First, an Introduction

Racing motorcycles has been a big part of my life since 2004. Funny enough, it was an article I read on a website that sparked my curiosity and turned a pastime that I enjoyed into an obsession. I have fond memories from the early days of sleepless nights, waking up at 2am to begin my trek to the race track (because I will never sleep anyway), and sleeping in the truck outside the track gates (thankfully I splurged and bought an extended cab). Often when I tell people of the lengths I drive or the sleep deprivation I subject myself (and others) to for the sake of my sport, I am met with puzzled looks and often asked why.

My name is Andy Cule and this is my Supermoto blog! My intention for this blog is to bring recognition to the sport, promote dialogue between riders and share best practices for race preparation and riding technique to make us all better riders. I have been racing for a while now, which in no way makes me an expert – it just means I have amassed some experience. And like many of you know, there is no substitute for experience. My experience prior to racing comes from years working as an automotive technician at a Ford dealership; some years ago I switched careers into the teaching profession and now I teach auto shop at a Hamilton high school.

My life is complemented and completed by an understanding partner in Shanna. We live in a modest home with our three pets; two dogs and a cat. I am a middle child, having an older brother and a younger sister. I am an uncle of three nieces and a nephew, all of whom ride motorcycles, albeit my nieces favour the four-wheeled ATV after a bad experience on the PW80 at their grandparents’ house.

So now that you know a little about me, I want to share with you what I do in the off-season to keep in riding shape, in the hopes that you will in return share your methods of keeping the riding cobwebs away. I spent the time and money and built a set of ice riding tires for my MX bike. Ice riding is as close as you can get to Supermoto when the weather is frigid and uninviting. Taking a set of MX tires and building ice tires isn’t that hard if you are not afraid of a little work. Alternatively, you can buy a set of professionally made tires if that is easier for you. Beyond ice riding, indoor motocross is another option – Chestermans indoor motocross is a challenging track located in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

We’re always open to new ideas and new riding buddies, so please offer up and contribute what you do to stay in riding shape. Take a moment to let the motorcycle racing community know what you do to stay in shape in the off-season.

Happy riding,

Andy

2012: A Mixed Bag

I can’t believe it’s almost February and here in southern Ontario we haven’t really felt the effects of old man winter at all. Some days, the positive temperatures have me thinking of spring and the upcoming supermoto season.  2012’s arrival has a lot of new developments going on in the world of supermoto.

The asphalt surfing will continue, albeit on a different scale this year. The new Supermoto Ontario club will offer affordable practices bi-monthly at the new track being developed in Drumbo, ON, just between Woodstock and Kitchener off the 401.  The guys from Supermoto Ontario had an awesome display at the International Motorcycle Supershow in January and I was able to get a glimpse of the proposed dirt section, and it looks amazing.

The bike show generated a lot of interest in the new club, and I am looking forward to seeing all the new faces at the new track. The club will focus on building a rider base in 2012 by offering a friendly atmosphere for all, where the experienced riders will help with riding technique and bike setup – definitely a bonus for anyone who wants to try it out.

The Quebec races will return this season with the Supermoto X Fest at Mecaglisse, a world class facility featuring full grids that make this an excellent event.  The H Games event in Carignan offers fans an up close view of Supermoto racing, with a live DJ and freestyle motocross to entertain throughout the day.

Our American friends have made some big strides too! Dave Duprey fromMISuperMoto has released the series’ schedule, with two of the four events taking place on the city streets in West Branch and in Wayne, Michigan. Anyone who went to last year’s event in West Branch will tell you how amazing it was racing through the streets in front of thousands of spectators. Going over the 50-foot tabletop right on the main street was impressive, especially for racers!

Another very exciting development is the return of professional supermoto racing in the US after a two-year hiatus. The six-race schedule will have top talent from around the United States and some Europeans battling for the championship once again. USA Pro Supermoto has secured the Italian tire manufacturer Goldentyre as a major sponsor for the next three years. This development, coupled with a bike and parts manufacturer for rider sponsorship, will definitely help to get the grid positions filled.

Out west, the BC Supermoto Association has six races planned for 2012, all at the Tradex Exhibition Grounds at the Abbotsford Airport, located in the Fraser valley outside Vancouver.

Although 2012 looks to be a building year here in southern Ontario, there are a lot of new developments to be excited about in the world of Supermoto.  Please share your comments and links to all things supermoto here at the blog so we can all stay connected.

Thanks and take care!
Andy Cule

Supermoto Tire Test

The supermoto season is drawing near. As I prepare to swap the ice tires with the motocross tires, I can’t help but reflect on how mild this winter has been in southwestern Ontario. The lack of ice has pushed me indoors to ride motocross to stay sharp. That got me thinking about tires, and how I have used different brands over the years with varying degrees of success. One sure thing is that tire selection is as varied as rider personality. Each tire has similar characteristics, but is very individual in how it grips the track and how it behaves through its usable life. A supermoto-specific tire is a lot like a road racing slick, albeit with a light, flexible carcass designed for less horsepower and a lighter bike.

It is shocking to think that the small, sometimes toonie-sized contact patch is all that we have to use for traction on our motorcycles. The contact patch is the portion of a bike's tire that is in actual contact with the road surface. The size of contact patch does vary depending on tire pressure and weight distribution; a lower tire pressure results in a larger contact patch. Similarly, weight transfer during braking or accelerating can affect the size of the contact patch.

The temperature of the tire also plays a huge part in the traction available at any given time. Tire manufacturers have recommended tire pressures when the tire is up to temperature.  It’s always best to set and adjust tire pressures after riding, to tailor for feel and grip. Ambient temperatures will determine track surface temperature and, along with friction, will ultimately affect tire temperature.

Like I stated earlier, I have used many different brands of tires. When I first started riding, like most of us, money (or lack thereof) was the largest determining factor in the selection of my tires. Supermoto is great for beginners because one can expect to use one set of tires all season. A set of slicks and maybe, just in case, a set of rain tires can give you that extra bit of grip, and security on rainy days. A rain tire is grooved and the compound incorporates silica to improve wet grip as well as the tire’s ability to get up to temperature quickly.

Manufacturers such as Shinko, Maxxis, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin and Goldentyre all produce a supermoto-specific tire. Goldentyre is the new control tire for the USA Pro Supermoto for the next three years. The Canadian Goldentyre distributor is GP Moto out of Kamloops, BC. They have tires for the upcoming season if anyone wants to check them out. From what I have read in forums, they perform like the Michelins or Dunlops, with identical grip and feedback and a slow wear through the tire’s lifespan.

All manufacturers make a few optional compounds with different grip levels and wear rates; this allows you to select the appropriate tire, depending on ambient temperature and asphalt type, to ensure optimum results. The best way to determine what you need is to speak with your knowledgeable tire distributor and fellow racers at the track.

Battling It Out in 2012!

2012 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for supermoto racers in Ontario. Supermoto Ontario (SMO) has announced a two-race regional and national series to be held at Shannonville Motorsports Park. So mark these exciting weekends on your calendars — June 17^th and September 16^th. These two dates will also include practice on the Saturday from 5:30 until dusk, with the racing taking place on Sunday. These two dates make up the regional series as well as the national series. The national series will have the supermoto racers shredding asphalt and banging bars in Ontario and Quebec; trust me, it will be an all-out war!

The limited number of races will push riders to race hard for a podium position. This is an open invitation to anyone who raced supermoto in past years to dust off their wheels and brakes and come out to battle once again! I am expecting to see some old rivalries renewed, and new ones formed in the upcoming season.

Supermoto Ontario is looking to add sponsors to sweeten the deal for racers. They plan on providing championship winners with prize packages at the end of the year. This will give riders an extra incentive to push their bikes and skills to the limit in pursuit of the championship. I am so stoked for the upcoming season! SMO has secured a number of sponsors already including Maxima oils, who have donated product for the series. Check out Maximausa.com for product information and be sure to support those who support you. Mission Cycles, a local KTM dealer located in Angus, Ontario, has offered all SMO riders special tax-included pricing for all purchases. Every rider knows the costs associated with their motorcycle, and we can all appreciate an amazing offer when we see it, so be sure to call Mission Cycle with your pre-season wish list in hand. Don’t leave it to last minute!

Nineonenine designs are the official graphics sponsor for the 2012 race season, so contact them to replace those tired looking number plates. If your bike looks anything like mine, it's a necessity to freshen up for the upcoming year. Some other friends of SMO who need mention are Pete from Supermoto Specialities,who is a knowledgeable guy and a tireless supporter of supermoto. I want to take a moment and thank Shannonville Motorsports Park's owner Jean Gauthier for supporting the plight of supermoto and SMO, and making his awesome world class facility available for 2012.

SMO is also working with Shannonville to make changes in the dirt section. Here’s what’s happening: The guys have started making arrangements to introduce a new berm turn after the first table-top jump to make the dirt battle more exciting while keeping safety in mind. The new berm will enable riders to carry more speed through the dirt and provide two race lines for rider preference. Some riders with motocross backgrounds can really impress with the amount of speed on slick tires. In addition, a new rhythm section before the first steel ramp will level the playing field, changing the previous dirt track corner to a more technically challenging obstacle.

All of these additions and modifications have been carefully considered with one thing in mind. Make the existing track more challenging for riders, while making the race action more exciting for race spectators! Talk about bang for the buck. Great work guys!

Racing at La Tuque, May 12-13th, 2012

Our drive started out Friday about midday after feverishly going over all the gear and bikes the night before, making sure not to forget anything.  Over the years I have had a lot of practice packing the truck/trailer for a weekend race getaway, but no matter how many times I do it I always manage to forget something and this time it was the second pair of tire warmers.  Good work!

My brother Albert and myself began the long trip down the 401 headed to the belle province ,making  a quick stop to pick up a fellow bombsquaders  Pat and Mike.  The combination of a truck full of guys, coupled with the 11 or so hour drive multiplied by Paddy’s hankering for cheese curds just outside Kingston and Mikey’s choice of beef jerky and I knew we were in for an exciting weekend. The drive was long and tiresome but once we got through Montreal traffic and started heading north past Trois Rivieres the scenery changed and the beauty of the mountains made us all happy. We knew it wouldn’t be long before we arrived in La Tuque.

La Tuque is a special town in the fact that the cities whole economy is driven by a paper mill and has been that way for many years. The population is small but the municipality is more than willing to close down the streets for  supermoto and quad racing. Luc Boucher and his team did an amazing job laying out the track for the two day event. The race sanctioning body is Supermoto Quebec with François Cominardi at the helm of his team of organizers. I want to take a second and thank them all for their hard work and despite the obvious language barrier we were made to feel welcome during the weekend.  The supermoto and superquad  races are only the first part of the 12 hours of endurance in La Tuque. The horsepower festivities continue the following weekend with endurance racing both with motorcycles and quads.

The course layout was very challenging with a lot of rough pavement in the infield chicane making it very tricky indeed. The dirt section consisted of a double jump with a kicker which shot you out onto the infield, followed by a surprisingly huge back straight for a drag race complete with cheering section. A fast left handed turn perfect for backing it in brought you back to the dirt section, where on Sunday the cheering could be heard over the full throttle of engine under hard acceleration. The cheering was a welcome gift from the fans because the ruts on the double were deep enough to scrape foot pegs by the end of the 12-15 lap finales! It was a very challenging course indeed!

With the first Canadian National in the books it looks like the season is going to bring some very hard fought battles. It is nice to see all of the old riders bringing their A-game, and lots of new faces in the paddock. A great enthusiasm can be felt around the Supermoto scene that extends beyond provincial borders and that is good for the sport!  Supermoto Ontario has been working really hard on the dirt section at Shannonville and it looks amazing, great job guys for all your hard work.  Make sure you come out to support on June 16^th and 17^th at Shannonville to see some exciting racing.

2012 XFest

Meccaglisse and Xfest are always important dates for Supermoto; this year being no exception. This year’s guest of honour was Boris Chambon; Boris is a World Champion racer from France. He was invited to the Xfest to race and to teach a riding school prior to the race weekend. All in attendance commented about Boris’ extensive knowledge and riding ability.  Students were pumped to put what they learned into practice on the amazing 2.2 km Mecaglisse racetrack.  The French rider was on borrowed equipment from Frederic Coeymans was very gracious in letting Boris use his bike! During the pro introduction on Sunday it was funny to see Frederic relaxing on a race day with a big smile on his face. I am sure he didn’t miss the hectic race day schedule.

The race weekend brought some bright sun and very hot temperatures. The excessive heat always makes me question my decision to race when I am about to put on my leathers.  But as soon as I roll out on the track it becomes all worthwhile as I prepare mentally on the short trip around the track on my way to the starting line. The sighting lap is always very important to inspect the dirt section as it changes throughout the day or as repairs and maintenance is completed.  This weekend brought its share of difficulties for a number of riders. On Sunday, SM1 race one had Francois Asselin colliding with Jerrett Bellamy over the tabletop jump; the crash basically collected the whole field of riders due to the close proximity during the beginning of the race.  Francois’ day was done due to re-injuring a shoulder and collarbone. Jerrett’s KTM took the brunt of the crash not allowing him to return to race action. Steve Scharfe’s bike was damaged in the scuffle as well; His 450’s engine case was cracked and put him out of action. Anyone that knows Steve knows how much of a die-hard racer he is. Steve used his 250 bike to continue to compete against the much more powerful 450’s.

Former Canadian champion Dave Arnold was flying as usual on his Honda until a broken gear in the transmission locked up the engine solid and brought his race weekend to an abrupt halt. Despite the early end to his weekend Dave was still in good spirits and seen helping fellow riders with setup and riding technique.  A fellow Pro rider Chris Barendregt was still working on getting comfortable with the new bike and setup as well as fighting front brake issues. Myself, I couldn’t seem to get the rear Dunlop to hook up no matter what I did, playing with tire pressure and rear suspension settings made it better but I still couldn’t get the grip I needed to get the drive off the corners.

A crowd pleasing favorite is the drift competition on Sunday. This competition pits pro riders up against one another after the introductions. Each rider takes a turn sliding their bike around a turn in front of the spectator grandstands. After each rider takes a couple of turns drifting around the corner, spectators give applause based on rider drifting ability. This year’s competition saw Boris Chambon winning over Maxime Sylveste taking second place.

All the racing was very exciting, especially the Pro races where the French champ battled hard with the current Canadian champion Maxime Syvestre. The overall win went to Michael Martel who has stepped it up big time this year keeping pace and consistently placing well during each of the rounds. This year’s supermoto racing has been action packed and the two upcoming rounds at H-games in Carignan and Shannonville’s final round are sure to impress all those that come out to participate and spectate. See you at the track!  

H Games at H Gregoire/Eskape.ca

This year’s long drive to Chambly for the fourth consecutive H games was worthwhile for all in attendance. The supermoto race action was coupled with some smashing and crashing action of a demolition derby.  The race track configuration was changed from last year with a huge tabletop jump that had some riders jumping as high as the power lines followed by a set of gnarly woops that were big enough to get lost in! The pavement layout had a high speed corner and some serious switchbacks perfect for sliding action to wow the crowd while challenging riders.  The heat and humidity had a lot of riders switching from leathers to MX gear in an attempt to stay cool. This is always a risky decision due to the resulting roadrash in the case of a slip, when things go bad on the asphalt. Another interesting difference from all other races in the national schedule was that race action was going late into the night and racing would be taking place under the lights. The darkest place on the track seemed to be the table top jump and woop section where seeing clearly is most important. I can only speak for myself but I welcomed the challenge and it made for some fun racing.

A pretty large number of spectators showed up to support the riders. A local musician played music during the evening while staging took place and in between breaks in the action. Another feature was some side by side race action as well as some intense mini -moto racing. One thing for sure is that the spectators always have lots to see and do at the H games and that is what makes it so great!

The racing was fast and furious with the results as follows:

Open Amateur                  SM2 250                       Veteran+35                     SM1 Open

1.Stephane Dupont             1.Mathieu Gagne           1.Frederic Belanger          1.Tommy Fortin                 

2.Frederic  Belanger            2. Steve Sharfe             2.Steve Sharfe                2.Marc Andre Viens

3. Samuel Berard                3.Phillipe Landry            3.Mark Page                   3.Stephane Dupont

Quad Open Am                                Pro Atv Quad                     SMX Pro

1.J. Charles Desjardins                    1.Michael Lanthier               1. Maxime Sylvestre

2. Eric Berwdt                                  2.Sylvain Arsenault             2.Micheal Martel

3. Stephane Blanchette                     3.Eric Gerard                      3.Paul Jutras Rouillard

One thing I enjoy most about racing supermoto is the camaraderie in the pit area; It is like a family atmosphere away from home.  Even though some things are lost in translation promoter and racers alike make the out- of-province Ontario racers feel at home. The race action is heating up moving into the final round coming up on September 15-16^th at Shannonville Motorsports Park. The points championships are up for grabs and everyone I talked to is looking forward to do battle again. I encourage all to come out and support the sport and catch some exciting race action. As the season wraps up everyone will be looking to push harder than ever to try to get on the top of the box at the  supermoto event of the year. See you at Shannonville Motorsports Park. 

Training Tuesday: Training When You're Sick

You might have noticed that my training blog, which is normally published on Tuesdays, has arrived a day late this week. I have to confess, it’s because I have fallen victim to the cold and flu season, just in time for Spring! Awesome.

Falling ill is something that happens to all of us at one point or another throughout the season. Whether it’s the common cold or flu or something a little more serious, the question you often hear from athletes, including motorcycle racers, is “Should I train when I am sick?”

While very little research has been done on training when you’re ill, the general rule of thumb is that if the symptoms are above the neck and you have no fever, then it’s safe to train (unless you’re talking about a concussion and that’s a whole other matter that I’ll talk about at a later date).  My own rule of thumb has been to listen to your body. If you’re feeling worn down and you start to show signs of illness, taking 1-2 rest days from training will provide your body with a much needed break.

During that time, you’ll want to get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water and lay off alcohol and coffee that will only serve to dehydrate you.

Should you decide to continue training despite having a cold or minor illness, then you might want to consider scaling back your training and reducing the workload and duration of your exercise sessions until you feel better.  Consider doing light, easy cardio sessions or reducing your strength sessions by 25%. There are in fact some studies that suggest that exercising while you have the common cold does not do any harm, and may in fact even make you feel better. Of course, it’s important to use common sense, and if you’ve got a fever or aches and pains it’s likely best to avoid training. If your symptoms worsen with training, then you should refrain from doing your workouts until you are feeling better.

If you’re following a training plan and you opt to take a few days to recover from illness, the next question a lot of athletes often ask is, “Once I feel better, where do I pick up my workout program again? Do I start where I left off or attempt the next scheduled training session as if I never took time off?” This is a tough call, but any trainers I have ever had throughout the years have always told me to simply begin with the next workout on my training plan, without trying to make up the lost workouts. If you’ve been training on a regular basis, it’s okay to miss a day or two and jump right back into the swing of things once you’re better. The situation is of course a little different if you’re off due to illness or injury for more than 2-3 weeks, at which point you probably want to consult with a doctor about your return to training, and ease yourself back into your workouts.

At the end of the day rest is just as important as training and our bodies are very good about telling us when we need a break. If you’re sick with a common cold or flu, then listen to what your body is telling you and give it the rest it needs.  If you treat your body with proper rest, water and nutrition, you’ll bounce back in no time!

Basic Track Day Prep

A number of people have asked about what it takes to prepare their motorcycle for a track day. Getting your sportbike ready for your first track riding experience is actually a lot easier than you might think.

While it’s still best to check with your track day organizer as to their technical requirements, the majority of the items you need to address are similar for all track day organizations.

Things to Remove

While you can ride your bike on the track with stock bodywork, you will have to remove or tape up headlight, taillights, signal lights, mirrors and any other glass or lights on your motorcycle. Painters tape works nicely as it can be removed with relative ease at the end of the day.  Organizers ask that you tape up these items in order that in the event of a fall, glass is not shattered all over the racetrack causing long wait times to clean up any debris. Mirrors might act as distraction and should be removed entirely, which is generally very easy on most modern-day sportbikes. 

General Inspection

It’s not a bad idea to give your motorcycle a good once-over to ensure that all of the bolts are tightened, brakes and gears are functioning properly and that you have fresh oil in the motorcycle. You’ll be putting your sportbike through its paces on the racetrack, so it’s always a good idea to start with a fresh oil and filter to protect your motor and ensure the bike is working at its optimum performance.

Replace the Radiator Coolant with Water

Some track day organizations will ask that you drain the radiator fluid in your motorcycle and replace it with de-ionized water. The reason being that if you fall down, you don’t want slippery radiator fluid leaking all over the racetrack, it can be messy to clean-up and track time might get shortened if cleaning crews have to remove fluid from the racetrack. Be sure to use de-ionized water as the mineral ions have been removed from the water, which prevents corrosion of your expensive motorcycle parts.   You can find jugs of de-ionized water at just about any hardware store, Canadian Tire or Home Depot. While you’re there, pick up a small bottle of “Water Wetter”, follow the instructions on the bottle to add it to your de-ionized water to give a bit of “slippery” feel to your coolant. The de-ionized water can remain in your motorcycle all season long; just don’t forget to drain it before the temperatures begin to drop as frozen water in a motorcycle results in all sorts of very expensive parts cracking!

Tires

Time and again I’ve had novice track day riders ask me about tire selection. Often they want to know which “race tire” they should buy for their first track day. In reality, for your first few track day experiences tire selection is not as important as tire wear. Most sportbikes come equipped with good quality tires that will suit the beginner rider just fine on the racetrack.   Often when you read about sportbike shootouts, the testers are on stock rubber and are able to get going quite quickly.  So don’t worry if you don’t have Dunlop’s latest race tire, but rather be sure that your tires are relatively new and have lots of tread left on them. As a general rule of thumb, it’s good to ensure your tires have at least 75% of their tread remaining.

As you get more proficient at track riding, you may wish to speak to the local tire vendor about the track day tire options that best suit your needs, but for your first track day this is not necessary.

Tire pressure

Once at the track, it will be important to set the correct tire pressures. This is something you won’t find in the owner’s manual of your motorcycle, as track day tire pressures are often quite a bit lower than the average street setting. A general rule of thumb is 30 -32psi in the front and 28-30psi in the rear if you are running street tires. If you purchase track day specific tires from a trackside vendor, they will be able to give you the recommended tire pressures for the specific model of tire and the day’s temperature and track conditions. Be sure to bring a good tire gauge along with you so you can check your cold tire pressures before heading out for your first session. More experienced riders may check their tire pressures throughout the day, but at a minimum you’ll want to ensure your pressures are in the right ballpark before you head out for your first session.

Suspension

The new sportbikes offer some great advancements for suspension tuning on the fly. If your motorcycle has a “race” or “trackday” mode, consult your manual on how to adjust to these settings to get the most out of your track riding experience. Some manuals may have “high speed” or “rider and passenger” modes to stiffen up the suspension, without reference to “race” modes, for obvious reasons.  Generally, however you will want to stiffen up your suspension settings for the track.

Riding Gear

In addition to your motorcycle, you’re going to want to invest in some quality riding gear. Two piece leather suits work fine, but if you think you’re going to do a number of track days, it’s best to go with a one piece suit that is in good order (no holes or loose stitching). You’ll also want to ensure you have a back protector (mandatory at most track days), full-face helmet, gloves and riding boots, which are also mandatory.  Your helmet should be in good order, with no obvious dents or cracks on it, and preferably at least 5 years old or newer, with a current/ recent DOT or SNELL safety rating. For gloves, the longer gauntlet-style gloves work best, but regular leather riding gloves are generally okay as well. A higher cut race boot is recommended for track day riding.

Have Fun!

Once you’ve got your motorcycle and gear all set, the most important thing to remember is to have fun! A good track day organization wants to see their clients have fun and come back to participate in more track days, so they’re often more than happy to help you with any questions you may have. So enjoy the ride and have fun, you’ll be hooked in no time!

The Importance of Hydration

Sponsorship: Part Two- Building a Racing WebsitePosted by Vicki Schouten

Last time on my blog I talked about sponsorship and some of the myths associated with getting support for motorcycle racing.  There is no question that being a sponsored athlete can be hard work, and you get out of it what you put into it. Sponsorship is not about getting “free stuff” but rather about building relationships with brands and organizations to help promote each other, and ultimately, help your sponsors sell their product to consumers.
When you’re approaching potential sponsors, you need to be prepared to show them what you can do to help them market and sell their product. Getting on the podium each weekend is nice, but what other types of coverage are you giving your sponsors?  The Internet is a great tool for giving exposure to your sponsors, through a website or blog and social media.  With a little time and effort, you too can have a professional-looking online presence to help promote your racing and your sponsors.
This week, I’ll walk you through how to set up a website to promote your racing and try to generate greater support and sponsorship for your racing program.

Building your Website:

Many years ago, you had to have some pretty hefty programming knowledge to create a website, but with the advent of sleek Content Management Systems (CMS) and organizations such as Wordpress, this has all changed. Now, anyone who knows how Microsoft Word operates, can probably figure out how to create a nice Wordpress website.  While there are plenty of website builder resources out there, I’m a particular fan of Wordpress—it’s relatively inexpensive, simple to use and can allow you to create a very professional looking website that is easy to update and manage.

Wordpress.Com vs Wordpress.Org

When you’re building your Wordpress website, you can either use Wordpress.com orWordpress.org.

The Wordpress.com site is a free service that offers limited Wordpress templates for free, along with a free domain name. You can also upgrade to a custom domain (eg:www.myracingsite.com) for as little as $13/ year.   Wordpress.com is a very viable option for many people as it is free of charge, easy to set up and hosting is free.  The downside of Wordpress.com is that you are limited to the list of themes provided (though they are not half bad) and you cannot add any additional “plugins” (a tool that allows users to implement additional features to extend the functionality of the website such as a Facebook feed or Google map).  An example of a Wordpress.com website ishttp://nadineracing.wordpress.com. Nadine is a female racer who used to race in Canada and now spends much of her time south of the border racing and doing motivational speeches.
Wordpress.org is slightly more sophisticated, allows you to implement a wider variety of templates (including those which can be purchased at a nominal fee of $25-$80 from Wordpress theme providers), allows you to implement plugins and gives the user more control over their website.  The downside of using Wordpress.org is that it requires you to have a hosting provider that allows you to have FTP access to your website.  There are plenty of reputable hosts out there, a number of whom offer an easy installation package for Wordpress. Bluehost is one such provider that allows for easy Wordpress installation and will host your site for as little as $3.95/ month.  An example of a Wordpress.org site iswww.cactusbike.com, a site I threw together quickly for a friend who owns a bicycle shop in Phoenix, Arizona.

Content:

Once you’ve set up your website, the critical and more time-consuming step will be to create relevant content to promote your racing efforts.  If writing is not one of your strong points, you may wish to jot down some information in bullet point form and try to convince a friend or relative to help you out. The content you choose to place on your website will be important, as it outlines who you are, what you’re all about and the sponsors you represent.

Suggestions for Content Headings:

News:  This could be your homepage “blog” with the latest news or event results

About: a brief racing biography

Team: list your pit crew or others who help you on a regular basis

Schedule: include your racing schedule and a list of any upcoming trade shows or events you might be attending

Multimedia: include any photos and video of you riding *always ensure you have permission to use photos on your site and give photo credit to the photographer

Sponsors:  a list of your sponsors including sponsor logo, link to website and 2-3 sentences about the product they offer

Contact: an email address or contact form so people can get in touch with you.

Keep Content Current:

Once you have added initial content to your website, the key will be to keep the content fresh by updating it regularly! There is nothing worse than a website that has not been updated in several months, and it certainly won’t help your sponsors either!

With a good website in place, you can demonstrate to existing and potential sponsors that you are serious about your partnership with them and that you want to help promote and sell their product as best you can.  A good website might make the difference between getting that parts budget you were hoping for or covering all of your expenses out of pocket!
Next time, I’ll talk about the emergence of Social Media as another great tool to help promote your sponsors and try to achieve your sponsorship goals. 

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Friday, 14 September 2012 11:29

Sponsorship

Posted by Vicki Schouten

The 2012 racing season is slowly wrapping up and as a racer, maybe you’re reflecting on your season and already starting to think about racing opportunities and sponsorship for next year—if you’re not then you should be; 2013 starts right now.
How to secure (and maintain!) sponsors has always been a big question among road racers, it’s an expensive sport and riders often want to get all of the help they can get.  I was always very fortunate to have some supportive sponsors throughout my racing career and I often get asked how best to approach sponsors. So, listen up because I am about to give you some helpful tips!  This week I’ll talk about some of the myths about sponsorship in the motorcycle road racing industry, and in my next blog I’ll try to address what you can do to help promote your sponsors through online resources like athlete websites, blogs and social media.
Here are some of my favourite myths about motorcycle racing sponsorship:

1. I’m the 2012 champion therefore I should get free stuff.

WRONG.  Being fast on a motorcycle and standing on top of the podium each weekend certainly helps, but there’s more too it that just getting around the racetrack faster than the next guy. If your attitude sucks or you’re not approachable, sponsors might not anything to do with you.  Your job is to help sell the product; yes admittedly being on the podium helps but if the fans (or sponsors) don’t like your attitude then they’ll happily support someone else. At the end of the day you’re representing a brand and that brand is trying to market itself to a given audience.

2. Motorcycle manufacturers and dealers have all kinds of money; they should give me a free bike…and trailer!

Have you looked around the industry lately? Manufacturers do not have heaps of cash to spend on racing, and in case you might have missed it, many of them are pulling out of racing and grids around the world from CSBK to MotoGP are shrinking. Racing is expensive and many manufacturers have had to commit marketing resources elsewhere.  Nobody is going to give you a free bike, and they’re certainly not going to give you a $25,000 trailer to go along with it; not in this country at least.

Instead, approach manufacturers or your local dealer with a detailed race resume outlining your achievements to date, your future goals, and what you believe you can offer them in terms of added marketing. In some cases, dealers or manufacturers can offer to sell you a motorcycle at a small discount and sometimes, though rarely, they can even offer you terms to pay for the motorcycle toward the end of the season. Some professional and top amateur racers have managed to purchase motorcycles on terms, race them motorcycle all season long and then sell the bike before the terms come due. The risk here of course is that if you wad the thing up mid-season and the bike is a total write-off, the manufacturer or dealer is still going to want their money--- and they don’t accept broken motorcycle parts.

3. I represent my sponsors at the racetrack all season long…surely that’s enough!

Sponsors don’t stop selling product when the racing season is over, and neither should you.  Being sponsored takes a lot of time and energy both during the racing season and also during the off-season at motorcycle shows, dealer events and other industry gatherings. Develop a relationship with your sponsor; consider it a part-time job to help them out all year long in order that they will want to work with you again next year.

4. I should only approach motorcycle companies for racing sponsorship.

Motorcycle companies see race resumes come across their desk every day; they don’t always have the resources to sponsor YOU. It takes some more legwork, but try to think outside the box. Energy drink companies, snack food brands, local businesses…they may all have an interest in providing a level of support to your racing program if you can demonstrate that you will give them exposure to a certain target demographic in return. Race series organizers often have statistics on how many fans attend each event, don’t be afraid to ask for that information and using it in part of your sponsorship proposal. Sometimes all it takes is finding a successful company who’s owner loves motorcycles and just wants to help out. No amount is too little, but be sure to give them something back in return through exposure and marketing.

On the topic of marketing and exposure, the internet has made it relatively easy with websites, blogs and social media for athletes to help promote the brands that support them. I’ll address this topic in greater detail next time. In the meantime, you should be polishing up your race resume, thanking your current sponsors and highlighting your plans for next year, and thinking about your 2013 plans and what new sponsors you may wish to start approaching now. 

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Thursday, 30 August 2012 09:52

Bicycles Make for Great Training Tools

Posted by Vicki Schouten

As many of you know, when I’m not riding my motorcycle you can usually find me on my bicycle somewhere. In fact, bicycle racing was my passion long before I got into motorcycle racing, and I attribute my cycling background to contributing to my success on the motorcycle racetrack.
In addition to the obvious fitness benefits, riding a bicycle is also a relatively inexpensive way to hone some of your roadracing skills—primarily balance, fluidity and forward-looking vision.
Balance is the key to controlling any two-wheeled vehicle, whether a motorcycle or a bicycle.  Being comfortable on two wheels and knowing how to balance properly will make even the heaviest motorcycle seem relatively lightweight and easy to maneuver.  When you’re racing, it’s often not possible to be on the track every day, so riding a bicycle on your days off the racetrack will help reinforce balance and two-wheeled muscle memory.
Fluidity, or keeping fluid, loose and relaxed on a motorcycle is also important for handling and control.  Keeping your arms and legs relaxed will allow your body to become an extension of the motorcycles suspension, allowing the motorcycle to move more freely underneath you and maintain better control. If you’re body is too stiff and you’re not relaxed- a flaw often experienced by newer riders, you’ll end up fighting the motorcycle for control and will tire more quickly.  Riding a bicycle is a great way to practice keeping relaxed and keeping your arms and legs fluid. A mountain bike is likely the best for this practice, but any bicycle will suffice. The key is to relax your limbs and allow the bicycle to move underneath you as it is designed to do. If you consciously try to practice these skills you may be amazed at how quickly it translates into improved motorcycle handling.
Finally, cycling is also a great way to practice forward-looking vision, or looking ahead to where you want to go. In motorcycle riding or racing, it’s important to always look as far forward as possible, keeping focused on where you want to go.  Scanning far ahead allows riders to plan that next turn, plan an upcoming pass or simply avoid a hazard on the road.  Novice riders often end up staring at their front wheel or target fixating on an object in front of them. By keeping your head up and your eyes forward, not only will you be able to better plan your next move, but you will also get the sensation of slowing things down to better react. Think about driving in a car at 100km/ hour. When you look directly out the window and onto the ground beside you, the pavement is moving very quickly. However, when you look up at the road ahead, the pavement seems to slow down. The same is true for motorcycle riding.  If you don’t have a motorcycle at your disposal each day, cycling provides an excellent opportunity to practice applying these vision exercises.
Whether you’re riding a bicycle on the road or on the trail, or even just using it to commute to work, cycling is a great way to not only stay in shape for motorcycle racing, but also practice some important bike handling skills, not to mention you’ll be in better shape than your fellow competitors! 

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Thursday, 02 August 2012 09:55

Understanding the Competition

Posted by Vicki Schouten

A key element of motorcycle racing, which I haven’t really addressed to date, is the importance of knowing your competition.  You hear about it all the time in professional sport leagues like the NFL or the NHL, where teams study countless of hours of tape to see not only how their own team is playing, but also how the competition reacts. The same can be held true for motorcycle racing. Whether you’re watching re-runs of the Canadian Superbike series or simply making mental notes about what your competition is doing on the racetrack, understanding your opponent’s riding style may help you up your game in a race situation.
I was recently reminded about the usefulness of this tactical skill on a bicycle ride with some friends.  My friend and I were about to go on a one-hour ride that involved a fair amount of climbing, and he just so happened to invite another friend along whom I had never ridden with before.  Knowing the one friend was not a strong climber, and taking one look at the new rider—older, not out of shape but not super fit looking—I thought for sure this would be an easy spin.  Wrong!
We weren’t 10 minutes into our ride when the new guy started picking up his cadence and climbing at a much quicker pace than I was anticipating. To make matters worse, he also descended quite quickly on the downhill sections, forcing me to pedal hard to keep up. Eventually my friend fell off the pace and it was just the new guy and I, blasting up and down the hills. Determined that I was not going to let this not-so-fit-looking dude beat me, I pedaled hard to keep up. It was not until we stopped at an intersection to wait for our friend that I learned he had been a member of South Australia’s rowing team back in the day. Oops.  He might not have been in the best shape of his life, but he had the aerobic base to put a hurt on me on the bicycle; his ego probably also didn’t want him to get beat by a girl!  So much for an easy ride in the park!
The point is that had I have known this guy’s background a little better, or if had seen him ride before, I would have a better idea of what to expect and mentally prepare myself for our ride.
When I was racing motorcycles, I was always sure to keep an eye on my competition both on and off the racetrack.  Making mental notes about a rider’s qualifying tactics—do they roll out first or wait and try to follow you; about their strengths and weaknesses on the track—are they hard on the brakes or weaker in the corners? Is their bike faster than mine on the straightaway?  When and where is a good place to pass them?  What line do they like to take in corner X? If you spend enough time racing a given series, you also get to know how other riders’ bikes are working—who typically has set-up challenges and who nails set-up every time.  Who’s missing their crew this weekend or is saving their tire money for the next race?  All of these tiny details are important factors that can help give you an edge on the competition.
Good crew will also help keep an eye on the competition for you. I can't thank my old mechanic, Jim Brooks, enough for always keep an eye out on what the others riders were doing. "This guy seems to be running strong today," Jim would explain, "and that guy is struggling with set-up coming out of turn two." Every little bit of knowledge helped as we got closer to the green light on Sunday afternoon.
While focusing on your own racing program is still paramount to anything else, it never hurts to keep one eye open for what the competition is doing. It will help you prepare both physically and mentally for your upcoming races, and sometimes knowing your opponents weaknesses might be the difference between finishing on the podium or rolling home in 4^thplace.
Always keep your eye on your own racing program first and foremost, but understanding the competition may just give you the extra edge over the next guy.

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Thursday, 19 July 2012 20:48

What’s the deal with Coconut Water?

Posted by Vicki Schouten

My last few blogs have talked about the importance of staying hydrated when you’re riding or racing your motorcycle during our short Canadian summers.
I’ve talked about the importance of drinking plenty of water or perhaps even a sports drink to supply you with the carbohydrates needed to top up glycogen stores and replenish electrolytes.
A discussion about hydration wouldn’t be complete these days without addressing the notion of drinking coconut water as a form of hydration. Coconut water is essentially the clear, nut-flavoured juice that is found inside young coconuts (not to be confused with the actual ‘meat’ of the coconut, which is the white, fleshy substance lining the shell).
Coconut water has gained increased visibility in the last few years as it has been marketed as a healthy sports drink that is fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, ultra-hydrating and super rich in electrolytes. With a price tag of $2-$3 per 400 mL bottle, even companies likeCoca-Cola and Pepsi have jumped on board, backing Zico and  O.N.E. brands of coconut water respectively. With slogans like “Naturally Powered” and images of super fit athletes on their websites, who wouldn’t want to jump into the coconut water craze!
Personally, I’m always a little leery of anything that is supported by Coca-Cola or Pepsi. These are the same companies who have been generating billions of dollars pumping soda pop into the stomachs of half the world for decades, the very same solution capable of cleaning my oven. So I should trust these companies to produce a fit and healthy sport drink? Not so much.
Coconut water’s claim to fame is that it’s high in potassium; a standard serving offers 569mg, almost double that of one banana.  Potassium acts to regulate blood pressure by counteracting the stimulating effects of sodium.   While potassium is great, what athletes and active riders really need on those hot, sunny days is to keep hydrated and get carbohydrates and sodium, which are more important when you’re sweating through your leathers and gear on those hot sunny days.  While the Zico brand of coconut water does offer up a reasonable dose of sodium at 160mg for 414 mL serving, it is also quite high in sugar with12g of sugar per 414mL. Not to mention, if you’ve ever tried coconut water, it is most definitely an acquired taste. While some people find it agrees better with their stomach than some sports drinks, I for one did not enjoy the taste.

In short, save your money for race tires or that cool road trip you’ve been planning, skip out on the coconut water in favour of regular old tap water and perhaps a reputable sports drink that has been specially formulated to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes on those hot summer days.  If you still want to load up on potassium, eat a banana or two. They’re cheaper, healthier…and they taste better.

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Wednesday, 04 July 2012 16:16

What to Look for in a Sports Drink

Posted by Vicki Schouten

Last time on my blog, I looked at the importance of hydration and consuming plenty of liquids, primarily water, one those hot riding days.
This week, I’ll take a closer look at sport drinks and the role they can play in hydration.  While water is an important source of hydration during these hot summer months, sometimes sports drinks can offer an advantage for heavy exercise or racing.
A good sports drink will supply fuel largely in the form of carbohydrates to top up blood sugar/ glycogen stores and delay fatigue.  It will also aid in hydration and replenishing electrolytes.
When you’re looking for a sports drink, take a look at the label for ingredients and nutritional information. Ideally, you want to look for sports drinks that are high in carbohydrates (20-30 grams per serving), with little of those grams coming from sugar. In the case of Heed sports drink that I mentioned last week, it comes with 26 grams of carbohydrates per serving, with two grams derived from sugar. Heed also has a healthy amount of sodium (40mg/ serving) and potassium (25mg/ serving) that helps replenish electrolytes. Whether you choose to go with Heed or a similar sports drink, it will be important to remember to read the label before you buy.

I mentioned in my previous blog, other sports drinks such as Cytomax and Gatorade are also popular alternatives, however both have come under criticism for being filled predominantly with sugar.  While Cytomax remains a viable option with 22 grams of carbohydrate/ serving, with 12 of those grams coming from sugar, Gatorade’s sugar content is quite high, with 32 grams of carbohydrates, 30 grams of which come from sugar (Gatorade Perform G-Series, Fruit Punch flavor).  Gatorade is also quite high in sodium (210mg per serving) vs 40mg/ serving in Heed or 120mg/ serving with Cytomax.

Energy Drinks are not Sports Drinks!
When we talk about sports drinks, this should not be confused with the latest wave of Energy Drinks such as Rock Star, Monster Energy and Red Bull whose marketing departments have targeted the extreme sports industry heavily in recent years.
For the most part, while they may one day become a sponsor of yours, these types of energy drinks should not be confused with the sports drinks mentioned above. Sports drinks are generally found in a powder format, must be mixed with water to drink, and are generally found at your local sports nutrition or health food store. Energy drinks are more widely available in gas stations, grocery stores and even your local corner store.
However, energy drinks are very high in sugar content and lack the carbohydrates or other nutrients necessary to aid in the hydration process. A typical 16oz can of Monster Energy contains 54 grams of sugar and no electrolytes. Meanwhile, a 16oz can of Red Bull tops the charts with 62 grams of sugar, with Red Bull coming in at 52 grams of sugar for a 16oz can.
These drinks are often high in caffeine content, and while they might help you stay awake during that long drive home from the racetrack, they will do little to help with your hydration efforts.
There are plenty of sports drinks out there on the market and it will be up to you to decide what combination of nutrients and taste works best for you. When in doubt, continue to drink plenty of water and combine that with some healthy fruits and vegetables and you should get the most out of your riding experience on those hot summer days! 

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Wednesday, 20 June 2012 17:05

The Importance of Hydration

Posted by Vicki Schouten

Summer is upon and riding season is in full swing. With any luck, you’re spending your weekends at the racetrack for racing or track days, or maybe you’re just taking your street bike out for a nice long summer ride. With temperatures creeping into the 25C+ range, and a high humidity count, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated on your motorcycle.
Proper hydration may not only affect your performance on the motorcycle while racing, but it can also affect your riding on the street.  Failing to consume enough liquids can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion and in extreme cases, heat stroke (also known as sunstroke). In all cases, performance can be affected as well as your judgment on the motorcycle. In extreme cases, medical attention may be required.
To prevent dehydration and some of its nasty side effects, here are a few tips to think about when riding this summer: 
Drink Plenty of Water- this should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to remind people the importance of getting plenty of fluids in the heat (Beer and soda don’t count here).  When I was racing, I would actually prepare a few bottles of sports drink as well in order to maintain a good balance of electrolytes on those hot summer days. Cytomax and Gatorade are popular forms of sports drinks, however both have been criticized as being filled predominantly with sugars and do little to aid in performance and re-fueling. Lately, I’ve been using Heed Sports drink from the folks at Hammer Nutrition and it seems to be doing the trick. Like many sports drinks, Heed comes in a powder format and you simply add a scoop or two to your water bottle.  The powder provides a good balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes and keep you going on those hot summer days.  Sometimes sports drinks might make you feel bloated, so it’s always best to supplement them with plain water as well.
Drink Often- everyone has their own idea of what means “drink often”. As a general rule of thumb, you should be drinking before you actually feel thirsty. On really hot days, 1-2 bottles of water an hour is not unusual.  One telltale sign that you’re not consuming enough fluids is if your urine is dark yellow. If that’s the case, get drinking!
Wet Your Under Gear -Riding with warm, heavy leathers makes it difficult to remain cool on hot summer days. Consider pouring cold water all over your body, wetting the under gear of your leathers, before going out for a ride or track session. This will help keep your core body temperature down and also help prevent dehydration.
Keep an Eye Out for Salt- If you happen to notice white salt stains coming through on the inside of your leathers, your helmet or on your under gear, then you’re not getting enough water and your performance might be suffering. Salt stains are a sure sign of dehydration.  Drinking water and eating salt will help, but by then it’s probably too late and it’s best to try and drink more the next time.
Don’t Be a Hero, Pace Yourself- Too many times I have participated in track days during the summer when riders feel the need to squeeze every dollar out of their day.  It’s 4:45pm, you’re hot and tired of sitting around in the sun all day, and yet you have to go out for that one last session to get your money’s worth. More often than not, this is when accidents happen and it will cost you a lot more than 15 minutes of missed track time.  If you’re feeling tired, regardless of the heat, sit the last session out and save your tires (and your bike) for the next track day.
Watch for the Following Signs:
If you or your friends aren’t drinking enough water while riding, you might start to notice signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Here are a few things to look out for:
Heat Cramps- if you’re feeling cramps in your stomach, arms or legs then you need water, and you’re not going to feel any better until you get some water into you.
Heat Exhaustion- Ignoring the cramps and/ or continuing to ride and ignoring your body’s need for water, you’re heading into heat exhaustion territory. Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, weakness, sweating or cold sweats, dizziness or fainting. Naturally all of these things will affect your ability to control a motorcycle, so don’t let this happen to you!
Heat Stroke- should not the taken lightly. This goes beyond the simple feelings of being uncomfortable due to the heat. People who suffer from heat stroke might appear confused or incoherent (some may appear intoxicated), they make blank out, their skin may be red, hot and dry and their body temperature may be increased.  In extreme cases symptoms will continue to get worse and organs may begin to fail.  If you or a friend is experiencing heat stroke, you need to get them out of their leathers and out of the sun as quickly as possible, preferably into an air-conditioned building or vehicle.  Get their core temperature down by covering them with cold water and loosen or remove their clothing to allow for more ventilation, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to call for medical help too.
Hopefully you won’t experience heat exhaustion or sunstroke this summer, but the importance of proper hydration should not be taken lightly whether you’re out on the racetrack or enjoying a long Sunday ride with friends.
Follow some simple steps to drinking lots of fluids and making sure you always have lots of water available and you should find your performance on the track or on the street will be greatly improved.