Looking for good places to practice on the penninsula

[MeatPuppet]

Hey all,

I live in Redwood Shores and am looking for a good place close by to practice cornering, emergency breaking, figure eights, etc - moreso than my everyday riding. Can you recommend any open lots or ranges in the RWC area?

Thanks!

 

[Erbuck]

PM Doc Wong about a good place to practice.


On the Peninsula, places people go to practice without permission, and thus could be chased off by security, police or others:
College of San Mateo
Cañada College
The end of Seaport Boulevard

 

[HeatXfer]

Right around the corner from you at the Pacific Shores Center. Most of the parking lots are empty on the weekends. Head South on 101, take the Woodside Road/Seaport Blvd exit. Follow Seaport Blvd to the end.

 

[Jac Ryann]

Their security told me that corner parking-lot at Gilead right across from Crowne Plaza doesn't have any cameras.

 

[MeatPuppet]

Their security told me that corner parking-lot at Gilead right across from Crowne Plaza doesn't have any cameras.

No cameras? Time to formulate a dastardly plan. :nchantr

 

[noobasaurus rex]

How fast do you need to go? I've practiced in plenty of parking lots in the shores. Bayshore Technology Park, anything on Twin Dolphin, the end of radio road. They're all ghost towns on the weekends. If security shows up move to the next lot. There's plenty to choose from.

 

[DannoXYZ]

I prefer schools as technically they are public property; so no private security's going to chase you off.

When my wife was getting her license, we went a lot to Evergreen College in S. SJ and also to Mission College in Santa Clara. Occasionally cops would stop by and watch for a while, but they never told us to go away.

 

[MeatPuppet]

How fast do you need to go?

Fast enough to practice emergency braking. Ideally I want to practice at highway speed, but that wouldn't work in a lot. I could do 35 mph in an empty lot relatively safely though. Thanks for the super close suggestion!

 

[noobasaurus rex]

Skyway Rd after the museum. 101 on 1 side, airport on the other. No cross streets and it comes to a dead end. It's pretty much a ghost town on weekends. Learned stick there.

 

[DocWong]

Good on you for even considering a practice location. Taking Baby Steps and not rushing to improve your riding is my approach too!

My Go-To place for practicing, especially for new riders is Parking Lot #6 at Canada College in Redwood City off of Hwy 280. It's the lower parking lot as you come up the hill into the college you make a left and it's past the administrative buildings.

 

[hobzinho]

Fast enough to practice emergency braking. Ideally I want to practice at highway speed, but that wouldn't work in a lot. I could do 35 mph in an empty lot relatively safely though. Thanks for the super close suggestion!

Definitely CSM. They have a lot there with four separate painted practice pitches that MSF uses. I go there all the time to practice slow speed maneuvers and braking. The distance markers are painted on the asphalt so breaking exercises are easy to gage.

Nobody has ever hassled me there.

 

[kelsodeez]

over near kincaids restaurant in burlingame there are office buildings across the street. we used to take go karts out there and rip around the parking lots on weekends. no security guards around to tell you to kick rocks. i also learned how to drag knee out there on my friends ysr50.