Yvanka

Thanks all for your suggestions.

When I got on the road what makes me nervous is the combination of having to think about where to go, think about all the road signs and think about gears, and meanwhile be aware of other cars, people, foxes etc. It's just too much, so if someone rides in front of me, at least I don't have to think about where I'm going which makes it easier. When I get more confident then I can go in front, and someone behind me will just make me feel safer.

I have tried other motorcycle forums, thanks, and I've tried searching for users, but can't find - BikerMooFromMars..?

I know like no other person what you're going through right now!

I actually told my dad there was no way I'd take a bike on the road by myself. I've done my CBT on a 125 but still feel really insecure being on the road (Especially English roads as I come from the right side of the road).

My dad however told me to toughen up and just take a bike up some not so busy roads, (maybe some little town roads?) So you can really pick up the whole controlling part so that the changing gears and things will become a habit.

If you feel comfortable like that, try to take some 'easy' roads that you know to sort of get used to feel more secure on the road itself.

Well, if you still don't feel too secure, which I can fully understand, I think you should indeed find someone to guide you through for a little while. But still, if you find a little confidence and you don't do weird things on the road, you should be fine. You're still on L-plates, which means you're still learning! Otherwise like others have said, maybe book another CBT where you only go on the roads. The instructor can probably teach you better than just any road user (no offence).

I'm sorry I can't help you, I would've loved to! But I have to admit, I haven't been on the English roads for longer than 2 hours (which was during my CBT) so I probably wouldn't be able to help you very much, haha. But when I'm in Oxford again, I'd love to meet up with you to go out for a drive together! It always helps when your with more than one!

Well, I've never done Calais to the south in one day but believe me, if you are going to the good roads in the south, the first 500 miles of France are just shit, flat, straight, boring motorways and you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it. It helps that being in Essex, we are just over an hour or so away from the Euro tunnel. A few weeks ago without knocking our bollocks out we did Essex to Beaune on our first day which was 486 miles just blasting it on the toll roads and then the second day was spent getting to Tourrettes sur Loup in the south to a villa where we were staying for a week doing a bit of motorway and some good roads and then doing ride outs each day. A few years ago we got home in one day from Chamonix - 661 miles door to door - and I was on a 650 Burgman scooter at the time! If you were coming from up north and planned to just get across the channel on day 1 staying near Calais, the south would be doable in one day. Easy.

Last year we went to lake Garda but instead of going through France, we went through Belgium, Lichtenstein, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Switzerland was the dirtiest, shittiest country we went through (at least the bit we saw of it) and the only country where they absolutely hate bikers - bikes are not allowed to filter in traffic and if you try to, they block you or try to knock you off! I'm not joking either.

Include The Netherlands next time, we have fantastic roads, like they're (almost) all newly asphalted.

France indeed is quite tedious, maybe think of taking a little detour past the coast!

On your way to Italy, you went the wrong way when it comes to roads... Hahahah. The roads in Belgium are horrible.

You go though! I hope I'll become more like you when I reach the magical age of 21, or at least 19 so I can drive a more suitable bike!

I live in Blackpool! I only have my CBT done on a 125! I'd love to go on a ride out! I don't have a bike yet, but it should come soon as I'm about to start college an hour away from me. But when I have one, I'm in!