Your best advice?

[Maha]

Hey everyone, I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where all you well seasoned riders could give us newbies some tips and pointers. I know there is already a similar thread, but I had a couple of specific questions...

What was the best bit of advice that you were given when you started riding? And what is the best bit of advice you have now?

Help us newbies learn from your mistakes so that we don't make them ourselves

A few words I remember being said by the an instructor at the time of my BHS was...loosen up! whats with the death grip? don't be so tense, relax those shoulders!

Being comfortable on your bike can be the difference between enjoyin it, and, it being an issue.

[bluninja]

Thank you for your advice, I was planning on finding a nice big carpark to practice in once I have a bike. Probably spend most of my time practicing turning and slow speed riding. Once you get it sorted going slow, just slowly increase the speed... Thats my theory anyway

Car parks are dangerous.....everyone seems to want to practise in them but practicing bike control before you add in all the extra hazards of traffic sounds a good approach. In other parts of the world you have to do comuplsory training in a car park (well off public roads) before you get let loose.
There used to be some training run in the car park under AMCC club rooms.....I'm sure other organisation have training available in safe areas.

Top tip from me. Get some good instruction and training at the start.

[george formby]

Don't ride faster than you can think or to put it another way. You must always be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear.

[mossy1200]

Get a partner who wont ask you to give up motorbikes ever!!!!!!!!!

[george formby]

Get a partner who wont ask you to give up motorbikes ever!!!!!!!!!

That's good. Even more better, get a partner who can or wants to ride too. Ours of entertainment at home watching Mooto GP, Extreme Enduro, Superbikes, gymkhana vids etc without feeling dirty.

[Drew]

'ride to your limits'

that is the best advice i got. speed is not as important as safety, and your limits are the important limits.

(... also if you are safe, then you can increase the speed. )

Bummer that you got such bad advice then.

Ride well within your limits is considerably better advice.

How does one learn their limits?

The ''group rides'' of which JD speaks, are nothing more than fragmented free for all go hard or go home soon as the flag drops....no rules apply attitude.
Finding the right formula for a group ride wasn't that hard...with over 40 rides hehind me now, and not one loss, I take exception that he collates the bad with the not...its incorrect.
Now, groups of sheep?...totally different story.

Not one loss? So no one has crashed, or you call a loss a death? I'll assume the latter for the time being.

So you blame organisers of other rides, for "losses" that might have happened?

Would you expect jail time if there was a loss on one of your rides?

[Madness]

Pay attention to your tyre pressures, dress appropriately for the conditions and avoid Pheasants.

[mossy1200]

Pay attention to your tyre pressures, dress appropriately for the conditions and avoid Pheasants.

I want the bouncy boobs back again for a while Madness.

[Drew]

I want the bouncy boobs back again for a while Madness.

I second the motion.

[Fast Eddie]

avoid Peasants.

f*ckn peasants, I had a family of poor people asking me for change when I was waiting at a red light the other day. Definitely avoid them at all costs

[mylodon]

How does one learn their limits?

When control is lost.

I should have said, *within* the limits not *to* the limits, since perpetually being on the verge of losing control is a bad idea, if thrilling.

[Gareth123]

Be humble. Don't go round acting like an ass hat when you think you know what your doing. If your humble people will offer tips and advice. If your an ass hat, people will watch you suffer through whatever it is your doing.

[AD345]

Stay away from the internet

[Muppet]

I have a few......

Don't worry about other people.

Trust no one.

Don't believe anything the media tell you.

It's what you don't know that counts.

All professional cyclists are drug cheats.

All politicians are liars.

Never back down.

An attack is the best form of defence.

Judges are failed lawyers.

[MystikEagle]

Pay attention to your tyre pressures, dress appropriately for the conditions and avoid Pheasants.

Avoid pheasants? Sounds like there is an interesting story there

As far as tyre pressures are concerned, is the reccomended pressure on the tyres as with car tyres and does it vary with the kind of riding you intend to do? (Highway riding as opposed to going to town for some milk and bread?)