Where do YOU practice riding techniques?

[Krayy]

Just browsing through Eriks "Cornering" thread and some things just struck me. Several people suggest getting into a car park or some other open area and practice cornering by doing figure 8's, emergency stops etc, just like most of us did on either a Basic Handling or Ride Safe type course (a whole runway to play on? Yes please!). Now back when I was a wee lad learning how to manouvre a cage and bike, we (my dad and I) used to truck on up to Glenfield mall on a weekend and the only people there after 11am on Saturday and ALL Sunday were learners like me. Now this was just peachy for learning how to parallel park, reverse in a line, change gear, indicate etc, but now I realise that with 7 day shopping, all those days are long gone.

So the question is, where do you go to practice your technique? Now I realise a lot of you are probably thinking "On the road man, dodging UAVs and buses or going over the 'takas as fast as you can" and thats all well and good for the bulletproof among us with reactions like a mongoose, but for us mere mortals, where do you head, and do you take a critical friend? (By critical I mean one who critiques and advises, rather than one attached to an iron lung).

[Drunken Monkey]

On the track. Although Puke' is closed now for a few months :(

[Ms Piggy]

Good question Krayy - can someone suggest a similar location here in Wellington? I'd like to practice my riding without other traffic around.

[Blakamin]

Good question Krayy - can someone suggest a similar location here in Wellington? I'd like to practice my riding without other traffic around.
was just thinking along those lines myself... there's nowhere up here on the coast due to the shopping centre being open all weekend.

[Posh Tourer :P]

The "top" open carpark of St Lukes on Morningside Rd is often nearly empty, except perhaps at times when it it *really* busy - actually that is probably weekends

[RiderInBlack]

So the question is, where do you go to practice your technique? .... where do you head, and do you take a critical friend? (By critical I mean one who critiques and advises, rather than one attached to an iron lung).I've been lucky. I'm 40Km's out of Whangarei. Plenty of back roads to go on. In my early riding day's I'd find a ride to go on (preferably with some experienced riders that are not riding hardout, like Use-less-Lees). The advise they gave was in valuable. There are plenty or back roads just North and South of AK. I'd use those. Frosty would be one that I'd look to for riding advise/critical in AK. He knows his bike stuff and will give you sensible advise. But mainly your best practice is just to do lots of riding.

Good luck (don't forget to wear adiquite safety gear), and joy your riding,
Doug (The Rider In Black):ride:

[vifferman]

So the question is, where do you go to practice your technique? Now I realise a lot of you are probably thinking "On the road man, dodging UAVs and buses or going over the 'takas as fast as you can" and thats all well and good for the bulletproof among us with reactions like a mongoose, but for us mere mortals, where do you head, and do you take a critical friend? (By critical I mean one who critiques and advises, rather than one attached to an iron lung).Taking a friend is a good idea.
I dunno about Auckland, but I found that industrial areas were good for practising riding at town speeds, as they tend to be less busy on Sundays. Another alternative is new subdvisions, before the houses go in and traffic builds up. Also, there are some carparks that aren't used much in the weekends, like the commercial building carparks in Albany, Takapuna, Penrose, etc. Our local supermarket has times when the carpark is less than quarter full, so there's one end that's good to use for scrubbing in tyres riding around the light poles.
For highway speeds, yeah a racetrack or runway would be good, otherwise any backroads that aren't very busy, so you don't have traffic pressure if you need to ride at your own pace.
The problem with my suggestions is the road surfaces may have foreign objects/substances or be in crappy condition, so it pays to scope them out carefully first.

My final word is that even if you've been riding for 30 years, there's always learning to do, wherever you're riding. You don't necessarily need a special place to do it, just keep your wits about you, be alert and observant, and ride at a sensible pace: one that is appropriate for the conditions and that doesn't exceed your abilities (it's easy to get sucked into trying to keep up with others, or be macho, or be pushed by that adrenaline rush.)

[Firefight]

So the question is, where do you go to practice your technique? Now I realise a lot of you are probably thinking "On the road man, dodging UAVs and buses or going over the 'takas as fast as you can" and thats all well and good for the bulletproof among us with reactions like a mongoose, but for us mere mortals, where do you head, and do you take a critical friend? (By critical I mean one who critiques and advises, rather than one attached to an iron lung).

plenty of good roads out of Ak that are not busy weekends or weekdays, and yeah take a freind for advice and help , just practice, practice, practice, ride at a pace you are happy with, have read here that some will find a bit of road maybe up to 10ks that are twisty and just spend a bit of time doing the same bit back and forth till they are happy with it , when I was a bit younger, no :whistle: a lot younger and rode moto x, some of the rich kids would video each other as they tried jumps/landings? rut technique etc, .., I guess they went home and studied the tape to see how it looked, that may be a bit anal and time comsuming..I guess everyone has their favorite bit of road, won,t bore you telling you what mine is, good luck.

F/F

[erik]

School carparks are sometimes empty on weekends or in the school holidays. I've used the Green Bay highschool carpark a couple of times. Of course if there are any kids around it isn't a suitable place.
The other place I used was the Vehicle Testing station carpark in Henderson. They were closed and it's a big enough carpark for slow figure 8's and emergency braking.
I guess just going for a ride in industrial areas you might be able to find something.

[sAsLEX]

"On the roadn, dodging UAVs and buses or going over the 'takas as fast as you can"

Unmanned Air Vehicles?? You must be smoking somthing good to be dodging those on our roads!

[Posh Tourer :P]

Oh and the carparks down the back of three kings shopping centre / Mt Roskill library are good too

[Krayy]

Unmanned Air Vehicles?? You must be smoking somthing good to be dodging those on our roads!

UAVs = "Urban Assault Vehicles". From a posting on 4WDs/Volvos on another thread by "What?".

I'm for voting this one into biker vernacular, as its a fairly fitting description.

[Wenier]

theres not really anywhere that great in tawa now, usually people in the carparks on the weekend and i think the Buckets one is the building depot one.

[Blakamin]

School carparks look like the go

[Jonty]

In wellington there is a good unused carpark above the newtown indoor sports venue (I think for loacl DHB employees). The gate appears locked but on closer inspection there aint no padlock! Have also seen learner car drivers in there on occassion.

[jazbug5]

If that's the one opposite the Newtown end of Tasman street, that's exactly where I used to go at first. Was thinking about going up there again at some point during the weekend. It's perfect: recommended.
(Although the odd taxi uses it as a short cut, and at speed, so watch the ramps...)

[F5 Dave]

Show buildings is a bit gravely for braking practise isn’t it?, but could be pressed into service.

Please do not use the market gardens in Tawa. They get VERY pissy if people use it without permission. We had some stores chap drive onto the course almost causing an accident ‘cause he thought we didn’t. If people start using this area we may lose it for racing.

Have used the Onslow school area before.

Riverbank in LHutt used to be OK until those little pricks with mums car started hanging around there, now it is unusable. They have a market there some weekends I think.

Using a friend to drop their hand at a random point as you ride towards them & watch your eyes is useful during braking practice.

[ManDownUnder]

Find a big factory with lots of employees in it - get in touch with management of the company and ask if you can use their carpark. Go out into industrial areas and just do a drive by - you'll likley spot a few. Best ones have the carparks out the back so you can arse off without everyone looking and laughing...

Mt Wellington in Auckland should be good for places like that.

Other places I used to use were the container yards in New Plymouht - down by the Port. (Imagine you are driving out of the Power Station, turn left then right...) I think they might have closed that off now but I did a lot of miles just there

MDU

[sels1]

To Blakamin and Celtic Sea Lily - the carpark at mazengarb park is a common driver/rider practise area - it is not used much except in Touch season (mostly Fri nite)

[Blakamin]

To Blakamin and Celtic Sea Lily - the carpark at mazengarb park is a common driver/rider practise area - it is not used much except in Touch season (mostly Fri nite)
I never even thought of that one

[Krayy]

I'm just wondering if its worth trying to start some kind of register of good and bad places to do self-training. The register could provide user reviews of locations pointing out hte good and the bad, such as:

"Location: Industrial park XYZ
Where: Henderson, Auckland off Lincoln Rd
Summary: Has large amount of carpark space for emergency stop practice. Roads are good ashphalt with plenty of intersections and roundabouts, but there is a lot of debris and dst on the road where the new construction...." etc

Then we try to get Spanky to make it sticky.

What do you think?

[vifferman]

I'm just wondering if its worth trying to start some kind of register of good and bad places to do self-training. It's a good idea, but I can see it degenerating from somewhere a couple of guys could practice safe riding, to swarming with guys practicing wheelies, stoppies, donuts, and then bad mojo happening.:bye:

[F5 Dave]

Sort of a good idea, but what if the owner got wind that his carpark was being advertised on some website as a place to use? & while they probably don’t care too much if there is the occasional learner poopling around every so often they might get a little pissy with this. Esp these days under OSH rules what if the owner was proven to know that the carpark was in use for this & someone had an accident there. Oh what a silly world it is becoming.

[Krayy]

Good point on the OSH thing. Ah well, we can but dream of empty car parks and cage free roads.

[mccool]

Good question Krayy - can someone suggest a similar location here in Wellington? I'd like to practice my riding without other traffic around.

Ms Lily, the carpark at the hockey stadium in Mt Albert Road near my place is usually empty. Not huge, but good for u turns etc

[Ms Piggy]

If that's the one opposite the Newtown end of Tasman street, that's exactly where I used to go at first. Was thinking about going up there again at some point during the weekend. It's perfect: recommended.
(Although the odd taxi uses it as a short cut, and at speed, so watch the ramps...)
Hey sounds good - wanna go together? Then we can laugh at each other :killingme

Oh I mean encourage each other :niceone:

[Ms Piggy]

Ms Lily, the carpark at the hockey stadium in Mt Albert Road near my place is usually empty. Not huge, but good for u turns etc
Ahhh good idea! And the other suggestion of where the buckets race at Tawa.

[vifferman]

Sort of a good idea, but what if the owner got wind that his carpark was being advertised on some website as a place to use? & while they probably don’t care too much if there is the occasional learner poopling around every so often they might get a little pissy with this. Esp these days under OSH rules what if the owner was proven to know that the carpark was in use for this & someone had an accident there. Oh what a silly world it is becoming.Thank goodness there are people like us taking a stand against the silliness of all this PC safety stuff, by riding these damned dangerous murdersikkles and refusing to be sensible and safe. And that.

[Ms Piggy]

Please do not use the XXXXXXXX. They get VERY pissy if people use it without permission. We had some stores chap drive onto the course almost causing an accident ‘cause he thought we didn’t. If people start using this area we may lose it for racing.

Using a friend to drop their hand at a random point as you ride towards them & watch your eyes is useful during braking practice.

Ooooo ok then Dave - Cheers. Won't do that then.

[Blakamin]

Please do not use the market gardens in Tawa. They get VERY pissy if people use it without permission. We had some stores chap drive onto the course almost causing an accident ‘cause he thought we didn’t. If people start using this area we may lose it for racing.
.
Have edited posts accordingly

[What?]

where do you go to practice your technique?
In bed. :whistle: