The most satisfying and enjoyable ride is not always the fastest or quickest, but the one where you develop a pleasant, flowing and almost musical rhythm.
Rhythm generally means a “movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions”.
It’s all about finding a suitable rhythm in the twisting sections, relaxing on the straights and not startling the grannies or alerting the police with unnecessary and pointless redline sprints.
On the racetrack you need to give 100% all the time in acceleration, braking and lean angles.
On the road, you need to give 100% in concentration which can lead to an ebb and flow of speeds.
These can provide a satisfying rhythm with “strong and weak” moments.
Strong rhythm
The strong moments can be flicking through a succession of corners or taking a double-apex bend in one swooping motion rather than jerky corrections with harsh late braking and sudden throttle after the apex.
On the racetrack, riders straight-line a succession of bends for the best lap times.
On the road you can make these twisting sections more fun by simply staying in your lane as it makes the corners tighter. And aren’t corners what riders enjoy the most?
Weak rhythm
The weak moments on a ride are those places where you take a breather, stretch your legs, relax cramped muscles and shake out tingling hands.
Anyone can go fast in a straight line, but the straights are where you can relax and take in the sights, sounds, smells and scenery of your ride.
You can also try riding a series of bends at a slower speed without using the brakes to practise your engine braking techniques, matching gears with engine speed.
It’s all about the journey
Why do some riders claim it’s all about the journey, not the destination, then ride as fast as they can to reach the destination?
There’s no point in getting there quickly.
To enjoy the rhythm of your ride you need to learn the difference between fast and quick.
Fast is acceleration and speed. Quick is doing something in the least amount of time.
Surely we want to stretch out our enjoyment of our ride for as long as we can.
You can still enjoy the rhythm with strong moments of fast acceleration and good speeds by adding in some weak moments on the straights.