Track crash - my fault?

It's a road bike in the middle of becoming a track bike. Fortunately crash bungs were one of the first bits on. The only bit that was broken was the gear linkage which I had a spare for. Unfortunately that spare was at home in my garage.

You're not allowed to overtake on the bends I believe for BH novice. You can only overtake on the straights. (Not sure if its right or just no undertaking)

[NTECUK]

Thing is. All well and good saying no under takes. But as no one is reinforceing the rules. Then it's no rules.
Just like speeding on the roads.
Don't take a bike on the track you can't afford to walk away from

Originally Posted by NTECUK

Don't take a bike on the track you can't afford to walk away from

I agree, you should be fully prepared for the worst. But it's one thing to crash out from your own incompetence and another due to someone else's.

[NTECUK]

Well yes. It is not fair.
But that's life.
Imagine the result if the op had shut the door or lent back on the R1.

[Wideboy]

I've never seen people diving down the inside dealt with by any TD organisers (of course this is just what I've witnessed). The chicane at the end of the pit straight at rockingham is now a permanent yellow flag with a marshal posted there because of this happening. It still goes on and nothing is done about it.

[NTECUK]

So as a novice, what's the best way to prevent this happening.?
Or just go up to inters???

[Wideboy]

It's no different in the inters. Trouble is all the last minute people usually book into novice when the inters or fast group are full just to get track time. If its a weekend with hot sunny weather the novice group will be full of them. It inevitable that this will happen.

I know of a TD company that at a certain track let one bloke out in every single session and he's ballistic which I think is wrong especially to the newbs. I've been there twice 7 months apart and both times he was there in every group, originally I thought he was in training to be a instructor but clearly not.

The R1 nob made this situation, but you had lot of time to get around/outmanoeuvre him or break gently, in Keith Code's words, your survival instinct kicked in...
Always a bummer to kiss tarmac, but using time on blame etc etc is counterproductive, focus on what you could do different next time, think about "escape-plans", mentally prepare yourself, and maybe you won't freeze up and hog the brake, next time you might get around the nob and pass him on the outside or just roll out on the grass and get back on track some yards further down.

This inside passing will happen again....so prepare yourself.

[PyroUK]

Originally Posted by NTECUK

So as a novice, what's the best way to prevent this happening.?
Or just go up to inters???

Doubt there is any way, you just have to ride for yourself and hope you don't come across any douche's.

Def not a good idea to move up to inters if you are still a novice, the guys in that group were shiftin some and the fast group were haulin ass!

You'd just feel worse and less confident.

I knew I wasn't going to be the fastest so I just sorted myself out. Picked my lines and stuck to them. On the occasions where there was someone else there first I had to concede the line and wait for a moment to pass if poss or wait till they got away from me.

But then again it's all well and good saying this now. Would I have had it in me to not crash in the situation the op was in on the day? I doubt it.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing