Signed up to RoSPA Training

[cpettifer]

We had a discussion a few weeks ago about advanced rider training. Well I've gone and signed up to the Gloucester RoSPA group for riders and drivers. I'm about to be assigned a trainer and thought people might be vaguely interested in how I get on, so I'll post to this thread with updates.

So far I've had a phone call with a chap who is trying to assign me a trainer, to find out what my riding experience is, what I want to get out of doing it and how often I ride etc, plus my availability.

To answer some of those questions... I've been riding for 4.5 years or so. I estimate that I do around 10k miles a year (although this could be more on the GTR than on previous bikes). Most of my riding is commuting on the motorway, all year round and in most weather. I want to do RoSPA to be a better, safer rider.

[O.C.]

It would be great to have updates and hear how you get on..I still haven't heard back from RoSPA and TBH I've not done anything about it yet...but I will 

[routemaster]

Wishing you all the best with the training - hopefully you will find it worthwhile I know I did.
I occasionally travel up to join Gloucester RoSPA on some of their ride outs.

Kind regards

Steve

[Lonewolf]

You'll enjoy it if it's something you really want to learn from. I have my last assessment with the senior trainer before my test coming up shortly.  So far I've been told I'm a very strong silver and 80% of each of my rides are of a gold standard. I've been told I'm more than capable of getting a gold. Time will tell!!Ultimately I wanted to become a safer, more competent rider. I feel that I have already achieved that target, therefore whatever the outcome now I'll be very satisfied with it. Most of my feedback has been positive, yes I've had a few points to address and work at to improve, but thats what its all about.

Please do keep us all updated with your progress and just enjoy it. 

[patrick]

I totally recommend advanced training, of any nature, as having done IAM and RoSPA i know both of these tests contributed to my safe graduation from a 600cc Hornet via  a CBF 1000 to my GTR.

Its 3 yrs since i acheived my RoSPA Gold so I need to get my finger... and bike ... out and do the 3 yr re-test.

Good luck with your training.

P

[cpettifer]

I've now been assigned a tutor, I just have to arrange for my first meet up.

For those not in the know, at the first meet, besides going for a ride there's some admin stuff to do. My tutor needs to check my documentation, i.e. my bike is road worthy (MOT etc), taxed, insured etc and that I can legally ride it (i.e. check my driving licence), plus do the basic eye test to make sure I can see as per the highway code! :-)

It's been recommended I get a copy of Motorcycle Roadcraft – The Police Rider's Handbook to Better Motorcycling (ISBN 978 0 11 341143 6), which the training is based on (as is IAM I believe), but I already have this so I dusted it off! ;-) I will also need to brush up on my highway code.

Finally, they are sending me a training log for me to record the stuff we cover and keep a record of everything.

[Foody]

Hey good luck with that.

None of us are born able to ride a bike ( we may be born to ride, but not born riders) so what we learn along the way is so important.

I consider myself to be very lucky in that the job I chose gave me as much driver and rider training as I could ever wish for.

I am now an Examiner for the Advanced Bike Test for RoSPA so if there is anything you want to know about the test, when the time comes then just ask.

Enjoy it, and well done for signing up. 

[Lonewolf]

Well I had my final training session today with my tutor, it was more of a leisure ride than a lesson, no dramas or issues raised, I should have my PTA, (pre test assessment) next week swiftly followed by my test. Apparently the senior trainer likes candidates to take their test very soon after the PTA.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I'm already wondering what new challenge I can set myself!!

[O.C.]

I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I'm already wondering what new challenge I can set myself!!

well now Steve....I reckon that you've just asked the $64,000 question   

Anyone got any ideas   

[stoketim]

for a good days training check out i2i motorcycle academy MC1 and MC3 are great courses and i really enjoyed them and learned alot of new stuff

[cpettifer]

I've got my first ride next Saturday. In the mean time I've received a log book to record progress etc and I need to start swotting up on Roadcraft...

[cpettifer]

First ride report

I delayed my first ride for a week as I had a cold when it was initially scheduled, so I went out on Saturday. I met up with my lovely tutor at a pub in Tewksbury. We arrived at exactly the same time, which was good! He seems like a really nice chap, so that's a good start. First off we just had a bit of a chat about bikes and stuff, he has a lovely R1 (W reg I think) which is in top condition. Then he checked my licence and insurance etc and we nattered about the GTR.

All we had planned to do on this first meet was to meet, have a short ride and then chat over a coffee. So, we went for a brief spin around the block:

http://g.co/maps/yhpe6

Which took 20 minutes or so, then had a coffee and chat! From my point of view the ride was OK, pretty gentle bimble on a number of roads. He commented that it was a smooth, progressive and safe ride with nothing to cause him any concern! So a good start then.

Things to work on for next time, when we will ride for longer, are to use less gears on these roads (i.e. only a couple most of the time) to allow for better overall control rather than dancing around the box and a minor point to plan my route to avoid man holes and white lines as much as possible. Then we discussed a couple of chapters to read in Roadcraft before next time, such as the observation one, as he sees that as the key to everything else falling into place; although he did rate my observation as already being very good. Finally, to get into my head the roadworthiness and daily riding checks.

So far so good. We should be meeting up again in a couple of weeks for a ride back over the same route (to see my improvement of the couple of areas mentioned) and then onto a longer route around the area.

[Kevin]

Our local ROSPA co-ordinator sent me an email a couple of weeks ago that I really must reply to but I'm too busy to do any training at the moment :(.


Kevin

[Nok12rs]

So, ROSPA is, in the main, favoured by the forum over IAM ?

[O.C.]

I still haven't had any reply from my local RoSPA..

I'll havce to chase them up

Thanks for the update which makes good reading