Ride Drive Course
Discussion
I have been on two of their courses. The first one was the half day road-only course which was a real eye-opener. The second course was the full day road & airfield session. It was well worth the money spent as it gives you a very good idea how to/how not to push your TVR (airfield experience-honest!) You develop good road sense, and a healthy respect for the power of your car. Go for it and good luck 
Interesting. I've got a voucher to go on the 8hr jobby. Reading the reviews it gets its well worth it. Now I have a question you might want to consider, although you can't guarantee the weather you can weight the statistics of it being a dry or wet day by attending in Feburary or July. So the question is, do you do it in the wet or the dry ? Obviously the limits are wholly different, do you find the cars maximum limit in the dry, or do you find what the car can't do in the wet ?
I have just done the first of 2 half day courses (The 8 hour one, spilt to be 2 Sunday afternoons). I got a huge amount out of the first part, a real eye opener.
The ride drive instructor was a serving traffic policeman, and the course is based on the Class 1 style of driving. It is not a driving lesson, and was in no way intimidating. I have found that my confidence on twisty roads has increased 10 fold.
Most of the tips/information can be found in the book Roadcraft - costs about £17.00.
I think course has made me a more observant driver, as well as increasing my confidence and ability.
The ride drive instructor was a serving traffic policeman, and the course is based on the Class 1 style of driving. It is not a driving lesson, and was in no way intimidating. I have found that my confidence on twisty roads has increased 10 fold.
Most of the tips/information can be found in the book Roadcraft - costs about £17.00.
I think course has made me a more observant driver, as well as increasing my confidence and ability.
Go for it! Gave the 8 hour to my wife as a present, but she was very ill on the day so I had to do it! It was excellent but by the end of 8 hours hard cerbie driving I was knackered. The airfield part was the most excitng getting the cerb up to its limits with confidence. They use the word 'airfield' in the loosest sense of the word though - don't expect what you see on the tv when cars are thrashed down runways!
Still have the marks on the cerbie wing. (Anyone know how to get orange traffic cone of the paintwork?)
Andrew
Still have the marks on the cerbie wing. (Anyone know how to get orange traffic cone of the paintwork?)
Andrew
21TVR said: Clive why don't you think about doing the Tuscan Driving Skills Day at Bruntingthorpe currently on the Tuscan Forum instead ?
simon
It's my perception (and I stand to be corrected) that the skills day at Bruntingthorpe seems to be aimed more at driving on a track day. I think to start off I would like to start with "road craft" and then have a go at track. Being lazy I would not have to journey to Bruntingthorpe and I've read somewhere on this site that one should beware of stone chip damage at this venue. Perhaps I'm being over cautious and a little timid but I'm open to being persuaded
The event was designed/conceived on the back of a thread that went 'loosing the back end under braking...' which can happen to any of us Tiv drivers on the road given the right situation
I realised early on that I needed some experience of car control given the power that these machines have. I was very badly shocked when on one occasion I lost the back end when braking hard!!
To gain any knowledge of your car control, the only sensible place to do it is an airfield (nothing to hit, nothing coming in the opposite direction!) So this event is not for preparing you for track days, it's all about learning when your car is unbalanced, what that feels like, how to react when it is, and importantly how to avoid getting the car unbalanced in the first place !!
I first looked at Ride Drive for this and decided that I already know how to drive cautiously on the road in terms of other road users etc - what I wanted to know is what will happen when, having decided that it is safe to overtake, you use the loud pedal ! What if you have to suddenly stop ? What if a fast corner you are in tightens up ? What happens if you take your foot off the loud pedal in the corner ? - and many more
When you have to do an evasive emergency stop on the motorway - be warned, these cars don't react like a Volvo with ABS !!
Now, having done some of these airfield car control events,I feel so much more confident (cautiously) about my driving skills with a TVR than I ever did. Which in turn allows me to drive cautiously, comfortably, but nonetheless competitively - safer for all concerned
No it's not a track day - if your more experienced it can be a chance to push yourself harder though
..sorry, there endeth the lesson!
simon
I realised early on that I needed some experience of car control given the power that these machines have. I was very badly shocked when on one occasion I lost the back end when braking hard!!
To gain any knowledge of your car control, the only sensible place to do it is an airfield (nothing to hit, nothing coming in the opposite direction!) So this event is not for preparing you for track days, it's all about learning when your car is unbalanced, what that feels like, how to react when it is, and importantly how to avoid getting the car unbalanced in the first place !!
I first looked at Ride Drive for this and decided that I already know how to drive cautiously on the road in terms of other road users etc - what I wanted to know is what will happen when, having decided that it is safe to overtake, you use the loud pedal ! What if you have to suddenly stop ? What if a fast corner you are in tightens up ? What happens if you take your foot off the loud pedal in the corner ? - and many more
When you have to do an evasive emergency stop on the motorway - be warned, these cars don't react like a Volvo with ABS !!
Now, having done some of these airfield car control events,I feel so much more confident (cautiously) about my driving skills with a TVR than I ever did. Which in turn allows me to drive cautiously, comfortably, but nonetheless competitively - safer for all concerned
No it's not a track day - if your more experienced it can be a chance to push yourself harder though
..sorry, there endeth the lesson! simon
I think the two courses/events can be categorised as
1) How to avoid getting into situations
2) What happens if you do get into a sitation
Both useful and the second part of Ride Drive's course also covers extreme handling. They'll take you off to an airfield and teach you about on the limit stuff.
1) How to avoid getting into situations
2) What happens if you do get into a sitation
Both useful and the second part of Ride Drive's course also covers extreme handling. They'll take you off to an airfield and teach you about on the limit stuff.
TVRpotty said: Hi.... I've not received my copy of sprint yet.... Please can you tell me the wedsite address as I'd like to go on these courses aswell. Being a ladee and new to TVR's... and of course going from a 1.7 wiesel to a 4 lt beast..... I want to get the full potential out of me chimp
Look in the gassing station adds that flash up between the posts. Ride Drive and other companys offering these services are frequently exposed
on this site with links through to the specific website. www.ridedrive.co.uk should help you with a specific search for them.
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