Training course yesterday

[geofferz]

I think it's important to be able to ride faster than cops so you can get away if needs be. 

[Steve_M]

On 23/11/2023 at 10:39, RideWithStyles said:

No point training in a environment that your not going to be on for the foreseeable future i.e the track, nor with a fully track rider. 
best with people in the environment, with the skills for that environment i.e ima, roadcraft, police.....they will be more helpful to you skill wise and mentally geared to help confidence. 

That’s probably true in isolation but anything that facilitates skills improvement shouldn’t be discounted out of hand.
 

For example, after passing IAM, my riding has subsequently benefitted from a whole variety of other training and activities among which has been  Motogymkhana, i2i,  trail riding, and HRT (Hopp Rider Training - same instructors as Firebikes) at Cadwell Park. I would recommend all of these in addition to advanced training which doesn’t need to be IAM/RoSPA (could be Rapid Training or Zen school of motorcycling…)

 

 

Edit: HRT - a super and relatively safe day of learning.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Steve_M

[RideWithStyles]

I didn't discount it but their use cases are narrower for the average road user and their needs, much like track riding.

The reason for the information in the post was for a new rider on the road...thats one of the best uses off the bat with broad uses while road riding so that would be the first recommendation.

while gymhana is if you in london traffic (nicking bikes), a busy supermarket or pricking about a car park and trial if your off roading or hopping logs or boulders.

[Steve_M]

1 hour ago, RideWithStyles said:

I didn't discount it but their use cases are narrower for the average road user and their needs, much like track riding.

The reason for the information in the post was for a new rider on the road...thats one of the best uses off the bat with broad uses while road riding so that would be the first recommendation.

while gymhana is if you in london traffic (nicking bikes), a busy supermarket or pricking about a car park and trial if your off roading or hopping logs or boulders.

I did say in isolation.

 

I’m of the view that anything that improves skill levels is positive. 

 

i2i and Hopp Rider Training (Hopp are the same personell who do the Firebikes) are primarily around improving road riding in a safe (relatively) environment. Each focus on skills improvement without you needing to be concerned about gravel / oil spills / other vehicles / street furniture etc.

 

Trials riding (as against trail riding which I’ve done) is on my bucket list but I may be getting too old for that malarky.

 

[Shepherd]

On 25/11/2023 at 08:31, Steve_M said:

 

Edit: HRT - a super and relatively safe day of learning.

I like the idea of this. A bit far for me though, so it'd be a £500 day after travel and a room etc.

I couldn't afford it, even if I could justify it

[Steve_M]

9 hours ago, Shepherd said:

I like the idea of this. A bit far for me though, so it'd be a £500 day after travel and a room etc.

I couldn't afford it, even if I could justify it

I feel your pain. I’ve taken part numerous times - into double figures - and it was reasonably accessible from Norwich as I could usually ride home afterwards. Now living in Cumbria I have at least two overnight stays. 
 

I’m considering camping at Cadwell for next July to reduce costs.

[Tinkicker]

At the motorcycle activity center I used to work at, it was company policy for a new employee who had to ride a company bike on a public road as part of his job to have an assessment ride and a weeks training under the Senior On Road Instructor who was a retired class one police motorcyclist.

 

It was not a full blown ROSPA or IAM course, it was just training.

 

All I can say is that I was known as a "handy" rider before.  I found out that being handy relied far too much on pure luck.

 

The training was a revelation.  The road became an open book, situations developing ahead were noticed, assessed and being acted on far before they became a concern.  Escape routes were planned and readied for execution.  By the end of the training " near do's" were a thing if the past and brakes were only used for stopping, not adjusting speed.

 

Questions were asked constantly over the radio.  One I remember was a belter.  We were barreling down an unlit country road at dusk.   Radio came to life.

 " there is a lampost on the right hand side of the road up ahead, what are you expecting to see and be planning for"? I Did not know.

It was a minor road coming in from the left and a car was waiting to pull out....

 

You think you are a good rider without needing training.  Advanced training will disabuse you of that opinion.  I guarantee it will be a revelation.

It is not about boring saddoes in sam browne belts and dayglo helmets, it is about enjoying a fast ride in comparative safety.

[Shepherd]

10 hours ago, Tinkicker said:

 

... It is not about boring saddoes in sam browne belts and dayglo helmets, it is about enjoying a fast ride in comparative safety.

Yep, I'm beginning to realise just how much of the little training I've had is already being put to good use. I think the Police Bike one I did first was more about 'making progress' all the time, whereas I was and still am happy to sit behind someone if they're travelling att a decent speed.

A guy called Mick Jones took my Firebike course, and Nick Brown took the follow up. Both were much more about the road / awareness / position etc and made so much sense.

I think I'll end up emailing them for further courses. They are a lot more local for me, and I didn't feel talked down to at all.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Shep

[bonio]

When I was doing DAS, my instructor would occasionally ride behind me and give me a running commentary on what to look out in the ear piece: "Pull in here, because you don't want to filter past a junction. Look out for the pelican crossing ahead; there's a person waiting at it on the right, so the lights could turn red any time... Notice the junction marked, and if you look out the left you can see a tractor exhaust above the hedge, so expect to meet it at the junction". I learned that he saw 100 times more things than I did.