Confidence boost: Ron Haslam or IAM?

I'm 26 and have been riding since I did my CBT at 16. I've done plenty of miles, but always feel I ride like a granny. I avoid going out in groups now after a few embarrassing ride-outs where I got left waay behind.

I enjoy riding out on my own; I read the techniques in the mags, go out and practice loads, have plenty of fun, but at the end of the day I still look at the 1" of unused tread each side on the back (!) and think there's only so much I can teach myself.

Sooo... it's Christmas time and I've been asked by my Dad if I want to do an IAM course. He's done one and said it taught him loads, but I've done IAM in a car and not sure it would help. I was thinking more of a Ron Haslam race day, but might that be just as embarrassing as all those ride-outs where I got left behind?

Comments are welcome...

[dirtydog]

Is it possible to do both?

I passed my IAM test in the summer after 12 years of road riding and I did a Ron Haslam race day a few months back.
imho the IAM has made me a better rider. i wouldn't say I was much faster but i'm certainly a lot smoother than I was.
The Ron Haslam day was fun but i wouldn't say it would improve your road riding

this is easy!!

IAM if you want to ride 'safer', Ron if you want to ride faster ...

You sound like you have a fair bit of experience, including the cage IAM so you know how you should be riding with regard to dangers an observation ...

You basically state you want to ride faster, so Ron Race school it is!! ...

I think the problem is I ride too safe! LOL!

Reading the reviews, Ron Haslam is perfect for track newbies and you get grouped according to ability. Sounds good to me!

Originally Posted by transparent_opacity

I think the problem is I ride too safe! LOL!

Reading the reviews, Ron Haslam is perfect for track newbies and you get grouped according to ability. Sounds good to me!

Confidence in riding at speed comes in confidence of the bikes ability, you can learn this in the relative safety of a race track. Once you know more about limits and capabilities, it will give you more confidence on the road. What you implicitly have learned in your many years of road bike experience and car IAM should keep you alive ... job done

Oh and I assume it is confidence in the bike you lack not fear of the road?

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by transparent_opacity

I think the problem is I ride too safe! LOL!

Reading the reviews, Ron Haslam is perfect for track newbies and you get grouped according to ability. Sounds good to me!

How can you ride to safely? The thing i found with Ron Haslam was that you only get a couple of hours on track, as for being grouped according to ability yeah you do to some extent, I was lucky enough to have an instructor to myself

Having done the Ron Haslam school earlier in the year I'd say do either a track day, california superbike school, or IAM over Ron Haslam.

It was a great day and I enjoyed it a lot, but it taught me how to ride a 600cc IL4 race rep round Donington Park, and has done very little for my road riding. Track days are better, you can learn about your bike on the relative safety of a track (yes I know I crashed at the last one but I'm not an example to follow...) CSS apparently assess your actual riding on your actual bike and make suggestions, as do IAM, or Bikesafe or Rospa for that matter.

IAM all the way! You will learn to ride safer but you will also learn to ride faster!

About that 1" thread on your bike as well......this is your error margin really!!! Plus on some tyres and some bikes you will never on road go all the way on the tyre simply because this is how it is.

Stick with your careful riding style through the winter. Don't try to scrub the edges of your tyres in this weather, you'll only come to grief. I've lost the rear a couple of times on cold roads in the last few weeks. I was being careful and not leaning as far as I usually do, and still slid in a corner.

Last Spring, I had slightly embarrassing strips on my tyres. Going on a rideout with people from this group saw them reduced to a couple of mm. I'd suggest joining a rideout and learning from people with more experience, but don't go with riders who are much too fast for your ability. IAM training might also help you here. If you're only planning on road riding, the IAM will probably be better than a race school.

[Balky001]

Not done IAM or Ron Haslam but as you read up and practise riding techniques I wonder what you main aim is, be better or faster. You said you look at your 1 incher (of chicken strips ) so I reckon you are looking at cornering and lean rather than pure positioning and observation. Both IAM and Ron Haslam would do you well but I reckon after 10 years of learning the theory, you just need to put in the practise on a trackday or 10. Use the instructors and maybe do Ron Haslam or CSS first.

Then, contact Mottorad and get 2 days of training at Nurburgring - with 3 days accomodation at the Dorint on the F1 track and 2 days instruction and only bikes on track (sorry, toll road!) its £650, the best value. Everything you have ever read about you can put in to place.