The zone!

[Katman]

Im a new rider, I know my own limitations and will always stay well within them.

Congratulations, but at the risk of offending you, you don't quite fit the profile of the 'new rider' that I was talking about.

[beyond]

More on the same topic:

Nine elements of flow ("The Zone)


Csikszentmihalyi identified nine elements of flow that he saw repeatedly in his research:

1. There are clear goals every step of the way. In many everyday situations, there are contradictory demands and it’s sometimes quite unclear what should occupy our attention. But in a flow experience, you have a clear purpose and a good grasp of what to do next.

2. There is immediate feedback to one’s actions. When you’re in flow, you know how well you’re doing.

3. There is a balance between challenges and skills. If a challenge is too demanding compared to your skill level, you get frustrated. If it’s too easy, you get bored. In a flow experience, there is a pretty good match between your abilities and the demands of the situation. You feel engaged by the challenge, but not overwhelmed.

4. Action and awareness are merged. People are often thinking about something that happened - or might happen - in another time or place. But in flow, you’re concentrated on what you’re doing.

5. Distractions are excluded from consciousness. Because you’re absorbed in the activity, you’re only aware of what’s relevant to the task at hand, and you don’t think about unrelated things. By being focused on the activity, unease that can cause anxiety and depression is set aside.

6. There is no worry of failure. In a state of flow, you’re too involved to be concerned about failing. You just don’t think about failure. You know what has to be done and you just do it.

7. Self-consciousness disappears. People often spend a lot of mental energy monitoring how they appear to others. In a flow state, you’re too involved in the activity to care about protecting your ego. You might even feel connected to something larger than yourself. Paradoxically, the experience of letting go of the self can strengthen it.

8. The sense of time becomes distorted. Time flies when you’re really engaged. On the other hand, time may seem to slow down at the moment of executing some action for which you’ve trained and developed a high degree of skill.

9. The activity becomes “autotelic” (an end in itself, done for it’s own sake). Some activities are done for their own sake, for the enjoyment an experience provides, like most art, music, or sports. Other activities, which are done for some future purpose or goal - like things you have to do as part of your job - may only be a means to an end. But some of these goal-oriented activities can also become ends in themselves, and enjoyed for their own sake. Csikszentmihalyi concludes by saying that “in many ways, the secret to a happy life is to learn to get flow from as many of the things we have to do as possible.”

A very good symopsis. Thanks for sharing that.
Brutale... nice bike mate.

[greminn]

A very good symopsis. Thanks for sharing that.
Brutale... nice bike mate.

To infinity and beyond!

[DMNTD:Me]

I have several different 'zones (shhhhhhh to all those that know me!).
I find that my "road zone" is quite different to my "track day zone".
I LOVE 'cruising through the twisties, duck 'n diving, flowing with apparent ease... but not necessarily 'fast' and with large differences with where the boundaries of comfort are. I know how hard the road is damn it and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone!
Just loving up the roads...feeling the flow. My Road 'zone'.

'Track day zone' (at the track) is something exactly the same....but different
Carving, ducking, nailing it, pushing but with a sense of flow. YUMMY!

Exactly the same but different...











Shit...well I know what I mean

[JayRacer37]

For me, The Zone is what you are aiming for whenever you get on a racetrack. The Zone is the mindset where your concentration can be on anything - really, any damn thing. It's when you go out on a bike and turn unbelivible laptimes, with next to no effort. It means you can concentrate on just where that one big piece of chip seal is in the middle of the sweeper. It makes it so you can do things you didn't think you would, without any difficulty. The Zone is a beautiful place, and one rarely inhabited.

The flipside of The Zone is when you just can't get into the day. When every time you get on the bike it's difficult, and no matter what you seem to do it doesn't get better or faster, you fight it the whole time.

To me The Zone is FLOW. It just happens (man).

And bejeezus it's a wonderful thing when it does.

[BMWST?]

the zone is all in the head....some of my best rides have been at speed/risk level far below the "danger zone".I think the boundaries you push are mental ones....perfect braking ,perfect lines,perfect gearshifts,perfect overtaking manouvres,all with the most subtle of inputs......ppUUUUURFECCCt

[erik]

Everyone talks about "the zone."
...
This topic is deep, so deep that many will
not understand it: but if you've been "in the zone"
you will know exactly what is spoken about here.
...
It is a place that anyone passionate about motorcyling
can come back to time and time again.
...

You're implying that if someone doesn't agree with what you wrote, the topic is too deep for them, they haven't experienced "the zone" and they aren't passionate about motorcycles.

I haven't ever experienced "the zone" like you describe, but I don't think my experience of motorcycling is lacking. I suspect I experience things differently and/or think about/describe them differently to how you do.

I wouldn't ever advocate "riding past your fears". Your fears and knowing your limits keeps you alive. If you're not confident at something, practice within your comfort zone and your skill and confidence should increase.

[Chrislost]

Quite frankly Paul, it's posts like yours claiming that riding to (and even pushing past) your boundries gives some sort of sense of euphoria that seemingly transcends life and death, that will result in further deaths.

Think about what it is you're contributing to.

Boundries are like being annoying on a forum!

You keep trying harder and harder to do it, untill you are better than everyone else...

[oldrider]

Boundries are like being annoying on a forum!

You keep trying harder and harder to do it, untill you are better than everyone else...

Quite a significant point you make actually!

[rosie631]

I dont feel there is any thing wrong with this, or that if people read it correctly and in context that they are straight away going to go out and kill themselves on their bike (unless they are thick).



This seems to me to be what most people are griping about.. I dont think this is at bad either... if fact the opposite... I had my best day on my bike by myself being very careful about breaking "the rules in my head that say im going to die". This did not mean that i was going fast or riding recklessly... just that i was breaking my rules and reaching past my normal boundaries and ride past my fears. Oh wait.. thats what it says.

I had the absolute!!!!!! best day that day and totally knew i was in "The Zone". I was on a high for the rest of the afternoon.

The next weekend i wasnt.

Good contribution dude!

I second that. After reading recent threads on here I realised I had a bit of a 'mental block' about one aspect of riding. i.e. being too much of a nana through corners, not trusting myself and the bike to get throught them, buttoning off the throttle and sitting up way too often. I went out for a ride on a twisty road that I know well and made myself push through them. And I did it. I think I am now a better and SAFER rider because of it.

[GOONR]

Congratulations, but at the risk of offending you, you don't quite fit the profile of the 'new rider' that I was talking about.

Ahh, maybe I'm a "little older" than the people you are talking about.

Oh and no offence taken by the way.

[crazyhorse]

The Zone............... is whatever or wherever you want it to be

[2wheeldrifter]

No offence mate....

Anyone who rides knows when they are riding beyond their own abilities or not:

For clarification:
How do you know you are riding beyond your abilities:
a) Your breathing gets rapid.
b) You visor fogs up easily, especially in the tight
stuff.
c) Your heart rate increases.
d) You feel uncomfortable.
e) You know you are going quicker than you should and
you know you are pushing it more than usual.
f) Your lines go to pieces and things get out of
shape under braking.
g) You have a nice view of the sky through native
foliage and you hurt lots.

C - think that's hard one as when you ride hard your heart will rise because your working your body, ever part.. and your brain is processing at a faster rate which all in turn increases your heart rate to pump more blood around the body, it doesn't mean I am pushing myself beyond my limits, does it?

Maybe C could be "if you scare yourself" or give yourself a fight?

The Zone.... It's just when you go out for a ride and everything falls into place, had a fucking good ride today!

[Katman]

Boundries are like being annoying on a forum!

You keep trying harder and harder to do it, untill you are better than everyone else...

I know it wasn't meant as one, but I'm going to take that as a compliment.

[Maha]

The Zone.... It's just when you go out for a ride and everything falls into place, had a fucking good ride today!

And thats all that needs to be said about it really.
Can happen on all levels, whether you been riding for 3 months or 30 years, some days you get home and think '' that was pretty much perfect''.