How many people actively learn how to ride?

[centaurus]

Frist time I rode a bike I was given the bike and told: you know how to drive a car and you've been riding pushbikes for quite a while so you shouldn't have too much trouble figuring where are the commands and how to ride it . Thinking back it still amazes me I managed to start it, turn it at the corner and bring it to a complete stop without crashing stalling or dropping it
First two years after I got my learners I've been actively searching about riding techniques (especially cornering techniques) - the theory, trying to understand how everyhing works and why one way is better than the other.
At this point I have all the theory I need for my level of riding ao I'm concentrating on practice - trying to transform into habits all the techniques that I've discovered or learned and tested in the last few years. Sometimes I get the opportunity of feedback from more experienced riders which has proven very valuable. Once this step is complete, I might do some training with professional riders.
On defensive driving techniques, because I commute by bike, I've always tried to get as much info and practice as possible but since upgrading to a bigger, louder and brighter bike, I find it less and less of a challenge to make miself safe and/or visible

[Juzz976]

Depends on rider tho,
I rode dirt bikes when I was young and always wanted a road bike but made a promise to myself not to get one untill I was 25.

So with 10yrs caging experience I got my BHS test, learner licence and an FZR250 sweet as.
I think maybe different for a 15-20yr old tho. The cage experience does help as long as you got the right attitude.

[dogsnbikes]

Perhaps you need to define what you mean by "actively learn"...

Like do you mean at a riding school? Or something else?

Cowboyz will mean both by his question.....learning from both either it be an instructor or from people you ride with....

I am wondering how many people actively learn how to ride and how many just wing it as they go?

I do

even though I learnt how to ride a bike on a farm as wee fulla it put me in good steed for road bikes,even now I am still learning,everytime I have been out on a ride either with freinds/solo or group ride,I pick up tips usually on how not too take that corner..and often susgest to dodgy in front of me to follow me ...even a old dog like myself enjoys following another rider that is smooth through the corner's and can keep that flow going ...

Regardless though of what surface your riding on your always learning wether you relise it or not,if you have more than one bike,each time you swap bikes your learning,everytime the weather changes something reminds us what spooked us the last time so we are learning

the diference is that
-some learn from the past..
-some learn from what is in front of us
- and some people just dont learn

So which one are you???

[Thaeos]

I guess for me right now it's both. I go out on rides fairly often, but I also head down to a local carpark when it's quiet and just practice different things. I'm going to make an effort to go to the NASS also, tomorrow night should be my first time there.

[Subike]

I was fortunate to have my grandfather, 3 uncles, my Father and 2 elder brothers that rode bikes.
I have a pic somewhere of Dad, his 2 brothers and Grandad sitting on rivit belt drive HD flatheads outside the local church just before WW2.
These men, who grew up riding bikes on loose shingle road, raced at Cust on shingle , toured NZ when SH1 was only just wide enough for two cars to pass and both had a wheel in the shingle, when the open road limit was 50mph, pubs closed at 6pm and a fast car was a flathead V8!
They taught me to ride on our farm, mud and grass tracks, I was only allowed to progress to riding on the street when I was able to start my uncles AJS 500. That was not easy for a 40kg teenager that didnt know the knack.
So yes I had training from men who learnt on old school bikes.
Years later, I joined a group of riders and learnt how to ride in a pack at speed, getting 30-40 bikes from point a to point b as fast as possibile without incudents. That was an over the top rush then, It could not be done today because of traffic densidy alone
This group also did rider traning on grass with a battered and bent Triumph Adventurer, it got trashed, dumped, high sided, low sided, went for swims, abused past anything you could inmagine.
We learnt how to leave a bike before we hit the hay bale at 40mph.
How to roll so if you slid, you did so on you back,
How to step off the bike if it low sided or high sided.
It surpisingly survied a couple of yearsof this "training"
As there were 2 triumph mechanics in the group, it was kept running by their skills. In the end it became the base for a bonfire when the crank decided it wanted air.
Nothing beats rider training in any form and in todays enviroment, the moe training you can afford the better.
Pluss you need to get out and practice what you are taught, preferably at an open day at your local race track, or on a back road that has very little traffic.
And always be prepared to listen or give, critisim when riding with a group.

[centaurus]

I was fortunate to have my grandfather, 3 uncles, my Father and 2 elder brothers that rode bikes.
I have a pic somewhere of Dad, his 2 brothers and Grandad sitting on rivit belt drive HD flatheads outside the local church just before WW2.
These men, who grew up riding bikes on loose shingle road, raced at Cust on shingle , toured NZ when SH1 was only just wide enough for two cars to pass and both had a wheel in the shingle, when the open road limit was 50mph, pubs closed at 6pm and a fast car was a flathead V8!
They taught me to ride on our farm, mud and grass tracks, I was only allowed to progress to riding on the street when I was able to start my uncles AJS 500. That was not easy for a 40kg teenager that didnt know the knack.
So yes I had training from men who learnt on old school bikes.
Years later, I joined a group of riders and learnt how to ride in a pack at speed, getting 30-40 bikes from point a to point b as fast as possibile without incudents. That was an over the top rush then, It could not be done today because of traffic densidy alone
This group also did rider traning on grass with a battered and bent Triumph Adventurer, it got trashed, dumped, high sided, low sided, went for swims, abused past anything you could inmagine.
We learnt how to leave a bike before we hit the hay bale at 40mph.
How to roll so if you slid, you did so on you back,
How to step off the bike if it low sided or high sided.
It surpisingly survied a couple of yearsof this "training"
As there were 2 triumph mechanics in the group, it was kept running by their skills. In the end it became the base for a bonfire when the crank decided it wanted air.
Nothing beats rider training in any form and in todays enviroment, the moe training you can afford the better.
Pluss you need to get out and practice what you are taught, preferably at an open day at your local race track, or on a back road that has very little traffic.
And always be prepared to listen or give, critisim when riding with a group.

Bloody hell. I envy you Subike. Learning how to crash and how to fall... That's one thing most of us don't have the opportunity to learn and practice nowadays (except for idiots that "practice" by crashing regularly, of course )

[The Everlasting]

I am trying to actively learn how to ride better,to minimise the chance of having an accident.

[CookMySock]

All the learner riders in my family did. I'll give you one guess why.. hint: it was something to do with the asshole father leaning on them..

Anyway, the result is they can corner real deep without fear. It fucks me off actually, coz I learned to ride by the seat-of-my-pants, and now I can never go where they can..

Steve

[avgas]

Had my dad try and teach me to ride back in the hay days when we had just rebuilt the TS185.
It put me off riding for about 2 years.

All my efforts went into mountain-biking - which I competed at

Then curiosity got the better of me. You see I got to go pillion on dads XS850 for a couple of blats - I was hooked. But I knew that I had to teach myself otherwise I was not going to enjoy it.
First I was just kicking it over every now and then. Then it started one day, and I made it 2 feet and stalled it.....
end of that week I could ride around the shed in first without stalling it....
end of that month I could do all gears and a few jumps......
The next month my dad knew I was hooked - as the bike hung from a tree at the top of the hill.

If someone has to teach you how to ride - you probably should not do it, unless its for transport. Like being taught how to wank....

[robertydog]

I just wing it. Hope for the best. Self taught.

[jamesvini]

I taught my self in the dirt on an old ER185, but i have found that changing to a sporty road bike is alot different, riding position, cornering and what not.
So i tend to watch alot of other bikers and see what they do, be it Rossi on the telly or just the guy in front of me at the lights.
I dont have any one to teach me (except you clowns) so i guess i teach my self, But i get taught by what others do too. For example i was travelling to work and i saw a guy whip round the corner in front smooth as, he was leaning over (a concept that still gives me brown pants) But he moved his head right over beside the mirror as he was leaning which moved his body and keept the bike more upright hence stablilty in the corner. At least thats what i think.

[rwh]

I did the 2-hour course with my BHS, then winged it mostly, with tips from here and friends - and lots of common sense analysis of those ... Probably some 'common sense' discarding of valuable tips, too

I disagree that you can't learn without being taught - all those things had to be discovered a first time by someone, and generally by many people, before they could be passed on.

Richard

[Gremlin]

Depends on the person. Some I know read all the books, then go out and practise it in safe areas, start to understand, read more, practise more, put a little into the real world, and slowly come to grip with it.

For others, it comes quite naturally... and there's a massive variance between the two ends for each person.

[Genie]

I was given a bike and told to go up the top paddock and see if there were any dead lambs.....was about 10! Had watched the guys how to do it and just did it. Stalled it heaps but so what, just started it again. I got it sorted after a while then as a teenager had a boyfriend who had a motorbiek and he taught me how to do the firebreak thing. easy as and falling off was funny.

This time around, well i'm scared. There are lots of cars on the road, they go lots faster. I've had 2 lessons so far and when I go shopping (very soon) I shall be having a couple more lessons.

[98tls]

Self taught,still learning 38 years later.