About a week ago I got the privilege of riding with one of the best riding schools I know. Rickdiculous Racing. I have been to a few schools with Joe. I’ve listened in to all the information that they pile on you (and trust me it’s a lot of info) and thought, “Wow, I really, really, REALLY want to take this school.” I loved everything that I was hearing but couldn’t fully grasp the concept. See I’m the type of person that has to “do” to retain.
The Rick program is nothing like I have ever seen. They combine both bikes and CARS as learning tools. Plus, their small class size (one on one coaching) really makes you feel important and not fall into the crowd. They are dedicated to the sport and to your personal best.
There was a group of about 8 of us in all, including the “ride only” students. We all piled in the Sprinter Van and out we went for our crash course in motorcycles. We were given a binder with information and paper for notes but I could not write fast enough for all the information thrown at me. It was system overload but I still wanted MORE. One thing that really stuck out the most was how much they emphasized DIRECTION. If you do not have good direction, you cannot get to the throttle.
The weather was not cooperating in the morning for bikes but thankfully that didn’t matter for the cars. At first I was a little bummed and thought it was counter-intuitive to drive cars. I mean, I went there to learn how to go fast on my MOTORCYCLE, not a car. But man was I wrong. The cars really put things into perspective. Both have brakes. Both have a throttle. But instead of lean angle you have steering.
Just a tip: if you get car sick like I do, make sure you speak up and don’t try to tough it out in the back seat. Totally back-fired in my case. :)
After a little while I was ready to get back out on track. This time on the bike. What was cool is that they followed me around and assessed my riding style then modified their teaching style to suit what best benefits me. They emphasized my strong suits and positively worked on the things that I needed to improve. I never felt discouraged or down on myself. Even if I did, all I would have to do is listen to 5 minutes of whatever came out of Shane Turpin’s mouth. He is definitely comic relief.
I have a fair amount of riding under my belt. And I THOUGHT I knew how to ride. But the videos they took of me told a different story. I definitely had a lot of room for improvement. I learned that braking is more important than throttle because if you don’t have confidence in your brakes you can’t get hard on the throttle. More specifically I learned HOW to apply the brakes. Thanks to the Ricks, I now come up to every stop light in my car mumbling to myself “first and last 5% Kinsy, first and last 5%”
After lunch and a settled stomach I gave the cars another go. Suddenly it was like “lightbulb” and everything that I had learned in the morning made sense. The cars really exaggerated the point they were trying to make. Then it became really fun, hehe.
My riding vastly improved the second half of the day. I was getting direction, using the brakes and getting faster. I was even asked if I raced AFM. I blushed then giggled all while having a huge grin on my face.
It was the perfect way to end the day. I’d like to say thank you to everyone at Rickdiculous Racing. Adam and Josh, you provide something no one else does and you two go a long way to make this sport of motorcycle riding better for everyone. A special thank you to Ken and George, you two are amazing coaches and human beings and you gave me confidence and support the entire day and made me a better rider (and maybe even driver). Shane, for being hilarious. And Cameron, for looking pretty.
#theRickLife for info: Rickdiculous Racing
