy?

THe guy in this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOeaZGgHE_I

[Paul_E_D]

That's a classic by now! One of the best onboards from loudon. Tight ten configuration! lots of great passing moves to look at. For track day people who think they have been passed close, this was just practice and I was being conservative. Zach (the filming bike) was showing no mercy on his vintage racing buds... We put the camera on my bike and zach was scorching everyone, elbow down in 6,9, and twelve. The camera ran out of film on pit out... Doh!

btw, Graham, You have amassed a LOT of great visual teaching aids in your bag of tricks.

[DerekSBelanger]

Wow, these are all really great videos and comments. Thanks-a-million everyone. I’m actually feeling a little sentimental about the help you guys are giving – thanks – really.

I can’t believe how tight the line is in that short T3 video! It kinda makes me feel like I should do something about the setup on my bike because when I try to imagine taking that line - my imaginary bike (based on the real one) turns like a chopper in comparison. Once I try it in the flesh maybe I'll know for sure. (FYI I haven’t touched the bike since I bought it except to replace broken parts)

I've been sitting on the bike trying to get used to a more neutral position. It’s not coming easy - I like the balance I feel when my body is very low - but with enough practice maybe I'll get it figured out.

Oreo, I think we talked about trailing T3 but I didn’t get to practice that because I had so many other things I was working on. I'll have to give it a try on the 29th

Gram told me there are a few places I'm fast, which is awesome, but no one has told me where I'm slow (or relatively slow compared to where I'm fast). I think that would be some awesome information to collect.

If we can get EveryLap working next time, I'll see if I can put all this together and I'm hoping it will turn out to be something under the 1:30 mark!

[DerekSBelanger]

im a down to earth kinda guy
some pics you look great, other pics you look like your falling off or hanging on for dear life. youre right though, i would need to see it first hand.

Next time I'll be on the track is Sept 29th with TTD - you should come!

[Paul_E_D]

I can’t believe how tight the line is in that short T3 video! It kinda makes me feel like I should do something about the setup on my bike because when I try to imagine taking that line - my imaginary bike (based on the real one) turns like a chopper in comparison. Once I try it in the flesh maybe I'll know for sure. (FYI I haven’t touched the bike since I bought it except to replace broken parts)

Trail braking can make your bike track like a laser beam. Just approach it in baby steps. Hold the brakes just past tip in at first and work your way towards holding a little brake until the rumble strip.

Get the bike on it's side as fast as possible, and then see where it goes. It's like an entirely different bike to the one you are trying to lean progressively.

Gram told me there are a few places I'm fast, which is awesome, but no one has told me where I'm slow (or relatively slow compared to where I'm fast). I think that would be some awesome information to collect.

not to be cheeky, but if your still slower than 1:30, then it's safe to say that there's room for improvement everywhere. Approach it by working on the fast turns first. 6-9, 10, then 1-2, then 11, then 3. You can't improve everything at once, so keep your focus on one thing at a time.

[DerekSBelanger]

not to be cheeky, but if your still slower than 1:30, then it's safe to say that there's room for improvement everywhere.

That’s not cheeky because it’s true! My first ever timed laps were done in June of this year and I did a bunch of 1:33’s. I've done a couple track days since then so I'll be excited to see if I can get into the 1:2x’s next time.

[DerekSBelanger]

....so I have video from August 4th which includes three full uninterupted laps.

I had an inspiration this morning - and decided to use the frames in the video to estimate my laptimes. The quickest lap is the one where I had the least traffic (only one pass in this lap)

1:28.60
1:32.37
1:33.35

[Doc]

What group were you in?

[Hoss]

oh I know this answer! He was in Yellow

[Trouble]

I'll keep shooting video of you if you let me chase you around the track on the 29th. I found myself pushing to keep up, and that's what I think I need. Not so much that I couldn't continue to work on what I need to work on, but enough that there was a carrot out in front of me. It was hit or miss with traffic as to how close I could keep you, but it was a blast nonetheless.

[DerekSBelanger]

oh I know this answer! He was in Yellow

Confirmed! I was in Yellow group - and so was Hoss



HA! We looks so slow...like we're running an errand at the grocery store.

[Hoss]

LOL, But that's not me

[DerekSBelanger]

I'll keep shooting video of you if you let me chase you around the track on the 29th. I found myself pushing to keep up, and that's what I think I need. Not so much that I couldn't continue to work on what I need to work on, but enough that there was a carrot out in front of me. It was hit or miss with traffic as to how close I could keep you, but it was a blast nonetheless.

Sounds good to me! I know we are close in pace because in the last session or two I was using you like a pace car while I practiced the body position that Gram had recomended. If you get any faster I'll be holding you up

I think you are better than me on the brakes (everywhere) and on the gas better in T10 (something I didnt even realize I wasnt doing). If I'm making time on you, I'd guess its between apex and exit points everywhere except T6and T10

I dont know why, but, unlike you, I stink at following. As soon as I ty to keep up with someone I instantly start going slower.

[DerekSBelanger]

LOL, But that's not me

D'Oh!

[DerekSBelanger]

Ok, time to break out the stop watches....

Looks like a mid / low 1:28 to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHr4ey4P228

[Trouble]

I think you are better than me on the brakes (everywhere) and on the gas better in T10 (something I didnt even realize I wasnt doing). If I'm making time on you, I'd guess its between apex and exit points everywhere except T6and T10

I was braking later than you, but you were making a more crisp turn in and were able to get on the throttle sooner. That allowed you to drive out of most of the corners faster. We just kind of bungeed back and forth.

[Hoss]

hey look, there i am parking my bike in the T3/10 split after a clutch problem. Awesome

[DerekSBelanger]

Trouble - thats great because it means our observervations are the same - so we have a somewhat accurate idea of what we can work on next time.

Hoss - Sorry about the breakdown! Fix it up and brign it back out on Sept 29!

[DerekSBelanger]

....holy heck....its going to be a long wait until Sepetember 29th

[DerekSBelanger]

Recently I’ve heard a lot of comments about competition helping “you to push harder” – weather it be against another racer or against the clock.

I have to say, it's very different for me!

I can only go as fast as I know how. If I do anything else, I go slower. Does anyone else feel the way I do?

For those of you who like the feeling of being “pushed” – why do you like it and why do you think it may be that you can’t do this “pushing” on your own? It’s very interesting to me, I’m not talking down at anyone, really I’m just curious (old psych minor kicking in?).

[RyanNicholson]

For me, being "pushed" to go faster was a goal... analyzing my markers and knowing where I could adjust them to pick up time. Racing-wise, obviously its a push to get around another rider but thats competition and not based on lap times. Learning to pass in a race and learning to get faster are two different things (that are both extremely important in a race environment). Use your markers, if you find yourself braking at the 3 board going into T1 and know you could carry more corner speed at the apex, trust that the 2.5 board will get you that little bit more. Also analyze HOW you're doing things, if you're braking at the 3 board but can't carry more speed at the apex, are you using all the braking power? maybe you can brake at the 2.5 board and reach the same corner speed. This gives you an extra 100ft or whatever of top speed on the straight.... which helps immensely. Be methodical about it if you want to learn to get faster and more consistent.

[Jim]

im a down to earth kinda guy

whoa, pump the brakes. i call