Success!

[TouringBubble]

I see your point on the different spacing ... and we did that on the first slalom. but on the offset gates, it's hard enough for most students. Adding the extra challenge of different spacing makes an already difficult exercise even more difficult and impacts the confidence of drivers just like the small gates.

Of course, it's open for discussion.

[rodhx]

I like the diagrams Matt. Frankly, since the worker crew has been essentially the same folks since I got involved I stopped having the copies of the exercises on hand. I found that most everyone knew what they were doing and no one actually wanted the handout. Since we have (and need) more new workers we need to update the worker handout.

5 out and 4 back should be perfect for both the slalom and offset gate. The top course Saturday was at least two cones longer than that. 5 & 4 is all the room there is in the lower section. At GFBC those courses are usually 6 & 3.

[TouringBubble]

New workers, and also a new location. I don't think we have ever had an absolute guide of how to set the exercises up. We always set it up then run a few times and tweak it. We've never set up the offset gates and gotten it right the first time.

[rodhx]

Here is the exercise guide I inherited.

[Cholewa]

"Butt management" - I'm totally stealing that for the classroom session.

[TouringBubble]

Yes Rod, I remember that. As Chuck pointed out to me Saturday, just counting lines in the lot is a lot easier than "paces" or feet without a measuring device. Having a cramped lot at the bank kind of modified some of these exercises and the measurements, so from that I think we all started to eyeball it.

I will use those guidelines and build a new set of handouts for the classes with measurement based on the file you linked and our experience Saturday, if that is alright ... let me know.

[EvoLady]

While you are doing those handouts don't forget in the lower lot the light poles are a little more in the way.

[TouringBubble]

If the lower lot is an issue with poles and the hill, why not do 2 courses up top?

For the handouts I really have no idea where the poles are. I'm very sorry. =/

[rodhx]

Matt, sounds good...go ahead with the diagrams/etc. I will email you the Word version of that doc.

The lowest lot is somewhat cramped. We used it primarily to keep everything in close proximity but that is not a necessity.

Something else to consider to speed up the afternoon sessions is covering all three braking exercises in one class room session, then give them a brief refresher near the grids while we make the changes for stop in a box and lane changes.

[Cholewa]

I second doing exercises on the top lots, since there's so much space, we could easily do one on the top portion, and the other on the sloped portion.

And then just use the bottom lot for cloverleafing (only so we don't have to go as far away).


We've tried to do some explaining stuff outside, and it didn't really make much of a difference time wise, there were just more distractions and people had to pee and what not.

[chuck schultz]

Because of the slope, I was actually fairly uncomfortable with the cloverleaf in the lower lot. There was some good understeer going on, but it got closer to the curb than I would like in a couple of cases. Maybe all exercises should go to the upper lot.

[Cholewa]

Because of the slope, I was actually fairly uncomfortable with the cloverleaf in the lower lot. There was some good understeer going on, but it got closer to the curb than I would like in a couple of cases. Maybe all exercises should go to the upper lot.

There's definitely plenty of space on the top and towards the back that we didn't utilize at all.

[TouringBubble]

Rod and I briefly discussed the slalom spacing this morning. I used 7 spaces in the top lot last time. Rod said we did 5 spaces at GFB. We decided 6 would be okay and could be used at both locations.

Those who tested the upper slalom on Saturday, what do you think? I need to know for the handouts.

[chuck schultz]

I think both the upper and lower slaloms ended up using the same spacing, because we adjusted the lower lot to match the spacing as well as we could. However, I miscounted the number of cones in the upper lot, somehow, or I would've mentioned that there were a couple more, there.

Cones every 6th parking space is probably a good standard to use.

I've been wondering if maybe we spread ourselves a little thin, this time. It seems like the folks doing coaching were also having to work the grid, which may have kept them from a good vantage point, especially during the last 3 exercises, where the action takes place at the other end of the course.

Also, it's been so long since I've sat in on the class, that I'm not absolutely certain what points we're trying to teach in each exercise. Maybe the handout, which I've only gotten a glimpse of, has this info.

[rodhx]

The handout does have that info Chuck. I will have copies of either the old version or Matt's updated version for the next clinic.