blow_away Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 One for the racers I guess, but all input gratefully received. So far, I have been using the extremely scientific method of tyre selection in changeable weather, i.e. just copy what the guy on pole position uses This has been OK generally, although normally the selection tends to be conservative and we end up destroying wet tyres when we could have got away with using inters or whatever. I have been looking at weather stations on ebay, I don't know how accurate or reliable these are, or even if I understand the data it gives (low pressure = rain, high pressure = sun?) I've got some pine cones, and I can watch what the cows and birds are doing? There is also the option of using a smartphone app to monitor the local weather, this has the disadvantage of lag, i.e. the data may only be updated quite slowly? So I thought I'd ask what you more experienced guys do, and shamelessly copy your methods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 I would go out side and see, If its raining use wets (or stay in and drink tea) if its not raining use slicks. Sorry for not being very helpful ;-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blow_away Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 And therein lies the problem Chris. If you get a race that is wet through, that's fine, just stick yer wets in and off you go. There have been a few instances for us where it's not really wet enough, or its windy enough to dry the track as the race progresses. We err on the side of caution and stick the wets in, it dries out and hey presto either you go slow/waste time looking for puddles to preserve the tyres or (more likely in Andy's case ) just go ahead and stay on the pace, destroying a £150 rear wet in the process. However, if the race started at 14:10 and I knew what the weather would be at 14:20, it would make tyre selection a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superdunc Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Pine Cones and watching what the cows do are your best bet. Simple Rule. If the track is dry start on slicks, Never start on a dry track on wet tyres, unless you are 100% certain it is going to rain before the lights go out. Wet to Drying is trickier, if it's raining it's obvious, but the point at which you change to slicks is very tricky. Never try and second guess the weather you willl get it wrong. Some tracks Dry quicker than others Thruxton in june drys in minutes, Donnington in October can take all day. If you have a rain shower early in the weekend, look for a concrete area in the paddock, these generally dry first, or a least dry patches are more obvious, make a not when they appear, and see how long it takes for the track to return to Dry tyres. If it rains again an hour before your due on track, you can use this info to help make your tyre choice There are phone apps and websites that we use which are very accurate, and up to the minute. Accu weather is one, but I can't remember the the one with the satelite imaging which is brilliant, I'll find out. Even with smart phone data, your best bet is to use your own eyes and senses. It takes years of knowledge of various tracks to knoe how quickly a track will dry and when to make the call to go back onto slicks. Keep an eye on other classes, see what there lap times are like, if they are under 10 secs off a dry time round Oulton park, you need to be looking at Slicks. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blur1 Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Move to Australia. The choice is always slicks! haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaycee Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 I use one of these to predict the weather... apologies for being no bloody use whatsoever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blow_away Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 .......the problem with Oz is you need knobblies to squash the giant snakes and spiders laying in the sunny spot on the racing line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blur1 Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 .......the problem with Oz is you need knobblies to squash the giant snakes and spiders laying in the sunny spot on the racing line I never said the plan was perfect...lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 How long do these club races last for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blow_away Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 It depends Chris, between 5 and 10 laps generally. Normally about long enough to toast a rear wet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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