Shannonville Race Track

It’s hard to capture the enthusiasm and excitement I had as I arrived Wednesday morning for my first race track training day. This would be another one of my bucket list items achieved.

Anyone who knows me also knows I’ve always been a ‘go fast’ person but ‘go fast’ is best done on a track rather than on highways where every ounce of focus is required to ensure your safety. Today I could finally, safely test my skills and learn new ones.

Speed for me was definitely not a problem. The goal for me with this course was to learn all of the other skills that come with racing: side-to-side transitions, body positioning, corner maneuvers, vision techniques, braking techniques, shifting, timing, cornering precision and line selection. My main objective? Becoming a better rider.

Andrew and I have always advocated for safety gear when we ride. There is never an option for shorts, shirts, or tennis shoes…riding attire we see often near where we live. On the track the importance of proper equipment it is never more obvious.

Classes were broken out to provide opportunities for beginners to returning riders, all having an amazing time learning with instructors. As the day wore on, so grew the aches in our muscles and overall exhaustion. For the newbies like me, it was much more activity than we were used to, and with that comes lack of focus.

Near the end of our first session after lunch I came into one of the corners at the wrong angle and dumped my bike. The leather riding suit and the rest of the safety gear did their job well, protecting me from any broken bones or a concussion, only a rub burn on my shoulder.

The mechanic gave the bike a once over and had it ready for me to complete my sessions the rest of the day. The bike and riding gear again served me well on the second day when I again wiped out.

Without the proper gear, I would have lost most of my arm in just one of those incidents, had several broken bones and suffered a couple of concussions. High speeds, gravel and asphalt are a terrible combinations for the human body. So if you’re a rider, protect your biggest assets, your body and brain, with the right gear so that you too are ready for the unexpected…on the track, highways, city streets and country roads or wherever you enjoy the freedom and exhilaration of riding.

Check back for a future review of some Viking gloves and their safety components.

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