Slick and Muddy Conditions
High point was pretty crazy this past weekend. Both classes are shaping up to be epic classics and the conditions are ensuring this. The previous round at Freestone was absolutely brutal with scorching temperatures and now Mount Morris provided us with a slick, muddy track. As a Florida boy, I dread slippery conditions. The main lines were slick and as the rain fell, the course deteriorated. However, racing in these conditions aren’t as bad as you think.
One quote, that is truly an oxymoron, can be applied to these circumstances says to go slow to go fast. That couldn’t be any truer. Bombing into corners and sliding in does not work. If you do that in every corner, you need to look through this site on cornering techniques immediately. When lines get beat down and harden up, traction is scarce. Therefore, controlled braking between both the front and rear brakes is essential to ensure a smooth entrance to any corner. Chattering your rear brake helps conserve your forward drive and doesn’t lock it up. In both slick and muddy conditions, you want your corners to smooth arcs with steady throttle application. And if you are still having trouble, you can drag your rear brake when exiting corners. This will help weigh down the rear and force the wheel into the ground.
Getting on the gas is just as important as the braking. Avoid stabbing the clutch when you are leaned over or anything like that. The excessive wheel spin will spin you out and potentially send you to the dirt. So, a steady right hand in any situation will keep you upright. Another aspect that plays a role in smooth drive is your gearing. Not so much sprocket rations but the gear you are actually in makes a difference in traction. If you are too high a gear, the rear does not hook up as well. So, making sure you in a higher gear will help you get a solid, chug out of your bike will help avoid any wheel spin issues.
One important thing is stay loose. Riding tight only leads to arm pump and mistakes. When you are loosened up, you will be able to react and flow through everything rather than fight the track. Working against the course in the conditions like High Point will not work. And most important, keep it fun!
Heat Exhaustion Prevention pt. 2
As a follow up to yesterday’s article, I thought it would be good to dive into heat acclimation a little deeper. For those of you who live in the southern States, you know how the heat and humidity can play into your motos. The rest of you, who don’t have the pleasure of riding in these conditions, getting used to the heat is crucial…especially if you plan on racing Loretta’s. There is more than just riding in a hoodie during the hottest part of the day.
If you are in race ready condition, getting accustomed to the heat will be easier. Even if you are used to running on a treadmill inside for an hour, you are going to get acclimated much faster than a couch potato. When you begin to train in the heat, you will notice that you will sweat more (common sense) and more electrolytes are lost in sweat. However, as time goes on, you will eventually sweat earlier and lose fewer electrolytes. I am not a huge fan of sports drinks, but this is an exception. Going half water and half Gatorade is a pretty good mixture. Replacing the lost fluids/electrolytes are numero uno!
The best (and safest) way to get used to the heat is to do some light aerobic training. If you are just acclimated, you may want to start out at 15 minutes of activity. This could be as long as 3 or 4 days. On average, total acclimation takes about 2 weeks. For example, if you can normally run 60 minutes, by the end of the first week, you should be able to run close to 30 minutes in the heat.
I know it sucks to train when it’s hot, but consistency pays off. If you train for 60 minutes in the heat, but miss another 60 minute session, doing 120 minutes the next day is not going to be as effective. Plus it maybe potentially dangerous. If you really can’t take the heat, train in the early morning or late afternoon. Then you can work your way into the hotter temperatures.
Heat exhaustion prevention
This last weekend was pretty gnarly. The heat in Texas was brutal…not quite as brutal as the Florida heat, but I digress. Riders were tested physically and mentally racing where everything is bigger. When the temperatures start to climb, the need to stay hydrated becomes even more important. Many riders could not stand the heat and were exhausted, but not just from the heat, but from a lack of liquids in their bodies. The effects of extreme heat on the body can take a toll on you and the rest of your day racing is done.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are no joke. Before heat stroke, you get heat exhaustion. This is when you are losing too many fluids and therefore, your body overheats. The body’s temperature is raised but not too crazy, maybe a mild fever. Many symptoms include pale, moist skin, sweating a lot more than normal, muscle cramps, dizziness, feeling weak, and sick with elevated heart rate. Heat stroke on the other hand is much more dangerous. Your core temperature is above your average fever. At this point, the skin is dry and one begins to become confused and hyperventilate. Sure, this sounds pretty intense, but knowledge is power.
A typical American does not drink as much water as they need. The “average” person needs about 64oz of water. However, since serious racers are training, they will need more than this. And when the mercury rises, you need even more water. Depending on your size and perspiration rate, you lose about 4 cups of fluid per hour of exercise and this is in air conditioned climate. If you are training and riding, you need to be drinking a gallon of water a day, minimum. Summer is in full effect and you can’t be too careful.
My best advice is to get a water bottle and sip on that all day. The more times you refill the bottle, the better. I don’t really think measuring out a certain amount of water is realistic or convenient, so make sure that your urine is clear and keep on sipping. Eventually your body will become accustom to the water intake and you won’t have to pee every 5 minutes!
Headshake Solutions
When I first started riding big bikes, I was so stoked to finally have all of the power I wanted. However, with great power, comes great responsibility…courtesy of Uncle Ben from Spiderman. Sometimes, we can get ahead of ourselves on a rougher track and the braking bumps fight back. Most of the time, the chop and speed result in head shake. This uncontrollable shaking can be thwarted with a few adjustments.
One of the most common reasons for head shake is fatigue. When you are fatigued, your form goes out the window and it gets worse as the moto progresses. Your elbows drop and you cannot get enough leverage to keep the bars straight. As you get more and more head shake, you begin to grip harder with your hands and the forearms pump up to bricks. Sound about right? When your upper body feels like rubber, the need to grip with your legs becomes even greater. Again, the quadriceps and hamstrings are a much larger muscle group that can support greater loads of stress for longer periods of times. Start the moto out with a conscience effort of using your legs more than your arms and you will be better off.
Another problem is RPM range. The relationship between the motor and suspension is pretty crazy when you really think about it. When you hear pros run through whoops and moguls, they are running a higher gear. The RPMs are lower and take some of the load off of the forks and shock. They travel smoother and won’t bind, which gives you that bouncing effect through the rough stuff. If you shift down AFTER the braking bumps, you allow your suspension to ride with you, instead of against you. The forks will travel through the entire stroke and do their job; soak up the terrain. When you ride in too low of a gear, the fork don’t travel all the way through the stroke and rebound too fast.
Weight distribution is also important. Maintaining your attack position through the rough chop will help keep your elbows up and in good form. This attack position will place your weight evenly over the bike, allowing you to make changes if need be. As I have said before, riding on the balls of your feet will give you some extra “suspension” and forces you to grip the bike with your legs.
By throwing good form and the right gear together, head shake will be a thing of the past. Of course, making sure your sag is set on the shock and your clickers are dialed is important, but the rider can make a big difference. As always, remember the basics and keep it fun.
2011 KTM’s….
KTM will have linkage in 2011. The new SX350F info was officially debuted and it looks good. It should be interesting to see how the shootouts new year will end up.
Here’s the info.
I’ll have another post up tomorrow, so be sure to check back.
Maintaining a Lead
Let’s be honest now. If RV2 wouldn’t have crashed himself out of the series, the 2010 Supercross Championship would look very different. Ryan Dungey did a great job of staying consistent and maintaining a drive to keep him on the podium. Winning championships at that level takes ridiculous talent and skill. With all of that winning, both of these guys know how to maintain a lead and keep it; each and every week.
One thing that I notice between champions and contenders are that the champs never look back. They are not concerned about what is behind them. They are focused on what is ahead of them and keep their vision on the next obstacle. Even when practicing, looking back throws me off rhythm. You cannot expect to race forward if you’re always thinking about the people behind you. Like I said last week, you want to race the track and block out the competitors. Not to say that Mike Alessi is a bad rider, but when I watch him race, I can tell he looks behind him more than most riders. I’m not saying this is the reason why he hasn’t won a championship, but RV2 and RD5 don’t really look back….
When you have a nice lead on 2nd place, guarding the inside is not the best idea. Sure, you are closing the door, but it is pointless when you have the option of taking your normal line. However, once things get tighter, a lot of times, the inside line is usually a good passing option. Keeping the other rider on the outside of you allows you to choose between the inside or outside. This gives you the option to sweep out and block them from passing you.
Obviously, practicing this can be somewhat tough. Each race situation is different and anything can happen. However, just be aware of where the rider is behind you and keep your line. Riding defensively can sometimes slow you down, so just keep concentrating and racing ahead.
