When you find yourself heading into the ditch

**Zedder** · 19th April 2012, 08:44

Now, you are talking about road cones aren't you?

**sinfull** · 19th April 2012, 08:45

Originally Posted by nodrog

"too many" you mean hundreds and Thousands?

Only do that on sundaes

**Str8 Jacket** · 19th April 2012, 08:53

Originally Posted by sinfull

Only do that on sundaes

All sounds a bit choc-dipped to me.

**nodrog:Me** · 19th April 2012, 09:02

This thread has gone down a Rocky Road.

**Zedder** · 19th April 2012, 09:05

Yeah, but someone will trumpet.

**unstuck** · 19th April 2012, 09:11

Tip top thread this one.

**gatch** · 19th April 2012, 09:20

If you cock up mid turn and get on the brakes, instead of sliding or rolling, you may end up "highsiding" and coming down in a nasty broken heap.

Chances are you are better off aiming for the ditch and looking for the softest place to take a lie down.

**sinfull** · 19th April 2012, 10:20

Originally Posted by gatch

the softest place to take a lie down.

Just dont freeze !

**Zedder** · 19th April 2012, 10:42

Icy where this thread is going.

**jrandom** · 19th April 2012, 10:54

Originally Posted by numbersixteen16

Everyone at some point must have found themselves facing a certain crash only to just come out of it at the last second...

No point reading about it on the internet.

You need to train yourself to ride your bike within the full extent of its handling envelope. When a situation presents itself, you'll react instinctively.

The only really useful place to train those reflexes and learn about the physics of your machine's performance is at trackdays.

Go do some. It might save your life.

**Swoop** · 19th April 2012, 11:19

Another thread full of smarties.

Surely DB should be joining in with all his experience...

**george formby** · 19th April 2012, 11:28

Originally Posted by slofox

If you really need to lose speed in a corner, you can always use the BACK brake - carefully - while keeping the throttle open far enough to keep positive drive on the back wheel. There's a kinda balance point between the two that will allow you to lose speed (quite quickly if you get it right) without locking up the back. I've used this technique often enough over the past 44 years to be happy doing it. Course it's more betterer not to have to lose speed in the corner in the first place...

Yup, the bike maintains the same attitude in the turn, I do this on steep downhill gravel corners to avoid loading up the front. You can balance the front & back brake in a corner but you need to have the presence of mind to counter or counter,counter steer to negate the turn in when you brake & put the bike where you want it, tighter or wider through the turn. When you practice it the bike will always tighten it's radius unless you compensate.

Personally, in a ditch or turn situation I prefer to rely on tire technology & ground clearance to get me through. The bike has far more ability than me.

**jrandom** · 19th April 2012, 11:32

Originally Posted by gatch

Most top level racers are not super human as far as reflexes go. The difference being they have practiced enough, that their reflex actions are more often than not, the right thing to do.

True dat.

If you closely watch helmet-cam videos of top level racers...

... here's Dan Stauffer winning at Paeroa, btw, watch before proceeding:

[YOUTUBE]6iq0nxVWQj4[/YOUTUBE]

... you'll note that the control inputs aren't actually happening ridiculously quickly. It's not like playing hemidemisemiquavers on a piano. It's just a calmly executed and nicely timed sequence of inputs that can be precisely repeated each lap.

Of course, the instinctive understanding of the exact magnitude and timing of those inputs (including things like body position) is where the expertise comes in.

That's what you can only develop on a racetrack.

And, if you do a lot of road riding, it will, at some point, save your life.

(I know I belabour the point, but it's true.)

**george formby** · 19th April 2012, 11:55

Originally Posted by jrandom

True dat.

If you closely watch helmet-cam videos of top level racers...

... here's Dan Stauffer winning at Paeroa, btw, watch before proceeding:

[YOUTUBE]6iq0nxVWQj4[/YOUTUBE]

... you'll note that the control inputs aren't actually happening ridiculously quickly. It's not like playing hemidemisemiquavers on a piano. It's just a calmly executed and nicely timed sequence of inputs that can be precisely repeated each lap.

Of course, the instinctive understanding of the exact magnitude and timing of those inputs (including things like body position) is where the expertise comes in.

That's what you can only develop on a racetrack.

And, if you do a lot of road riding, it will, at some point, save your life.

(I know I belabour the point, but it's true.)

Practice, practice, practice. Now that my gf is on the road, every time we go out we spend 10 or 20 minutes practicing the different exercises we have been taught. Braking, braking in a corner, tight turns, evasion etc. It's lifted my game immensely I'm happy to say.