7ft Jake on a two-thirds size CCM practice bike.
When our friend, and well-respected automotive journalist, Sarah Bradley booked and paid (full-price) for her and her partner Jake to go on the Short Track UK flat track training school we asked her to review the experience...
Our Right
elbow up? Check. Opposite leg out? Saddle snuggled under the left thigh? Check,
check. Ready to eat dirt? Um, check! It’s good to know that when it comes to
the basics of flat-tracking, someone here in the UK is willing to take on total
novices and teach them some time-honoured oval-racing skills – and that they’ll
do so under cover. That someone is 2009 British and European flat-track champ
Peter Boast, and his indoor training school is a godsend for all wannabe
racers, particularly when it’s snowing outside.
Just £120
will get you a day’s expert tuition, use of a CCM and steel shoe, and all the
hot drinks, homemade scoff and undignified faceplants you can handle. You
simply supply the rider and the gear – and make sure you leave your ego at
home, because these instructors are the very best.
Body
positioning, cornering technique, braking and throttle control, and gearshift
timing are all covered, and you get plenty of riding time – and space to screw
up. By the end of the day you’ll be doing things you didn’t think possible, and
the lessons in bike control alone will prove invaluable on the road and a
perfect introduction for anyone wanting to take their flat-tracking to the next
level.
You’ll
exercise muscles you didn’t know you possessed – who knew bingo wings could
hurt so much? – so Inman’s pre-flat-track yoga is a must. Go fast,
turn left and keep the rubber side down: easier said than done, but it’s a
helluva lot of fun learning.
Short Track
UK’s indoor flat-tracking school is based at Arena UK in Grantham,
Lincolnshire. Short Track UK Champions School
awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteWould be so cool to have that in South Africa
Who said that? Also in South Africa and would love to try it out. Apparently there is still an active speedway track in Johannesburg which we are going to film for The Bike Show on Ignition Channel but not aware of any flat-tracking going on.
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