Understanding Data Logging

I've been interested in data logging for quite some time but never really wanted to pony up the cash for a whole data logging system. I'm talking sensors/potentiometers/ etc etc. It's easy to understand GPS data. But how do you know what to do with suspension data if you're not a suspension data specialist?

E.g: You're on the brakes 80% and you forks travel 100mm. Your shock is 10mm from max extension.

Or you're in this long turn and your forks are between 50-70mm compresses and your shock is 20mm from top out.

How do you know what to look for and change other than if your forks or shock are bottoming out? Is there some kind if training course on this stuff?

 

Good questions. I recommend that you pay a good data guy to spend a race weekend with you and teach you the things to look for. Once you know where to start, you begin to understand the bits of the squiggly lines that tell you if springs and settings are in the ballpark. You can take it from there and then ask a few questions later.

I know a guy, or maybe a couple of guys.

What would club racer guys pay for a day of training in this sort of thing? I know club racers are on a budget, but I'd arrange something if there was interest.

 

Using and understanding data can be game changer for a rider. Just as much for riding technique, as it is setup. That said, there are so many variables as well as what are the actual references you are using to compare to. My thought: Find a race team, or race team data technician and hire them to help you. It will literally shave years off your learning curve.

Ken

EDIT - HAHA! Hire RM! He is my go to data reference technician.

 

Curious, what is a "data guys" background?

 

https://www.datamc.org

That's a good site for some introductory reading

 

I can only speak for my own background. It is very diverse. I was a racer, then an engine builder. I moved on to a crew chief. You first must understand rider feedback without data first. Then you use data to refine the feedback. It's very complicated, but boils down to very simple techniques. I'm sure that explanation only confuses you more. This is the issue with data.

 

I appreciate the explanation.

 

Work firewall won't allow me to view this link at the moment.

 

So in a nutshell, don't bother spending big money on data acquisition if you don't have somebody to break everything down for you?

 

The only things the data does is confirm or deny the described problem from the rider's mouth and give a metric to measure change.

It's as worthless as a rider who says "it feels goofy" if you can't decode what "goofy" means.

 

In my opinion data is useless without an objective in mind. Are we using the data to settle suspension and make the rider feel as though they can twist the throttle more and go faster? Then some data is available on the bike to concretely see that an unsettled chassis is worth those tweaks. Data is part of a formula to shave microseconds off of every corner to drop that cumulative time as a whole and give the rider the areas they can continue to improve on to shave yet more time. Like most good DA systems it needs rider input and small documented change-logs and validation (with data)
Having spent 10years on a multitude of systems there are no short cuts, and it takes time and patience. Start with basics and build up.

 

What you need is Harry Hogg.

 

Money well spent to take your racing to the next level. Data is simple but tricky if you know what I mean. Once you understand what you looking at it’s easier to understand and link it back in your head to what the bikes actually doing. You can also get very lost in the data as well which is what you see many people do that can’t disect it or have/ pay someone to teach them.

 

Excellent points.

 

I will gladly pay for someone to show me how to interpret data if/when I get a logging system.

I think Ammar Bazzaz did some classes many years ago. they weren't cheap, but I kinda regret not going.

 

Where do you call home?

 

Data is not an instant path to faster lap times. It's just another tool in the kit. It can help you figure out what is going on or get you lost as hell chasing your ass if you aren't looking for specific things and collecting data, reviewing and analyzing in a productive manner. I love my AIM system but if I had not taken the time to figure out what I wanted to get out of it then it could have provided me with a lot of largely useless data.

If it were me I'd start with using it for rider training. Get someone faster than you to go out on your gear and turn some laps. Collect throttle, brake, shift and MPH data. Configure a math channel to show you the total percentage of coast time over the lap. Use that as a benchmark against your riding and you'll almost immediately see where and why the faster rider is faster on the same equipment and on the same track. GPS overlays of the riding line are also very helpful in seeing if they are using a different approach in their setup of the entry to the corner, apex and exit.

 

San Diego, CA

 

Data is only as useful as what you can convert into actionable intelligence. So if you’re capturing and interpreting metrics that you don’t know how to convert into setup changes that’s just as useless as capturing it and not interpreting it. I think working with someone or several someones would be worth it.