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Cornerspin?.way more fun than should be legal!

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Grunt 
#1 ·
I just got the chance to take the Cornerspin level 1 2-day course in Spencer, NC this weekend and figured I?d post a quick review.
Short version: I can?t wait to get back out there and take it again?.like now!:D

Long version: For those unfamiliar Cornerspin: Road Racing in the Dirt is a high performance racing/bike control school taught by former AMA national champion Aaron Stevenson and his cadre of former/current racers. It?s taught on a red clay road course using 100-150cc dirt bikes on street tires so that you can safely and easily exceed available traction and learn to ?hear the whispers? of the bike as Aaron puts it so that you can save a tucking front wheel or a wild rear before it?s too late.

Saturday morning started out with everyone dressing out and meeting each other/all of the instructors (for this class there was a 2-3:1 student to instructor ratio which made for an awesome class where everyone got plenty of one-on-one with the coaches). Then we started by just riding an easy variation of the course (of which there are over 30 possible routes) for thirty minutes or so to get used to the bikes and get a feel for the track. Then we spent the morning going over the proper way to control the bike using the hands, head, and hips all while most importantly staying NEUTRAL on the bike. This was the first taste of ?drinking from a fire hose? that continued throughout the weekend. The instructors are all extremely knowledgeable and the amount of information that will be thrown at you is impossible to fully grasp, but fortunately there were instructors on track and at every corner to help keep you focused on the key points. As the weekend continues everyone very clearly grasps a bit more and more and gets faster and faster consistently.

After a quick lunch break we jumped right back on the track doing another variety of braking drills designed to challenge and teach (this is NOT the course to go to if you want to feel like a rock star, the small bikes and challenging technical track will humble anyone quickly:nutkick:). These included braking drills were designed to get riders comfortable with locking up and braking maximally with both front and rear brakes both singly and in combination and while maintaining control of the bike. These were followed by a few more open track sessions with varied layouts incorporating uphill and downhill corkscrews and off camber tight or decreasing radius corners. By the end of the day the entire course (which had seemed challenging just to get around that morning) was being ridden one-handed to emphasize controlling the bike with the lower body.

Saturday ended with all the students and instructors hanging out at a local restaurant swapping lies, debriefing, and talking bikes/riding for a couple hours until everyone started to nod off around 9pm?this school especially in the summer time will definitely wear you out?

Day 2 started off much the same with everyone dressing out and warming up on the track just free riding getting back in the groove of proper body position/staying neutral. Then the class progressed into a series of more advanced drills building on the previous days? experience and focusing on choosing and maintaining a line, chassis weighting/balancing, squaring off tight corners, and more.

After lunch the group moved up to the mini flat track up the hill from the main course to work on more skills and further increase confidence in A. riding fully to the limit of front and rear brakes and suspension and B. being able to save it when you override the brakes or suspension. And of course fun was had as well?if flat tracking a mini bike doesn?t make you smile you?re obviously dead and just don?t know it yet. Then after a few sessions we returned for the final drill ?Not A Jump? focusing on how to properly modulate braking while cresting a hill followed immediately by a tight off camber turn. Finally the track was opened up for a final freeride before we all got the boot. I had a long drive ahead and planned on just taking a final lap or two and hitting the road?.40 minutes later I finally dragged myself off the track.:D

I can?t say enough good things about this course. The facilities were excellent, the instructors were all great guys who legitimately wanted to make you better in addition to being excellent riders, and the course of instruction did about as good a job as can be done of transferring Aaron?s 40 years of riding and racing experience to the students in two days. A lot of people are sure to complain about the use of 7-hp mini bikes but they are absolutely the perfect tool to use to practice riding to the limit and simulating worst case scenarios so that they can be avoided on larger heavier faster machines in the future. Plus nothing says youre not as fast as you thought like getting passed in the straight by 330lb "Triple X" on his ttr125 :laughingr:bowdown:

As I said earlier if you want to feel like a rock star this is not the course for you (though there absolutely will be moments where you nail a corner just right coming in low and sideways and blast out spitting dirt and feel like a god:bannana:). But if you want to completely re-evaluate how you ride, develop legitimate skills that transfer to any type of riding, and drastically improve your confidence and ability to save you and your bike when the inevitable ?Oh s***? moment arrives?there?s no better course than Cornerspin.
 
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#5 ·
Cornerspin Fun..!!

As an instructor, its our job to make sure you guys have a great time and get the most out of your riding experience. :D Chris, you rode great and it was a pleasure meeting you. I can't wait to have you back up for some more advanced riding and honing all of the techniques we covered. There's alot more "Braaaaaaaap" out there!!

Jamie Ray
J-Ray #42
 

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