New biker to experienced biker

[Marilee]

Just wondered when you graduate to an experienced biker from a new biker...is it miles, experiences, skill, confidence? I am a fairly new biker, but gained alot of miles and experience this year.. but would still consider myself a newbie.. is there a criteria? What are you thoughts?

BTW now I read this at work, its becoming an addiction.. IT is gonna freak LOL

[Gummiente]

Just wondered when you graduate to an experienced biker from a new biker...is it miles, experiences, skill, confidence?

Yes.

[OreoGaborio]

Just wondered when you graduate to an experienced biker from a new biker...is it miles, experiences, skill, confidence?

Yes.

YOU STOLE MY ANSWER!

Seriously, it's all of the above. There's no real determination of who is "experienced" and who isn't.... just a question of how MUCH experience you have.

You have experience.... just not a whole lot at this point.

[Gummiente]

Seriously, it's all of the above. There's no real determination of who is "experienced" and who isn't.... just a question of how MUCH experience you have.

You have experience.... just not a whole lot at this point.

Well said!

[OreoGaborio]

Well in that case I'll keep going... Allow me to elaborate


To speak from my own experience briefly... I've been riding since 2001... got my first bike in 2004.... so I haven't been riding seriously for very long.... just a few years.

That same year i began doing track days to hone my skills... Two years later I began racing... this past year I began instructing at the track.

So here it is only 3 years into my serious riding career... I "only" have 20k miles of riding under my belt, but a good amount of that is on the track.

So here are the four things you listed:
Miles (20 k),
Experiences (chaulk full of em for such a small time period... a few crashes, alot of street miles, alot of laps around the track & some track schooling),
Skill (also gettin up there, good enough to battle for an amateur club racing championship),
Confidence (a strong amount... gotta if you wanna be a successful racer and instructor)

Based on that, some would say I'm very experienced...

BUT.... it's all relative... I don't have half the experience that my mentors do who have been riding, racing and teaching longer than I've been alive, have multiple class championships under their belt & hundreds of thousands of street miles logged.

[Gummiente]

Again - well said! But you forgot two important factors; attitude and maturity. You seem to possess both of those already, but you'd be surprised at how many riders with more years under their belt than you are sorely lacking in those categories.

Uh, not counting me, of course.

[OreoGaborio]

I didn't forget anything, I was goin by her list! But yes, those two definitely factor into the type of rider you are.

Sometimes those two atributes come with experience... sometimes they don't... and sometimes (hopfully) you've got em before you even begin riding.

[Halflin]

Another way to consider yourself an experienced rider is how your peers see you. Do they look to you as an experienced rider or do they give the impression that you are still learning? I don't mean that in a bad way but be honest with yourself and that will help you know the answer. Don't ask them what they think about your riding abilities, you will know by how they treat you.

Half

[Ninja Geoff]

Again - well said! But you forgot two important factors; attitude and maturity. You seem to possess both of those already, but you'd be surprised at how many riders with more years under their belt than you are sorely lacking in those categories.

Uh, not counting me, of course.

You're obviously mature and have a good attitude. You ride a Ural

[hi-side]

I'd just add that being an "experienced" rider doesn't necessarily make you a "good" rider.

I highly recommend any of the recognized schools as a good place to start so that you don't develop bad habits.