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mdane

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Posts posted by mdane

  1. I've been to only one track: VIR. My choice was based on advice from much more experienced riders. I found it to have everything racer mentions in his post. We used the North Course, which is 2.25 miles, with 17 turns, one main straight, and one very short straight leading into turn 7 (an uphill righthander). I thought it was a great track, but I have nothing to compare it to. The word is that Barber is also very good. So far as lodging goes, I can recommend the Best Western about 15 minutes away from VIR on Rt. 58 toward Danville.

     

    -Mike

  2. I'm glad to hear you're planning to take the 2-day. I think you'll really enjoy it. I found myself able to go much faster during track sessions, with far better control. The CSS crew have instruction down to a science, and they really pack a lot into a day. Since I attended the school, my street riding is much more fun. At any speed, I have far better control of my line. Better throttle control and fewer mid-turn corrections add up to a more stable bike and a happier rider. Turns that used to put my heart in my throat are now just another happy cornering experience. Good luck, and enjoy your ride this weekend.

  3. Maybe my experience will help as a guide until one of the instructors weighs in. I have a little over 2 years and 25,000 miles street experience, and had never seen a track until last week, when I attended the 2-day camp at VIR.

     

    I got a tremendous benefit from the school, and saw rapid improvement. Since you have the benefit of an experienced teacher, you will probably be ready sooner than I was. As soon as the basic control operations are fairly reflexive, you're ready to benefit from the school. Don't worry at all about holding up other riders. Everyone is encouraged to ride at their own pace, and "racing" is discouraged as detrimental to developing good technique. You might well be ready now. The "sweet spot" is sometime after you're comfortable with the controls, and before you start burning in any bad habits.

     

    Because you mentioned riding with groups, I'll throw in one more item from the "free advice" department. I'd say don't ride with others who are not considerate of your level, and if you do, just ride your own ride, and don't try to keep up. There is no more certain way to go beyond your limits and crash than to ride in that kind of company. Don't ask me how I know.

     

    You're very fortunate to have an experienced teacher, and I'm sure you'd get a lot out of the 2-day camp. I was very impressed with the professionalism and effectiveness of the program. It exceeded my expectations in every way.

     

    -Mike

  4. I really enjoyed the 2-day school at VIR last week. CSS runs a very professional operation. The coaching and on-track reinforcement was excellent. The way the techniques were isolated for emphasis was very effective. Starting from zero as a road rider with a couple of years of experience, and no track time, I feel as if I learned a tremendous amount about how to control the bike. By the end of the second day, I was going faster with far less drama. Here are the things I liked most about the school:

    1. Specific techniques to work on every time out on the track
    2. Frequent feedback and communication from coaches
    3. On-track guidance and reinforcement by pre-arranged hand signals
    4. Engaging and useful classroom sessions
    5. Plenty of track time to work on techniques
    6. Good organization, smooth flow throughout the day
    7. Visible improvement in ability
    8. Immediate feedback from camera bike sessions

    I would definitely go again for the level 3 curriculum, as I understand now the importance of body position. The only area I think could be improved is making time for the off-track excercises, such as the lean and brake bikes. On the camera bike runs, I was instructed to ride at 70 percent, and while I understand this is done to counteract the tendency to show off for the camera, for me it was a distraction. On my second run, I just rode at my natural pace and had a much better lap.

     

    All in all, a wonderful experience that far exceeded my expectations. The entire crew was courteous, professional and competent, as well as being firm where necessary (bad passes, etc.). The curriculum is highly concentrated, and I feel as if it would be very difficult indeed to pack more learning and improvement into two days.

     

    -Mike

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