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SometimesSansEngine

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Everything posted by SometimesSansEngine

  1. I got so sick of the velcro on the bike school bib giving up on the road and flapping around that I got a heart rate monitor strap and used that to secure it. One less thing to worry about on my test. I personally would always go for a zip up one
  2. I once got on the wrong side of a work colleague by cycling alongside their driver window whilst they moved forward in traffic. Staring at their phone the whole time, moved forward about 30 metres without realising I was there. I even had a helmet light on FFS. Eventually she spotted me, looked surprised, then broke out into a grin, said "morning" and laughed. "Put your f'ing phone down!" was my reply and then I carried on to work. Five minutes later in to work she walked, "thanks for the lecture but I was keeping an eye on the road" Yeah, clearly.
  3. Yeah I saw you. I bet it was way before you thought I did too. I was travelling along the main road at 50mph, coming up to that dodgy side road where people are inclined to pull out. I was keeping an eye on the van when in a gap in a hedgerow I saw a flash of a bike. And yes, as I passed the junction I saw you emerge out of it in my mirror. Funnily enough just in front of the van, and I heard the van honk his horn at you, clearly surprised you'd pulled that stunt. Going up the offside of a van waiting to turn right out of a dodgy junction really isn't a good idea chap. Then as we hit that queue of traffic on the sharp left hand bend I saw you come right up to my back wheel and stop at the last millisecond, clearly thinking I was going to filter. You probably don't think of it this way, and maybe I'm being high and mighty, but I probably saved you a nasty injury because did you spot that oncoming coach that came around the bend that would have taken you out if you had proceeded? I did. To be honest, I wasn't bothered when you overtook me. I'd rather you were in front of me where I could see you rather than up my chuff. You probably think I'm a fuddy duddy, but with riding and forward planning like that I fear you'll be injured or dead before you get a chance to take those l-plates off buddy.
  4. That's progressive access only. Progressive access == A1 -> A2 or A2 -> DAS is that it?!? Yes, albeit replace 'DAS' at the end there with 'A' http://lightningpass.com/progressive-access
  5. Really?!? Gov's website is very confusing in that regard: Being DAS, I probably don't fall into the latter. So it seems as it is valid as long as my theory test is valid, right? I wuz wrong. From that, it looks like you've got 6 months. That's progressive access only.
  6. Normally no more than 10 minutes. Just realised my question was SHITE! hahahah How long does it stay valid for, I meant... It's valid for as long as your theory test pass certificate is. eg if you have 18 months to go until your theory test expires, you have 18 months before your mod 1 pass is invalid.
  7. Hey [mention]Seidinger1986[/mention] I failed my car test three times if it helps But joking aside, loads of people will be in the same boat as you. If it helps, reading what you've written you have the right mindset. You're being reflective and not ranting and raving about some outside influence that means your failing. The main thing from here is to not like that reflection become doubt and tenseness in your riding. The advice I always give (and if I feel like I'm riding badly I remind myself of) is slow in, fast out. On your test on approach to a hazard (eg junction you're turning into, roundabout, parked car on your side of the road etc.) drop it down a few mph slower than you normally would. Not enough to look like your dawdling or hold up traffic behind you. But it gives you plenty of time to assess. Aim to go but plan to stop. Then after you passed the hazard, acclerate confident and briskly to a safe speed. This gives you more time to assess and make that right decision your instructor is talking about. You'll look very confident to the examiner too with good anticipation. The good news is you can practice this on your 125 every time you ride. Practical examples for each of your three failures: You complete your turn, part of your slowing down is you mentally repeating that you need to cancel that indicator and then briskly accelerate You slow to a crawl, you are effectively doing slow control ala mod 1, you turn in whilst neatly slipping that clutch, assess ahead as you enter the junction, check blind spot then move out and around the first parked car then briskly accelerate You see the light ahead is green and has been the whole time you've been approaching, so you know it's very likely to change. You knock a few mph off and are planning to stop, but aiming to go. As you pass the light you glance in your mirrors then accelerate back up to the speed limit Keep your chin up
  8. The Kryptonite locks like that don't have a great rep in the cycling world, pretty easy to cut through although for a short time would be a decent deterent.. A better option might be the Masterlock Street Cuff https://road.cc/content/review/35027-masterlock-street-cuff-lock Would be pretty easy to attach that to things
  9. A bike instructor once said to me that rational, intelligent people find it harder. Whereas rash crazy folk are able to just throw caution to the wind and therefore pick it all up No idea if that's true mind
  10. Hey Joe, sorry to hear this. It sounds like everything else is in place so you'll get there. Third might do it. The main reason for plumping for 2nd is you're sure to get it up to the 50km/h. But I've heard that if yes the noise etc is unnerving then 3rd will give you that extra reassurance and the bike should accelerate well enough if you're not going to slow around the curve. Have you seen this vid by Roadcraft Nottingham? He advises one of his pupils to do just that "> For the rest of it, don't overthink it. The examiner is looking for a deviation out and through the cones, then a second clear direction change to get back on your original line. So it's a HARD push one way whilst looking at the further blue cone, then a HARD push to get back on line, then focus on your braking to a stop. Trust me, anything else is overcomplicating it and I don't think will help you. Know that at that speed the bike isn't going to lose traction on the test pad surface. [mention]mikestrivens[/mention] advice is spot on. Practice so you know it instinctively (especially as it might save your life one day anyway)
  11. Yeah you're not the first, as you know. I remember the kerb being awfully interesting on my u-turn. You'll get there, with some additional tuition too.
  12. But therein lies the rub Mike. I have no doubt that over time things will sort themselves out. But they're trying to negotiate an awful lot of changes all at once. How we operated outside the EU came about through many years of agreements as and when they were required. not rushed within two years. The transition deal, as much as some leavers bemoaned the concept of fudging us staying in the EU would give us the time to sort everything else out. Leave with no deal and technically there's a lot of agreements that cease to exist. I don't personally think we'd go months with no planes landing or ferries crossing, but at the same time there will be a period of pain where the powers that be come to an agreement and then those instructions filter down to the actual people on the ground. It'll come out in the wash.... but if there's no deal it might be quite a long cycle
  13. I have used these on the bicycle [mention]Slowlycatchymonkey[/mention], they're very versatile and effective https://fibreflare.com/
  14. Just today on my Biker Down course the retired copper said as long as you're not showing a red light to the front you can dress yourself up however you like. He did also say whether you would want to or not is another matter
  15. Not necessarily. It'll force you to focus on the roads and signs. I find I take note of road signs loads more on the bike then whilst in the car and consider what they could mean for me in the very near future.... See if you can do the same as it'll help you out no end even if the road is unfamiliar.
  16. Just remembered this vid I saw a couple of weeks ago [mention]Mrbubba[/mention], dug it out for you. Demonstrates the calmness and smoothness you're looking for. Deserves more than the 920 odd views its had so far ">
  17. Only he didn't do it with cones (or on a motorbike, but that's not important right now) Was definitely above 50kmh though so won't have to go around for another try. https://www.formula1.com/en/video/2018/10/FP1__Slow-speed_Gasly_forces_Hamilton_to_take_avoiding_action.html
  18. This is about as personal as I want to get on here, but I want to balance that a bit. A few years ago I got a phone call at work to tell me something similar about one of my children. I drove home. When I got home a paramedic who had been attending my house drove me to A&E under blue lights. I should *not* have driven to A&E so I'm glad I was given a lift. No way was I in a fit state. I shouldn't have driven home either really but did. This isn't too condone the actions of the magistrate, but trust me you shouldn't drive when you are in that mental state. You could easily become an incident yourself. My best advice to anyone in a similar circumstance is to beg a lift. Please.
  19. My son did similar, could have even been the same scheme (Computer Explorers I think?). I remember when we looked up the software it was £
  20. Do you already have the images? If not, try the StikBot Studio app on mobile and use that to capture them. Works very well. In fact, I think you can import pictures into that so might still work... I've used ScreenToGif on windows too, which might do the job for you. Just a few ideas hope they help
  21. Now showing as out of stock... sorry I did notice Wiltshire RoSPA say they have it available to purchase by members, not sure if anyone on here is a member and can arrange? http://www.wiltshireroadar.co.uk/members/merchandise/
  22. After doing some searching this might be the only copy going for a reasonable price online: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/david-jones/not-the-blue-book/GOR002907191 Although if they're using the same reseller as Abebooks were using for that one copy then sorry, I've already nabbed it
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