Well I learnt a new trick, or I should say applied an old trick. I’ve been racing the same old local road circuit for some years. I’ve always done pretty well on it, except just one part. There’s a section with five sharp turns in quick succession and I’m one of the quickest through them (in the wet I used them to get a win) but every time I get through them I start to drop off. The other night my frustration got to me and I eased off, only to find I kept up!
So showing off and braking late ain’t good 😳

I rediscovered similar at the big dog this weekend just past. Through the tight single track, I had a mate about 40 yards in front of me and thought if I really went for it I could catch him. I overshot most of the corners, missed most of the lines, expended more effort by overbraking and reaccelerating and got to the next fire road section 60 yards behind.

Next time I kept it under control, flowed through the turns, took far less effort and based on garmin analyses of the laps, was a few seconds faster.

Slow is steady, steady is fast.

(Of course, the quick boys definition of slow and steady is also somewhat different to mine)

learnt the flow answer a few years ago, followed so many people since who are pedalling like crazy while all it needs is a couple of pedals and easy on the brakes.

I’m one of the quickest through them … but every time I get through them I start to drop off

I can’t see what you mean – you’re fastest through the 1st 4 but then slow out of the 5th ?

(principle of what you say still applies though; it’s definitely possible to overdo it)

SingletrAction run a chainless event which has resulted in all the regulars never pedalling on the descending trails, and always keeping up with the pedallers. How? It makes you brake proper. 😀

Slow in, fast out was Mick Doohan’s big secret.

Planning, pumping, setting up and braking correctly.

Generally if i follow a pedal masher, i can stick on their back wheel without pedalling. As soon as im behind someone really really good, they dont pedal, i have no hope of catching them.

Slow is steady, steady is fast.

I thought it was slow is smooth, and smooth is fast

Ooh! I like that even better.

Slow in, fast out
Fast in, shit out

Slow in fast out always. I’ve always been guilty of going in fast, braking late and (trying) to power out. I used to apply that approach for years in motocross with little success and it was hard to break the habit. If your behind someone and they start braking for a corner you can immediately see the gain you can make so naturally think late braking is the key to making gains.

It works for overtakes sometimes, but for fast consistent lap times it is a hopeless technique. Braking earlier and riding through the corner at a speed you can hold on the preferred line and then carrying that speed out of the corner is the way to do it. The real skill of course is maximising the speed you can carry through the corner.

Cut corners – problem solved

Fast in works on an overtake where you perform a block pass, that is stick your body in the way of their line so they have to slow to your speed.
Pretty annoying when it gets done to you.

Slow in, fast out was Mick Doohan’s big secret.

And Casanova’s.

Fast through the fast bits, slow through the slow bits.

Always worked for me when downhill racing. Missy Giove used this advice when not hauling copious amounts of ganja.