Acquiring the necessary skills to become a champion!

**Sully60** · 6th March 2008, 16:56

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

The no1 big thing IMO is the key to feeling confident with committing to corners and leaning & or hanging off the amount you need to/feel confident with (that in itself is preference, I like to hang off, but have met people as fast that don't, some bikes that works ok) but back to the most important thing is;
To look where you want to go.

People throw this comment around but it is the most common impediment to riding well. It can take quite a mental exercise to train oneself to look smoothly around a corner as if ones was a greyhound with it's eyes on a rather fast rabbit rather than what many do as if following a rabbit that is about to get bitten.

On a tight track this may mean that on some corners you are looking at almost 90 degrees & always the horizon rather than at the ground. Sounds extreme but look at the photo thread & check out Fishys eyes & earlier in the corner my head position. click here

This is the sort of thing to practise walking home from work or wherever & then transfer it onto the bike. Use peripheral vision to see the track ahead of you.

Further the use of reference points helps for your eyes to make this progression. If you don't know what the track looks like you can get lost.

I'm sure if we get Bayden to organise it we could get a few of the top runners to be assigned to a novice for a track session so they could all follow someone around for a few laps to get a bit of an alternative view to lines etc.

You've got it in one there Dave.

You all would've noticed Number Ones little deviations towards the tyres on the outside of the track on Sunday. She was initiating the turn in an lean really well but then forgot to keep looking through the turn as Dave mentioned above, she looked at the tyres at the precise point she needed to be looking at the corner exit and guess where she ended up going?

Get this part right and then think about the other stuff.

Thats a good idea about some tuition too, there's enough of us at a level that we could help most of the "rookies". (not allowed to call them noobs anymore eh Skunk?)

**quallman1234** · 6th March 2008, 17:00

Target fixitation, luckily i was taught too look tho the corner when I first started riding, although im still pretty slow!!!

When ya going to give me a ride on ya bucket Sully eh eh eh eh

. (Just kidding man)

**Number One** · 6th March 2008, 17:21

Originally Posted by quallman1234

When ya going to give me a ride on ya bucket Sully eh eh eh eh

. (Just kidding man)

ahem....Sully and Number ones bucket....

Re looking around the corner enough- thanks babe for reminding everyone of my noob foibles but yes - completely agree looking enough around the corner made all the difference...on the bucket track this felt really weird cos on that hairpin I felt like i needed to be looking almost 180 degrees to set up right which just felt weird...but once I started to get used to looking that far ahead around the corners (SO where I wanted to go) I did stop worrying about the tyres and whether or not I could get around the corner cos I just did

Mentors to follow round would be great!!!! I'd love to get a better sense of lines and speeds and braking points...bring on some tuition

I'm keen to learn

**Str8 Jacket** · 6th March 2008, 19:34

Man you bucket fulla's are awesome!

Cheers guy's for the advice! Be awesome to have someone follow us around for a few laps.
Skunk you gonna help us out with advice etc....

**ajturbo** · 6th March 2008, 20:04

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Start out by doing two simple exersizes. 1)wherever possible move your feet so the balls of your feet are on the pegs.
2) Shift your rear end over so only one bum cheek is on the seat.

Do this as smoothly as possible.

As well as this try taking wider entry lines
By this -turning right into a corner figure out where on the track you are positioned . Now next lap try moving 300mm to the LEFT before you turn in.

hey frosty.... you have to realise the track is only about 32sec long....

slowly moving but half off seat is not an option... hahahahahahaha

**Skunk** · 6th March 2008, 21:13

Originally Posted by Str8 Jacket

Skunk you gonna help us out with advice etc....

Nope. Wouldn't have a clue.

Seriously. I only know what I know.
How I taught me:

Look where you want to go. Go faster.
Balls of the feet on the pegs. Setup for the next steps.

Then get comfortable with moving on the bike:

I started by moving my weight forward. Go faster.
Then moving the shoulders 'into' the corner. Like you're trying to shoulder-shove the inside of the corner. Go faster.
From there I started moving my arse over. Go faster.

And there the story ends after three years of learning.
Still to learn throttle-clutch control on exit and getting right off the bike.
I need a 'Ride fast for Dummies' book.
Dave - you passed comment on my peg to seat measurement... I think you're right about it being too small. Did you have a ballpark in mind?

**Trudes** · 6th March 2008, 22:48

Originally Posted by Skunk

Dave - you passed comment on my peg to seat measurement... I think you're right about it being too small. Did you have a ballpark in mind?

Geeze, I'll say!!! I couldn't find your pegs when I got on it!!! Pamela's are in the same spot eh? But your seat is cut down more..... huge difference!

**F5 Dave** · 7th March 2008, 08:24

Depends on how supple you are, how long of leg & bar position (ie low means you are more cramped. Many tend to place the pegs as high as they can, but really I try to get them to be as low as possible without being a scraping liability. If they are short then that helps & you move your feet out of the way a bit (as you are on the balls of them).

I'd then lower the seat until it is uncomfortable & then back a bit to bearable.

**F5 Dave** · 7th March 2008, 08:27

Hey did anyone see the dirty great big birds on the hilltop leaving the site? Thought I' discovered some Moas!?@!!

Thought about finding some sand to sprinkle on the ground & see it they'd try to stick their head in it.

**Str8 Jacket** · 7th March 2008, 08:30

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Hey did anyone see the dirty great big birds on the hilltop leaving the site? Thought I' discovered some Moas!?@!!

Thought about finding some sand to sprinkle on the ground & see it they'd try to stick their head in it.

YES!!! Well actually *I* didnt see them, Malcolm and Kyle did. Emu's or something.... there must be an Emu farm up there.

**F5 Dave** · 7th March 2008, 08:35

Ostriches I'd say, they were bloody huge.

Emus are smaller I believe.

**Trudes** · 7th March 2008, 08:36

Looks like I need to go back to doing yoga.... no excuse being a shortarse and not being able to get my knees touching my ears!!

Big bird was on the hill alright, drumstick anyone?

**FROSTY:Me** · 7th March 2008, 08:36

Originally Posted by ajturbo

hey frosty.... you have to realise the track is only about 32sec long....

slowly moving but half off seat is not an option... hahahahahahaha

I guess I wasn't clear.
By slowly i meant smoothly.
The fastest guys I've had the privilage to race against (buckets) were a Guy called Tonto and a Dave diprose.
Both of em seem to flow on the bike without unsettling it.
Theory is if a newbee is trying to absorb everything theyre gonna acheive nothing.--KISS and theyll be able to pass one hurdle.

**Str8 Jacket** · 7th March 2008, 08:38

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

Looks like I need to go back to doing yoga.... no excuse being a shortarse and not being able to get my knees touching my ears!!

Big bird was on the hill alright, drumstick anyone?

Oh maybe we could all take yoga together, imagine that BBOB's Yoga sessions. We'd need alcamahol though!!