Play By the Rules

Are you an amateur looking to ride more safely and cut time around the track at the same time? All you have to do is play by the rules. There are rules for the road and rules for the track. Riding track rules on the street or street rules on the track can get you seriously injured. More importantly, it can really mess up your bike. Given that most bike racers started out on the street, they are accustomed to many rules:

Road Rules

Push the right handlebar to go left;
Use the rear brake to stop;
Don't grab a handful of front brake at speed;
Stay on the seat;
Watch what is going on right in front of you;
Shift up to go up a gear and down to go down a gear;
Brake through turns;
Chop the throttle when the rear tire starts to slide out of a turn;
Do not drag any body part through a turn;
Watch your speedometer.

Those are all fine rules for the street. If you start dragging a puck turning onto your local mainstreet and hit a patch of sand, interia has just taken over the driving duties for you. You just better hope Mr. Sanitation engineer has quick enough reflexes not to put you at one with your bike.

On the track things are different. You are traveling at higher speeds (hopefully) and should not have to worry about sand or automobiles on the track. The rules for the track include:

Track Rules

Push the left handlebar to go left (countersteering);
Do not use the rear (at least until you start sporting white plates);
Use your front brake and lean angle to scrub speed;
Get off the seat and hang off through the turn;
Watch at least two turns ahead;
Shift down to go up a gear and up to go down a gear (if you have not switched your gear pattern, do it today);
Brake before the turn and use your throttle and lean angle to modulate your speed through turns;
Maitain or even increase throttle when the rear tire starts to slide out of a turn;
Use your knee as a feeler to gauge your lean angle;
Watch your tachometer and keep it in the powerband.

The problem is that even though we tell ourselves to follow the track rules, we sometimes forget. Unfortunately, we forget more often when we are under stress; the time when we can usually least afford a mistake. You have to view track riding like a video game. There are rules that go against what we KNOW should work. We just have to immerse ourselves in the rules of the game and trust that the rules will guide us through. Every time you go back to a road rule on the track, you dramatically increase your lap time and risk the well being of your bike, your body and, most importantly me and my bike, the rider passing you on the outside of the turn (I should know better).

Practice Practice Practice. Slow down until the rules become second nature. If you are falling back on road rules, SLOW DOWN. Once you trust the track rules and implement them all the time, increase your speed until you feel a road rule creep back into your bag of tricks. SLOW DOWN, concentrate and try again. In no time your times will come down and you will be riding more safely.

Remember. Trust the rules. Trust yourself. And always, always Play By the Rules.