Ride Drive - excellent
Discussion
Took a full day Ride Drive course yesterday which was excellent. Spent a little under 8 hrs of 1:1 tuition, including a hour on private ground testing the grip/limits of the car (and me!), before moving onto 200 miles of driving around the South putting all manner of new skills into practice.
In short, £300 not cheap (quality rarely is), but it is very good value when one considers it is private tuition. I have picked up a large amount of new skills and observation techniques, gained confidence in the car and what it can (and cannot) do. Quality organisation from Julian and John Cox (instructor)- throughly recommended, especially for new owners and at this time of year.
>> Edited by Mustang Baz on Tuesday 29th November 19:23
In short, £300 not cheap (quality rarely is), but it is very good value when one considers it is private tuition. I have picked up a large amount of new skills and observation techniques, gained confidence in the car and what it can (and cannot) do. Quality organisation from Julian and John Cox (instructor)- throughly recommended, especially for new owners and at this time of year.
>> Edited by Mustang Baz on Tuesday 29th November 19:23
zumbruk said:
How was Longcross?
Thanks for asking - good memory.
Actually only used skid pan and some straights - not the dreaded "Snake". Generally this is not used for Ride Drive given the potential for totalling vehicles during a driver assessment program!! Nonetheless, the open pan area used was excellent practice and had concentric circles which really aided grip tests at varying speeds. Also somewhat unusual to do emergency stops from 70 mph next to an army vehicle doing the same thing!
Presumably the instructor varies according to whereabouts in the country you take the course? I know this is a little unfair but has everyone had good experiences of Ride-Drive? The reason I ask is that my 24 y/old daughter is determined to get a Lotus Elise ( I know it's my fault indoctrinating them 
) and I would like her to have some advanced instruction in it. Rich...
) and I would like her to have some advanced instruction in it. Rich...
richb said:
Presumably the instructor varies according to whereabouts in the country you take the course? I know this is a little unfair but has everyone had good experiences of Ride-Drive? The reason I ask is that my 24 y/old daughter is determined to get a Lotus Elise ( I know it's my fault indoctrinating them
Richard - Ride Drive has a wide variety of instructors around the country and I think (per my experience and the web site) use serving/recently retired traffic police officers with more driving experience than any of us are likely to get in multiple lifetimes. My instructor serves primarily the South East, had 26 yrs car and bike experience, and an excellent manner of tuition.
Queries on Ride Drive (again I think), tend to go through Julian Smith who is the Director of the company. He was very friendly and helped me out a lot in trying to find a solution close to me geographically. Cannot speak highly enough of the organization.
Julian Smith
(Director - Car Operations)
Ride Drive Limited
Advanced Motoring Consultancy
Tel: 01296 427889
Mob: 07801 518391
motoring@ridedrive.co.uk
www.ridedrive.co.uk
Hi everyone,
I was told this was going on in here and I would like to thank you all for your kind comments.
With regard to the question asked by RichB I would like to say that all of my team are of the very highest calibre when it comes to all those attributes that are essential to providing a top class service in this field. The input is always tailored to the needs of the individual and the type of car that he or she drives, with all skills development carried out in a positive, constructive and very human manner to ensure that everyone will realise the very best from their vehicle when driving it in a public road environment.
The Ride Drive team is made up from highly trained serving and recently retired police officers who are hand picked for their professionalism and their advanced driving skills. All fiercely guard their position on the team as they will all tell you that they get far greater satisfaction from performing this role than the one that gave them their skills in the first place. To see others progress and achieve their potential as performance car drivers, or any car driver for that matter, provides a huge amount of pleasure.
This is a sound investment in your car, the return on which you will continue to realise, probably for the rest of your motoring life.
When you talk about cost, if we look at the Advanced Handling Skills and Road Driving Experience (£334.88 inc. VAT) for example that works out at £41.86 per hour for the day and part of that amount it taken up with the expense of hiring the airfield facility. The next time you take your car in for a service or repair have a look and see what the hourly labour charge is. I rest my case.
Many thanks
Jules
Ride Drive
>> Edited by Ride Drive on Tuesday 29th November 21:25
I was told this was going on in here and I would like to thank you all for your kind comments.
With regard to the question asked by RichB I would like to say that all of my team are of the very highest calibre when it comes to all those attributes that are essential to providing a top class service in this field. The input is always tailored to the needs of the individual and the type of car that he or she drives, with all skills development carried out in a positive, constructive and very human manner to ensure that everyone will realise the very best from their vehicle when driving it in a public road environment.
The Ride Drive team is made up from highly trained serving and recently retired police officers who are hand picked for their professionalism and their advanced driving skills. All fiercely guard their position on the team as they will all tell you that they get far greater satisfaction from performing this role than the one that gave them their skills in the first place. To see others progress and achieve their potential as performance car drivers, or any car driver for that matter, provides a huge amount of pleasure.
This is a sound investment in your car, the return on which you will continue to realise, probably for the rest of your motoring life.
When you talk about cost, if we look at the Advanced Handling Skills and Road Driving Experience (£334.88 inc. VAT) for example that works out at £41.86 per hour for the day and part of that amount it taken up with the expense of hiring the airfield facility. The next time you take your car in for a service or repair have a look and see what the hourly labour charge is. I rest my case.
Many thanks
Jules
Ride Drive
>> Edited by Ride Drive on Tuesday 29th November 21:25
I've done a half day and two full days. In over 3/4 of a million miles on the road, on bikes and in cars, I almost learnt more in these two and a half days, then I did in twenty five years on my own.
Go in with a mind prepared to learn, and you'll benefit immensely. If you think that all you need is affirmation of your driving prowess, then unless you are winning all of your races and rallies, you are deceiving yourself.
Listen to what your instructor is telling you, and save yourself the time going out there to learn it for yourself.
Go in with a mind prepared to learn, and you'll benefit immensely. If you think that all you need is affirmation of your driving prowess, then unless you are winning all of your races and rallies, you are deceiving yourself.
Listen to what your instructor is telling you, and save yourself the time going out there to learn it for yourself.
This is possibly the best thread I have seen on PH because I have driven over 1 1/2 million miles over the last 35 years and I'm still learning every day.
I reckon that despite my experiance I still only know about 10% of how to handle a car properly and am definately going to do this training and judging from the accidents we hear about on these forums, everybody should consider it.
I reckon that despite my experiance I still only know about 10% of how to handle a car properly and am definately going to do this training and judging from the accidents we hear about on these forums, everybody should consider it.
Ride Drive said:
I've done a half day and two full days. In over 3/4 of a million miles on the road, on bikes and in cars, I almost learnt more in these two and a half days, then I did in twenty five years on my own.
Wow! I wish I could use that as a slogan
Jules
Correct the splepping mishtakes and you can.
maggit
Rich...Jules, thanks for the post - I've been meaning to book a day for a long time now (I've only ever heard excellent reports on your company) and have downloaded most of the stuff on your website (excellent stuff). The recent articles in Sprint I'm sure have helped many TVR drivers. Hopefully this thread will give me the appropriate kick up the backside to get on with booking the course with you! 
Julian
Julian
Another alternative is 1st Lotus. The guy who runs it works out of North Weald airfield off of M11 and is an ex F1 test driver. You can spend the day on the airfield learning how to steer, corner, and handle the cars. (I did mine in a Griffith) Very good course - four cars and drivers/passengers per session - very friendly. Talk to Andy at www.1stlotus.com
cerbagriff said:
Another alternative is 1st Lotus. The guy who runs it works out of North Weald airfield off of M11 and is an ex F1 test driver. You can spend the day on the airfield learning how to steer, corner, and handle the cars. (I did mine in a Griffith) Very good course - four cars and drivers/passengers per session - very friendly. Talk to Andy at www.1stlotus.com
Unless this is combined with some public road input the worth of it is extremely limited. I will help you to understand the effect that you have on a car as a driver in terms of balance, but that's as far as it goes. There are plenty of people out there who procliam the virtues of track over road, but where does every driver use their car 99.999% of the time? Sorry, but if you want to get the best out of your car on the road, that's where you should be receiving most of the input.
Cerbagrif, it would be interesting for you to complete one of our programmes and then to report in honest terms how you thought it compared. I think you would be pleasently surprised.
Jules
Ride Drive said:
Another alternative is 1st Lotus. The guy who runs it works out of North Weald airfield off of M11 and is an ex F1 test driver. You can spend the day on the airfield learning how to steer, corner, and handle the cars. (I did mine in a Griffith) Very good course - four cars and drivers/passengers per session - very friendly. Talk to Andy at www.1stlotus.com
Unless this is combined with some public road input the worth of it is extremely limited. I will help you to understand the effect that you have on a car as a driver in terms of balance, but that's as far as it goes. There are plenty of people out there who procliam the virtues of track over road, but where does every driver use their car 99.999% of the time? Sorry, but if you want to get the best out of your car on the road, that's where you should be receiving most of the input.
Cerbagrif, it would be interesting for you to complete one of our programmes and then to report in honest terms how you thought it compared. I think you would be pleasently surprised.
Jules
HMMMMMMMm...
so other performance driving courses give limited effect, and are inferior as 99% of your driving will be on the road.
and Police drivers are the ultimate instructors (you seem to indicate)?
1, Fatal / serious incidents involving police cars...HUGE...and rising!
2, Training received by these officers (pusuit or not) by whom??? other police officers?
3, Information given in sprint articles - use brakes for braking / gears for acceleration
(dear oh dear, Police transmission cost saving measure brought in in the late 80s...EVER seen
a racing car of any discription do that? Rally? sprint?) go down through the gears using the
brakes properly and arrive at the corner, with the car balanced, at the right speed in the
right gear!
4, Any training, advance driving, performance driving, race, rally courses will all have a
noticeably benefitial effect on your driving.
you will feel and see an effect from any of these courses, and if you haven't had any instruction before, the effect will be marked.
No I havn't done a Ride Drive course. But I've read this, and the articles.
Based this on what?
Driving test at 17 (past 3rd time)
Club racer at 18 (TSSC - GT6s/Stags)
Forces tests/training for Off-road 4x4 to 40ft trailers to Snow clearing kit. Arctic to desert!
Performance driving courses (two)
Race Training (two)
Track training (20+) all with ARDS, often with TVR experienced racers (winners and champions!)
Regularly thrash a 400bhp Tiv around Tracks throughtout UK and Europe.
oh yes...
Over 20 years on the road, 30,000+ miles per year on the A's b's Motorways / Autobahns in a 250bhp Beamer.
Do I know it all...not a chance.
Could Ride Drive teach me anything?...almost certainly!
Should they Rubbish ANY further training course, because they're police officers!!!!
NO
would I give an honest report on a course...yes! but I wouldn't pay for one!
...and it would be honest!
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