Training course for slow-speed manoeuvres

[pasmith73]

Does anyone have any recommendations for some rider training specifically for slow speed manoeuvres? Stuff like U-turns and tight turning at very slow speed. I'm an experienced rider but my slow-speed skills have deteriorated so much that I could really benefit from some training.

I'm in Kent so ideally somewhere in Kent/Essex/Sussex/Surrey etc.

Thanks very much.

[bogie]

I would recommend all the i2i courses, they are great VFM....but may have to ride a bit further or book a night away and do a couple of days together.

https://i2imca.com/

[EVOTECH3BELL]

Go to your local training school and I'm sure they will accommodate a session or two tailored to you.

Slow speed maneuvers are the basis of the CBT and Mod1 element of passing your test.

[BigGingerBob]

bogie said:

I would recommend all the i2i courses, they are great VFM....but may have to ride a bit further or book a night away and do a couple of days together.

https://i2imca.com/

100% this!
These courses are great, I did mc1 and mc2 last year. I want to do them again because I did about 200 miles on my bike last year so didn’t exactly get to practice.

Alternatively, I’m sure a local instructor would be willing to help or just get to YouTube for a refresh and then head to an empty car park for practice?

[iidentifyaswoke]

Thames Valley RoSPA runs courses from time to time.

[baxb]

I remember your thread from last year, this was my suggestion -

"Where in the country are you? I'm doing this course on Sunday
https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Road_Safety/FireBike...
Which would seem to cover it and a few other bits. But essentially Black K1 has said it, just focus on where you want to go & you'll go there. Good luck."

To follow up, this course has the biggest impact on my riding than anything else after 25years in the saddle. The first half of the day is all 1st gear slow speed manoeuvres & you then practice these continuously all day turning round at the end of each exercise. I think it's now at North weald, but it's free & exactly what you want. Do it!

[pasmith73]

baxb said:

I remember your thread from last year, this was my suggestion -

"Where in the country are you? I'm doing this course on Sunday
https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Road_Safety/FireBike...
Which would seem to cover it and a few other bits. But essentially Black K1 has said it, just focus on where you want to go & you'll go there. Good luck."

To follow up, this course has the biggest impact on my riding than anything else after 25years in the saddle. The first half of the day is all 1st gear slow speed manoeuvres & you then practice these continuously all day turning round at the end of each exercise. I think it's now at North weald, but it's free & exactly what you want. Do it!

Yes, thanks very much, I remember your post last year and I had printed out the info from their website. It sounded perfect. But yesterday I went to book it but I couldn’t find it on their website. Instead they are talking about a half-day course on the road, rather than focusing on slow-speed stuff. I have emailed them to ask if they still run the course that you did.

[iidentifyaswoke]

iidentifyaswoke said:

Thames Valley RoSPA runs courses from time to time.

If you do RoSPA, regardless of if you do one of their formal slow riding courses or not, your tutor will at some stage find a quiet area to do slow speed work.

The other alternative if you are struggling to find a course provider is just to find a CBT/DAS training school with an offroad area and throw some money at them to provide a private 1 on 1 course for you.

[ChocolateFrog]

Just do what I do and put the occasional foot down.

Outside of your test it makes no difference.

[OutInTheShed]

pasmith73 said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for some rider training specifically for slow speed manoeuvres? Stuff like U-turns and tight turning at very slow speed. I'm an experienced rider but my slow-speed skills have deteriorated so much that I could really benefit from some training.

I'm in Kent so ideally somewhere in Kent/Essex/Sussex/Surrey etc.

Thanks very much.

Consider Tricksinthesticks as it's down your way.

There is nothing like a few hours on a small bike off road, to bring home some fundamentals of how bikes work.

[baxb]

pasmith73 said:

baxb said:

I remember your thread from last year, this was my suggestion -

"Where in the country are you? I'm doing this course on Sunday
https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Road_Safety/FireBike...
Which would seem to cover it and a few other bits. But essentially Black K1 has said it, just focus on where you want to go & you'll go there. Good luck."

To follow up, this course has the biggest impact on my riding than anything else after 25years in the saddle. The first half of the day is all 1st gear slow speed manoeuvres & you then practice these continuously all day turning round at the end of each exercise. I think it's now at North weald, but it's free & exactly what you want. Do it!

Yes, thanks very much, I remember your post last year and I had printed out the info from their website. It sounded perfect. But yesterday I went to book it but I couldn’t find it on their website. Instead they are talking about a half-day course on the road, rather than focusing on slow-speed stuff. I have emailed them to ask if they still run the course that you did.

Email this guy - should be able to help. He runs the courses - [e-mail]

[KTMsm]

IAM run them too

They tacked one onto the afternoon of a Biker Down course I did - like a reward for going

I enjoyed it

[pasmith73]

baxb said:

Email this guy - should be able to help. He runs the courses - [e-mail]

Thanks again for your help. I'm booked on for August.

[bolidemichael]

Join Wey Valley -- they do a really good slow riding course around once a month.

[baxb]

pasmith73 said:

baxb said:

Email this guy - should be able to help. He runs the courses - [e-mail]

Thanks again for your help. I'm booked on for August.

Nice one! Let us know how you get on.

[Blippy]

Might be a bit of a trek for you but for anyone else on the south coast, both IAM Solent and Wey Valley do slow riding skills days where they refresh all the basics that you'd expect - U-turns, slalom, junctions, figure-eights. The course layouts are quite creative and it's aimed at all abilities. They'll have some attendees scraping the pegs whilst doing figure eights by the end of the day, and for a 'slow' riding course some of it builds up to being quite fast.

Highly entertaining and really confidence boosting on the road.

[hidetheelephants]

EVOTECH3BELL said:

Go to your local training school and I'm sure they will accommodate a session or two tailored to you.

Slow speed maneuvers are the basis of the CBT and Mod1 element of passing your test.

I'd 2nd that; CBT has a lot of low speed handling and spends ~half the day on this, or at least it did when I did it.

[mikey_b]

baxb said:

pasmith73 said:

baxb said:

I remember your thread from last year, this was my suggestion -

"Where in the country are you? I'm doing this course on Sunday
https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/Road_Safety/FireBike...
Which would seem to cover it and a few other bits. But essentially Black K1 has said it, just focus on where you want to go & you'll go there. Good luck."

To follow up, this course has the biggest impact on my riding than anything else after 25years in the saddle. The first half of the day is all 1st gear slow speed manoeuvres & you then practice these continuously all day turning round at the end of each exercise. I think it's now at North weald, but it's free & exactly what you want. Do it!

Yes, thanks very much, I remember your post last year and I had printed out the info from their website. It sounded perfect. But yesterday I went to book it but I couldn’t find it on their website. Instead they are talking about a half-day course on the road, rather than focusing on slow-speed stuff. I have emailed them to ask if they still run the course that you did.

Email this guy - should be able to help. He runs the courses - [e-mail]

The URL above doesn't work - here is where it is now:

https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/firebike

[black-k1]

I would suggest reading the likes of https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-vie...

then finding an empty car park and practicing.

[Simon_GH]

The best advice I was given was to sit forward on the seat and gently clamp the tank between your knees. Add in a relaxed posture, a bit of clutch slip, drag the rear brake and look where you want to go not what you want to avoid, you’ll be a pro.

As mentioned above, repeated tight figure of 8s in an empty car park will probably do the trick.