Overtaking and being lapped in races

After the challenges of racing around Preston circuit which is not wide and has corners, I thought I'd raise a few discussion points...

If I am being lapped at a complex or ambiguous part of the circuit, I usually expect to hear a shout from behind where overtaking may be challenging for the faster rider.  This is to help everyone concerned:-

"Right" or "On the right" (for those with more breath to spare) tells the slower rider that

"Left" or "On the left" (for those with more breath to spare) tells the slower rider that


Edited by Yowie - 31 July 2010 at 1:20pm

Common sense is what it's all about really...

As one the deaf folks referred to (can only hear wind noise when racing) i try to use my mirror, this i think i did well over the past weekend, but i have been caught out by Slash twice! However, overtaking is just like on the road, the overtaker is responsible!

tosgh, i fully back you up on the cutting up theme, this, especially having done it myself in the first season i rode.

The overtaker carries on being responsible for their actions even when past the rider being overtaken. Twice i was cut up at Lancaster by the same person (he knows who he is) the second time i had to apply brakes so hard i locked up so that his back wheel did not hit me as he was pulling in. In future i will not do that !!! by the way bikes fall over easier than trikes when a collision occurs!

It is, and as far as I am aware always has been, the responsibility of the faster rider to avoid the slower one. However, everyone needs to be aware of the issues involved. One thing to note is that a 10mph overtaking speed equates to 15 feet (or 2.5 bike lengths) per second. Lets face it Slash and Lee can be that much quicker that the fast unfaired and Mike and Adrian can be that much quicker than the slower fast riders. So gaps can close quickly.

One of the issues at Preston (which I think is a great track) is that riders, particularly early in the race, were "holding their line", unfortunately for the overtaking riders this meant moving from the outside edge to the apex and out to the edge of the track again. This means that the overtaking rider can find themselves heading for a rapidly closing gap. If a single rider is being overtaken then this is a minor issue, however, if it is a 4 bike train then the overtaking rider can find themselves having to slot into the middle of the train. This issue becomes a real problem with trains passing trains and when the passing rider(s) is trying to build or close a gap.

So what's the solution? Basically, riders need to be more aware of what is going on around, and especially behind them. Slower riders should leave clear space at one side of the track to allow fasters riders through or at least check that before they close a door that there is no one trying to come through it! This was a problem at the start of Preston when the fast unfaired train IMHO got in Lee and Slash's way, so this is an issue that ALL racers need to think about. The alternative to thinking while racing is either only doing time trials on enpty tracks or racing at tracks that are so wide that passing is not an issue. Neither of which I think would be terribly popular.