All,
I check this site daily, although I don't post often. I was able to take Jim Ford's Riders Workshop this June with my dad and had a great experience. I wrote up this review of it, which I will send Jim's way eventually. I would highly recomend this workshop for those of you who are fairly new to riding and want to get comfortable on the twisty roads. For those of you who have been riding for years, this class may be beneficial for you as well. I know my dad had a few bad habits that he managed to break on this trip and he has been riding for 10 years. So here is the review, it may be a little over the top, but it really was a good course.
Jim Ford’s Riders Workshop has been a major factor in helping me become a safer and more confident rider. I took the class in June of 2010 with my dad and am extremely glad that I did. As a newer rider there were a lot of things in riding on the road that were still very new to me. I also live in a very flat, boring area to ride in, so my experiences with “curvy” roads were mainly big sweepers and long straights. The “invisible roads” course through the mountains of southern VA was a serious learning experience and serious fun. I figured that coming down off of the parkway was where the good roads were, and Jim knows them very well. I was slightly apprehensive going into the day wondering how hard I was going to be pushed, but throughout the day I felt that Jim let my dad and I dictate the pace while he helped us with riding techniques. I feel like the difference in my confidence and riding ability increased exponentially throughout the day.
One thing I really took away from the course was using “trends” in the road and using your eyes to “unfold” the road ahead. Road “trending” has helped me out in day to day riding a lot. Every road you turn on to is different and they all feel different, especially if you have never ridden them before. Determining if the road is clean (no rocks or gravel) or if it has tar strips, all of these things give you an indication about the road ahead. Jim also makes you focus on the “vanishing” point or where the road disappears from your vision. If you use this technique appropriately the road seems to unwind itself in front of you, giving you a better, safer view of the road ahead. The most valuable skill, and one I believe any motorcyclist wants to achieve, is confidence through the corners. Everyone has their own issues here whether it is being to fast on entry (guilty), crossing the yellow line on a left hander (guilty), being in the wrong gear (guilty), or just being unsure about your capability (guilty). With respect to speed, Jim teaches that the key is to hold a good pace and keep that pace constant. I feel we have all at one time hit a road at too high a speed and then had to do some “panic” braking for an unexpected corner. I believe most have read the “PACE” article and I feel that Jim holds a similar philosophy. Jim teaches that you should evaluate the road that your on and base your speed accordingly, which sounds easy but is difficult in practice. I had a particular problem with turning in too early (especially in a left hander) which puts yourself at obvious risk because of your proximity to the yellow line. I now wait to enter a tight left hander and place myself at the right position on the road in order for the best line of sight and best line through the turn. My confidence level had increased a lot since I took the course. I no longer “worry” about what could be down the road; I keep focused on the vanishing point and let the road come to me. My dad and I had a great time and would like to take another of Jim’s classes. I certainly saw myself and my dad improve due to this course, and we got a lot of practice over the next couple days as we rode down the rest of the BRP. I would suggest to anyone that wants to become a safer, better rider and have fun on the twisties to take Jim’s course.
Here is his website: http://www.ridersworkshop.com/
- jdubb
I check this site daily, although I don't post often. I was able to take Jim Ford's Riders Workshop this June with my dad and had a great experience. I wrote up this review of it, which I will send Jim's way eventually. I would highly recomend this workshop for those of you who are fairly new to riding and want to get comfortable on the twisty roads. For those of you who have been riding for years, this class may be beneficial for you as well. I know my dad had a few bad habits that he managed to break on this trip and he has been riding for 10 years. So here is the review, it may be a little over the top, but it really was a good course.
Jim Ford’s Riders Workshop has been a major factor in helping me become a safer and more confident rider. I took the class in June of 2010 with my dad and am extremely glad that I did. As a newer rider there were a lot of things in riding on the road that were still very new to me. I also live in a very flat, boring area to ride in, so my experiences with “curvy” roads were mainly big sweepers and long straights. The “invisible roads” course through the mountains of southern VA was a serious learning experience and serious fun. I figured that coming down off of the parkway was where the good roads were, and Jim knows them very well. I was slightly apprehensive going into the day wondering how hard I was going to be pushed, but throughout the day I felt that Jim let my dad and I dictate the pace while he helped us with riding techniques. I feel like the difference in my confidence and riding ability increased exponentially throughout the day.
One thing I really took away from the course was using “trends” in the road and using your eyes to “unfold” the road ahead. Road “trending” has helped me out in day to day riding a lot. Every road you turn on to is different and they all feel different, especially if you have never ridden them before. Determining if the road is clean (no rocks or gravel) or if it has tar strips, all of these things give you an indication about the road ahead. Jim also makes you focus on the “vanishing” point or where the road disappears from your vision. If you use this technique appropriately the road seems to unwind itself in front of you, giving you a better, safer view of the road ahead. The most valuable skill, and one I believe any motorcyclist wants to achieve, is confidence through the corners. Everyone has their own issues here whether it is being to fast on entry (guilty), crossing the yellow line on a left hander (guilty), being in the wrong gear (guilty), or just being unsure about your capability (guilty). With respect to speed, Jim teaches that the key is to hold a good pace and keep that pace constant. I feel we have all at one time hit a road at too high a speed and then had to do some “panic” braking for an unexpected corner. I believe most have read the “PACE” article and I feel that Jim holds a similar philosophy. Jim teaches that you should evaluate the road that your on and base your speed accordingly, which sounds easy but is difficult in practice. I had a particular problem with turning in too early (especially in a left hander) which puts yourself at obvious risk because of your proximity to the yellow line. I now wait to enter a tight left hander and place myself at the right position on the road in order for the best line of sight and best line through the turn. My confidence level had increased a lot since I took the course. I no longer “worry” about what could be down the road; I keep focused on the vanishing point and let the road come to me. My dad and I had a great time and would like to take another of Jim’s classes. I certainly saw myself and my dad improve due to this course, and we got a lot of practice over the next couple days as we rode down the rest of the BRP. I would suggest to anyone that wants to become a safer, better rider and have fun on the twisties to take Jim’s course.
Here is his website: http://www.ridersworkshop.com/
- jdubb