dpex
31st October 2008, 20:50
Mother of God! What a buzz! What a learning curve!
Round one was decidely stuttery. I kept on messing with the rear brake and causing tyre tramp, so decided to just forget I had a back brake. Things improved.
Chopping down without equalising revs saw me wiggling all over the place. But got a handle on that after a while.
From there it was just a matter of trusting bike and tyres.
Round two saw me mess up a relatively easy corner, three times in a row. The third time I expected to end up in the kitty litter. Yarned with Frosty and several others about this. They said the first screw-up did my head in.
Understood that. Took more notice of the apex next time out. Problem went away.
Round three. Starting to get a handle on lines and speeds. Ergo, angles got better and speed increased. I was doing okay till some guy passed real close just as I was lining up for the chicane before the left into the main straight. I got fixated on him, lost the plot and ended up going straight ahead through the cones. "Won't do that again," (get fixated, I mean) I promised myself.
Back on the track, more of everything. Now I'm grinding the ends off my pegs, and still I felt like the bike was locked to the track.
NB: At no time, despite how hard I pushed, did I ever sense the arse-end slipping away. Damned good tyres, those Pilot Powers.
In between rounds Frosty gave me the Billy about all manner of thing, all of which I took on board.
Round four was just heaven on wheels. Not one screw-up and going averagely way faster throughout. Finally, I felt I was in the zone. Way slower than some. On the pace with others. But I realised I didn't give a rat's arse either way. It was just me, bike, track, and synchronicity, for me at least.
And even then I hadn't had enough, so Frosty drove the van home and I rode.
That was an interesting experience. I chose to just bumble along, cagers passing me time and again. I just smiled and thought, 'Buddy, after today I could eat your arse all the way to hell,' but the 'need' to demonstrate that point simply wasn't there, cos I'd just spent the day learning I can cane way harder than most cagers could imagine possible.
So I just bumbled along enjoying the freedom of not having to prove a point.
Fabulous day. Thank you MotoTT. Thank you Frosty and Shaun.
But I just have to do it again....and again. Grin.
Round one was decidely stuttery. I kept on messing with the rear brake and causing tyre tramp, so decided to just forget I had a back brake. Things improved.
Chopping down without equalising revs saw me wiggling all over the place. But got a handle on that after a while.
From there it was just a matter of trusting bike and tyres.
Round two saw me mess up a relatively easy corner, three times in a row. The third time I expected to end up in the kitty litter. Yarned with Frosty and several others about this. They said the first screw-up did my head in.
Understood that. Took more notice of the apex next time out. Problem went away.
Round three. Starting to get a handle on lines and speeds. Ergo, angles got better and speed increased. I was doing okay till some guy passed real close just as I was lining up for the chicane before the left into the main straight. I got fixated on him, lost the plot and ended up going straight ahead through the cones. "Won't do that again," (get fixated, I mean) I promised myself.
Back on the track, more of everything. Now I'm grinding the ends off my pegs, and still I felt like the bike was locked to the track.
NB: At no time, despite how hard I pushed, did I ever sense the arse-end slipping away. Damned good tyres, those Pilot Powers.
In between rounds Frosty gave me the Billy about all manner of thing, all of which I took on board.
Round four was just heaven on wheels. Not one screw-up and going averagely way faster throughout. Finally, I felt I was in the zone. Way slower than some. On the pace with others. But I realised I didn't give a rat's arse either way. It was just me, bike, track, and synchronicity, for me at least.
And even then I hadn't had enough, so Frosty drove the van home and I rode.
That was an interesting experience. I chose to just bumble along, cagers passing me time and again. I just smiled and thought, 'Buddy, after today I could eat your arse all the way to hell,' but the 'need' to demonstrate that point simply wasn't there, cos I'd just spent the day learning I can cane way harder than most cagers could imagine possible.
So I just bumbled along enjoying the freedom of not having to prove a point.
Fabulous day. Thank you MotoTT. Thank you Frosty and Shaun.
But I just have to do it again....and again. Grin.