Learning to Ride (Track vs Street)

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Trip

Is the same true for street riding? Can you learn to ride well on the street by using track time? Or are you missing out on a major part of your learning by not getting those surprises?

Yes you can but yes you are.

There are still surprises on the track (person in front goes down, blows motor, makes stupid move, etc).

Being comfortable on your bike, knowing not to panic when something is suddenly in your line, knowing that sliding tires don't have to mean a crash, learning to acknowledge an obstacle without fixating on it, being able to brake or change line mid corner are all skill you can learn on the track that will transfer over to the mountains, canyons, etc.*

I agree with tached though that you locals have a leg up. I definitely think it is easier to go from riding aggressively on your local roads to the track than the other way around.

*After thinking about it, most of those skills are learned at the more advanced stages of track riding. Learning them on the street forces you to learn them while still in the early stages of riding.