I guess what I was getting at was that you can be all of that, but some riders are still going to think you are riding like a psycho. It's almost the same concept as car drivers feel, nobody is going your speed, they are either driving like a grandma or like a crazy person. And if a track, or section of track is crowded enough and full of riders taking odd lines, the fast safe and smooth guy is still going to look like weaving from a couple bikes back.
I feel like if I were in advanced I would still blow a turn here or there. Especially if I'm trying something new, or trying to pick up the throttle earlier exiting a particular corner or something. An example would be at Gingerman, turn two's entry. Most people seem to make an effort to come back across the track after turn one to open up the entry to turn two, making a straighter line through the exit of turn two. BUT I saw Jason Disalvo just book it straight from turn one to turn two, and he rode the inside of that corner the whole way up and around (he set the lap record that day). I thought it was awesome and wanted to try it out, which I did, but I was riding "I" and would have felt uncomfortable changing my line up that much in "A" with everything I hear about being predictable. Or sometimes if I don't 100% nail an exit, I don't make it as far to the outside of the track (ex: exit of last turn at barber, or exiting museum). Another one might be guys who want to start experimenting with backing it in or something. Is there a certain line between experimenting/missing an apex and not being safe in "A" group? I'm not talking about being all over the place, but pretty much just being human. I always wonder how that works whenever I see or hear someone say "predictable", because I have my doubts that that many people are perfectly on point all the time... but it does make sense that it's important. Would love it if you guys could shed some light for me!! :juggle:
IMO predictable does not mean taking the line everyone else is FLC. It means you are smooth and consistent. In other words I can tell where you are going. One example of that is turn 5 at Barber where there is numerous lines that work. If you come in low and hot on the brakes I will plan on you sweeping out mid corner. If you go for the late apex I won't. Either way I can see where you are going and you do not do the classic move of heading into the museum turn at Barber and suddenly realizing you are on the inside and dart to the outside about 100ft out (common for an intermediate that has not been to Barber, EXTREMELY rare in advanced)
Okay cool, maybe I was misunderstanding what people meant by being predictable. I always thought it meant riders recognizing your habbits (where you go to brakes, where you turn in, etc) and then getting surprised when you don't do your "usual" thing somewhere. But what you said makes a lot of sense.
i don't think people "experiment" backing it in. it is just one of those things that happens when you start riding at a good click.. it is a combination of braking, down shifting and initiating a turn that tends to break the rear loose. i don't think you'll see guys in "I" doing that unless they are on the verge of crashing. :thumb:
i don't know what your slow is, but you almost make it sound like you can run 2 minute lap times at Tally in "A" as long as your smooth and predictable. I think that becomes a dangerous situation regardless of how smooth and predictable a rider is.
Of course like all things there are extremes. If you are that slow then regardless of how smooth you are there is an issue (less than slow an erratic though) Also if you consistently are running the bottom of the track coming around the last section of rights at Barber then there is no way you can not be a hazard in the last right left. Same thing at a lot of tracks. I have seen 4 wide through the museum turn in a race, on a track day, even in "A", they might pull some folks off to tell them to settle down a little ound:. Thus the need for control riders and personal judgement.
I've only ran a couple of times, but I rode I for years. Here's the difference I saw and what I took out of it. You're going to be passed, real close, and you don't need to get spooked as you're going through any particular turn and someone buzzes you on the inside when you least expect it. You need to be fairly comfortable riding close with people. Let's say you're coming down the front straight at Barber and you're within a few feet of another rider going into turn one. They very well may brake at the same point you do but at the same time take a different line. You need to be comfortable with taking a different line if they take yours and still ride fairly close. In I this rarely happened, typically only when it was my buddy, and if I were going on the front straight with someone, or any straight, one of us would give to allow the other the line. I don't know you're riding style, you could be amazing, but I know that it's never a bad idea to stay in I for even just a few days. I rode I for 3 years with STT and you can still learn a lot. Hope it helps.