Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Trackdays & Race Schools > CSS Level 1

[Redruth]

Here are my overall impressions:-

Excellent organisation, professional tuition, clear, unambiguos classroom 'theory', far less technical than I had anticipated (dreaded) - in fact, not technical in any real sense, just practical.

Level 1 brings you back to basics. I found by the end of the the fourth (penultimate) session that I'd stopped trying to hang off the bike and was just concentrating on turn points and counter steering - which frankly was all I needed to do to go faster. My pre-existing riding style will, no doubt, become appropriate again but for someone who'd lost confidence, slowed down considerably as a result, I now feel rejuvinated and keen to get out and practice what I've been taught.

Bad habits hold you back, IMHO. Scrapping those and starting with a fresh, clean cut approach can only improve my riding. A lot of the stuff that was taught is, to be honest, what you do as 2nd nature. But it doesn't hurt to remind you why you do and how it fits in to your riding plan.

I was fairly sceptical about spending 300 odd quid for a day's tuition. I have to say, that £300 will make the 6 or so trackdays I've booked and paid for, much, much more valuable than they would have been without this very timely lesson in riding smoother, turning quicker, looking for turn points, looking for the apex, relaxing. All good stuff which I shall now practice. Practised on the way home, actually.

CSS - highly recommend it.

PS I'm not looking for a big discussion or an argument. These are my personal impression. Not a day of fun but very definitely a day of enlightenment.

PPS Nice to see Chris Butcher of the DD, doing a great job on his Monster and Brent, and Il Duce, David Cook, of course.

[Desmondo]

Yep, can highly recommend CSS wether you're a novice or think you're quick. Will deffo be doing more levels at some stage.

[HW]

Interesting reading Ruth. Glad your experience was good. I had thought about doing CSS1 later in the year (or maybe start of next year).

On a similar note, I bought a book some time ago that was recommended on here - A Twist of the Wrist II by Keith Code. It is quite hard work, but it looks like it covers the same kind of topics that you got on CSS1. I read a chapter ... whooosh, what was that about ... read it again ... oh yeah I think I get it ... read it again and go out and practice it. Consequetly, I am onyl on about page 60! Knowining waht is going on with the bike does make a difference when you are riding though, as you have found.

[electricsheep]

i'm glad that you got something out of it. now if we can just get some good weather

but Ruth, you were quicker than Weeksy to start with .. how did you learn anything ????

[Redruth]

Originally posted by DIBBLE
but Ruth, you were quicker than Weeksy to start with .. how did you learn anything ????

Dibble, you are a v. bad boy. See me for 50 lines

"I must not try to wind up the Weeks!"

[rockhopper]

Ruth, i am no expert on any kind of riding but i did spend some time following you round cadwell. You had all the moves but not the speed if you know what i mean which ties in with what CSS have told you. Lovely style but just not very quick. I think you have the potential to go very much faster cos you can already do the hanging off bit (which i cant).

[Jools]

Yes, the CSS is all about getting the basics right, telling you why they work, why you're doing them and then give you some practise doing them.

Level 1 might seem a little basic, but I bet it sharpened you up no end. When I did my L1 the very first exercise seemed easy. One gear, no brakes and do everything with throttle control. So you do that and choose your own turn in point.

The next lesson you see that they've marked out the turn in points and your first reaction is "WHAT !!! They're very deep into the turn" but, you do it anyway and by the end of the day you're choosing your own turn in point even deeper in.

Then you do Level 2 which builds on all the level 1 stuff and gives you all the visual stuff. Before you know it, you're using your eyes much more, gathering loads of info about the track (both on the line and off it) and using reference points throughout the corner to plot your path through it. You start off slowly and as you get used to the techniques you find yourself going faster and faster without target fixing. Eventually I found that I was absolutely flying (despite having an Off on the first day). By the end of L2 I was hitting each apex perfectly and on a great line round the corner. I know that I was almost 100% consistent because I was hitting all the RP's perfectly as well.

L3 built on that to teach you about body positioning and that was where it all clicked for me. How to move around the bike and keep your core stability, how to hang off, hook turns...fantastic. I wish I had more chance to practise on track.

[HW]

At a risk of digressing too much ... I find the subject of turn in points fascinating. I've ridden on trackdays at Cadwell twice now, and also watched the DD racing there. At the (old) Hairpin at the top of Hall Bends, on a track day the cone for the turn in point is right over on the left (and very far back before the turn I thought). On the first race I watched from there, many were over to the right on the turn and nipped inside there. In the novices on the track day I cannot remmebr if any went inside there, I think everyone was just trying to get round the hairpin unscathed!

On a slightly different note (still at Cadwell), I found I could nip round the outside at Chris Curve instead of hugging the inside (very long) apex. Overtook 5 other bikes all in convoy on the inside line there.

Not sure which is "right" or "wrong" or whether in fact there is no right or wrong but what you can get away with and depends on how fast/show you are? I do know that the (ideal) turn in point is going to change depending on how fast you are heading into the turn.

I can see I will have to have a chat when there next (Sat June 11th).

[Brent]

Got back home today, after CSS level1 yesterday (great to meet you Ruth, and DC as my instructor), and have to agree that it was a really valuable, well organized, and enjoyable day.

As it was pouring with rain on the 70 miles of cross country A roads on the way home today, I got to use the techniques in rather different conditions, and found that I was riding faster and smoother than before, so a big thumbs up to Andy Ibbot and the CSS team!