Feature: MEM - advanced training - paul pitchfork
In the second session, we deliberately rode different lines through the corners to highlight how the space available to us will change as our line changes. A track has a fixed surface area, but the amount of space available to a rider - and his perception of that space - will vary as his line chang-es. Thinking a particular corner will offer up exactly the same amount of space every time will quickly get a rider into trouble.
Unlike the more practical drills of Level One, such as throttle control and rapid turning with counter-steering, I found these techniques less tangible and harder to grasp; there were no mechanical drills on offer to help us. Furthermore, whilst I could see the obvious application of these two drills to track racing, I was struggling to see how they could be used on the road. Compared to the elation felt after each session during Level One, where the improvement in my riding skills was very evident, I felt a little deflated after the first two sessions. Something wasn’t clicking.
The next drill was easier to grasp - the ‘Three Step’, a logical evolution of the ‘Two Step’ taught during Level One. Here, the rider practices switching his attention progressively from the turn point, to the apex and then the exit point, to establish that smooth flow of visual information we need to ride quickly and safely. Yet I was still wondering when I would encounter that ‘penny dropping' moment, that revolution in my riding that Nick had spoken of. It transpired that it wasn’t far away; in fact, it was waiting for me at Turn Five during the following session.
The next drill is called ‘Wide View’ and is all about using peripheral vision. We all possess peripheral vision, all the time. The problem is we usually don’t use it, for to do so takes practice; and we use it even less when our attention becomes fixed on a specific point. A simple classroom drill, catching a pen thrown to us whilst maintaining eye contact with the thrower, highlighted the effectiveness of peripheral vision; all but one in the group caught the pen with ease on the first or second attempt. Try this at home.
Out on the track, I did my best to use this ‘wide view’ technique. We had been told that one effect of using peripheral vision is to create the perception of slower speeds, thus giving the rider more time to make decisions. But I wasn’t quite getting it; maybe the track seemed to pass a little slower, but it made little difference to my riding. Then, coming off the back straight into a series of corners with a group of riders just in front of me, I had my ‘road to Damascus’ moment. As I entered the first bend, my peripheral vision stayed locked on. I picked my turn point, switched my focus to the apex, and then switched again to the exit point - but all the while I maintained complete awareness of all the riders just a metre of two from me. I rode as smooth a line as I had all day, as if the track to my front was empty.
The coaches taking a break in the pit lane