Riding by feel?
 

Some people say they ride by feel, or that they don't like thinking too much about riding because it makes them tense and flustered. Is there a time to "think" about riding and a time to just "ride?"

Misti

Depends. When you are learning to ride, there are things to think of. Rpm, shifting, blindspots, lane position, traffic around you, body position for the next turn etc etc... but after a while it becomes automatic.

Learning on the track, same thing. Think about speed, body position, who is behind/infront/beside you, gearing, traction etc... After a while that becomes automatic.

If you are doing too much 'thinking', you probably shouldn't be doing what you are doing.

The saying goes "ride your ride", not "think your ride" :D

I think you are right that when you are learning to ride there are lots of things to think about, and when you are learning a track too. I also agree that after a while of thinking about techniques they become automatic, and this is a good thing. After a while you no longer have to think about shifting or countersteering, you just do it.

However, I'm also of the opinion that there are still many times when it is beneficial to "think" about your riding. It's a good idea to consciously work on different aspects of your riding, like throttle control, quick turning, emergency braking, vision. This type of practice, keeps you on your toes, keeps you improving.

I think there needs to be a healthy balance. To much "thinking" when riding can take the fun out of it and make riding feel too busy, and not enough thinking can get you complacent.

Misti

Good Question,

Having raced for a few years, I can offer my view. It has been my experience, the more I "think" the "harder" I think I am riding, and the slower my times are. It is not until the last few laps, when I am dog tired, and ride off of "feel" that the dots on the track begin to connect. I am say that thinking is involved, Keith Code offered his "Dollar Analogy" stating that the more attention focused on one thing, limited the attention to another. I.e the more you are concerned with the cracks in the pavement, the less focus you have on the track itself.

"feel" has a different meaning for me however. I never have really used brake markers, and for the longest time, have battled with so many people telling me I need them. I can safely say when I am racing, and beginning to setup for a turn, I know where I need to be, and how hard I need to brake, but this is only because I have ran the 2 tracks for years, and began one day with a reference point. When i visit new tracks, I need to "think" before muscle memory takes over. The "feel" allows my attention to focus on other inputs like suspension, tire grip. In the middle of a turn, I can memo myself, and say "when your done with this race, add two clicks of compression. This cannot be done if your staring into space looking for a dot on the track to begin braking.

I would agree that if you are working on something specific, you need to think about it and practice. I also agree that if you are not, just ride.

Cool breakdown. I agree that when you think about trying to go fast or making qualifying time or going faster you often don't make gains and end up going slower. The fastest laps are usually the ones that feel the slowest. However, there is a time to practice and a time to just ride. When I was racing, I would use (with the guidance of Keith Code) the practice days to do just that: PRACTICE. Each session I went out I would have something specific to work on....finding more reference points, working on drives out of the corners, braking, lines...whatever...but I always had a focus or something to try and improve on. When I went out for qualifying though that is when Keith would tell me to just ride. He said to me one day, "you've already put in the hard work and practice so now just go out, have fun and ride."

One of the things I always had to practice was entries into high speed sweeping corners where I would tend to over-slow for the corner. What techniques do you guys find yourself having to continually work on? What are your weak points and how do you plan on conquering them?