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[FRE07962128]

I like your principles Tunnie and well done for facing up to the bully who obviously lacks decency and common sense.  If more people did that this chap wouldn't have a job!

Can you, and is it worth it to go elsewhere for a CBT now and say sod him? :-/

Have a really relaxing Sunday!

[tunnie]

Hi Tunnie
I have just been reading your response and I am completely gob smacked at this instructor!!
I used to have my own bike training business and was a fully qualified DSA approved instructor, this guy who took you is it his own business or is he a down trained instructor working for someone else.
If this is his business you want to report him to the DSA.
I havent read all the responses but the way a CBT works is that there is no time scale to completing it.
Its just usually a full day should get you through.
Now saying that it does depend on a few factors
how confidant you are on your riding abilities, how good your instructor is and how confident he is on allowing you to contnue.
While your riding around on the off road area he should be assessing you all the time and only when he feels you have got to a stage where you could go out should he ask you if you feel up to it.
The minimum time for assessing you on the road is 2 hours now if he thinks you still are not up to it or you are not happy he should arrange another time and take you out untill he is satisfied that he can give you your certificate.
I will stress this point again there is no time scale
I do have a concern though and that is why you are not happy at going out in rain?
is it because you are unsure about your riding or is it to do with him?
I used to trian all day in rain and some of my students would turn up with no waterproofs.
some where absolutely drenched (usually young lads who thought it cooler to be wet than look stupid !!!!)
At the end of day they looked like drowned rats but they had grins the size of cheddar gorge because they had enjoyed riding so much.
that is exactly what it should be even in wet the joy of riding a bike is fantastic.
I have trained hundred of people of all shapes sizes ages etc and apart from one chap who just couldnt get his balance right on 2 wheels (I spent a whole day on test track at end of day I asked him if he would like to come back for more practice before I took him out on road he declined quite happy really saying I did enough and he was going to stick to his classic car)
so I will stop ranting on now and hope to hear from you

Cause I would have got soaked!

I cycled to uni for 3 years, when it rained it made a hell of a difference, even going just 20mph, easier to lock the back wheel up, spray and wind from cars.

It was the instructors own business, and i have never been on the road yet, i did the slalom though series of 8 cones and thought the figure of 8, U turns ect... feathering the clutch. Simulated junctions.

[tunnie]

these photos are from the Thursday, with the nice weather!

Ok so some little info on each pic:

First time on the bike, err yeh what do these pedals do?



First time ever on it, pulled away smoothly.



Quick instructions on being a bit easier, and where to go....



Go over there!



So off i go on first attempt



Turning, about walking speed....



And again...



I guess i should have been looking at the road, rather than the rev gauge, but i was changing gear  



Comming to a stop



Though the cones...



And again though the cones, as you can see they are fairly close together, i looped though these riding though the cross mark on the road, did this 10/15 times no issues.



Basically cause there was 3 of us, the kid on the twist-go had it easy, instructor spent 90% of his time on the other guy on the 125 manual. I had very limited instruction.

[Andy B]

Good photos. Looks like a sniper in the undergrowth took them though!      

[Mr Skrunts]

Cant fault you matey.

When you go back (if) ride round in a full circle and knock the T**t over.  
Then say Oh F*ck, I am so F*c*ing sorry but you should have been on the F*c*ing pavement like all the other F*c*ing pedestrians and then drive off safely. :-/

[Arpy]

Hi Tunnie
I must ask the question if you pass your CBT and get a bike what will you do if it starts to rain?
dont think riding a motorbike is the same as a push bike
bigger tyres and designed to disperse water from under tyre
heavier than push bike less prone to wind
spray yes but you should have visor I have stuff I put on visor that makes it run off when head moved slightly.
I am sorry to say this but if I felt that you were ready for the road assessment I would be taking you out in rain.
obviously if when out there I could see you struggling I would bring you in.
If you buy good biking gear you shouldnt get too wet.
I know this isnt going to help because there is no way I would do it , but once many years ago I went to a bike rally and watched a stunt rider doing amazing things with his bike in torrential rain.
One trick was to accelerate up to about 60mph and then do a stoppie
(lamping front brake on to make bike go up on front wheel) he then contniued down road on the front wheel.
If you have issues with this chap go to another trainer.
The piccies are great by the way who took them

[TheBoy]

Hi Tunnie
I must ask the question if you pass your CBT and get a bike what will you do if it starts to rain?
dont think riding a motorbike is the same as a push bike
bigger tyres and designed to disperse water from under tyre
heavier than push bike less prone to wind
spray yes but you should have visor I have stuff I put on visor that makes it run off when head moved slightly.
I am sorry to say this but if I felt that you were ready for the road assessment I would be taking you out in rain.
obviously if when out there I could see you struggling I would bring you in.
If you buy good biking gear you shouldnt get too wet.
I know this isnt going to help because there is no way I would do it , but once many years ago I went to a bike rally and watched a stunt rider doing amazing things with his bike in torrential rain.
One trick was to accelerate up to about 60mph and then do a stoppie
(lamping front brake on to make bike go up on front wheel) he then contniued down road on the front wheel.
If you have issues with this chap go to another trainer.
The piccies are great by the way who took them

I think the rain was just an excuse

I had a bet on with Mrs TheBoy on Friday that he wouldn't do it  

[tunnie]

Hi Tunnie
I must ask the question if you pass your CBT and get a bike what will you do if it starts to rain?
dont think riding a motorbike is the same as a push bike
bigger tyres and designed to disperse water from under tyre
heavier than push bike less prone to wind
spray yes but you should have visor I have stuff I put on visor that makes it run off when head moved slightly.
I am sorry to say this but if I felt that you were ready for the road assessment I would be taking you out in rain.
obviously if when out there I could see you struggling I would bring you in.
If you buy good biking gear you shouldnt get too wet.
I know this isnt going to help because there is no way I would do it , but once many years ago I went to a bike rally and watched a stunt rider doing amazing things with his bike in torrential rain.
One trick was to accelerate up to about 60mph and then do a stoppie
(lamping front brake on to make bike go up on front wheel) he then contniued down road on the front wheel.
If you have issues with this chap go to another trainer.
The piccies are great by the way who took them

I think the rain was just an excuse

I had a bet on with Mrs TheBoy on Friday that he wouldn't do it  

 

It was interesting on the Thursday, but had enough now.

I will stick to cars.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Tunnie you wuss......its only a bit of rain....it could happen anytime when your out on a bike!

[Arpy]

listen to the man
I had a friend who used to race, once I went to a meeting to see him on my bike he asked to go on back so I took him out he came back so taken with the experience that he booked a CBT the next week and within a couple of months had himself a big Bike he has given up racing for two reasons save money and gets same thrill riding bike.
There is no feeling better than pulling up to poser in Porsche and leaving him for dead when lights change.
Actually just driving up to front of a large queue of traffic is not bad either.

[tunnie]

people can say what they want, i was NOT going out on the roads for the first ever time on a bike with heavy rain! Around my area their was heavy traffic due to the Grand Prix, add to that the spray, your having a laugh, i was not feeling like dieing that day  

There was no need to me to have to learn that day, i can do it when ever i want, no point taking risks when i did not need to! - I drove to scrap yard about 2 hours later, the car was being moved by the wind.

Yes of course i need to learn to ride a bike in the rain, i am not stupid. But i would rather go out in the rain when i had some more experiance.

Tbh going around on the bike, i could not see what all the fuss was about!

[Kevin Wood]

Sounds like it comes back to the instructor again, I'm afraid.

It's understandable that you'd be apprehensive about taking your first ride in the rain and he should have been reassuring you and putting you at ease, IMHO, rather than making out that you're a lightweight.

An experienced instructor should surely have been able to find a quiet route where you could safely have a ride and complete the course regardless of the weather. life has to go on during british weather after all.

Maybe that's true of this instructor, maybe not, but he clearly didn't instill any confidence in you of his competence or of your own abilities.

The first thing you need to learn before you instruct anyone at anything is to be able to generate confidence because if someone remains convinced they'll never crack something, they won't.

I'd report him for his his cr@p instructing, ask for your money back and start afresh with someone else.

Kevin

[stuart30]

I think to ride you have too have a passion for it...unlike a car.

Maybe worth while having a serious think why you want a bike license Tunnie,if its a simple case of just wanting to commute cheaply or is it a burning desire to join the two wheeled world.

For me it was always a passion...ridden in heavy rain/snow/gales and still got too the other end with a smile,i drive a car now for practicality and no other reason..Really don't enjoy it.

[TheBoy]

people can say what they want, i was NOT going out on the roads for the first ever time on a bike with heavy rain! Around my area their was heavy traffic due to the Grand Prix, add to that the spray, your having a laugh, i was not feeling like dieing that day  

There was no need to me to have to learn that day, i can do it when ever i want, no point taking risks when i did not need to! - I drove to scrap yard about 2 hours later, the car was being moved by the wind.

Yes of course i need to learn to ride a bike in the rain, i am not stupid. But i would rather go out in the rain when i had some more experiance.

Tbh going around on the bike, i could not see what all the fuss was about!

The rain was obviously somewhat lighter over my end of Brackley than it was at the Rugby Club, some 200m away

As to the traffic/spray/wind/etc, as previously stated, it would mostly be around town, and every single limit in town is 30mph, so no spray.  GP traffic would be on bypass, so that wouldn't be an issue either.  Plus, I'm sure I offered you some waterproofs that would have kept you mostly warm and dry


As to 'what all the fuss was about' you haven't been on a bike yet . walking pace around a carpark isn't the same thing.

[tunnie]

people can say what they want, i was NOT going out on the roads for the first ever time on a bike with heavy rain! Around my area their was heavy traffic due to the Grand Prix, add to that the spray, your having a laugh, i was not feeling like dieing that day  

There was no need to me to have to learn that day, i can do it when ever i want, no point taking risks when i did not need to! - I drove to scrap yard about 2 hours later, the car was being moved by the wind.

Yes of course i need to learn to ride a bike in the rain, i am not stupid. But i would rather go out in the rain when i had some more experiance.

Tbh going around on the bike, i could not see what all the fuss was about!

The rain was obviously somewhat lighter over my end of Brackley than it was at the Rugby Club, some 200m away

As to the traffic/spray/wind/etc, as previously stated, it would mostly be around town, and every single limit in town is 30mph, so no spray.  GP traffic would be on bypass, so that wouldn't be an issue either.  Plus, I'm sure I offered you some waterproofs that would have kept you mostly warm and dry


As to 'what all the fuss was about' you haven't been on a bike yet . walking pace around a carpark isn't the same thing.

Driving down the halse road there was spray, had standing water along most of it.

I just wanted to learn ride a motorbike as something to do, get a new skill.

I currenly fill up with petrol once every 2 weeks, i don't need or want a bike to commute.

I have had a 2.2 for the past 3 years, 0-60 times don't float my boat either