Having just passed

[bikerchick66]

Hi, just a quick question, having passed my test 18/10/2021 and feeling really nervous riding on my own do I put a P on my bike or is that making me a target 

thank you 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

39 minutes ago, bikerchick66 said:

Hi, just a quick question, having passed my test 18/10/2021 and feeling really nervous riding on my own do I put a P on my bike or is that making me a target 

thank you 

I would not. One hassle for learners is motorists thinking they can bully them. A P might help with courteous drivers but they're not your problem. It's an invitation to the wrong kind of driver.

 

If you have to ride on your own pick your time and route carefully. If possible get someone to shadow you for a few rides just to get yourself into the post test groove.

 

And congratulations of course.

[Guest]

Well done on passing, don't put a p on the bike as my learned friend above suggests. Whereabouts are you, might be some folks on here who are out and about you could tag along with.

[Yorky]

2 minutes ago, goat said:

Whereabouts are you, might be some folks on here who are out and about you could tag along with.

 

I'm going to take a guess that she may be in Haverhill, Suffolk

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Yorky said:

 

I'm going to take a guess that she may be in Haverhill, Suffolk

You and your wizardry. You'll be burnt at the stake.well that being the case there are a few if us here in the area, I'm near a popular zoo in Norfolk and there are a few Suffolks whom I'm sure wouldn't mind a bimble.

[Spongefinger]

Have you passed CBT or full test ? I found my confidence riding alone was not great after CBT but after doing full license training and tests I was fine. 

[fastbob]

Take it easy , progress at your own pace . Riding often is probably going to be more beneficial than riding far to begin with . Make sure you are in the right frame of mind and if nothing is going right just turn around and go home . There's always another day . 

[fullscreenaging]

Well done on the pass. 
 

Like fastbob said, take your time. 
it can take years to develop the skills. 
It’s not like driving a car, which again can take a long time to develop the correct skills if you want to become a good driver, which most don’t. 

 

I remember when I first passed my test at the age of 36 and started getting the miles under my belt that I was very slow around bends and couldn’t believe how easy others made it look to get round them twice as fast as I could. 
So I found educational bits online and learned the theory side of what was going  on and trained my brain. I then just went out every opportunity I had to practice. 
I’ve now been riding 17 years, (7 years solid as I had to take 5 years out due to health reasons). 

An old friend recently passed his test and I could see that he is where I was once upon a time. 
I could see he was frustrated as to why he couldn’t ride like me even though my pace was very subdued for him. 
I gave him some advice on how to improve. 

 

One big thing I will say is ride your own ride and don’t ride over your skill level. 

Get into empty car parks and practice the manoeuvres you learned on your lessons, but try and advance them. Practice the E Stop often so it’s ingrained into your muscle memory. 
Learn about the vanishing point (Lots of info on the web) and also learn about counter steering (I thought I’d bring it up as it’s not been mentioned for ages ) Have a look at this. It might be a bit heavy at the minute, but you’ll be able to pick bits out of this to help you understand how the bike works. 
 

 

You can always stick yourself on training programs like i2i or go down the IAM or ROSPA routes. 

 

Biking is a journey so don’t feel bad about where you are now. Learn and grow and enjoy every minute out on your bike. 

Have fun out there. 

Edited November 11, 2021 by fullscreenaging

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

What others have said about riding at your own pace.....this is probably the best advice for newer riders.

 

If you're ever in a group that doesn't ride to the speed of the least experienced rider then leave that group immediately.

[gymwitch]

Well done on your pass. The more you get out the quicker your confidence will grow. I started out doing small runs to shops, friends and my mums. My commute to work was good too but meant me coming home down country roads in the dark. Occassionally id be bullied to go quicker so i just indicated,pulled over and let them past. You've as much right to be on the road as anybody. 

Enjoy !!!

[techniques]

Hello! P sign on your bike? You're asking for problems lol.

 

I was in your shoes exactly 13 months ago and here are my safety tips for a new rider. 

 

1) Don't get carried away (too much). It's easy to get caught up in a spat of road rage, impatience or silliness with the throttle. Whenever I've had "oopsie" moments in this past year, I was caught up in one of those 3. On 2 wheels, you must keep a level head, at all times. Your life depends on it. You can't afford to lose your shit as it translates into your riding.

 

2) Don't overtake at T-junctions, any junctions, anyone's driveway. Basically, anywhere a car could turn into or come out of, don't overtake there. Don't fly into blind corners. Don't sit behind a car, always be off to one side. a) Better visibility. b) They like to reverse without looking and slam their brakes on for no reason. You think I'm joking? Wait and see. Never assume ANYTHING with cars. Don't assume they can see you. Don't assume they'll stop at the give way line. Don't assume they'll do the right thing.   

 

3)Do give your tyres at least 10 mins to warm up. Fast acceleration, progressive heavy braking to get heat into them. Heat = grip. I use this time to practise my emergency braking, when there's no one behind you, of course. Practise your swerve & emergency braking, regularly. Swerve around drains and potholes until it becomes second nature. The day will come when you'll have to swerve around a human being and/or a car. Enjoy!

 

 

Obvious, but honourable mentions - ATGATT. Further training. Went into that corner a little too fast? Don't grab a fist full of front brake mid bend. Counter steer and lean. Trust your bike. It's more skilled than you.

 

 

[TimR]

If having a P plate on your bike reassures you DO IT and sod the ' oh your asking for trouble' . It is others people's attitude at fault as they see the P and don't change their attitude and behaviour  to accommodate your newly acquired and developing skill set.

 

 Only you can gauge your anxiety levels and coping strategy .

[Spongefinger]

What I would suggest is go out early on a Saturday/Sunday morning when the roads are empty the more you ride the more confident you become, then as you get more confident go out later when traffic starts to build and carry on the process until you are happy to ride at the busiest time of day.

[NER]

You could put a P plate on and hope that other people treat you nicely or you could do further training with IAM or ROSPA and keep developing your skills to be more in control of your situation. Also having an observer with you may give you reassurance that what you are doing is good/right/safe.