This morning I found a useful square of tarmac just off the cyclepath – slightly sloping, large enough to practise wide turns and with a handy sloping kerb which offered gradually increasing drop-offs.
I’ve figured out turns. They’re not very graceful – more like a succession of lurches – but they’re effective. It’s just a case of leaning/looking where you want to go, then some quick pedal work to make sure the wheel stays under you. Turning left is much easier than turning right – probably because I’ve been practising right-foot idling so much.
I did a mix of other stuff – the rough woodland path again, some speed bumps, and a bit of hopping. I managed to ride off from a side mount successfully once (lost count of unsuccessful attempts). Freemounting is becoming second nature – so glad I learned that last year.
I still haven’t nailed idling. I’m beginning to think that practising in my corridor isn’t working – the walls are too close, so there’s no space to change direction. I’ve started practising outside, which also means I have to learn how to mount straight into an idle.