In our increasingly data-driven world, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If you don’t have adequate filters to sort out data that’s actually useful for what you’re trying to accomplish, your eyes can start to glaze over when much of the firehose flow doesn’t pertain to you. That’s exactly where a precise application of data can help—at least, so says Road Race Rider Coaching, a data-driven track day training service in the UK.
The service is run by former racer Jordan Malton, who uses both his own experience and a collection of data from sources on a client’s bike to precisely analyze what you’re doing on track, and where you can improve. Two cameras and a GPS datalogger are attached to the bike, ready for instant analysis when you arrive in the pits after completing a session. Bennetts BikeSocial’s Michael Mann recently tested the service himself, which you can see in this video.
Those of us who are always looking for ways to improve our riding already know that training with skilled instructors can make a world of difference. One-on-one training can be even better, if you have the means—because the instructor is only focused on you, and not trying to pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of everyone else in your group. This is one-on-one training with the addition of data, which helps the instructor to see even more information about what you’re doing on track than they might be able to observe with the naked eye.
Things like body positioning, when and where you’re shifting and braking, and the lines you’re taking as you go through individual corners are things that a skilled instructor will note as they observe your behavior on track. Having the data to back it up and precisely analyze what’s going on as you’re flowing through the track is invaluable for analysis and improvement. Why do you think that any racing team worth its salt takes every single opportunity to log and analyze data from its machines and their riders, whether it’s during races or otherwise?
Having access to that kind of one-on-one training seems like it could be a total gamechanger in terms of becoming a smoother, more in-tune rider—both on the track and on the street. Since this isn’t an experience that we’ve yet had for ourselves, we can’t offer a personal opinion about this specific service—but the potential benefits look awfully good from where we’re sitting.
