Discussion
Since I've got my mojo back a little and enjoying riding much more, was just wondering how safe it is getting close to the edge of the tyre...
Behold the chicken strips
Is it ok to ride on the edge of the tyre or are they not designed run there? As I can see the direction arrows an Michelin man there. Probably daft questions but I don't wanna go off the edge of the tyre/try to get rid of the strips and there be no grip there!
It'd also be nice to get my knee down, but considering I'm not far from the edge of the tyres I always feel miles away. Still learning...
Loving biking again anyway.
Behold the chicken strips
Is it ok to ride on the edge of the tyre or are they not designed run there? As I can see the direction arrows an Michelin man there. Probably daft questions but I don't wanna go off the edge of the tyre/try to get rid of the strips and there be no grip there!
It'd also be nice to get my knee down, but considering I'm not far from the edge of the tyres I always feel miles away. Still learning...
Loving biking again anyway.
You've got a way to go. 
It may not look much but that chicken gap equates to quite an lean angle!
Remember that the tyre is made of rubber which is bendy so you'll not actually riding on a teeny part of the tyre per se as you look at it. It does flatten out somewhat.
I find that my right hand (sitting on bike) has far less chicken on it then the left, in fact it has no chicken and about 2mm on the left.
It may not look much but that chicken gap equates to quite an lean angle!
Remember that the tyre is made of rubber which is bendy so you'll not actually riding on a teeny part of the tyre per se as you look at it. It does flatten out somewhat.
I find that my right hand (sitting on bike) has far less chicken on it then the left, in fact it has no chicken and about 2mm on the left.
Tried to get rid of mine on the track on Saturday, got bout 2mm left both sides, just don't have the bottle to lean it further. Yet. . .
Strange thing was I was happy getting on the throttle (progressively) whilst lent over, so there was plenty more grip. Just have a mental block with leaning further; my brain just keeps telling me they'll let go. . .
I felt the same way when my cs were an inch though, so it's just a confidence thing: they'll get smaller with time as you get more comfortable with leaning it over.
Note - it doesn't half feel quick when your head is low whilst trying to 'kiss the mirror' and get your knee down on the track. How stoner gets his head 3 inches from the tarmac is mind boggling. . . .
Strange thing was I was happy getting on the throttle (progressively) whilst lent over, so there was plenty more grip. Just have a mental block with leaning further; my brain just keeps telling me they'll let go. . .
I felt the same way when my cs were an inch though, so it's just a confidence thing: they'll get smaller with time as you get more comfortable with leaning it over.
Note - it doesn't half feel quick when your head is low whilst trying to 'kiss the mirror' and get your knee down on the track. How stoner gets his head 3 inches from the tarmac is mind boggling. . . .
LoonR1 said:
Knee down on the road? Waste of time IMO.
Chicken strips? Not much of a sign on roads either. Different styles of riding five different lean angles.
Next time we're out I'll show you the state of my track tyres compared to the road tyres.
I don't disagree, it'd just be nice to do. I'll probably save that till I get on a trackdayChicken strips? Not much of a sign on roads either. Different styles of riding five different lean angles.
Next time we're out I'll show you the state of my track tyres compared to the road tyres.
It's weird how as soon as you start riding you want to completely max out your tyres and get your elbow down like Stoner. I'm the exactly the same! Who starts playing tennis and is disappointed if they don't serve at 130mph in the first few months?
I agree on the knee down road thing, I've only got my knee down in normal (if a little spirited) road conditions a handful of times and it probably not exactly best practice as on most roads you need to be really motoring to lean that far over. You can of course find a quiet roundabout and force the issue with a few laps to build confidence, just build speed slowly and you'll be scratching in no time!
The fear of lean is due to 1000's of years of evolution as bipeds. When we run the most we can lean is around 20 degrees before our feet start to suffer from loss of traction, you just need to unlearn a few thousand years of ancestral practice and you'll be all good.
The thing I struggle with most is the question of where does the grip end? I've had a few little slides on corner exits and some front end chatter round Charlies at Cadwell Park due to my forks having a tendency to bottom out high speeds and lean angles
but I still cant get a reliable idea of when it switches from amazing cornering to face in tyre wall.
@mrwiki you could lean almost as far as you like without getting your knee down, it's more a body position thing than anything, if your body position is "correct" then you can get your knee down a fair way from the edge of the tyre. You will find though that as your body position improves you can carry a ton more speed through a corner for the same amount of lean angle.
I agree on the knee down road thing, I've only got my knee down in normal (if a little spirited) road conditions a handful of times and it probably not exactly best practice as on most roads you need to be really motoring to lean that far over. You can of course find a quiet roundabout and force the issue with a few laps to build confidence, just build speed slowly and you'll be scratching in no time!
The fear of lean is due to 1000's of years of evolution as bipeds. When we run the most we can lean is around 20 degrees before our feet start to suffer from loss of traction, you just need to unlearn a few thousand years of ancestral practice and you'll be all good.
The thing I struggle with most is the question of where does the grip end? I've had a few little slides on corner exits and some front end chatter round Charlies at Cadwell Park due to my forks having a tendency to bottom out high speeds and lean angles
but I still cant get a reliable idea of when it switches from amazing cornering to face in tyre wall.@mrwiki you could lean almost as far as you like without getting your knee down, it's more a body position thing than anything, if your body position is "correct" then you can get your knee down a fair way from the edge of the tyre. You will find though that as your body position improves you can carry a ton more speed through a corner for the same amount of lean angle.
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