Bike Magazine road bike only trackday.

[Kylie]

I did Brands last week on my worse-for-wear commuter SK3. My 4th track day, stayed in novice flight. Left the number plate on as a matter of principle! Organisers were a bit condescending - didn't bother with the noise test and kept thrusting yellow first timer bib at me. Didn't bother me, I'm getting handier all the time on the track and didn't have any trouble dispatching all of the track bikes and most of the of in-line 4 sports bikes. Then again reckon that brands indy circuit favours twins as its just one big corner really.

I'd read the Bike thing as more being about the pleasure of tootling round the M25 to the track, hooning it all day and then tootling back home again. I'd agree with them on that.

well thats it. it is about bringing back the good old days of traveling down to the track in the early morn and having a toot around a well kept track tarmac "safely" rather than the yorkie moors (which dont get me wrong, i do love) that are riddled with pot holes and tractors on blind corners.
but the thread was more about an "ice breaker", to meet a few people from the org. go have a track day as a group and enjoy our selves and socialise. sure it sounds lame to some of you but i dont actually know anyone around here with a bike and i thought this is kinda what the orgs about.

you race vets (lol) did make a few good points, like cleaning up glass would be time consuming and this "reclaim the track" may be a bit waste of time. (ad now seeing the title "reclaim the track" i realise why some of you more experienced guys have replied so defensively. sorry about that. it was never ment to.)
but thanks to those that have replied with offers. just thought it'd be good trek down with someone in the same position or some that can show me the ropes as is were.. ie all that signing in and crap.
cheers
mark

[flymo]

Originally Posted by malongworth

stuff...

certainly wasnt attempting to defend anything, it was merely an observation. I think I started by asking why it was necessary thats all.

You may find that I did you a favour in that you actually have a pretty wide choice of trackdays rather than just the one to choose from. You can still ride there, still take your road bike on track etc. In fact the last track day I did at Anglesey I took my race bike in my van (its not road legal) and Nobbylad rode his there, we had a fun day.

I get the impression (I havent read it) that Bike have painted a false picture of what its like at a typical trackday. It really is a mix of all kinds of bikes and abilities, mostly not race 'vets' as you put it but just a mixed group of bikers all there for some fun. Given the choice of riding half way across the country and binning my shiny bike at the track with no way to get home, or taking a bike in the back of a van with a mate, I think I would choose the van everytime but its entirely up to you. Nobody will think any more or less of you because you ride there.

Anyway, go for it, choose your favourite track and have some fun. I would love to join if the time and place suits. (and of course if they let me on without indicators.... )

Originally Posted by flymo

certainly wasnt attempting to defend anything, it was merely an observation. I think I started by asking why it was necessary thats all.

You may find that I did you a favour in that you actually have a pretty wide choice of trackdays rather than just the one to choose from. You can still ride there, still take your road bike on track etc. In fact the last track day I did at Anglesey I took my race bike in my van (its not road legal) and Nobbylad rode his there, we had a fun day.

I get the impression (I havent read it) that Bike have painted a false picture of what its like at a typical trackday. It really is a mix of all kinds of bikes and abilities, mostly not race 'vets' as you put it but just a mixed group of bikers all there for some fun. Given the choice of riding half way across the country and binning my shiny bike at the track with no way to get home, or taking a bike in the back of a van with a mate, I think I would choose the van everytime but its entirely up to you. Nobody will think any more or less of you because you ride there.

Anyway, go for it, choose your favourite track and have some fun. I would love to join if the time and place suits. (and of course if they let me on without indicators.... )

Good post. I do the odd trackday when I need to test something on the race bike. Id hate to be turned away and grouped into the "you have all the flash gear" clique. I dont own a road bike anymore because I put everything I have into racing.

TBH I couldnt careless whether people had road bikes, race bikes, supermotards..aslong as the main thing being is they are in the correct group for their ability!!

To all you more, experienced/racers, how do you know when to move up to the next category?, or do you wait to be told so you can have as much fun passing all the rest befor you have to, suppose that would get boring after a while and then you would want to move up to pit yourself against the faster riders.
have i just answered my own question?

yeah flymo u do have a good point. and much appreciated. it has put me off the whole bike - reclaim track thing and am just going to a normal track day. after all novice sessions are for novices and all would be in the same ability to near enough.
also im starting to feel that this bike organised track day is more of a campain "ride around a track" rather than a intuitive day where u can learn/improve techniques to better ur self.

expect to see an announcement for a tackday at cadwell sometime soon. ive got my eyes set on it, just need to convince the missus that ill still have money for paris come july.

cheers. mark

[flymo]

Originally Posted by bluefishman

To all you more, experienced/racers, how do you know when to move up to the next category?, or do you wait to be told so you can have as much fun passing all the rest befor you have to, suppose that would get boring after a while and then you would want to move up to pit yourself against the faster riders.
have i just answered my own question?

There are usually three groups. If you are new to riding on a track or a little nervous or apprehensive then maybe the novice group is the way to go. You'll get the time and space to build up your confidence, usually they also force you to do a couple of compulsory warm up laps to get tyres warm. At the other end of the scale is the fast group where you need to be if you are an experienced track rider with some pace, you'll know if you fit that category.

Inters is really the place to go when you feel that your pace or experience justifies the step up. There have been a couple of times when I've dipped into the inters group as a racer with the sole intention of taking advantage of the clear track at the front of the session.

There are many who believe that the group you are in determines your status in society, total bollox. If you come along be prepared to stand and watch some of the so called 'fast' riders be overtaken by bikes with half the power, it can be a little amusing. No matter how fast a road rider you think you are there will be somebody at the track in the fast group to show you how its done.

SO, if you are a newbie stick to the novice group, move to the inter group when you think you are ready. You'll figure that out for yourself. Its great fun, the best place to explore your bike and ability.

Oh yeah.....dont crash!

You will find the novice group has alsorts of levels in it but as its novice it tends not the have the nobbers in who think they can ride fast but cant, they go into the inters (its always the first group to be fully booked).

In the Novice group I tend to run mid pack on the faster novice groups (I was at an Oulton one once and I was the fastest thing out there, at Anglesey last time I was the slowest) but like I said there is a large range of abilities, the slower riders I will lap in a session and the faster riders will lap me.

Normally the novice group will get 3 sighting laps instead of the normal 2 of the other groups and an extended safety briefing but it depends on the trackday company.

First time out you will think others on track are trying to murder you they arent its just your not used to being in close proximity with other bikes on the track its just your brain needs redialling into what you are doing and perfectly natural.

Make sure you have loads of fluids and a light lunch.

I have wets and tyre warmers specifically as I dont want to wait 1-2 laps to warm up my tyres and warmers cost 150, dropping your bike on cold tyres costs alot more. I dont want to ride to and from a track coz frankly my brain and body is nackered after a trackday.

Cadwell is a technical track I have been there 4 times and only the last time I started to get to grips with it.

First time down Mansfield I was like holy crap its like dropping off a cliff but the mountain didn't faze me like I was worried about the night before. Hall Bends is brilliant on an SV, and I keep braking off the end of the straight at Charlies when I know I could go through there by just knocking down a gear.

The only problem with Cadwell is quite narrow so it can be difficult to overtake and 1000cc bikes zoom past you on the back straight then get in the way going into Chris Curve grrrrrrrrr.

Originally Posted by flymo

No matter how fast a road rider you think you are there will be somebody at the track in the fast group to show you how its done.

This guy is usually in fast group on a CB500 or a Supermoto and putting in lap times I can only dream of

Originally Posted by bluefishman

To all you more, experienced/racers, how do you know when to move up to the next category?, or do you wait to be told so you can have as much fun passing all the rest befor you have to, suppose that would get boring after a while and then you would want to move up to pit yourself against the faster riders.
have i just answered my own question?

For me it was testing my own ability and seeing how quickly I could move through the group from the back

I'd try to be one of the last out and then work my way through the pack safely. Once I'd got up front it was then a test to see how many I could lap in that session. After a couple of days doing this I put myself up to the next group and worked on improving my riding until I could start doing the same again - start at the back etc. When I considere moving up into fast group I thought it a little daunting, so I asked the organisers if I could have a taster and went out at the back to see if I could catch anyone or pass them. I passed a few and held a decent pace somewhere at the bottom of the middle of the pack. Next tiem I went out in fast group I found myself improving by huge amounts because the standard of riding was so much better. Being on track with the racers and very experienced track riders has moved my riding up by a considerable amount. I still start at the back of fast group because I enjoy overtaking people - I'm nowhere near good enough to go harrassing the guys up front, but they haven't lapped me... yet.