Eight ways to get your brain in its best biking state

Speed’s all in the head, isn’t it? Coach to the racing stars Lee Spelzini shares secrets that’ll make you faster and safer

1. Anchor yourself

An old trick used by many athletes: prepare a pre-ride ritual or saying that lets your brain know it’s time to focus. There’s a reason so many racers have superstitions they go through before the start of a race, from John McGuinness’ lucky penny down his leathers to Valentino Rossi’s trademark foot peg squat.

2. Practise, practise, practise

There’s a reason that the people who crash the least are often the people who ride the most. Think policemen and courier riders. The more experience you have, the better equipped you’ll be to deal with emergencies – be it someone stalling on the grid in front of you or suddenly hitting diesel on a roundabout.

3. Control your breathing

You’d be surprised how many people hold their breath through fast corners. Racers are notorious for it – they breathe on the straights, and then forget to breathe through the corners and wonder why they’re suddenly so fatigued! We’re so used to not thinking about breathing, that it takes conscious effort to get it right.

4. Get your bike to fit you

Getting comfortable on your bike can make the world of difference. Some people fit different types of motorcycle or make their bike fit them, by moving the bars and pegs. If you’re not comfortable on a machine, then you’re never going to feel confident on it and you’re not going to enjoy riding it!

5. Don’t be afraid to learn

Even top racers in MotoGP still get coaching – there’s a reason all the teams have spotters, many of them former racers themselves, out on track watching and feeding back. Be it advanced riding courses, track day instruction or just riding with your mates, all the advice you can glean – and improve from – is going to make you a better rider.

6. Beware the red mist

The infamous red mist can be the bane of a racer – and applies just as much on the road. Someone cuts you up or takes your line: you lose your cool and with it your focus. On the road, though, you’ve got the ability to pull over, cool off, and make sure you get your brain back into riding and not shouting!

7. Set yourself targets

Target setting is an effective way to build your confidence. Setting measurable goals, achieving them, and establishing new goals, while recognising your achievements, will help your confidence and make you safer. It might be a podium finish, taking a corner faster or doing a trackday, but write them down and tick them off!

8. Remove the distractions

Believe it or not, at endurance races like Le Mans or the Bol d’Or, some racers actually go faster in the dark! And while you can’t remove all your distractions on the road – and probably don’t know the roads as well as riders know a circuit! – you can leave the headphones, music and Bluetooth at home to make sure your concentration is on the job at hand.