How do you ride a bike?

[Jashdown]

Providing the bike hasn't got some radical setup I look at who else is using that tyre and going fast and figure the tyre is capable of it so just comes down to rider input and trial and error. There is some sort of a window there so I normally use 1/2 to 3/4of that window and leave the rest as back up to catch any mishap. I was put onto using the rear brake on exit about 6 months ago and wouldn't consider not using it now. The rear brake keeps the front end down and allows more throttle to the point where the net result greater than it would be with less power and no brake.

Front end grip isn't usually like a switch (we aren't at MotoGP lean angles). Think more like Marquez's mini-saves, where he picks it up off his knee, but less extreme. I've picked up dozens of front loses with my knee over the years. This is mostly when you're at the limit of grip and go a fraction beyond. Sometimes you'll get a tiny slide that doesn't need picking up, but you feel it. That's a smaller fraction beyond the limit. Practice, and you'll learn the feeling.

A proper lowside (ie no chance of catching the front) is usually an error of some sort, or pushing way too hard.

By just going a tiny bit harder gradually, you'll get to feeling the feedback from the front. And then as you up the pace, you can pretty much rely on the tyre being able to cope with the same thing again (in the same day/conditions with same tyre wear, not forever under any circumstances). This gets you used to the 'next level' of corner speed. And then you trust it: My best laps have had me thinking "I can't believe the front isn't folding here" on the same turn, lap after lap after lap.



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Ahh got ya. I guess my small changes don't feel so small on track. I feel like if I jump on the brakes just a meter later than normal into turn 2 for instance, I run extremely wide on entry. But then again, I think I'm only braking at about 70% potential, my stringy little arms and deflated chest aren't capable of dealing with such extreme brake over and over again yet!

Thanks for the input