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OK, well sorry to keep you good folks waiting, it’s been a busy evening what with phone calls etc. As LV says, the good news is that I passed, and best of all, that I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.As Lady V had told me beforehand, going out on the road is SOOOOOO much easier (and pleasanter) than running around in circles in the car park. Though it wasn’t ALL plain sailing…
So, to start from the beginning. I’d been expecting to have the same instructor as I’d had on Sunday (Carl), but was greeted on arrival by Chris. He had a slightly different approach, but again, very encouraging and patient. He spent quite a bit of time talking me through the nuts & bolts of things, and I had a bit of time on the car park getting back into the swing of it. Then, after going through the more important theory stuff (like, DON’T go out on the bike after a bevy or 2), he asked me if I felt ready to go out on the road yet. Well, of course I didn’t, but heck, I wasn’t about to say that.
So, off we went, kitted out with the radio headset. At first I was OK, but we came to a big roundabout, and guess who stalled on it? NO, surprisingly, it wasn’t Chris, but yours truly. Well, OK, no big deal you say, but would the b****y thing start again
: seemed like the battery was flat, and he did that manly kick-start thing
and we were on the road again.
From here on, it was a BLAST. Chris led me through all the best roads hereabout – for those of you who know the area, through Nanpantan (yes, that really IS the name), Charnwood Forest, out onto the twisty A512. We did the U-turn and the emergency stop. The gears seemed so much easier once I could get up some speed – though, with the wind in my face and looking down at my speedo which seemed to indicate that, following at the pace set by Chris, I was doing over the limit, I rather over-estimated just HOW fast we were going – the speedo was telling me KPH!!! So, the tailback of cars behind us wasn’t so surprising, after all!!!
Then we pulled over, and I was told it was MY turn to lead. This felt MUCH scarier, but I rose to the challenge and relaxed into the ride. I had one ‘little spot of bother’ (© Frank Spencer, c. 1970) turning right at a very complicated junction with traffic lights: as I tried to build up speed, the bike wasn’t going anywhere, and I realised I was in neutral, but quickly got it into gear and rode away without too much panic or delay. Plain sailing from there back to the centre, until, right at the VERY last minute, waiting to turn right into the centre, I positioned myself too far over to the right and potentially in the path of oncoming traffic. However, I’d already checked that there was no oncoming traffic, and made the turn safely. But deffo a red face, there.
Chris was very complimentary about my riding, and I’d certainly felt a lot more confident out on the road than I had in the car park. He asked about whether I wanted to hire a bike, and I was tempted to go for it there and then – after all, I don’t want a lot of time to go by for my nerves to build up again. But commonsense prevailed – apart from anything else, I had my car at the centre and it would have been tricky to sort out, even IF I’d had the confidence to ride home alone.
Anyway, there are just a few things I’d like to say. [<Oscar winner mode on>] 1. Thank you to everyone here on the forum for all the kind messages of support and encouragement – I (genuinely) couldn’t have done it without you. 2. Thank you to my instructors, Carl and Chris – I (abso-f***ing-lutely) couldn’t have done it without your patience and endurance. 3. It makes a BIG difference having (car) driving experience under your belt – I’d thought that being on the ‘real’ roads with cars all around me would be a problem, but the same sense of road awareness and savvy that I use in the car came naturally to me on the bike, only in spadeloads 4. From Chris, in addition to everything else, I learnt that you continue to learn about riding every single time you go out, and I don’t doubt that that is true – continue to hone your skills, people, it is a mad, mad world out there. 5. That I LOVE biking, and that (in any field of endeavour) challenging yourself beyond what you think you are capable of, really is the very best way to enjoy your life. [</Oscar winner mode off>].
OK, so it’s only a measly CBT, small fry I know. But for me it was one GIANT STEP into the unknown. I don't doubt there will be more stories, but they can wait for another day….
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Originally Posted by Mabels Old Man
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