ummm, i might be reconsidering my last post after reading pete's...but i ride a turd, and i usually try to make up for my shortcomings on the brakes (there's lots of them)
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ummm, i might be reconsidering my last post after reading pete's...but i ride a turd, and i usually try to make up for my shortcomings on the brakes (there's lots of them)
Risk management? The risk and adrenaline is why I race!
1. don't race
The biggest thing is know who youre racing with. There are guys I want nothing to do with because they are dangerous. Luckily for most of us he doesnt show up often and is in only 1 or 2 races when he does. Neither of which I run.
Racing is risky but you really cant think about that while racing. I was once asked what I think about while on the track. Im focused on what Im doing. Nothing else goes through my mind. Not one non racing thought. If there is someone in front of me Im focused on getting close enough to pass then when I am I focus on setting up the pass and then I focus on making the pass. I dont worry about the guy behind me. If he gets racey with me then Ill deal with it.
Its nice to have backup plans but in my experience they dont work out the way you planned. When shit goes wrong it happens so fast you need to be able to react without thinking about it. I think the best way to minimize risk on the track is to devote 100% of your brain power to the task at hand. Dont worry about the what ifs. Thats done before the day starts.
Well, There are definitely 2 types of racers: the thinking ones, and the reacting ones. Every long term successful racer I know is a thinking racer. They all have risk management strategies and don't crash much at all. The reason IMO is that they have already managed risk BEFORE the incident. There's usually not enough time to just react. If I know I'm going to slide in T2, I can handle it. If I have no idea a slide is coming, it's almost always too late.
Adrenalin, yes, serious injuries, no. I'll stick to risk management. Riding with cornerspeed, precision, and control is the best rush I ever had.
James, avoiding "Jesus" sounds like a great strategy. I agree that emergency reactions will be reflexes, no time to think.
My goal with this thread is to explore what can be analyzed, practiced, and hopefully avoided in advance, knowing that there will always be some crashes, chaos, and human hazards.
Practice passing, even when you're not passing. Ride behind someone that allows you to ride at a reasonably comfortable pace and visualize yourself passing them in various places- places where you can and can not pass. Imagine different scenarios and what you would do.
I think we all do this to some degree anyway when riding around & planning out our passes, but it could serve useful if you take an analytical approach to it when you're out there.
Face facts.
Yeah, you're gonna break stuff. Research good orthopedic doctors now. Avoid the E.R. if at all possible. Go directly to said ortho. Lol!
likely been said already (I haven't read most of the thread :shock:), but simply put when racing:
1. plan for the worst
2. hope for the best
(i've also taken these to the rest of my life. they're really good lessons)
that means:
buy the best gear you can afford
buy proper racing tires and brake pads
make sure your stuff is in excellent working order
do lots of trackdays and learn from the instructors - talk to them. (note - I've only ever done 1 trackday and it was after I bumped to AM. hindsight is 20/20)
be aware of your surroundings (whoa! that guy 4 bikes up is smokin bad, maybe he's dropping oil?!)
or, WTF? that jackass just cut me off going into the chute and i brake _stupid_ late for a novice into there so i should get off his line ASAP (ask me about this one over beer some time ;) )
don't pit alone. have someone at least aware of when you're on track so they know to check infield medical if it gets real quiet... and give them your significant other/parent's/sister's/best friend's/dog's cell phone.
...there's more to this and i'm not even sure it's what you were driving at, but i've gotta go convince my daughter she should be sleeping right now ;)
yeah, that's the kinda stuff I was driving at
thanks again for all the advice in this thread (and the sticky, Pete!), I'm going to review it all after these last few rounds.
one more tidbit I think I heard at Penguin:
- try to improve in little bites, because big bites bite back!
I feel like bumping this. Thank you all.
I've been meaning to add to this for the last few years, thanks for the reminder.
I second the skip the ER and have a good ortho on speed dial advice. ER is not where it's at.
Don't let that health insurance lapse.
when i was on pregrid i would check out everyones bikes around me, especially in a wet track situation. whos on rains, whos on DOTs, whos in my class (in a multi class race). no sense racing someone that isnt even in the same class as you (especially if they are trying to get by you).
I had a nasty front flip and crash on the outside of T3 in September and you don't want to hear the list of injuries. Racing with a questionable suspension is not advised. This year I have an all new set up and will have it checked frequently! - just my 2cents 👍
I think being in good physical condition will help you get around the track with less fatigue, and will probably help if you do go down, especially with the recovery process if injured. This may be last on some folks list. A little stretching helps.
And, when it gets hot and muggy, and it will, stay hydrated. I think I saw more crashes when it gets hot, folks get dehydrated, and make poor decisions.
And, as someone here once told me, be prepared to open up your wallet, as this kind of entertainment can get expensive.
Speaking of expensive, what's an 8 lap sprint cost these days??
For rookies, I'd suggest work at getting out of the Novice class as soon as possible
I am not an experienced racer, but here's a risk management advice: do not race/ride at Loudon and instead ride/race somewhere where racetrack pavement is in better condition than South Boston's pothole marked roads and the weather isn't always fucked up.
:poke::poke:
(goes off to hide behind couch)
Pussies can't be heroes
Every one of my numerous crashes was caused by me. Poor decisions, poorly timed inputs, grabbing ALL the front brake when I should have already picked a line and tipped in fully committed. Being in the wrong spot at the wrong time because I hadn't learned where the shit was going to happen with other riders. Bumps or weather have never been the problem. :wink: