Any Iams/Rospa types on here?

[Kaneda80]

considering doing IAMS, mostly to improve my city rush hour riding and country roads cornering etc
Anyone on here that's done it or is an instructor/examiner?
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[bamt]

There's plenty of us here with variants of advanced training (I have IAM on the bike, RoSPA in the car).

Definitely go for it - it'll improve your country road riding. There wasn't a huge amount of city riding in mine, but it did help. I'd recommend it to anyone - though there is a definite emphasis on "making progress" that you may (or may not) find comfortable.

[Kaneda80]

I do tend to ride with a purpose so making progress sounds about right to me, just want to ensure I'm getting the most out of myself and each road and traffic condition without any undue risk.
I'm a relatively new rider so have a lot to learn.
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[Rogerborg]

Each group will be different, but my local one was definitely about "making progress". Bear in mind that The System is what coppers use when getting their jollies inflicting justice, so it's essentially predicated on riding fast and overtaking.

They didn't seem remotely interested in riding in traffic; that was just a necessary step in getting to the windy roads.
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[bamt]

Can't disagree with that, and I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the pace some roads were taken at in group riding. A neighbour (who started before me, and I didn't realise was doing it until I spotted him at a meeting) gave up because he thought they were too aggressive.

What it does help with is making you think about position on the road, how the bike will respond to your inputs and optimising your safety (note that this is with a view to making progress though - you could claim that riding everywhere at 20 mph and not overtaking ever is the safest means rather than looking for opportunities constantly). A lot of it is pretty obvious once someone has said it to you, but it really is about helping to inform your information gathering and decision making. You'll be shown how to really look ahead to minimise surprises.

Best bet is to see if your local group does a taster session - mine (TVAM) does one at their monthly meetings. You get to go out with an observer for a ride, get feedback and talk through what the actual training involves. It's free and at worst wastes a couple of hours of your time.[/i]

[b422063]

I'm IAM qualified on bike and car, both of which have lapsed as the cost of membership is higher than any discounts from insurance companies. I also don't feel the need to 'belong' to any club.

I think they're worth doing, but do have a critical eye about what they say. You'll hear the definition of red mist and noble risks, both of which IAM instructors frequently fall foul of, but deny they have because instructor.

[Kaneda80]

[b422063]

[Kaneda80]

Surely if I ride how I ride, they'll be able to pick out bad habits and give me things to work on?

The way I see it is that I just don't dilly dally, But to a rider who (as bamt said) prefers to stick to 20mph and never overtakes is concerned, my riding probably does look aggressive.
I am fully aware however that I could quite easily have picked up some bad habits, especially when riding through London in rush hour.

I just want to be doing it right and make it home in one piece while still benefitting from being on two wheels, and heaven forbid actually have some fun from time to time.

Btw how much was the annual membership?
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[Rogerborg]

[Matt B]

[stevo as b4]

I used to go on observed drives with the car IAM, and with ROSPA on my bike too. I can agree with the mixed views that many have on the way they like you to ride and behave, but they are not saints or the most courteous of riders themselves at times either.

I'd just go for some quality 1day advanced rider training, without a certificate or membership at the end of it. Another very worthwhile idea for biking would be to consider something like the Ron Haslam track school training. You'd learn just as much doing this IMO.

As for riding styles etc, well lets just pick on one thing:
Road position for cornering.

Now ROSPA and I believe road craft always tell you to position for best view, but not if it compromises safety.

I used to ride like that, near the curb on RH bends and almost on the white line for LH bends. I tried it in the car too. And yes at times view is improved, but for the speed and traffic conditions we most often face, I don't think positioning for best view whenever it's safe is always worth it?

If you cracking on a bit in rural open roads then fine, but I'm quite happy these days to stay in the relative safety of positioning to the left and just trundle around with the other traffic, that is rarely going so fast that you can't stop in the distance you can see to be clear etc.

Also positioning for best view does not always mean the fastest line through a bend either, and it also can involve crossing white lines quite a bit, which is a controversial topic even in ROSPA/IAM.

[b422063]

[Adam80UK]

[ReadySalted]

I've recently joined my local rospa group but just waiting on the motorcycle observer to become available so I can begin training.

I went for rospa for a few reasons but mostly because my father was an IAM observer (car) and said that in his experience IAM groups can be very cliquey and political, and because rospa is said to be of a higher standard.

I have found that people generally do seem to know what the IAM is but often have never heard of rospa.

[Val]

[Rogerborg]

[bamt]

[BTTD]

I did a bikesafe and met a couple of IAM instructors, one who was on the course to see what it was, and one after who was looking to sign up potential members. The guy on the course came across as a pain in the arse know it all who made the police bikers running the course look like freewheeling hippies. The second guy I met seemed less obnoxious, but still slightly judgemental and annoying.
Hope the chaps you meet are a bit more engaging.

[esullivan]

[Amber Phoenix]

I'm currently doing an IAM course at the moment (test in a couple weeks time!) TBH, for me, I have learnt a lot, it has made me think a lot more about how I ride and definitely improved my riding. The machine control day really toned up my low speed stuff. And being predominantly a city rider, it really gave me chance to iron out how I corner when hooning around the country.

As mentioned above, I found the course doesn't say 'always ride like this or that', yeah it's a cliché, but the phrase 'it depends' comes out all the time. It's a case of thinking about a particularly situation and considering what is going on and planning the best course of action. Yes, there's some techniques and a system to formalise the decision process, which feel a bit bloated at first, but once you get the hang of it and you learn to zip through that decision process in a blink of an eye as you're riding, it actually works really well.

My local group (ELAM) have a decent social element and have met some good mates on the course. I'd say, do check out your local group, see if they'll do a taster session to try it out. And TBH at £140-150 quid odd and considering the amount of tuition and coaching you get, it's an absolute bargain. Not a lot else comes close bang for buck.
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[Eddie Hitler]

Ahh, the "holier-than-thou" nobber. They really do know everything there is to know.

/chuckle.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Some of them actually are nobbers though. Or "NOBS" at least - the IAM has recently decided to rationalise their observer qualifications and the second tier observer has to pass a nationally accredited qualification - so that they can become National Observers, or NOBS as they are known.
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[struan80]

My observer is a cheesy nobber. EDAM member. (Edinburgh Advanced Motorcyclists) oh dear how old am I?

Two weeks into the IAM course and it's been worthwhile, very inexpensive. Free if under 29 if I remember correctly. (I am not)

[G]