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)

[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 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.