Journey to Biking
Posted: 03 Jul 2018, 10:19
Hello all!
I'm new! I've been lurking around for a few months, but I thought it was about time I bit the bullet and started a thread. I've only just started learning to ride, so I've got nothing of value to add, really, but I thought I might post an occasional update on how training is going until I've got something more interesting to say...
I'm in my thirties, used to be a lawyer (not a good one at the top of their game like Kwacky...), and am now a piano teacher, which is frankly much nicer for everybody concerned.
I did my CBT in December 2016, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life! I hadn't ridden even a push bike for about two decades. It was the coldest day of the year, and the DVSA had cancelled all tests due to the cold. Not because of ice or anything, but just because it was so damn cold. I was wearing just normal jeans, because I thought that was ok , and some dodgy walking boots that I couldn't feel anything through.
I was so absolutely and unremittingly crap that it was embarrassing. The instructor didn't seem to have any useful tips to give me except for constantly shouting "The bike will go wherever you look." This is true, but I couldn't even make my head turn as I felt like I was going to fall off. I had to come back for a second day. This was rather embarrassing after reading all over the internet how it was "impossible to fail a CBT". Anyway, on day two, we finally got out onto the road. The instructor thought it was funny to call you a "w*nker" every time you did something wrong. This may be funny when you're 17, but when you're 35, it starts to grate when you're paying £130 for the privilege. I was called a w*nker some 40 times that afternoon without any exaggeration.
After this experience, I sort of put learning to ride on the back burner. When I had asked the instructor about how I should go about doing the DAS, he basically said, "Yeah, you're too crap. I wouldn't until you've been riding a 125 for at least 6 months". I didn't really feel that I was safe enough riding a 125 without an instructor, so I just left it.
This last December, I thought, "Bugger it. It can't be beyond me. People learn to ride every day. I'm sodding doing this", and so I bought myself a cheap 2012 Yamaha YBR, and started riding it at midnight when the roads were empty. It took 2 weeks to feel comfortable enough to leave the cul-de-sac!
Fast forward a few weeks, and I'm reasonably comfortable on normal, quiet roads. I'm still struggling with slow speed control, but it's slowly getting better. I've booked my first proper DAS lesson on Thursday with RMT Motorcycle Training in Redditch. They're not the cheapest but they're pretty good by all accounts I've seen.
Anyway, I'll report back when I've had it. It can't be as bad as the CBT was......!
All the best to you all from your new Village Idiot, and apologies if this is a bit boring!
I'm new! I've been lurking around for a few months, but I thought it was about time I bit the bullet and started a thread. I've only just started learning to ride, so I've got nothing of value to add, really, but I thought I might post an occasional update on how training is going until I've got something more interesting to say...
I'm in my thirties, used to be a lawyer (not a good one at the top of their game like Kwacky...), and am now a piano teacher, which is frankly much nicer for everybody concerned.
I did my CBT in December 2016, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life! I hadn't ridden even a push bike for about two decades. It was the coldest day of the year, and the DVSA had cancelled all tests due to the cold. Not because of ice or anything, but just because it was so damn cold. I was wearing just normal jeans, because I thought that was ok , and some dodgy walking boots that I couldn't feel anything through.
I was so absolutely and unremittingly crap that it was embarrassing. The instructor didn't seem to have any useful tips to give me except for constantly shouting "The bike will go wherever you look." This is true, but I couldn't even make my head turn as I felt like I was going to fall off. I had to come back for a second day. This was rather embarrassing after reading all over the internet how it was "impossible to fail a CBT". Anyway, on day two, we finally got out onto the road. The instructor thought it was funny to call you a "w*nker" every time you did something wrong. This may be funny when you're 17, but when you're 35, it starts to grate when you're paying £130 for the privilege. I was called a w*nker some 40 times that afternoon without any exaggeration.
After this experience, I sort of put learning to ride on the back burner. When I had asked the instructor about how I should go about doing the DAS, he basically said, "Yeah, you're too crap. I wouldn't until you've been riding a 125 for at least 6 months". I didn't really feel that I was safe enough riding a 125 without an instructor, so I just left it.
This last December, I thought, "Bugger it. It can't be beyond me. People learn to ride every day. I'm sodding doing this", and so I bought myself a cheap 2012 Yamaha YBR, and started riding it at midnight when the roads were empty. It took 2 weeks to feel comfortable enough to leave the cul-de-sac!
Fast forward a few weeks, and I'm reasonably comfortable on normal, quiet roads. I'm still struggling with slow speed control, but it's slowly getting better. I've booked my first proper DAS lesson on Thursday with RMT Motorcycle Training in Redditch. They're not the cheapest but they're pretty good by all accounts I've seen.
Anyway, I'll report back when I've had it. It can't be as bad as the CBT was......!
All the best to you all from your new Village Idiot, and apologies if this is a bit boring!