Cadwell Park 4th April 2010

I'll be there with a couple of mates. We usually park on the grass to the left (lets Kev be near the toilet block, he struggles you know ). If anyone is there gimme a shout. I'm the one on the banged up road going RRX in Repsol colours and driving a Blue Rover 75.

Might be my last time in the Inters at Cadwell if all goes smoothly.

You trailoring it down mate ?

I'm am that yes. I'm going with the family for a week with a friend so I could offer your bike a lift, but not you I'm afraid. Not too helpful I know.

Should be calling over to watch this, unless its underwater.

See you there mate.

One forecast had it under snow.

Fingers crossed the weather isn't quite that bad. We usually park on the grassy area on the left as you drive down, above the toilet block.

So a bit of a day of ups and downs, all things told.



It was a cold morning, blustery and grey, but dry. We arrived in good time, got noise tested, signed on and I managed to find Dave with whom I was hoping to get some tuition.



First session was as scrappy and awkward as hell. Partly that's because of the odd way that Focused Events run the first session - out for three very slow sighting laps behind an instructor and then back into the pits before being released onto the track - but mostly it was because I haven't turned a wheel since September and was simply not bike fit. Also my new boots required a gear lever adjustment and my new gloves were cramping my hands. I really wasn't feeling at home on the bike.

Second session, after adjusting my gear lever and with gloves stretching, started to feel a bit better. I wasn't exactly flying but I was starting to get closer to where I wanted to be. I tried some different gear choices but to be honest they made me feel less in control and less comfortable so I went back to what I was used to (staying in a higher gear over the Mountain and not changing down so much for Park Corner), although I did continue to change down between Charlies 1 and 2.

Third session I went out with Dave for some instruction. I felt better and better throughout the session, still quite messy at the start and braking miles too early for Park Corner (as proved by the same guy coming past me regularly but then holding me up everywhere else), but getting faster as the session went on and I cleared more of the traffic. On the last full lap I got my best ever time at Cadwell: 1:52.8 and I felt I had more to go.

Had a great debrief with Dave, who pointed out four areas for improvement: straight-lining Hall Bends more effectively (I'm exagerating the corners), driving harder up into Charlies to turn it into one corer not two, braking much later for Park and adjusting my body postion (arse a little further out, upper body a little less so).

Set out for the fourth session following Dave and immediately made a stupid mistake - allowed someone else to decide my warm up pace. I felt we were going a bit quick on cold tyres but like an idiot I just followed on instead of thinking for myself. Then going into Charlies 1, probably because I wasn't feeling comfortable, chopped throttle and instantly lost the front. All my own work, no blame to Dave at all, it was up to me to set my pace.


Video




The bike is basically alright, cosmetically a mess. My Crowtrees have taken a beating manfully but I think finally will need a repair. Thank Christ my brand new lid didn't touch down!

Saw you there mate, well saw your bike but only ever saw you going around on the bike lol.

Unlucky with the incident but atleast it stayed fairly nice all day :-)

What group were you in N2OCapri? How'd your day go, quite well by the look of it?

I only go in the beginner group by choice :-)

Had a very good day, went out with an instructor called Graham in the third session, taught me a wee bit. He was fairly insistent about moving up a group but my mates always go into beginners and being out of sync with them would detract from my own enjoyment so I declined to change :-)

You were in inters I think ?

Yeah, I was in Inters. Dave, the instructor I went out with, told me I should be in Advanced and with later braking into Park and a little work in Charlies I'd be middle of the group easily. That's what we were going out to work on when I stuffed it.

I'd move up if the instructor tells you to, you'll improve faster and you'll find things much more "peaceful" if you're on a more similar pace to the others around you.

Thats not good with the crash mate, but cold tyres strike again.

Its another reason i use warmers, but i still go easy on lap 1.

1.52 is a great time, you must have been going well up to the off.

I was starting to get back into the swing. The instructor reckoned I had high 1:40s easily if I improved on Park Corner and Hall Bends, but I won't know about that until August now. I know better than to push cold tyres, that's the most annoying thing, it was just stupid.

Tazfiend wrote:I was starting to get back into the swing. The instructor reckoned I had high 1:40s easily if I improved on Park Corner and Hall Bends, but I won't know about that until August now. I know better than to push cold tyres, that's the most annoying thing, it was just stupid.

Easy done though mate.
I did the same coppice corner at donnington, 2nd lap out of pits, tuck, splat, gravel

High 40's is a very respectible time round cadwell on a stock road bike.

Well once I get there I'll take the respect, until then I feel like a dunce.

Knockhill in a month - I need to get fixing fast!

Sorry to hear about your off Taz, at least it happened on session 4 I suppose - an expensive day but not completley wasted.

Now then Taz

Shame about the off Mate but a lesson learned. Sounds like you were going very well considering the chicanes leading to the mountain now at Cadwell. Last time I did it was before they were installed. Nice vid though, one to keep.

N20Capri> good pick fella :-)

Cheers

Tazfiend wrote:Knockhill in a month - I need to get fixing fast!

Gaffer tape and tie wraps, it is then.

fastbikefinder wrote:Sorry to hear about your off Taz, at least it happened on session 4 I suppose - an expensive day but not completley wasted.

Not a complete waste no, just a shame I was so damn rusty first couple of sessions.

JT wrote:Now then Taz

Shame about the off Mate but a lesson learned. Sounds like you were going very well considering the chicanes leading to the mountain now at Cadwell. Last time I did it was before they were installed. Nice vid though, one to keep.

Definitely learned that lesson - I'm never following an instructor on warm up again! Twice I've done it and twice I've crashed - although the first time was a mechanical failure.

shadow wrote:

Tazfiend wrote:Knockhill in a month - I need to get fixing fast!

Gaffer tape and tie wraps, it is then.

I'm hoping to learn plastic welding in a hurry...

Sorry to hear about your off and glad you are OK - you have the same damage as me when I had my off at Oulton, luckily David Silver have all of the required parts in stock!

Gotta love Cadwell - what a circuit!

Russ.

Just read this Taz - hope the bike is ok mate & you ?

Tazfiend wrote:I'm hoping to learn plastic welding in a hurry...

Soldering iron, use a piece of scrap plastic, then melt it into the damaged area, or to fill a gap (wwwhhhaaayyyyy).

or, get a fibreglass kit from halfords, that will make a mega strong repair, to the fairing.

shadow wrote:......Soldering iron, use a piece of scrap plastic, then melt it into the damaged area, or to fill a gap (wwwhhhaaayyyyy).

or, get a fibreglass kit from halfords, that will make a mega strong repair, to the fairing.

You'll need fresh ABS rods to use scrap plastic from the fairing to fill gaps, you can get Sealey ABS rods of the net, a 12 pack for about £7 + delivery.

Provisionally a fibre glass kit will stick but it'll soon separate leaving you with a resin mould of the interior of your fairing panel. Better off with Plastex or similar on Honda ABS panels, however if your panels are pattern fibre glass anyway then rock on, just don't use too much hardner - take your time.

fastbikefinder wrote:

shadow wrote:......Soldering iron, use a piece of scrap plastic, then melt it into the damaged area, or to fill a gap (wwwhhhaaayyyyy).

or, get a fibreglass kit from halfords, that will make a mega strong repair, to the fairing.

You'll need fresh ABS rods to use scrap plastic from the fairing to fill gaps, you can get Sealey ABS rods of the net, a 12 pack for about £7 + delivery.

Provisionally a fibre glass kit will stick but it'll soon separate leaving you with a resin mould of the interior of your fairing panel. Better off with Plastex or similar on Honda ABS panels, however if your panels are pattern fibre glass anyway then rock on, just don't use too much hardner - take your time.

Aaaa cheers mate, thinking about it, the fairing i repaired was fibreglass, not plastic.

I've decided that with so many panels to fix it was worth buying a hot air gun and plastic welding tips plus some ABS rods. Fingers crossed I don't hash it up.

Kaiser wrote:Just read this Taz - hope the bike is ok mate & you ?

I'm okay and the bike is fixable, the bill is feckin' sore though.

Not so good mate................. I always have this kind of thing in the back of my mind when booking a track day & deciding to trailor or not to trailor the bike. Just hope those B'stones although BLUE, will be ok for another track day.

Which Bridgestones? As long as they're not completely torched they'll be fine once you warm them up.

Just to entertain you further.

Not wanting to sound negative, but no matter what anyone says about your bridgestones, the thought will be in the back of your head for the whole day, clearly its an issue for yea, or you wouldent keep asking about em.

When i get home, i will take a pic or the r6's rear tyre to show you how blue that is.

If its going to ruin your day though, think about changing them for another set.

Thought I'd better post a video where I don't crash!

Laird Dave following me at Cadwell while I prove I'm braking way too early for Park and getting my lines wrong in Hall.

Sorry for the interferenceon the front view - I forgot my battery pack and ran the bullet cam on bike power.

Tazfiend wrote:Which Bridgestones? As long as they're not completely torched they'll be fine once you warm them up.

Just to entertain you further.

Was it just cold tyres Taz ?

Front tucked quickly - glad your ok mate

shadow wrote:Not wanting to sound negative, but no matter what anyone says about your bridgestones, the thought will be in the back of your head for the whole day, clearly its an issue for yea, or you wouldent keep asking about em.

When i get home, i will take a pic or the r6's rear tyre to show you how blue that is.

If its going to ruin your day though, think about changing them for another set.

Your probably right mate