Triumphrat

bigred900 · 09-20-2009, 09:10 AM

Hello all,

I have volunteered for the daunting task of tutoring a new rider and am looking for some tips on how to best prepare him for the british road system.

He passed his CBT last week and has his own bike (that I collected for him). My concern is that he has never used the roads before, never driven a car and only rarely used a bicycle. I've taken him out to get his confidence up on car parks and quiet roads but don't think this is preparing him too well for going solo.

His actual control of the bike is fine on car parks, but when he gets onto the road he panics a little and misses road signs and markings.

I know several of you guys are instructors and I'm looking for a few tips on how to nurture his ability safely. Is it best to throw him in at the deep end and ride busy roads with him or build his confidence gently on quieter roads (not many of those in SW London) and car parks.

Any advise is thankfully received, I want him to learn well and stay alive.

Cheers,

Wayne

Tiger-G · 09-20-2009, 09:47 AM

Hi Wayne,

As you probably know I'm an Instructor.

You have got a daunting task on your hands !!

If he's just got through a CBT (Compulsary Basic Training course, for the non Brits reading) then the Instructor would not have written his certificate out without him being good at a basic safe standard.

I would not recommend using bike to bike communications as this really is a specialised job. If you say the wrong thing at the wrong moment you could put him in potential danger, i.e. - if you say "No" at a junction and he hears it as "GO" there could be a brown trouser moment.

I think the best thing to do is to let him do his own riding and you follow him at a safe distance. Stop every now and again for a brief and a debrief. Or you could do a demonstration ride and let him follow. It's amazing how easy riding can be when you are following someone else's lead.

I think it's quite important that you don't tell him how to do it, in case you are telling him conflicting information to his Instructor. Ask him how he was taught to do something, and go with that.

Also be aware of the insurance implications just in case either of you are involved in a collision. You won't be covered to tutor someone else. But then again, they would have to know you were doing that to reject a claim

It's amazing what a full fluorescent jacket can do when you are riding around together. Drivers are not sure if you are bike cops, Instructors, etc, so you will be given more space and respect, thus helping to keep that safety bubble around you.

Personally, I would not advocate a non Instructor tutoring a novice, but if you have to do it, I hope the above helps.

How old is he ??

And keep us posted.

Pickaxe · 09-20-2009, 12:52 PM

I'd second Graeme's advice. Let him follow you around for a few hours/days. It's amazing how quickly riders of any standard 'cotton on', under those conditions.

Importantly, don't try and fill his head with advanced riding tecniques or try and impress him with your ability. It will end in tears.

bigred900 · 09-20-2009, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the advice guys.

Apparently (i wasn't there), his instructor gave him his CBT under the condition that he practiced lots because his road knowledge isn't second nature yet. Hence my involvement.

I do have intercoms and have been using them, but have been very careful not to say too much on them, just things like directions and pointing out things he should be aware of. I agree with your point about contradicting his training and have tried not to do so. I'm also very aware of not filling his head with my experience. He has to learn for himself (albeit in a guided way).

I think next time we ride out, I will take your suggestions and I'll lead and he can follow and copy. Monkey see, monkey do.

I also agree with Graeme's point about me being an unqualified instructor. If he could afford a proper instructor for a while, I would urge him to do so. Unfortunately, he's 20 and a student so money is very much an issue for him. So I'm kinda trying to act more as a supporter than an instructor.

Thanks for the tips, all very helpful.

I will keep you posted.

Wayne

FifeTiger · 09-21-2009, 06:48 AM

I agree with the lead and follow idea, make sure all your gestures, observations and checks are done melodramatically so he can see them.

Stop after a while and have a chat, ask a few questions like 'Did you see the... at the... ?' 'How often are you looking in your mirror ?' etc Encourage him to take the assertive road position, give himself enough soace etc. etc.

Then swap and follow on for a while. Take a slightly protective road position in case he puts himself in danger.

Stop and chat again.

And repeat til you're happy enough or too scared to continue.

saphena · 09-21-2009, 09:14 AM

Remember, you're not merely trying to keep him alive, not merely trying to give him skills good enough for a life on the road, you're also trying to help him pass his driving test.

Think learner driver whenever you're out with him. Stop at lights in gear, foot on brake; always indicate even when no-one's there; always turn your head to check the mirrors, etc

bigred900 · 09-23-2009, 10:05 AM

Thanks for all the tips guys.

We went out for a ride the other day and I made him follow and watch me the whole time. I had the intercoms on and just made a sparse commentary on what I was looking out for and thinking at key moments.

This approach seemed to work well as he rode excellently the whole ride. Smooth and calm all the way. It also made him push the speed a little as he has a tendency to be cautious with the throttle and hover around the 20-25mph area.

I kept my riding totally by the book, making huge obvious observations and signaling everything. I think I learned a little from the experience too ;-)

I will lead again on the next ride then start doing the lead/chat /follow routine on subsequent rides.

Saphena, you are quite right about him being in training for his full license. I hadn't quite thought about it like that.

Thanks again for all your input.

Wayne

FifeTiger · 09-23-2009, 10:27 AM

Just reminded me of something I saw on TV years ago. A police bike rider did a demo ride, and he just talked through everything he saw, heard and thought.

You should try this yourself. Say everything you see and do out loud. I couldn't talk fast enough to keep up with what I was doing, your mouth can only say one thing while your brain sees, hears, assesses, decides and does all at the same time.

I'm not suggesting you do it, certainly not over the intercom except as a short burst example, but your friend does.

It might help him think about what he's doing, and when he hears himself doing it he may realise he's doing something in the wrong order or at the wrong time or, hopefully, it'll give him confidence that he's doing things automatically and he can concentrate on areas where he's not so strong instead of everything.

TucsonBill · 09-23-2009, 06:40 PM

I am tutoring my daughter, not a kid but 26 yrs old. The best investment I made was the Cardo Rider Q2. The intercomm is amazingly clear, VOX, and fully duplex, so it's like being in the seat next to her. We can ride anywhere, and at the beginning she's just doing the riding, and I'm doing the routing and other details that she can add to her skills as they develop. Being her Dad, I probably have more concerns than the average tutor, but we're moving ahead. She "graduated from 125cc to 650cc and I'm picking up "her" Tiger next week in Denver. I'm looking forward to the ride back to Tucson, 900 miles through the Rockie Mountains!
Oh, I have "experienced" the roads in the UK and Ireland. Traffic as bad as any in the US, just on the other side of the road!
Best of luck to the newby!