Hello

by **akirk** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 2:32 pm

Hello to all.
Passed the IAM in 98, so 16 years on thinking it is probably good to keep on polishing the skills - esp. as that was in my first ever car and the ones I drive now are a little more powerful!
Also took Borda Higher with IoPD assessment in 2008 which gave a whole different perspective on driving!

Alasdair

by **MrToad** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:15 pm

Hello, and welcome.

I had to look it up: BORDA

We haven't really discussed off-road stuff much here before, but I'd be interested to know more - particularly if there's potential for skills transfer between the disciplines.

by **akirk** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 5:34 pm

Thank you for the welcome

In some ways there are no obvious skill transfers - off-road tends to be done very slowly and often walking the course in front of you which doesn't translate well to an A-road (or at least not if you wish to get anywhere that week!)...

However, there are a number of similarities and transferable skills which are perhaps less obvious...
- structure / methodology / sequential steps for carrying out certain procedures (e.g. driving down a slope when you lose grip and get a mis-match between wheels and engine - accelerate to match the two!)
- understanding the car and the terrain - weight transfer / how power is delivered around the car's wheels etc. - how you lose grip (and hopefully regain it!) etc.

One big difference though is the type of vehicle as you might not take a 2.5 tonne rangie on a high-speed / handling course - nor a 911 / M3 off-road!

But I suspect that anyone interested in driving and improving skills would love it - and if (as I did then) you own an older range rover - an essential skill to add to your toolbox when road drving as an old rr doesn't go around corners - so the ability to pop across the field and rejoin the road is essential, and no need to slow down either!

Alasdair

by **martine** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 9:36 pm

A big welcome from me as well.

I'm a believer in any car/bike/lorry related experience being useful in other areas be it on-road/off/track. I'm on hols in France at the moment and driving on the right with slightly different rules/signs/driving customs is making me sharpen my positioning & observation skills - can only be good.

I have to say most of the French drivers are fine but a few are shockingly bad. I was following a car today who was wandering all over his lane (and beyond) - not sure if he was drunk, distracted, blind or just bad.

Simultaneously I had a guy behind who was consistently getting VERY close when I slowed on the approach to roundabouts...so much so, I did a 360 at one to get him on front.

I explained to my passengers I 'didn't want to be rear-ended by a Frenchman' - which caused great hilarity :oops:

. I thought I'd let the 2 play together well out of my range.

by **akirk** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 10:38 pm

Thank you martine...
Agreed - cross-fertilisation of skills works in all sorts of disciplines and definitely in driving, and the ability to handle gravel / mud / deep pools of water / rutted tracks is a necessary skill for the local Cotswold roads!

Alasdair

by **WhoseGeneration** » Thu Oct 30, 2014 10:47 pm

akirk wrote:One big difference though is the type of vehicle as you might not take a 2.5 tonne rangie on a high-speed / handling course
Alasdair

Hi and welcome, now this statement, the current RRs are immensely capable vehicles wherever you might want to take them.
A good friend of mine sells them, has been a LR Experience instructor and driven them at the JLR test track at very high speeds in terrible conditions.
In the hands of a capable driver, which my friend is, they are awesome.
Much, of course, is down to the sophistication of the electronics and systems aboard.
With the right wheel and tyre combination they can handle virtually all terrains.
I tried to get my friend to post here but he had a look and considers us a bit anal. Then, his only AD qualification is IAM motorcycle and having been a senior observer for his group.
Btw, 911 and M3, ok suitably modified, have been and are stage rallied. My apologies if you already knew this.
Eta, if we're talking Defenders, try to get a drive in a fully optioned Bowler Defender.

by **akirk** » Fri Oct 31, 2014 12:41 am

Pinzgauer's are on my dream list - amazing.

WhoseGeneration - agreed, - more a generalisation! However my rr then was a 1994 Classic LSE - not the height of road handling sophistication - the last RR I had was a P38A, better, but still...

The only LR I own now is a 1971 S2a

so while I agree with the theory, I have never really owned the experience of a LR product that actually handles!

Alasdair

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