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Hi All

I'm about to arrange my second track day. Last one was at Anglesey which was a great circuit and very relaxed - there was no noise testing. Although i did get black flagged for a wheelie (its a Falco I can't help it). This time I'm thinking about something more local.

Has anyone tried Mallory?

Cheers
Andy

Yes - and I hate it.

If my club was to race there I would actually miss that round - (the only cirucuit I would do that at) One of the most dangerous circuits IMO - too much armco, as well as the Mickey Mouse chicanes.

Oh well, just goes to show - one mans meat and all that..... I went to Mallory last year and loved it. I should say that it was only my second track day - the previous one was Cadwell, so I'm no expert. I like Mallory because it's a fairly simple circuit to learn and, being short, you get lots of laps in to practice your lines. Plus, Gerrards is just sublime - it goes on forever And, because there are no really long straights, it's a circuit that suits the Falco's low down grunt and where it can hold it's own against more powerful sports bikes. Like I said, I'm no track expert but I found it novice friendly (although I'm glad to say I didn't have to test Paul's comment about the Armco). Just MHO.

Blimey! Polar opposite views. Did you two get together and decide to confuse me?

I've done it and its the least enjoyable track I've done BUT its better than not doing a trackday

I've never been so knackered after riding round there for 20mins,stopstartstopstart specially hoisting a lardy topheavy bike like a falco round chicane after chicane.
Mate blitzed me on a standard RS250 until he hit the -paulh alreadymentioned- armco. Slightly off line, onto grass BANG, you are that close.

Do cadwell for the same price but 10 times the track. Rockingham oulton donnington all near-ish to you?

I did the Drayton Croft Honda Race school there a few years ago. It was my first track experience and I thought it was a good track to cut your teeth on. It was before they put the new chicane in after Gerards which everyone says has spoiled it. I wouldn't discourage anyone from riding Mallory it's just not as interesting as Cadwell and Oulton and Brands tracks.

Having said the Gerards is fantastic.

It's the only track I've done .... and it's only a few miles from home.

I went on a special day for novices (was expecting to see a lot of young nuns on bikes ... think I was misinformed ......). The deal was you got a free session and then could pay for more if you wanted them.
Didn't realise how early they started the first session so turned up when I was ready. By the time I got out on track all the others I was out with had been out for one or 2 sessions and I was faced with trying to learn the track amongst a load of people who knew it.
As far as I was concerned there were 2 parts to the track ... the bits I'd figured out and the bits I couldn't.



The trackday used the full Gerards sweep and didn't use Charlies chicane.
The bits I liked were from the Stebbe straight through to the exit of the Bus Stop.
The bit I never figured was the Devils Elbow to the exit of Gerards.
Never sorted out the best way through the downhill, off-camber Devils Elbow - which meant I was too slow onto the Start/Finish straight. The armco on the exit of the Devis Elbow didn't inspire confidence either.
Gerards confused the hell out of me - I was looking for "the line" through it. Think that was the trouble - I've since formed the view that there is no line through it - as it goes on forever there are virtually an infinite number of lines that run round "parallel" to each other.

Then the good bits - Edwinas, Shaws Haipin, the Bus Stop .... the problem with all of them was the frustration of being held up by numpties that had no idea how to go round a bend .... coupled with a "don't overtake on the bends" instruction .... when you did get past these, they would come whizzing back past on the bits I'd not figured out.

Was planning to pay for an extra session or two but in the end I didn't.

Came to the conclusion that I much prefer riding on the road .... which also has the benefit of not having to pay someone for the privilege.

Pierre wrote:
Do cadwell for the same price but 10 times the track. Rockingham oulton donnington all near-ish to you?

Or Snetterton - often cheaper and brilliant fun - the only track I ever had my mille flat out in top.

MSV often do novice days at their tracks and are one of the safest organisers IMO.