Hey newbie to the site. 21 year old guy in Manchester (sorry fair bit away from London but just looking for advice) I had my CBT a few days ago and even though I have been on a bike before riding pillion with my older bro, I just completely froze and had no less than 3 crashes. There were other students standing around and watching. I also heard some guffaws of laughter and the instructor yelling and making snide comments upon all that just was just throwing dirt in my face. I was told to come back later when I felt more confident with a bike. I am usually very eager and just get going with this kinda thing. I might have to face up to the fact that I might never ride a bike or be able to control one. I just imagined the bike just running away with me basically even though it was only 125 cc. Does anyone have any advice?
Also gotta add I got into a bad accident on a bike once but thought I would have gotten over by now
i guess i was just replaying the accident in my head and that is when everything went downhill. I fell heard laughter and the instructor yelling, after that I kept making contact with the tarmac, you dont know what that does to a guys confidence.
I reckoned most people pass their CBT first time. How many times did you take yours?
Everyone has fears about one thing or the other. I remember the first time I got on a horse and got into a bad accident. You basically regain confidence and learn how to deal with the falls.
As for the other students laughing, what can I say wankers exist everywhere.
Just keep on going and try to take the CBT elsewhere.
preppy, welcome to LB! The ‘instructor’ you describe sounds very unprofessional, I am amazed actually. My advice would be not to worry about it, as a hell of a lot of people have trouble with the first stages of getting into biking, it’s a lot to take onboard and doesn’t come naturally to many people.
You are certainly not alone, when I did my CBT, there were people who had trouble. I think the best thing to do would be to get some private tuition with a friend on a 50cc scooter or the like, just to get the feel of being in control of a bike.
I suffered from nerves at times when taking my lessons and test, meaning that I didn’t pass first time. It’s a common occurance and nothing to worry about, it doesn’t mean you won’t be a good rider, it’s just a pressure situation which some people cope with better than others.
To be honest I couldnt get anyone to help me out with a smaller bike. My bro currently rides 1000+ cc bikes so he is not an option really. He has also said he is not a great instructor, I could see the police being called to stop him killing me or me him.
Are there places where you can pay for practice sessions? Never heard of those before but wonder if they exist or is it best to go for a couple of CBTs?
A CBT is not a pass or fail course and the guys you went with were just interested in turning over students (in more ways then one), rather then providing you with the training you need to get out on the road.
Not that I am suggesting this but there are some people who just cant ride bikes, balance issues and the like. But, if you can ride a puch bike then, with the right training and some perseverence it seems to me there would be no reason why you could not progress.
In the CBT you are asked to do some playground manouvres which I on my sportsbike could not now do. They are there to teach you the bike controls, nothing more no one in real life rides figures of 8.
Don’t give up if this is really want you want to do shop about, there’s bound to be a better school out there.
hi Preppy, it sounds like there are a few things that need to be sorted out here:
I completely agree with the others on here, that instructor was way out of line!!! he/she is
supposed to offer guidance/advice and above all maintain a safe environment to learn the skills
required to ride and ride safely. If he finds your predicament funny then he is not fulfilling his role…
if the others find it funny then they are merely nervous sheep who are following his lead… very sad and
a horrible experience for you.
I think that your past experiences on a bike are affecting you more than you think… if I may be
so bold in suggesting that… I also think you may be getting a bit of pressure from your brother, you say he rides big bikes and no doubt has been doing this sort of thing for a while (same as me, my brother has been riding for years
more than me and I always go to him for riding advice…) too much pressure will not help…
If you find yourself re-living bad experiences as soon as you get on the bike then of course you will find it difficult, the bike is obviously triggering a very deep rooted negative memory! this is preventing you from focusing on the actual task which is riding the bike and doing the thousand and one things that you are told to do when you start and above all balancing them in the right order and right ammounts, pulling away for example… letting out the clutch balancing the revs loking where you want to go etc. etc. it may even mean that you are so pre-occupied with re-living the trauma so to speak that you end up switching off to outside input just at the wrong moment and thats when you lose the bike…
this may all sound very heavy but in the end the key here is to find a way of clearing your thoughts and being comfortable with the bike, this will mean you need a more positive environment i.e. without the jerks for a start!! you will find that us bikers are more friendly than we look :o) take your time dont pressure yourself and rather than playing the negative thoughts back over again, focus completely on the procedures that the instructor tells you… break the task of riding the bike into manageable chunks and attack each one and then string them all together… its not just riding its starting off, manouvering and then stopping again all without falling over :o)
Just remember m8, its the same focus and mental state that gives you so much pleasure when you do get it all right hang on in there and put all these bad experiences behind you… start afresh.
id get a crosser and get over some waste ground throw it around a bit and get the feel of two wheels on your own then do your CBT else where, then when ya passed go and shove up his nose…
You’ve got nothing to worry about! I didn’t get my CBT the first time either, dropped the bike in front of everyone, was the only one in my group that didn’t get it etc I felt like a complete wally! But thought, i’ve just got to come back and none of these people know me anyway!
It then took me (dare I admit this to all my new LB pals?!?!?) 4 times to pass my DAS!!! Yes, 4!!!
But now I ride my bike everyday, adn I love it!! And I know at least 4 other people who all were brilliant and passed first time blah blah boring blah…er…but now are actually too scared to ride out on the road by themselves!! So what’s the point in that!!!
That instructor is is beyond belief, I remember how scared I felt thinking I, all by myself, had to control this machine, albeit a 125, just like you said, and if that “teacher” cannot understand and empathise with that, then he is so in teh wrong job.
Maybe give yourself just a little while off, feel a bit happier, then take you custom elsewhere and don’t stop till you get your licence!! Once you’ve got that, nothing matters!!
I have to say coming to this site as suggested has been a great relief. Thanks for all the advice you guys. I thought it was me and it was the instructors job to behave that way.
I won’t call him an instructor cos he’s clearly a c**k. Most of what I think has been said so welcome to LB mate.
Think of the positives here and look forward to achieving your goals!..
first time i went my instructor told me i was a danger cos i was treating the bike like a “skateboard” I believe…
but he persisted and when i went back nagged and nagged me on everything until i got it right… not once tho did he ever swear/yell at me… in fact i had the same instructor on my das 10 months later…
and even tho i got into an accident the first time out on the 500, he still fully supported and encouraged me and i was lucky enough to pass das first time…
dont let one dumb person ruin biking for you… i took my time getting to a bigger bike and you should take yours as well… dont rush it…
i found this site to be very useful… as the guys here are always willing to lend an ear and really give some useful advice…
disgusting…absolutley rude…and im appalled by that instructors behavour…what the hell did he expect…rossi on the first day?
he/she should have gave you words of confidence right at the moment of the mishap…its his dam job!!!
please dont give up prep…and please,keep us informed of your progress as i for one am eager for you to be on the road mate…
take this into account…when doing your cbt next…think to yourself that your already one up on the rest of the students as you’ve done this before…then while on the bike,take things slow and think everything threw…hell…i was jabbering to myself the whole way through my cbt…so used it on my lessons and then test…it calmed me down and helped me focus…it works…honest!!!
take it easy mate…you’ll get there…i have faith in you!!!…
Like Jay said about practising on a scooter well once you’ve past ur CBT you are going to buy one to start off with to learn the roads so why not buy one now and put it in your bros name for insuranse and he can teach you how to ride in a car park at night or something thats what we did with my mate when he got his first bike.
Anyways Welcome to LB and it doesn’t matter your from Manchester.
