First day of training - WOOO!!

[rubberhedgeho...]

Hey everyone.

I just wanted to come on here and share my experience of the first day of riding a bike.
I had previously done a morning in a very cramped school playground on a 125 which was far too small for me to be comfy on (I am about 6'2" and the bike was a VanVan, go figure....)
I didn't even get my CBT certificate that day and it left me slightly dejected that I'd never be able to ride.

Along came circuit based training at Mallory Park near Leicester. What a facility they have! Not only is there a good sized test track on which to practise cornering at realistic A road speeds, but a huge carpark too on which to practice slow speed maneuvres as much as you want. They even tought us to do emergency stops on a bend at speeds of up to 70mph! What a thrilling and life saving lesson it was!

It was the first time that I'd been on a big capacity bike - it was a Bandit - and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
I've got a question for you out there. I can't go back for the rest of my training until the middle of November due to having to work abroad.

I still don't have a CBT (we spent the afternoon doing some exercises involving standing on the pegs to practice weight transfer during cornering which helped a lot and practising the swerve test for MOD1 which is a great laugh all on its own!) so can't even practise on a smaller bike in the interim.....

Is it worth persuing the rest of training now, or should I wait until the Spring when the weather is better and there is more light?
What I'm really asking is, is there a disadvantage to learning to ride in the winter months when I won't be using the bike too much?

I've got such an itch to grab a bike and ride it for no reason other than it puts a huge smile on my face, and I want to be a safe, profficient rider when I get my own bike.

Thanks for reading

[Alex_B]

Hi mate,
Glad you're having fun

I gotta say the worst part of training in the winter will obviously be the wet. I wouldn't even consider training in even light snow

If you're confident in the wet then that's easier but odds are being new (myself included) we aren't that happy. Hope I am not presuming to much?

I would defo book a CBT as soon as you can, you could get in by the weekend if you look around and the weather forecast is not to bad, at least in the South it should be OK.

After that I would wait until the Spring. Then get on it and get that pass.
My CBT it poured from the heavens many times that day but it dried quick and I managed to dodge most of it
____________________
My Lane Position is always AWESOME!!

[trikeschick]

I work abroad too so would say, do what you can when you can. I did my CBT and theory in the cold an wet conditions of November last year. Then I had a few lessons before the snow came in. I got sent to Singapore then LA and wasn't back on the bike until the end of June. But it didn't feel 'hard' and to be honest, I just had to get on with it.

Just afford yourself time... And enjoy!
____________________
"Light travels faster than the speed of sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak"

[rubberhedgeho...]

Thanks guys.

I have been eyeing up the KTM Duke 125 even though they are basically none second hand and I'll lose money on the depreciation - I've factored that into it and believe that it will be an ideal bike for my partner when I persuade her to join me on two wheels. Leaving me with room in the garage for a bigger bike
It is also large enough to have a road presence and I like the ergonomics of it - it's tall and the pegs are nicely situated. Got decent brakes (discs all round) and the tyres are not so skinny like on other 125 bikes (110/70 front and 150/60 rear).

I am considering getting CBT done (since my time on bike has been only done on track with a Bandit and practising maneuvres), buying a KTM and then spending autumn and the few sunny, warm days in the winter riding it (I live south and it wasn't too cold for much of the winter so ice shouldn't be a constant hazard for 4 months like it is up north).
Then, come the spring I'll be ready for my bike tests and possibly upgrade as I see that I want to.

[Rogerborg]

That sounds like a good plan. The only way to learn to ride in bad conditions is to do it.

The thing to factor in is the risk of Winter SMIDSYs as people just don't expect to see a bike out and about. Just assume that you're double-invisible.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[ajbsmirnoff]

Woooo indeed young man


There's plenty of year left to get some training in. Do your CBT and MOD 1, which gets the hard bit out of the way.

[rubberhedgeho...]

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone!

I'm confident that I can get my CBT and MOD1 done before the winter sets in - all I need is time on the real life roads (to get my CBT certificate) and a day or so practising for the MOD1 and I should be all good. Spend the winter doing some riding on a 125 and then show up in the spring ready to take a MOD2 on a bigger bike.

Can't wait to get myself onto a bike again both at the track and then on my local roads - I guess 15hp from a 125 doesn't have the pull of 80hp from a 600, but I'm not looking to be in a huge rush. I've got access to a Pitts Special at work if I ever feel like that

[Sean CBT]

We'll have to get you on the 1250 bandits at Mallory!
They are a real hoot, and easier to ride than you think.

Sean
____________________
circuitbasedtraining.co.uk
Author - Pass The Bike Test