The zone!

[Spearfish]

Zones can be long or short then, focus of all things non essential left behind...
Take for instance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beEXfEdpDrk

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lftAkGhdBo&feature=channel

or

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

or this one?

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/user/2009/January/Arctic-Clutch-Full-Movie---The-Arctic-Circle-in-a-Speedo/

then it goes back to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4LYivqZ9Vg&feature=channel

Or simply leaving work at work while riding home

[R-Soul]

Too much focus blinds you to what's actually going on. Absorbing what's happening around you instead of assessing/calculating/reacting, it should be all automatic that's why it's currently called "In the Zone" it's a state of being.

Zoning out, lack of discipline, being mesmerisied, what ever label it gets it's the same principle as when single motorcycle accidents involve mostly speed, emergency braking, and failure to negotiate. Getting hooked concentrating one a single item will blind you what the whole picture is showing you.

Unfortunately we lack the discipline the majority of the time and in reality we only get fleeting glimpses on the road and why as an example:
When on the rare occassions a racer on the track finds his/her zone they look so impressive when they just leave the rest of field in their wake, everything just clicks into place; It isn't just the speed as they may not even be the fastest circulating, it's a whole host of things combined to make a complete package work properly for that rider (synergy). Others in the field may have all the same items working for them but they're trying whereas the rider who's scarpered off has got the balance right and is enjoying it.

Oh OK so you do agree there is a zone (since it does have an effect).

Perhaps what is lacking is an appropriate definition of it.

Like spearfish has said below, perhaps it is the ability to focus (but not overfocus) on those aspects that have priority, while being aware of the rest.

Or perhaps just the ability to focus on issues surrounding the performance of the bike on the road, and only them (to the exclusion of all of life's other worries).

Or perhaps just the state of mind of heavy concentration, and not necessarily related to the specific issues that are being concentrated on.

I suppose concentrating well on at least some issues are better than absent mindedness, or loose concentration on nothing much at all.

Everyone must start somewhere, and more things will be added over time with experience (sometimes rider start off not even having the ability to sense particular issues, like tyre grip, road camber, etc and their ability to read it gets better with experience).

I am not sure that strong concentration in itself should be discouraged - perhaps instead, the adding of more things to concentrate on should be encouraged (like golfers). I do believe that if you are not focussed on particular issues, and are merrily and absent mindedly winding your way along without a care or thought about issues of performance (or even testing particular techniques), you are probably not learning as much as you could be.

[buellbabe]

Wow! 17 pages long! Sorry but my lunchbreak just ain't long enough to read the entire thread so I am just gonna respond to the original post and say this:

'The Zone', yep been there done that except that I call it 'having a Zen Ride'. That feeling of being one with the bike and everything being effortless and darn near as close to perfection as us puny mortals can hope to get.

Hell yeah! It rocks.:yes:

Also I will add that 'The Zone' is not just about motorcycling. I aim to achieve it in everything I do!
For instance I went to work absolutely shattered yesterday but by mid-morning I was definately in 'the zone' and powered through a heap of work and then stayed and did 3 hours extra and all the mega retouching I did was passed through without a single correction. yay for me! LOL.

[T.W.R]

Oh OK so you do agree there is a zone (since it does have an effect).

Didn't say or suggest there wasn't, but it's not a series of disciplines it's the culmination of them reaching an equalibrium. Just happening like fluid


Perhaps what is lacking is an appropriate definition of it.

Like spearfish has said below, perhaps it is the ability to focus (but not overfocus) on those aspects that have priority, while being aware of the rest.

Or perhaps just the ability to focus on issues surrounding the performance of the bike on the road, and only them (to the exclusion of all of life's other worries).

Or perhaps just the state of mind of heavy concentration, and not necessarily related to the specific issues that are being concentrated on.

I suppose concentrating well on at least some issues are better than absent mindedness, or loose concentration on nothing much at all.

Everyone must start somewhere, and more things will be added over time with experience (sometimes rider start off not even having the ability to sense particular issues, like tyre grip, road camber, etc and their ability to read it gets better with experience).

Discipline is the vital ingredient and you're halfway there. You never stop learning on a bike, and anyone who says they know it all is a liar.



I am not sure that strong concentration in itself should be discouraged - perhaps instead, the adding of more things to concentrate on should be encouraged (like golfers). I do believe that if you are not focussed on particular issues, and are merrily and absent mindedly winding your way along without a care or thought about issues of performance (or even testing particular techniques), you are probably not learning as much as you could be.

concentration directed at what is the question, too much attention directed at particular things detracts from seeing more in balance. Golfers have a fraction of things to be concerned about by comparison. Be prepared for the unexpected, not busy calculating what is happening, just the same as look where you want to be not where you're going; it should be 2nd nature.

[crystalball]

I went for short ride from Auckland to Paeroa. Set off thinking what a lovely day to go to Tauranga and back. Well got in a nice zone at riding safely e.t.c now relised there was alot off black ice on the roads which was all good just looked out for it and rode carefully. Got to paeroa petrol station and had a coffee and got gas and warmed my hands on the coffee cup i was sipping. Decided i would head back to Papakura as did not like the idea off going on with the black ice and me not dressed warmly enougth. Anyway i was in a happy buzz nice and calm and enjoin the morning. On way back i had fun but got home feeling very dissapointed and feeling a little cross with myself, i won't go into detail. Since i have got myself a bigger cc bike i find alot off cage drivers exspecially on motorway or highway tend to want to go faster than me (108km) and will do anything to pass me. now alot off times i'm all good with that but then sometimes you get in that silly zone off f..k you and will do more..kmh to keep in front. Now i am a little confused as to what caused me to get in that zone..was it the speeding cages or was it me..i got a big cc bike how dare you over take me. or is it the up yours skello finger patch on my lower back,or whatever it is it runes my nice safe buzz.:sick:

[MSTRS]

None of what you describe is The Zone. You are just out riding, and getting 'competitive'...

[Katman]

i got a big cc bike how dare you over take me. or is it the up yours skello finger patch on my lower back,

Yeah, you sound like a real winner.

[Genie]

None of what you describe is The Zone. You are just out riding, and getting 'competitive'...

aha, but each of us have our own interpretation of the zone....

[R-Soul]

I went for short ride from Auckland to Paeroa. Set off thinking what a lovely day to go to Tauranga and back. Well got in a nice zone at riding safely e.t.c now relised there was alot off black ice on the roads which was all good just looked out for it and rode carefully. Got to paeroa petrol station and had a coffee and got gas and warmed my hands on the coffee cup i was sipping. Decided i would head back to Papakura as did not like the idea off going on with the black ice and me not dressed warmly enougth. Anyway i was in a happy buzz nice and calm and enjoin the morning. On way back i had fun but got home feeling very dissapointed and feeling a little cross with myself, i won't go into detail. Since i have got myself a bigger cc bike i find alot off cage drivers exspecially on motorway or highway tend to want to go faster than me (108km) and will do anything to pass me. now alot off times i'm all good with that but then sometimes you get in that silly zone off f..k you and will do more..kmh to keep in front. Now i am a little confused as to what caused me to get in that zone..was it the speeding cages or was it me..i got a big cc bike how dare you over take me. or is it the up yours skello finger patch on my lower back,or whatever it is it runes my nice safe buzz.:sick:


Nope this is whats called riding with ego - very dangerous, and causes you to take on risks you would not ordinarily take on, and make badly judged decisions without thinking them through properly.

[MSTRS]

aha, but each of us have our own interpretation of the zone....

Varying interpretations are allowed, even if they are wrong.
The Zone may be different things to different people, but I'm convinced the commonality is that each of us feels at one with ourselves and the bike, and are not affected by outside influences (ie keeping ahead of that bloke in his V8 wanting a go)

[Katman]

Nope this is whats called riding with ego - very dangerous, and causes you to take on risks you would not ordinarily take on,

Sounds like his Zone's remarkably similar to Beyonds.



It is a place that causes you to break the rules,
to reach past your normal boundaries and allow you
to ride past your fears.

[PrincessBandit]

Yep. It's quite a shock when it is interrupted by something called "The reality", usually starting off with a somewhat bumpy little off-road gravel excursion, transitioning to a solid "wallop" as you clout a culvert, along with a very stressful airborne "quiet bit" while you grit your teeth and wait for the painful and inevitable "whack" and then the deafening "rustle" as you slide to a stop, with hopefully not too much "darkness" at the end of it.

I recognise the onset of "the zone" and take it as my "slow down" or "cut it out" warning. Such a warning is unlikely to be repeated, so you better hear it the first time.

Steve

Are you on the naughty step at the moment? If I could bling you for this post I would. Maybe when nanny has finished with you and you have your privileges back I'll remember to send you some green.

[MSTRS]

Sorry, PB. He's another one that hasn't got a clue what The Zone is. He is describing The Red Mist...

[crystalball]

Sorry, PB. He's another one that hasn't got a clue what The Zone is. He is describing The Red Mist...

you nailed it on the head man. googled red mist and sounds right. not good thing to get into on public roads.:innocent:

[toycollector10]

Eighteen pages so far of horse manure...A general slagging match. It's embarrassing really. Where's Beyond gone? Is he a troll?

My take on riding fast(ish) is "Brake early and brake often" Save yourself from a world of pain or worse.

[beyond]

Eighteen pages so far of horse manure...A general slagging match. It's embarrassing really. Where's Beyond gone? Is he a troll?

My take on riding fast(ish) is "Brake early and brake often" Save yourself from a world of pain or worse.

Still here :) Remember this post was started a year ago now and nope... I'm no troll. Just like to share my experiences, although it seems to ruffle feathers a lot every now and again.

[PrincessBandit]

Sorry, PB. He's another one that hasn't got a clue what The Zone is. He is describing The Red Mist...

I would respectfully (out of respect for your comparative "seniority" :wink: ) disagree. I didn't take what he wrote as referring to that. Given some of DB's posts I can see why you would say this, but you could easily apply the same to some people's version of "the zone".

[Edbear]

Still here :) Remember this post was started a year ago now and nope... I'm no troll. Just like to share my experiences, although it seems to ruffle feathers a lot every now and again.

Yeah, funny that...

[MSTRS]

I would respectfully (out of respect for your comparative "seniority" :wink: ) disagree. I didn't take what he wrote as referring to that. Given some of DB's posts I can see why you would say this, but you could easily apply the same to some people's version of "the zone".

Aha. He still wasn't describing The Zone. What he did get right was to recognise the symptoms and back off, before it becomes a problem. (did I really say that?)
But The Zone is another state of mind altogether. I don't know what colour it is...perhaps a nice calm robin's egg blue?

[R-Soul]

Sounds like his Zone's remarkably similar to Beyonds.

Yes it does to tbh.

Riding in the zone is not about others at all. Its about your own journey, and the achievement of perfection in awareness and technique, the expansion of your understanding and learning, and awareness to encompass and handle more and more input.

Yes I guess it does sound all very zensual (ghey for you Katman)- but I honestly dont know how else to describe it...

EDIT: This is referring to my personal subjective idea of the zone - obviously I cannot enforce my definituion of it on anyone else. But if your version is dangerous, then I suggest you have the wrong idea of what it is.

[beyond]

Yes it does to tbh.

Riding in the zone is not about others at all. Its about your own journey, and the achievement of perfection in awareness and technique, the expansion of your understanding and learning, and awareness to encompass and handle more and more input.

Yes I guess it does sound all very zensual (ghey for you Katman)- but I honestly dont know how else to describe it...

EDIT: This is referring to my personal subjective idea of the zone - obviously I cannot enforce my definituion of it on anyone else. But if your version is dangerous, then I suggest you have the wrong idea of what it is.



Yep, I don't recall associating being in the zone with danger either. In fact being in the zone means everything is flowing so smoothly and so perfectly that you are fully aware and alive to your surrounding and can see way in advance any issues or problems that are likely to occur. That is why I likened it to watching a movie that you know the end of.

[imdying]

You think you know the end of. Still plenty of unknowns that can bite you in the arse when you're in the zone. I'd wager you might have a better chance of dealing with them, but hazards are still hazards, in the zone or not.

[R-Soul]

Aha. He still wasn't describing The Zone. What he did get right was to recognise the symptoms and back off, before it becomes a problem. (did I really say that?)
But The Zone is another state of mind altogether. I don't know what colour it is...perhaps a nice calm robin's egg blue?

:yes: In true Zen fashion, it should be a colour that cannot be coloured.

[Grubber]

Can't believe you 3 are still going on about this.
All your definitions of the "zone " have changed about 6 times over the last 15 pages.
Make ya minds up if you can please.

[MSTRS]

Some men...you just can't...reach.
That's ok. Just leaves more Zone for the rest of us....

[Boob Johnson]

You have a vagina?:crazy:
He borrowed it from Katman :laugh:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNzTho1eNKA&feature=related <------ That is madness! Not only is the gixxer is all over the show, as DMTND said but they are cutting blind corners & passing cars on or over the centre line, bloody stupid.

[Grubber]

Some men...you just can't...reach.
That's ok. Just leaves more Zone for the rest of us....

For both of you, i think you mean!

There is very little 'rest of us'!

[bogan]

For both of you, i think you mean!

There is very little 'rest of us'!

here's something I made up to help you learn how to interpret samples; you're welcome :shutup:

[Grubber]

here's something I made up to help you learn how to interpret samples; you're welcome :shutup:

Think you forgot my category.....

"Those who shake head at Bogan reply, and laugh" category.

Best you got huh?

Never mind son, i'm sure something great will come to mind (that's if your not in ya zone') in due course.

[bogan]

Think you forgot my category.....

no you're in there, the little yellow and red bit, wiki venn diagram to understand how they work. the point I'm trying to make is that lots of people have different opinions on this subject, but not all post about it, just because they don't say it doesn't make it any less valid, also saying the same thing over and over again doesn't make it any more valid either :shutup::shutup::shutup:

[skinman]

that this thread has gone on so long
I do fully understand what the OP was going on about but I have only got there racing mountain bikes when at the top of my game but I am sure it could occur when riding on a particularly nice section of road on a good day.

[avgas]

It also makes the world a place where the easily swayed are easily seduced into placing themselves at increased risk.
I love it when you talk dirty

[avgas]

I went for short ride from Auckland to Paeroa. Set off thinking what a lovely day to go to Tauranga and back. Well got in a nice zone at riding safely e.t.c now relised there was alot off black ice on the roads which was all good just looked out for it and rode carefully. Got to paeroa petrol station and had a coffee and got gas and warmed my hands on the coffee cup i was sipping. Decided i would head back to Papakura as did not like the idea off going on with the black ice and me not dressed warmly enougth. Anyway i was in a happy buzz nice and calm and enjoin the morning. On way back i had fun but got home feeling very dissapointed and feeling a little cross with myself, i won't go into detail. Since i have got myself a bigger cc bike i find alot off cage drivers exspecially on motorway or highway tend to want to go faster than me (108km) and will do anything to pass me. now alot off times i'm all good with that but then sometimes you get in that silly zone off f..k you and will do more..kmh to keep in front. Now i am a little confused as to what caused me to get in that zone..was it the speeding cages or was it me..i got a big cc bike how dare you over take me. or is it the up yours skello finger patch on my lower back,or whatever it is it runes my nice safe buzz.:sick:
You sound like my old social studies teacher.
Take an enjoyable subject, then explain it, in such a way that all I want to do is sleep

[avgas]

Whats this Zone thing and can it be found on a 1976 xl 125 ?
Yes, I found it 6pm out the back of the old farm, climbing up a hill as a kid.
If you have to ask - you don't know.

[Spearfish]

Yes, I found it 6pm out the back of the old farm, climbing up a hill as a kid.
If you have to ask - you don't know.

Yeah your probably right. But then it kinda answers the question to. LoL

[Maha]

The Zone?
No such thing, you either have a good day or you dont.
Why camp it up with a buzz word?

[Genie]

Went out for a ride today....was splentastic!

Aced some narly corners, didn't come off on the slippery icey gritty ones, bike obeyed my every command...control was where I was at.

We had a big play together....those 3 hours went so fast.

Didn't find no zone out there today, but then again I'm out of practice, may have to go out again tomorrow after work and see what happens.

Practice is what I love.