Bike magazine arrange each year with MSV to hold a few trackdays for road bikes only, i.e. no racers, no slicks, no tyre-warmers, no vans. Just ride there and back on your road bike. This contrasts with most trackdays. I have booked one at Snetterton on 21 May. There are others on 17 July at Oulton and on 19 July at Cadwell. Anyone interested? See link at: Reclaim Our Tracks
Yeh I've seen this total crock of bollocks before, surely the clue is in the title, 'Reclaim Our Tracks', I.e. race tracks which forgive me if I'm wrong are for race bikes/vehicles or bikes/vehicles you can't use on the road. Great idea ride to a trackday (hopefully your road legal exhaust will pass the now draconion noise testing) then go out on cold tyres and waste a few laps warming them up, crash and give the AA a call to recover you back home (probably not). Next day give your insurance company a shout and tell them you crashed at Snetterton race track, well you know their reply don't you. Isn't Bike MCN monthly?
Drinky, you are possibly missing the point behind this type of trackday. I agree that the "Reclaim Our Tracks" moniker is ludicrous. The tracks were indeed designed for races and race bikes. However, if you call this sort of thing, "Reclaim Our Trackdays" ... then it starts to make sense. Trackdays were meant for non-racing road users to have the chance to stretch the legs of their road bikes and to allow those road users the opportunity to circulate around a track in a way that is illegal and unsafe to do on their local roads. Also, those riders may get a kick from going around the tracks that they see featured at the weekends in BSB/WSB/MotoGP. The fact is, a non-racing biker taking is P&J road bike around tracks on a standard trackday is having to cope with the presence of racers doing test days, and it doesn't much matter what group - novice, inter or "fast" - he's in. If you aren't racing, it can be unnerving to ride the same track with someone who is racing. Race days are race days, test days are test days and trackdays are ... well, guess. You start combining them all on one day and you get a recipe for upset or disaster. I'm all for ride-your-road-legal-bike track days. It may not capture a racer's imagination, but the folks who ultimately ensure that there is bike racing, the bike-riding public who buy the bikes, should get their shot at "owning the track".
Too many road riders with normal road bikes would love to get the chance to ride the circuits, but they are put off by the daunting bravado and number of hardcore Rossi-wannabes who attend trailoring a full race-spec replica with crates of equipment. I think these days are excellent, and they allow for a more relaxed and less intimidating day for people to comfortably push their bike without getting buzzed by Casey up their chuff.
I see your point but in that case all MCN, sorry Bike have to do is make it a road bike only day. I suppose I was sucked in by as you say the ludicrous headline but not allowing vans, tyre warmers etc is bloody stupid. Maybe they should campaign against trackday organisers who knowingly allow race teams to test at their Trackdays although in all their briefings they stipulate that testing is not allowed. I agree that racers do put people off going but then again how many times do you see Buildbase BMW's or Moto Rapido Prettygirldles in the inters or novice group at a trackday and you'd imagine that people wanting to try riding on track for the first time would opt for the novice group. On the flip side I'm sure average trackday riders like myself enjoy being on track with the likes of Glenn Richards, Keith Amor etc etc.
Some fair points there, Drinky. I do get overtaken in the inters though, by some blisteringly quick guys and occasionally they are folks who ride in Club/BSS/BSS/Superstock. And they don't ride their road bike to the TD. I've given up reading Bike/MCN - nearly as bad as the mainstream press for wankery these days.
I remember the very first trackday I attended at Silverstone. I was a noobie but keen. I rode there on my road bike and my backpack with a drink, tyre pump, and a few other bits/pieces. In the garage I shared was another chap. He had the entire kit and caboodle... trackbike with race fairings stickered up as a race rep, paddock stands, tyre warmers, extension cables, picnic chairs, coffee urn, folding table, a huge selection of tools, and about 3 crates of 'stuff' wheeled out of his van. I stood there with my day glow newbie vest, my bike and backpack occupying about 1/10th of the garage space. Did I feel outta my depth? As a biker - you bet I did!!! The saving grace was that I've done loads of car trackdays before, so I was empathetic to my garage neighbours cause and intentions. Not everyone has that benefit. Even though we ran in different groups, there is no denying that experienced full on trackday riders can make it a daunting place for newcomers - even when they don't mean to. If there are a few trackdays a year for pure newcomers on their road bikes, then it is a really good thing - biking is already getting an increasingly bad rep amongst Joe Public, and the more we can do as a biking fraternity to welcome newish bikers to 'take the next step' in the form of a trackday (or advanced training etc), the better.
Never let it be said (except by my wife who often does) I sit on my arse all day and do nothing but look at forums, I've just left a message for Mark t No Limits re this thread. I'll also mention it to him in a few weeks when I'll be seeing him at a mates party.
Never had too much of an issue with NL days, and they are more approachable anyway Think where the advertised day falls down is the van thing. Most. One take their road bike, normally with same fairings but smetimes with cheap track news, in a van because it's easier or better for them. Driving home after a day n track is easier than riding IMHO don't think the FE guys will care one way or the other. As a racer, ok not a fast one, I have 3 different modes now on track. Trackway, when I'm very courteous, will hang back and wait and give lots of room (unless someone tries to duff me up m which case I won't have it) test day when I'm more likely to go straight past a rider I catch but still have a thought towards not being too aggressive, then race day when I just go past. Alas I see too many adopting 3rd mentality when the 1st would be more appropriate.
I can't see the problem with taking your bike in a van. Even if it's a road bike, you might not want to ride 40 or 50 miles home after a track day. And even worse, if you have a mechanical issue, or you come off, how do you get home?
Not far for yourself, myself and Jules to ride to Oulton though............ Or even just leave the van at the Blue Cap and get some heat into the tyres on the way there :wink:
Good thinking Mike, I could fit a sidestand to the DD bike and get a daytime MOT for it, then Bob's your aunt!
No Limits Trackdays If we could get enough bookings, we would whole heartedly support such events, as it stands, the nearest we have got lately is running a first time novice group to support such riders. If there was a demand for "Ride what you come on" trackdays, that would get a big thumbs up and support from ourselves. On the other side of the coin, we are a consumer demanded business so we are led by customer requirements.
No Limits Trackdays Road bike only groups could be workable, specially as we run 4 groups at some Brands Hatch trackdays.. all speculation but if there was/is demand, we would support it.
I've done a few of these Reclaim trackdays and they are excellent for 1st timers and novices. There are a few people who turn up with their bikes on trailors etc and they don't get turned away, but all of the bikes are legal road bikes. The entire day is a lot less intimidating than turning up where everyone else is on race bikes. Me & my 2 mates only have bikes that we ride on the road, so we always turn up, dump our rucksacks, have a race around, then ride home. We all know the risks, but they're worth it as far as we're concerned.
