I started the year with good intentions.
There was a trip to Andalucía, three days of track time, sunshine, and the promise of learning to ride a motorcycle quickly without falling off it.
Then work and life got in the way.
Summer arrived, disappeared in a blur of sunshine and things that needed doing, and suddenly I found myself in September with far too many holiday days left to be taken and rapidly running out of opportunities to spend them in something resembling good weather.
So when No Limits schedule offered track days at Mallory Park on Friday and Cadwell Park on Monday, the sensible thing to do was book both.
A Track Day Double Header. What could possibly go wrong?
Wet, Wetter, Wettest
The ride to Mallory provided the first clue that the weather gods had noticed my plans. It rained. Heavily.
Thankfully, the forecast promised that it would stop by 9am and, for once, the weather forecast wasn’t simply a sophisticated way of saying we haven’t got a clue.
It did stop, but stopping is only half the story.
For the first few sessions at Mallory, the track was wet, which made the mandatory two laps behind the instructors before being let loose particularly entertaining for those on track tyres.
Thankfully I’m still using the set of Dunlop RoadSmart IV tyres I abused around Andalucía earlier in the year. They’ve since accumulated another couple of thousand road miles and, despite my best efforts, still have plenty of life left in them.
More importantly, they grip.
They gripped beautifully in the wet and, once Mallory started drying out, they continued to grip in the dry, to the point that the hero blobs on the foot pegs are now missing.
Being on tyres that were happy with the conditions was a welcome bonus and, I suspect, made me look considerably more competent than I actually am.
There is a temptation on track days to assume that you need sticky tyres, tyre warmers, a pit crew and somebody called Steve shouting at you from the pit wall.
In reality, at my level, the RoadSmarts were more than capable of dealing with anything I could throw at them.
Whether this was evidence of improved riding technique or simply that the laws of physics have finally given up trying to explain things to me remains debatable.
Knowing Your Limits
I could probably manage the middle group. I’d be at the slower end, but the real issue would be commitment. To ensure I wasn’t a problem for others, I’d have to commit to riding flat out every lap.
That’s not really what I’m after.
I’d rather ride within my abilities, have the occasional go at a “qualifying” lap and then settle back into a rhythm, or work on one or two corners.
I want to enjoy the circuit, learn something and improve my riding without chewing through the screen.
There is, after all, no trophy for “winning” a track day, but there is another important consideration: other people.
I have been the slowest rider on a track day, and on that day almost everyone in the lower group gave me plenty of room.
The faster riders passed me safe and wide, and my contribution to this happy arrangement was simple: ride a predictable line. Don’t make sudden movements. Let the faster rider pass me rather than trying to help them.
Unfortunately, not everyone appears to have received the memo.
Things Happen Quickly
In the first session, one rider seemed determined to set a qualifying time from the moment the flag dropped.
Exiting Edwina’s Chicane, he got fully on the herbs without apparently noticing that his rear wheel was also on the kerb and issued himself a one-way ticket to the scene of the accident.
Then there is the slightly odd behaviour when the hive mind takes over, and a group of riders charge into a corner together.
This can be enormous fun, right up until somebody does something unexpected.
Sadly, this situation introduced itself to one of the gents we were sharing a garage with.
The rider in front of him in the group braked unexpectedly at the last possible moment before tipping in and, for no obvious reason other than perhaps a mild dose of panic,
Our garage friend matched the braking effort, but the front tucked and he face-planted onto the Mallory tarmac.
Not ideal.
A combination of impressive improvisation, clever engineering and what I suspect was a fairly liberal interpretation of the phrase “temporary repair” had him back out on track.
I know, because, having worked out he was a “safe” rider, the two of us spent one session chasing each other around, which was exceptionally good fun.
So What Did I Learn This Time
Track riding is enormous fun, and you don’t have to be fast to enjoy it. There was a great chap on a CBR600 on his first track day, and he was having an absolute blast.
And that’s probably the most important point. You don’t even have to be particularly fast. You just need to enjoy riding your motorcycle.
You don’t necessarily need fancy tyres either.
My Dunlop RoadSmarts were more than capable of handling the conditions and, frankly, helped me do things I wasn’t entirely convinced I could do.
Finding space on a track is also an art.
Getting involved in a group can be brilliant fun, but until you understand how the other riders behave, unpredictable things can happen surprisingly quickly.
A rider who brakes late, changes lines unexpectedly, or suddenly discovers that the corner they’ve been charging towards is considerably tighter than they remembered can turn an enjoyable lap into something rather more… let’s use the word “focused”.
Once you’ve established that someone rides safely, following them becomes a lot more interesting. Suddenly you’re not just riding in circles as fast as you want to; you’re trying to work out where, when and how you might safely get past.
Bottom Line
I skipped the last session of the day. Riding a motorcycle fast involves a reasonable amount of physical activity. The sessions are 20 minutes long, and typically you get 40 minutes off before the Tannoy calls you once again to the holding area.
Mental tiredness, though, is something else. Concentrating hard for two hours, ten minutes or in my case, one hour fifty, takes effort.
The average MotoGP Grand Prix race is 40 minutes long, and a full track day offers you three times more track time.
Yes, they are professional athletes who train hard and ride harder, but it gives a perspective on how tired you can be at the end of the day.
And with that in mind, I’ve got two days to get ready for the second half of the double header – Cadwell Park.
It can be a tough life … [Cry me a river ~ Ed.]
