RojoRacing Video edits
- Thread starter RojoRacing
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Zen MBB Master
Way too fast for that crappy road condition. I kept saying "d**mn slowdown Jason", we prefer you healthy. Now, when you gonna do the Giro tt?
benphyr
Guru-me-not
When I take a fast corner, more often than not, I misjudge the speed, traction, etc. and have to adjust mid-corner. I just don't see that at all in your video Jason. Amazingly smooth curves and transitions. These demonstrate what you were mentioning last week about what is required to descend fast. Precondition: Guts-yes, ability to judge conditions, corner radius, bank, traction, etc.-yes and constantly shown here in transitions smooth, smooth, smoothly into, through, and out of corners, transitions to and from pedalling to coasting, everything is smooth - graceful even. I thought I noticed one wobble or correction and then noticed a patch of sand invading into the roadway a few feet. And the casual mention of 8 hours of riding a week before tearing off on a double century.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
When I take a fast corner, more often than not, I misjudge the speed, traction, etc. and have to adjust mid-corner. I just don't see that at all in your video Jason. Amazingly smooth curves and transitions. These demonstrate what you were mentioning last week about what is required to descend fast. Precondition: Guts-yes, ability to judge conditions, corner radius, bank, traction, etc.-yes and constantly shown here in transitions smooth, smooth, smoothly into, through, and out of corners, transitions to and from pedalling to coasting, everything is smooth - graceful even. I thought I noticed one wobble or correction and then noticed a patch of sand invading into the roadway a few feet. And the casual mention of 8 hours of riding a week before tearing off on a double century.
I'm not perfect so yes I do make plenty of mid-corner corrections on unknown roads like this, it is just harder to pick them out on video. The difference is how I predict what is coming, how quickly I recognize a correction is needed and how well I can perform such corrections with minimal steering input. Just before I pass the second rider on the yellow bike in the first video you can see me make an abrupt correction going into a left corner because we were both setting up to apex inside the hole in the corner but failed to see the hidden first hole entering the corner. The DF should have easily seen the first hole hidden over the crest of the road given his line of sight being higher but it was completely hidden for me. So when we had to correct our entry line for the first hole it pushed our cornering arch outside the second hole. If you listen closely at 3:13 you'll hear the rolling sound of the tires cut out as they leave the ground over the lumpy part of the road and land again 10 feet later on top of the next section of lumps in the road. This exact instant is where most riders would panic because of the loss of braking and right corner fast approaching. The average riders normal response would be to apply the brakes much hard to make up for the lost braking which would then lock up the rear tire and force the ride to continue straight off the road or at least very wide. This section of the road was the only part I was prepared for, I had no idea where in the DH it was but I know it was at the end of a very fast part and into a corner. I knew I'd get airborne so I was prepared to lightly drag my rear brake instead or locking it up which is why you see me retain the ability to lean the bike to the right for the corner. That "feel" with the brake is what I carry over from my years of racing motorcycles.
In the second video the Volunteers where super stoked to see such a custom machine and were asking me how much riding I do a week to be leading such an event. On this DH I had to back off a great deal compared to the last two times I did it because on the climb up I saw 10 times as many cars coming over than usual so I was waiting for more cars in the descent and the sun was out casting tons of shadows. The first time I descended this road 3 years ago it was on the V20 but it was an overcast day so no shadows only consistent dark asphalt. The second time when I took the KOM I was on the DF and it was sunny but on the DF I'm high enough to make out the road surface through the shadows. This time the pattern of the shadows made it impossible to distinguish what the road surface was like, if there was any hidden rocks, gravel or holes, so I dialed it back 10% and focused on being smooth. I could have hit sand or gravel at any moment so I needed to keep that 10% handy for reactionary corrections.
You will always feel each of your own corrections since you are the one in control but it's hard to pick out someone else's on a video. I do notice that when comparing Larry's videos to my own I'll see much larger corner correction but that is mostly the nature of his narrow bars not being as stable.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
Also, my head almost never touches my headrest on either of these descents but my shoulders are always firmly planted. What I realized a while back was that I don't lift my head off the headrest for a better view, it's to allow me to freely tip my head left and right to maintain a horizontal viewing angle of the road. So the further you lean the bike into a left-hand corner the further right you tend to tip your head to keep your eye level with the floor. If you don't think this is necessary then try watching a movie with your head at 90 degs. You can see everything fine but you brains abilty to comprehend relies on experience and if you change the orientaion of that input your brain sutrggles to absorb what it sees. By not counter tipping your head it won't feel terrible, it's just a subtle awkwardness that makes something feel not quite right so you lose just that little bit of confidence in your cornering.
We first discovered then odd phenomenon when a go-kart track promoter asked us to try on some karting neck braces which are design to prevent broken collar bones and neck injuries. Naturally, we were all for the idea until we got on track and couldn't figure out why none of us could go fast. We quickly realized just how much we actually counter tip our heads that day and just how important it is to your equilibrium.
We first discovered then odd phenomenon when a go-kart track promoter asked us to try on some karting neck braces which are design to prevent broken collar bones and neck injuries. Naturally, we were all for the idea until we got on track and couldn't figure out why none of us could go fast. We quickly realized just how much we actually counter tip our heads that day and just how important it is to your equilibrium.
ccf
Guru
I love how fast those turkeys got out of your way!
That's some really rough pavement. What tire pressure were you running?
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
hurts as much as being hit by a turkey 
. 
super slim
Zen MBB Master
Is the descent in the Hunter Valley NSW?
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
It’s off the coast of HWY 1 in California just south of Big Sur. Drops you into a massive valley with a military base.
That's a great tip. I will have to remember that.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
I’d say practice your perception on a park by navigating benches and other tight obstacles. Do it naturally and note what you’re doing, ether shoulders and neck planted, just shoulders planted or both off the seat. Now try navigating the same course but using both the other two options and note how it effects your control.
The problem with some people is they don’t always naturally default to what is actually the best option for them.
The problem with some people is they don’t always naturally default to what is actually the best option for them.
bladderhead
Zen MBB Master
I lift my head. Less confusing for the canals. Also, I think, better balance. Like a monkey's tail.RojoRacing said:
Also, it is easier to see when your eyeballs are not bouncing all over the place.
bladderhead
Zen MBB Master
The seat of my Grasshopper is made in two pieces, bolted together. You could have some kind of suspension between the two halves so they could articulate, with limited freedom of movement, and the bum (I mean butt) part firmly attached to the frame. This would give your upper body as much freedom as on DF.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
Just one of the sections of road while descending Mt. Baldy here in SoCal. Forgot to turn on the camera at the very top f the mountain so you'll have to wait till next till for a view of the super steep and tight switchbacks.
If anyone is curious how I judge corners I've never seen before, I actually run the Ride with Gps app on my phone for navigation and zoom in to a point that gives me a good scale of the next two corners so I know if it's going to be a large sweeping corner or a lock em up tight hairpin. You still need to error on the safe side and plan for things like rocks in the road which if you look closely you'll several. This section of road is currently closed to cars but further up the mountain, I spotted two trucks parked on the side of the road so there must be some kind of dirt road access somewhere out there.
If anyone is curious how I judge corners I've never seen before, I actually run the Ride with Gps app on my phone for navigation and zoom in to a point that gives me a good scale of the next two corners so I know if it's going to be a large sweeping corner or a lock em up tight hairpin. You still need to error on the safe side and plan for things like rocks in the road which if you look closely you'll several. This section of road is currently closed to cars but further up the mountain, I spotted two trucks parked on the side of the road so there must be some kind of dirt road access somewhere out there.
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ccooper
Active Member
Jason, do you ride down the Mt. Wilson road into Altadena? Nearly 50 years ago I used to take my 200cc Yamaha street bike down, dragging my foot pegs on every turn. I would try to set records for the number of cars I could pass at once...10 was my max. It was totally insane...luckily I figured out that I was likely to kill myself if I kept it up, and gave it up before it was too late.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
You're talking about Hwy 2 and no I've yet to get that far west, not a fan of driving to ride road bikes so I normally limit things to routes I can do from home. Luckily I have a rather large range so I can still explore more areas.
RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
Cool bit of data from the above video, I landed myself in 6th place on strava for that segment mixed in with the Pro Peleton of the tour de California. Not too shabby for my first time down of rock littered roads and only using the right lane.
bladderhead
Zen MBB Master
The thing that gets me is the faith you people have in your tyres. Even if my lungs would let me race Jason I would be too scared of sliding. Even then, there are a few downhills in Essex where I slow down because I cannot bring myself to lean over that far. Tyre adhesion just fails. No warning. When I run my hands over tyres they do not seem very grippy. The road surface does not seem very grippy. I cannot make the leap of faith that these surfaces will stick together.ccooper said:
