Psychybikey

And remember! smile! you're meant to be enjoying it

That's what my instructor says, too

wet clutch?

That sounds a bit rude.............

I can now get into and out of SECOND GEAR without wobbling, swerving, panicking, stalling or crashing!

Everything is much smoother. The instructor says my only problem is in my head and all I need is more self-belief

Another lesson next week. I wish I'd done this months ago. I spent a lot of today's lesson practising the gear changes, trying to remember to let go of the clutch (I made the bike sound like one of those cars driven by an old lady who just uses it for church on Sundays and bridge on Wednesdays, and wonders why the clutch needs replacing every 5,000 miles), and getting really smooth stops and starts.

Reasonably pleased with myself

Instructors and books tell you not to use them. But mine's got a sticker on it saying it meets the European safety requirements

Everybody says you shouldn't use them - so how come you can buy them? I've even seen instructors using them (not my current instructor but I haven't seen him riding on the road yet).

OK, so I had my first really truly lesson today. I wish I had insisted on this months ago at school number 1 instead of just accepting the "you'll pick it up as you go along" approach.

I did well, i.e. I didn't fall off, didn't drop the bike, didn't panic, didn't wobble (not too much anyway). I also didn't get out of first gear - but that's ok because at least I was USING the gear. B showed me just how little you need to move the throttle to get a result, and how much depends on the clutch lever.

I got both feet up and did a few circuits of the car park - what a difference it made having a big space, I didn't have to think about getting close to any obstacles because there was plenty of room.

I only did 40 minutes of the hour I'd booked, because I wanted to finish on a good note rather than do that thing we do so often, trying to get just one perfect manoeuvre and then messing up at the end and having a bad memory to go away with. And for that reason B didn't charge me for the full hour, so you can't say fairer than that.

He said I'd improved massively and I've got another lesson booked for next week. I don't think B thought I was going to be able to do it (you can tell when somebody says one thing but secretly thinks another), and it was very satisfying to see how pleased he was with me. He's a good instructor, does what I do when I'm teaching somebody something - lots of praise when you get it right or improve a bit - which is so encouraging.

Having been practicing on my pushbike has really helped, so I'll carry on with that in between.

Exactly so, MissBex (re your other reply - I'll stick to this thread now!) - it's a fresh start.

I have a fantasy of passing my CBT eventually and then telling the original school, because they will of course think that I've just given up, and I don't want them top think that. And then a bit of me thinks that's a bit petty.

Still, first things first. My current fantasy is passing it at all!

So I've booked an actual LESSON for one day next week. I don't think B thinks I can do it. I'll have to prove him wrong. To be fair, he is trying to make me as relaxed as possible and says I should have fun.

I sneaked in hoping nobody I knew would see me - the door is right next to the main door or the local leisure centre - and to my horror, ran right into, not only somebody I know, but the biggest gossip I know! I hope they didn't realise why I was going into the bike school door, I had decided to say, truthfully, that I had to give somebody a message. Luckily this person is not working anywhere near me at the moment. I don't want to say anything till I pass, and then I can just sashay into work one day casually carrying my helmet.............

To save posting the same thing twice, I'll put it all in the 'scaredlady update' thread. One day maybe I'll change my username

Good for you. There is usually a way round problems, especially if you're honest with people because they can give you information you never knew you needed (like that piece of info from Joeman).

There are plenty of amputees and wheelchair users driving cars (I was going to say legless drivers but that might not be quite what I want to say), so don't let your stiff right foot put you off.

Well, matavin, I have taken your advice. If you see my post about my last attempt which ended in embarrassment, bruises, a stiff neck and a broken bike you will have got the rest of the story. I have been to the other company (they do work Saturdays, as it turns out, but they are close to where I work and I will just take 2-hour chunks of annual leave in order to have some lessons). The instructor gave me a free lesson/assessment, on a geared bike, he took me right back to basics, and advised me to get confident with balance on my pushbike, then go back to him.

We have a playground round the corner with a tarmac football & netball court. So I took my bike there today and practiced going very slowly and doing u-turns, using the goal-shooting circle thing on the netball court as a guide. On my way home I tried a tight circle, the same size but not marked out, on the tarmac in front of a row of garages - surprising what a difference it made to my mind when I had no markings and had a brick wall in front of me rather than a wire netting fence.

However, I did it, so I'm going to keep doing that and go back in a couple of weeks for a proper lesson and see where we go from there.

It seems entirely illogical to me that somebody can get on a motorcycle in the middle of the day, with no experience, and be allowed to ride round unsupervised by that evening. That being the case, there must be people who concentrate on getting you through the CBT rather than actually teaching you to ride.

Well, back to basics today. I went along for my hour-or-so's assessment/lesson with the new school.

First the bad news: I am not a natural biker

Then the good news: I made some progress. B, the instructor, showed me exactly how to use the clutch lever and the penny finally dropped that I can make the bike stop and go without frightening myself with the throttle or upending myself with the front brake. All he got me to do today was get the bike going with my feet off the ground, slowly, more or less in a straight line; get it to go a wee bit faster (and I really am talking about walking pace) using the throttle and a wee bit slower using the front brake. Nice and smoothly without snatching.

B's advice to me is to get on my pushbike, gain some confidence on that, and then go back to him for some lessons; an hour at a time. My big problem is balance - which I knew - I never developed those motor skills as a child because I was never allowed a bike. So now it's a case of an old dog learning new tricks - it can be done, but it takes longer.

I came home, got out my bicycle, and practiced a bit of going as slowly as I could. That's hard work round here because there are very few level roads, it's all hills.

So, Forum Friends, you will not be hearing from me for a week or two because I am going to master the balancing act before I get back on a motorbike. It really is Catch 22: I can't practice seriously till I've got my CBT, and I can't get my CBT without practice. But I'm determined to succeed.

You could try leather conditioner or saddle soap from an equestrian supplier. There is a glycerin cleaner, too. All these nourish the leather, although you have to use the conditioner sparingly as too much of it will weaken the leather. All of them protect leather and prevent it from drying out, and keep it supple.

I have an RST jacket which came with arm and shoulder protection but no back armour.

The question is, does the armour have to be specific to the jacket or are back protectors interchangeable? This will be the difference between going to a shop (with the jacket, obviously) and trying one in the jacket, or getting it straight from RST and knowing it will fit.

Thanks.

After last week's fiasco I am more determined than ever to get my CBT. I don't think the training centre wants me back, they were very noncommittal when I asked for another date, but they do only have one scooter, which is now in hospital. I have a couple of pretty splendid bruises of my own, and I had a stiff neck next day, but all that will heal up without a mechanic.

Anyway, I called in at another place not far from where I work. The main reason I hadn't gone there in the past was that it's not that close to where I live, and I thought they work the same hours as I do - it turns out they do do Saturdays.

It's a much bigger setup, with more spare bikes, and a practice car park area thing the size of two football pitches. They also say on their website that the U-turn seems to be the most problematic thing for most people, so they've laid it out to give you the best chance of mastering it properly. I had a chat with the instructor and to start with, he suggested just going along for an hour - at no cost to myself and I'd be back at work for lunchtime - during the week, so that we could work out what I need. Like me, he thinks if you're going to ride a geared bike you might as well learn on one.

The other place turned down my suggestion that I should have a couple of lessons (this was before I started breaking their bikes) and said that I should just keep repeating the CBT till I pass - well, look where that has got me, it's been over two months now and what with postponements and stuff there has been no continuity, which hasn't helped. It does seem illogical to me that people can get on a bike, with no experience, in the morning, and be allowed to drive around unsupervised by the late afternoon. You can't do that in a car, can you?

To cut this rather long story short, I decided I might as well take the whole afternoon off in case the hour overran a bit. The instructor said in that case, I might as well go along after lunch and spend the whole afternoon with him. So it sounds like he reckons he can sort me out. And I can always go back to the idea of actual lessons, which have been kind of forgotten somewhere along the way.

Well done, chuffed for you.

Great posts, ste & sizey, I wish I'd done it years ago too. Way behind you though Well done, both.

And I wish the site wouldn't keep putting SCOOTER in capitals. No need to rub it in!

So today was my third attempt (not counting the one that had to be stopped within the first five minutes because I broke the clutch lever). On the silly little Barbie bike, which was at least a sensible camo green. Everything was going brilliantly till I accelerated too fast out of a right-hand junction, shot across the road, mounted the kerb and ended up in a hedge. Unfortunately the hedge was on the far side of a brick wall so I broke the bike. Well, the fairing anyway.

A passing biker who happened to have his white van with him stopped and put the scooter in the back of his van and took it back to the training centre, which was nice of him.

I am so disappointed I could cry. I am so angry with myself. I really thought I was going to succeed today. I can't have another go till they've fixed the scooter.

It was the same instructor who took me the time I broke the clutch lever, when I was still being too stubborn to master the basics on the scooter. He must think I'm an idiot. For those who haven't read my posts before, I have reluctantly decided to get my CBT (if I ever do) on a scooter just to get road legal so I can get a geared bike and get out onto the road - I found it too much to master the balance, steering and brakes as well as the clutch control all at once and I have taken the advice of several people on here to just take the gears out of the equation until I've nailed all the rest of it.

The instructor did say I was doing fine until then.

It wasn't their fault, matavin - the instructor went off sick and the only other one available last night was teaching; it's only a little company, I feel comfortable with them, and I don't want to have to start getting to know anybody else. Also, the only other local company doesn't work evenings or weekends - presumably their clients are all retired or unemployed - so I haven't much choice .

My third (and I hope final) attempt to complete my CBT has been cancelled at the last minute.

OK, so it's nobody's fault, but that's the second time I've been all psyched up and this has happened

I've got another date booked but I'm not telling anybody now till after I've done it.

Thank you, staningrimsby, I go again Friday evening (the 8th).

I've had my daughter visiting from Australia for the last five weeks, so I've had other things going on, plus not wanting to take too much time away from her - even just being in the same house was good. Now she's gone back so no excuses!

Well done. That makes me so jealous! I'm having my third go next week - not entirely my own fault but there has been a long gap between my first and second tries, so I forgot everything. Well done you.

Well done her, I can really relate to that and good on her for getting back on and finishing it off. It's all about practice and if she had something to practise on between sessions she'd soon get it. She'll get a little better each time and will soon be looking back on this and feeling proud of herself.

Still waiting - I was supposed to go and finish off on Thursday but they had to cancel, so I was all psyched up for nothing. Next available date (as I have to do that inconvenient thing called working) is the evening of 8th August. I just hope I haven't forgotten everything by then.