Rode with 3:16 yesterday at MSR Cresson. Fantastic experience! It was a great combination of instructor feedback + self-paced learning. I’ve ridden with quite a few track day orgs, and here are some high points of 3:16:
1) They are a tick more expensive, BUT they provide mentors at a 1:4 teacher:student ratio, the mentors seek out their students after the ride (thanks, Cosmo!), and the org provides a plethora of snacks. They are also willing to go get food for you if you need it.
2) This is the first org I’ve ridden with that does a comprehensive track walk with an expert racer. We went to the critical areas of the track and learned the best bike placement, visual markers/landmarks, and problematic areas.
3) Great people! I’ve never had a bad experience with people at the track, and this org continued that tradition and was “all in” when it came to rider satisfaction and team attentiveness. I took my neighbor, a new rider, and so many instructors came up to him asking how he was doing and giving him great feedback. Definitely shows this org has great pride in bringing up people in this sport.
4) Courteousness and Respect! I’ve been “that guy” and I’ve also almost been taken out by “that guy.” There were very few instances of foolishness on the track and the message to all was “respect your fellow riders.” I truly feel people took it to heart because I never felt disrespected on the track, or they people were being reckless, even in the group with varying skill levels.
Room for improvement:
The session were an hour long....and in 97-deg heat, I lasted about 20-30 minutes at semi-race pace. Maybe 30 minute sessions on very hot days might benefit the crowd.
Overall:
Great experience with a solid faith-based trackday org that cares about its patrons and their experience!
Big thanks to Ignacio and his team, as well as my mentor, Cosmo!