music while trackin?

[g4getmoney]

Amen brother, Amen!

That's a quotable!

I play piano, or well used to play piano, and playing notes while listening to a different song on earbuds would be kaos! I'd give up on both, and on the track, that would likely be disastrous.

Good input. THE SECRET is what it's all about! Keep the mind on being fast and picture yourself being fast and speed will follow, given all technique is in check of course.

Hmm, I started this post just to hear some opinion, but after this one, I'll opt out of tunes while riding, I'll keep the music for the long boring street rides.

Cheers!

Thanks for all the input, now lets hope for a short winter.

I understand where you're coming from, that music is life. You are absolutely right about that, 100%.

I listen to music a lot when I ride on the street, it's a great way to pass the time during boring highway rides and the like, and it can add a whole new element to the ride.

However, riding on the track is different. You really have to think about what your mind is doing when you're listening to music. Your brain will be receiving sound from the headphones and responding to it. Some people think that it helps you concentrate, but it's the opposite - it will distract parts of your brain as they process that information. All parts of your brain are involved in listening to music - the primitive parts of your brain that have a role in maintaining rhythm, which you use for walking and breathing, as well as the advanced parts of your brain that are responsible for reason and emotion. When you are doing something that requires concentration, you want 100% of these parts of the brain focused on your task, not distracted by other outside stimulus.

Since you love music, I assume you play some kind of musical instrument? Think about if you would play better while you're 100% focussed on the song you're playing, or if you're playing while listening to a completely different song on a pair of headphones. Riding on the track is no different - you are playing your instrument, and you need to be focussed on the rhythm and melody of the song you're playing. Otherwise you're just messing around and not making music. And if life is music, then riding the track is making music, isn't it?

When I ride the track, my mind gets 100% focussed on the task at hand, the track has rhythm, movement, and a pace all its own. When I am riding, I find that my mind starts making its own music, and songs pop into my head in response to the track. It's much more natural and keeps me "in the moment", in tune with what's happening. I hate to get all zen-philosophical on you, but when your mind is so concentrated on something, if you are in fact a musical person, you will see that you find your own song and you will express it in whatever you're doing.

Is Valentino's riding any less technically demanding than a professional musician playing his instrument? Would you not think it odd if you found out that a professional musician played while listening to other music on an ipod?

--- D

[invictus43]

The biggest issue for me would be, what happens if your braking point is not suited to the point in the music. It's natural to hear the beat and do things at those times..well..I don't want to miss a beat at the end of the back straight!! The brakes need to be applied when they need to be applied..not when the music says so!

[havin_fun]

Wow, you guys are so grumpy, I'm sorry it's cold outside and you have to be inside answering my music questions, but at least I asked, you're all acting like I'm out killing people on the track

Plus, the way some of my questions have been answered regarding lines, and after doing my own research, it seems like music is the least of the worries for track day enthusiasts. Lol.

Happy winter months!

Has nothing to do with it being cold outside, anyone can tell you I'm a professional grump.

Most trackday organizers prefer you tape over your speedometer, ya think they're gonna say OK to listening to tunes?

Track riding is the most fun you can have with your clothes on, but it's serious fun. Look forward to seeing you on track next year, good to read you'll be leaving your tunes in the pits.

[mihnea]

a friend of mine does it every trackday. he's fast.

[meme]

Holy - someone actually listened to some advice on here!

g4getmoney good on you for taking heed of what others are saying. you sure you are male? lol

enjoy your season next year

[mobius]

try using earplugs.
using them allows me to go faster by taking away all the unnecessary noise.
being albe to hear my engine better and other motorcycles approaching instead of the wind and my exhaust.

[K4GSXXXR]

If there was a crash and corner marshall can't communicate with you laying down you can't hear him he has to shut down the track only to findout you were ok and listening to music would not go well with them.

[g4getmoney]

lol if there was a crash and the headphones stayed in your ear channel let me know because i'd buy them right away.... that's a good commercial idea lol

mine fall out when i ride a little spirited, and i spent a good dollar on headphones

If there was a crash and corner marshall can't communicate with you laying down you can't hear him he has to shut down the track only to findout you were ok and listening to music would not go well with them.

[reciprocity]

You've obviously decided that you are going to do this, regardless of the advice you've been offered.

Hopefully, you don't hurt anyone besides yourself as a result.

If it was my trackday, you'd be going home without a refund if caught and most other reputable organizers will look at it the same way.

[Duster929]

You've obviously decided that you are going to do this, regardless of the advice you've been offered.

Hopefully, you don't hurt anyone besides yourself as a result.

If it was my trackday, you'd be going home without a refund if caught and most other reputable organizers will look at it the same way.

Don't be too hard on him. He actually stated the opposite - that because of the advice he's received here, he won't take tunes to the track. Hopefully he'll follow that plan. Give the guy some credit for listening to others. It's a rarity on GTAM.

--- D

[eastcoast_gsx]

I've always wanted to try it.... but I never have... and prob never will.

Hows that for internal conflict

[Dan Dubeau]

I've always wanted to try it.... but I never have... and prob never will.

Hows that for internal conflict

I just sing in my head. Anyone remember Hudson Hawk? Who needs laptimers. Would you like to swing on a star, Carry moonbeams home in a jar...

[rsilk]

I was eventually screaming at her to shut the f up unless its important. Couldnt imagine constant noise in my ear.

That's a good rule of thumb at any time Ken

/r

[Teal]

Oh, the irony. You're horrible!

That's a good rule of thumb at any time Ken

/r

[Y2KR1]

try using earplugs.
using them allows me to go faster by taking away all the unnecessary noise.
being albe to hear my engine better and other motorcycles approaching instead of the wind and my exhaust.

+1 on that. If you want to slow me down steal my ear plugs

[john bickle]

Trouble with bikes is you have a dimension that most are unaware of.
At the ARC school, we teach people to focus and pick out referance points. These points do two things. They allow you be positioned properly on the track and give you points to use to mentally referance your engine noises.
So on excelleration you shift when the reves get to such a pitch. Or you shift when you get to "a" point to keep the bike stable. Down shifting you can use the engine noise to get the shifting rythm. The more gears you go down,, blipping or not you eventually do it in a rythm. Ear plugs only muffle the high pitches and allow you to still referance. As you go quicker this discipline becomes more apparent.
So adding music would simply take this tool out of the portfolio. It would slow you down. It might be a nice ride but you would be slower and on entry to corners,, and I doubt you would do the same thing twice in a session.
So you would more then likely be labeled a "mobile chichane"
So do you wish to ride fast,responisble and improve,,,if so music will only distract you from improving.
With about 30 years trackside I know this would bother me if I knew someone was listening to music.
Should you cause a problem or even be involved in something,, regardless you will take heat!
And you may have noticed,, or not,, put that many extraverted people in one spot and focused on one issue,,,it's not pretty.

[eastcoast_gsx]

At the ARC school, we teach people to focus and pick out referance points. These points do two things. They allow you be positioned properly on the track and give you points to use to mentally referance your engine noises.

I have a real problem with using reference points (i think it is a personal focus issue) and find it very difficult to do this effectively. I find it very difficult to jump from reference point to reference point.

I tend to take in everything as a whole picture, and use spatial awareness (to a basic extent) as a wide screen reference.

I tend to be decently consistent, but I do it without using reference points. Maybe I really need to get it down to go faster.

Maybe it is simply my slow NL brain

Maybe I use them subconsciously.. but I do not think about it in the front of my mind.

[john bickle]

I have a real problem with using reference points (i think it is a personal focus issue) .

Give your subconscious more credit. You may not actually say I change here or brake here. But "you" brake when you get to "a" point,, you referance more then you think.
The hard part is to get comfortable making a decision to brake deeper and recognize a different point,,, consciously.

[eastcoast_gsx]

Give your subconscious more credit. You may not actually say I change here or brake here. But "you" brake when you get to "a" point,, you referance more then you think.
The hard part is to get comfortable making a decision to brake deeper and recognize a different point,,, consciously.

Your right, maybe that is what is happening. I am decently consistent. But sometimes I hear people say, "I use this mark, (tuft of grass, crack in asphalt) to start braking... this one to tip it in..." and I think... wow, I could never be scanning for hard set points like this and be successful.

As for going in deeper and deeper, it takes courage for sure. That is why I like following a faster rider around (say pros in the SV national) for a bit. Once you realize that "hey this can be done no problem", its gets much easier to do this on your own.

I was filming at the end of the season this year, and having that footage to study while sitting and relaxing I found was a great tool to work on certain things (one being the ability to identify places that needed improvement and to recognize places of opportunity for passing etc). I wish I had it all year.

Plus I got to put together some nice footage of our races being close to the front of the SV grid.

[g4getmoney]

The point I'd be most interested to find out is the point at which it's absolutely the latest time you can brake giving your setup and still make it through, and this means crossing that point and learning a lesson from it.

I'm not suicidal, but I am looking for a track biek because I know it's going down at some point, I will ride the threshold, I know it's a bold statement for someone who hasn't even done a track day, but that's been my mentalitly all the way until now, for everything I've done.

Push it to the limit!

The reference points idea sounds very interesting, I just think it may actually slow you down if you get used to a slow reference point, unless you aim to live with higher SR's and convert them to faster lap times.

Dunno, this is all from theory, not application.

I appreciate and value the experienced riders inputs, thanks.

Give your subconscious more credit. You may not actually say I change here or brake here. But "you" brake when you get to "a" point,, you referance more then you think.
The hard part is to get comfortable making a decision to brake deeper and recognize a different point,,, consciously.