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RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Wilftop — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:48:40 GMT

Really good trick, reading that made me remember my CBT a few years ago, wow it's gone quick. I have to say I like your choice of bike (I had a SR too & I loved it!).

I paid about £300-400 for my DAS when I did it 4/5 years ago. But as the others have said it is worth it, there is only 2 of you & the instructor. Your out all day bar lunch & you do learn lots from it. I did the 4 days & 5th day was quick chill out ride & then out for the test. I never knew some of those muscles existed until I felt the pain of riding for 5 days solid all day.

Thankfully you harden up. I never thought I'd be able to cope with the weight of the GN but it's wierd how quickly you get used to the new weight & it's never too long until you're pushing it about like it's nothing. Good for keeping your arms in shape too!

Plus why have 4 wheels when 2 are so much more fun, and better than public transport. I still love the fact that when I drive to our other office in Worthing (3 times this week) I can filter through all the traffic.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:19:46 GMT

And amen to that!

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:43:40 GMT

Good work, Trick. I'm impressed by your instructor as well: obviously a sensible bloke and some good advice there.

Might also mention the new SHARP helmet tests - they're a little controversial, but provide a rating based on more extensive testing than the EU minimum. Surprisingly, a lot of cheaper helmets (sub-£150) do quite well in comparison to some real flagship (£300-400+) models...which is part of the source of controversy. And make sure that, whatever standard and price range you go for, it fits properly in all dimensions: that is, in its' own way, at least as important as the build quality.

The two-part test and the reduction from 250 to 125cc for learners came in in 82/83, just before I was old enough to ride. But my full car license entitled me at 17 to ride any kind of moped (including unrestricted FS1Es etc) without L plates and was a permanent provisional bike license for up to 125cc, no CBT required to ride on the road. Not too bad, really, and like BD I just rode thousands of miles (on my Honda H100) until I was ready to take the test. (Although when I found out how much easier and smoother a bigger four-stroke multi was to control, I rather wished I'd gone for it a bit earlier)!

The actual test was a few questions first, then an observed ride. Early days of one-way helmet-to-helmet radio, with added static, so it was an utter gamble whether you got any of the directions right - luckily it wasn't a fail to go the wrong way. Pretty much every instruction from the examiner consisted of: "At the end of the road ***hiss***crackle***". I still have no idea whether we stuck to the approved route from the first corner onwards!

Sidewinders were fantastic things: suicidal, but fantastic. Not terribly clear from the pic, but it was just a weighted wheel on a stick, with a swivel joint to allow it to fold up:

Have to say, I think the roads are more dangerous now and it is of benefit to have increased the level of pre-road training and the stringency of the testing. Up to a point. It could have been implemented an awful lot more simply and the costs are outrageous (integrated transport policy at work: zero encouragement to get people on to two wheels. What a surprise: New Labour failed on yet another manifesto promise). I also think that the point has been reached where additional training in the vacuum of a non-real situation doesn't really achieve anything - at some stage, you just have to get out there and play with the traffic to learn how to deal with it. The new "swerve" test seems a little harsh, too (as well as not particularly realistic), but rumour has it it's been responsible for a number of broken limbs and a lot more dropped bikes...especially if you're unlucky enough to be doing part 1 in the rain. Rather than being allowed to slow down for conditions, the manoeuvre has to be carried out at 50kph+, with not much braking distance after the swerve. Result: inexperienced riders jam the brakes on before straightening up and kiss their front wheel goodbye.

Thirty years from now, we'll be the only proper road users. Everybody else will be chauffered around by electronically-guided vehicles with full collision avoidance systems and more safety interlocks than the space shuttle. Bikes may come with 'em, but I bet we'll be the only people figuring out ways to disconnect them and get on with riding...

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:39:16 GMT

Black Dog (17/06/2009)

Nice one, Trick.

Thank You!

Black Dog (17/06/2009)

I obviously belong to the generation before the esteemed Endo. In my day, a car licence acted as a provisional licence for a bike, and you could ride anything up to 250cc on L-plates. No passengers (unless full bike licence) but you could do this for ever if you wanted, without ever taking a test. No CBT - just get on and ride until you felt ready for the test. I did it all on a Honda C70, and by the time of my test had done thousands of miles with L-plates on, including several crossings of the Pennines. The test was a breeze - round the block one way (doing right turns), then the other way (doing left turns), emergency stop, a few questions on the Highway Code, and Robert was your mother's brother. The examiner was standing by the roadside, so you were out of sight of him for at least 50% of the test. .

I wish it was like that still, would make my life one hell of a lot easier and cheaper. But hey ho that the way it goes. I wonder what it will be like in another 30 years time? With human evolution... it may be only clarevoyants that can drive as you must be able to pre-empt every manouver of every road user for 1 mile in front (minimum). Thats just for the provisional.

Fair enough young people die on motorbikes, but they have chosen to ride one, in full knowledge that they could be skidding sideways to their death at any moment. But why make it so hard? When do you ever need to slalom inbetween cones in real life? I'm pretty sure if you were ever cought doing this on the street you'd get pulled over for dangerous driving.

By gum C70 was a beast

Black Dog (17/06/2009)

The learner laws also allowed you to ride a bike of unlimited capacity provided it had a sidecar attached. Plenty of people I knew bought an old BSA 650 or Norton, stuck a chair on, and that was it. There was even a very racy thing called a Sidewinder, which was basically a frame with a wheel on it which was hinged to the bike frame - technically a sidecar, but you could lean it. It looked highly dangerous, but was legal. .

This sounds rather comical!

Black Dog (17/06/2009)

I take my hat off to the young bikers of today, with all the expense and hassle of the CBT and two-part test. As a 16/17 year old, I'm not sure I could have afforded it or even been bothered - especially as there were things a young man could do in a car that were pretty much impossible on a bike. And I'm not talking about smoking.

It does seem rather hard. I'm sure the government is determined to make us all use public tansport as its "cheaper". The only thing is the current population on theroad isn't getting any younger...

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:19:32 GMT

Nice one, Trick. I obviously belong to the generation before the esteemed Endo. In my day, a car licence acted as a provisional licence for a bike, and you could ride anything up to 250cc on L-plates. No passengers (unless full bike licence) but you could do this for ever if you wanted, without ever taking a test. No CBT - just get on and ride until you felt ready for the test. I did it all on a Honda C70, and by the time of my test had done thousands of miles with L-plates on, including several crossings of the Pennines. The test was a breeze - round the block one way (doing right turns), then the other way (doing left turns), emergency stop, a few questions on the Highway Code, and Robert was your mother's brother. The examiner was standing by the roadside, so you were out of sight of him for at least 50% of the test. The learner laws also allowed you to ride a bike of unlimited capacity provided it had a sidecar attached. Plenty of people I knew bought an old BSA 650 or Norton, stuck a chair on, and that was it. There was even a very racy thing called a Sidewinder, which was basically a frame with a wheel on it which was hinged to the bike frame - technically a sidecar, but you could lean it. It looked highly dangerous, but was legal. Shortly afterwards, the X7, RD250 and KR-1S came out and broke the 100mph barrier, the law changed and the Sidewinder became redundant - probably a good thing too. But the route into biking was easy and cheap. I take my hat off to the young bikers of today, with all the expense and hassle of the CBT and two-part test. As a 16/17 year old, I'm not sure I could have afforded it or even been bothered - especially as there were things a young man could do in a car that were pretty much impossible on a bike. And I'm not talking about smoking.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:48:39 GMT

By now it should be around lunch time, time for a de-briefing (as my instructor called it) and some food. In the afternoon you will be taken out on the road!

So now you have eaten, pumped yourself full of caffeine (and possibly nicotine) your ready to get on the road. This is where it can go two ways. To bike, or not to bike.

Due to my lack of knowledge with gears and my nervous tendency to stamp on the gear lever to early, the instructor decided i should go out on a Scooter. He said “there is no shame in riding round on a hairdryer with go cart wheels”. Now I believe him. Passing your CBT on a scooter allows you to ride either a scooter or a geared 125 cc bike. My instructor advised me to pass on the hairdryer then when I get my bike, take my time learning the gears in a quiet area.

When your out on the road, the instructor is looking for the ability to perform all the things you learned in the Pad on the road with moving traffic around you. Also you need to show you have common sense and don’t get yourself nearly run over at any time. As long as you take your time, don’t panic and listen to the directions your given you will be fine. The instructor is specially trained to deal with people like you! All the trainers at the centre were very amiable, i suppose it has to go with the job. So on that theory your trainer will be a nice guy (or gal) too!

When you get back to the pad, you will get another De-briefing and hopefully issued your CBT Certificate.

CONGRATULATIONS!

If you didn’t pass,, some places offer another day of training at a discounted price! So try again!

Looking For a Bike

This is where the fun begins, the future looks bright, shiny and two wheeled. You smile whenever you hear a bike roar past and your palms get sweaty when you see one!

If you take any advice away from this guide, please let it be at least this. Don’t go buying a shiny new 125cc bike! It will cost you upwards of £2000. It will lose 25% of its value as soon as it leaves the dealership and new bikes don’t get on with newbies as they need running in gently at first. As a newbie to biking you will probably (for around 2-3 weeks):

- Stall Regulary

- Change down gears to fast when stopping (the decrease in speed is very sudden and can potentially throw you off!)

- Not change down fast enough and end up trying to pull away in 3^rd.

You shiny new bike will not appreciate this! Have a look on ebay or local add sites for some bargain hacks. Bikes which are known to be reliable are:

- Yamaha SR125 (the bike i have!)

- Yamaha TW125 ( a nice mix of offroad and on road looks)

- Yamaha YBR (Slightly pricier than the above)

- Suzuki GZ Maruader (Lots of style!)

- Honda CBR 125 (little sporty number)

- Honda CG125 (The most renowned and used 125cc bike)

There are a plethora of other bikes and scooters from all sorts of different manufacturers but these are (in my mind) the best of the bunch. Other people will have other opinions, but they didn’t write this guide :-P

All the bikes mentioned above should be able to be purchased for under £1000, my bike cost be just under £600.

Insurance

SHOP AROUND! As a newbie, young rider with a provisional license your insurance will be hideously expensive. Try to get the best price possible. Don’t be tempted to put an excess of 900 quid just to get the price down slightly, as you will have to pay up to that amount if you ever crash!

Keeping the bike off the street when parked up will help keep the price down, as will investing in a Sold Secure lock. Don’t lie to them saying your bike has top of the range security etc......you will get found out if you make a claim. Plus it counts as fraud.

Road Tax

£15 - not too shabby!

In order to get your vehicle taxed you need valid MOT and insurance. Can be done online (REF Link 4) or by post. For the post option you need to head into the nearest post office to get the right forms.

Gear

Now you have Provisional license, a CBT certificate and a road legal bike...whats missing?

A Helmet! This is the only piece of protective apparel that is required by law. So in theory riding in undies is permitted providing your head is protected.

I would not recommend this at all. The minimum you should purchase before going out riding is:

- An ECE R22.05 approved helmet. You can pick up a decent one for £60 plus.

- A motorbike jacket with either some padding or armour where its required (Elbows and shoulders). These can cost from £60 - £200

- Some gloves. Not necessarily bike gloves but they would be recommended. Even in blistering heat your hands can get chilly at 40mph. These can be bought for around £20.

- Sturdy trainers at least, boots with a high ankle are preferable.

- Jeans, or biking trousers. NO TRACKSUIT bottoms. My CBT instructor told me some horror stories of people have them melted to their skin. Not nice!

Please don’t go snooping on Ebay for the cheapest of cheap items to fit the above. This is your (and other road users) life your protecting with these clothes/Items. Go to a reputable dealer in your local area. They will not sell poor quality mechandise as it will affect their reputation.

The place where I have bought all my gear from is J & S Accessories:

https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/

They have quite a few stores around the country as well as an online store.

Link 4: http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/application?origin=vnav_bar.jsp&event=bea.portal.framework.internal.refresh&pageid=Apply+for+a+tax+disc+NOW

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:06:26 GMT

Actually, the DAS cost doesn't seem so unreasonable - given that you need to be constantly accompanied by a certified instructor and I think they can only take two pupils at a time. That's a fair bit of personal attention over 5 days. It's a lot to stump up in one hit, though.

If you leave it a year or so, it might be best just to sit out the extra year and get the upgraded license for free! Depends how affordable/urgent the need for a bigger bike is.

I'm going to count myself fortunate, in this case, to be a bit older...it cost me something like £75 including lessons to pass my driving test and slightly less than that to get the bike license (didn't need lessons, just tooled around on a Honda 100 for several months). Back then, if you had a full driving license, you didn't need CBT to be allowed on the road, but you did have to have done it before taking the full test. That was kinda strange - having already spent years, on and off, on two wheels - to end up in a school car-park riding around a few cones for the sake of the paperwork. You got a fifteen minute observed ride, as well, but because I was in with a load of genuine newbies that was on roads about 3% as dangerous as the ones I used to get to the test...

If they'd sort out the new "super test centres", I'd say today's regime makes more sense than the muddled part-legislation of the 80s and 90s. But possibly less sense than the straightforward rules before that: if you survived your first season on an Elsie, you took your test and that was that!

I wonder if any Scousers ride bikes?

Probably. But less likely that they buy them first.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:36:48 GMT

Holy Jeebus!

I just rang up to see how much it would be to take my Direct access, just out of curiosity for this thing i'm writing.

Depending on how good you are on two wheel it will be from £620 - £530 plus £80 test fee. That is 5 days training at the max price. But that is half my wage!

Might be a year or so before I attempt that!

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:48:01 GMT

Thanks for the comments guys

Endo - I will add that into the copy I have, seeing as we don't have permission to edit our own posts I can't add it in on here.

The minimum gear was: a helmet that was ECE 22.05 approved, a thick jacket or motorcycle jacket, jeans (NOT TRACKSUITS, apparently if you crash they will melt to your skin. I wonder if any Scousers ride bikes?) and motorcycle gloves. Trainers were permitted. No flipflops or sandals.

If you brought your own bike you had to have valid insurance, tax and MOT. Not sure how you would get it there though seeing as your provisional isn't valid to ride a bike without the CBT cert. Had I have brough my own stuff it would have been £95 on the day rather than £115.

Yeah it is expensive, not as expensive a driving though! 1k worth of lessons anyone? Or approx 2 years worth of road experiance for £115?

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:43:03 GMT

I'd second that.

But - £50 for a provisional? And over a ton for CBT? That's pretty salty, even before adding in the "stall box" ()! Hadn't realised just how much the prices had shot up. Plus theory and full test, no wonder it's off-putting for youngsters, especially when the reward is being stuck on a limited-bhp bike for the next two years.

Did you rent the gear or buy your own? It might be nice to include a recommended minimum (if there was one) from the training centre, or what you thought was appropriate for the day.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:21:37 GMT

Good work, Trick. I enjoyed reading this. You have got the tone just about right, and plenty of useful info. Looking forward to Part II.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:15:51 GMT

Here we have the first draft of what i have written up so far! Critics are welcome to comment

Welcome to my Guide to biking for Newbies, by a Newbie. This is an ongoing project of mine, which I will be adding to over time. If I have missed something from here which you think is important, keep checking into this thread to see if it gets covered, or PM me and I’ll add it to the ‘To Do’ List.

I’ll start at the beginning of my journey into two wheeled motorised transport!

Being a user of public transport for nearly 10 years I had always envied those people who skipped to the front of every queue, didn’t have to stop at every bus stop and was generally slightly quicker than the 10 tonne monstrosities that are busses. When I was at Senior School, I dreamed of being able to cruise into the playground on my Harley, pull all the girls and generally be Mr Cool. I always wondered why 16 year old run around on dodgy 2^nd hand 49cc scooters and not a babe magnet instead. When I looked into the facts behind biking at a young age I was horrified! Until you turn 17 you’re restricted to a measly 50 cc engine with a top speed of 50Km/h (around 32 mph) REF Link1. These scooters can easily cost you 500-600 pounds (there are cheaper ones available! Just have a good scout around) and probably cost the same to insure (as you’re a young, reckless teenager). On my meagre part time salary of 60 quid a month this was beyond my financial reach and so had to wait.

By the time I could afford to run a bike I had reached the grand old age of 20! With a full time job in a busy city centre office, unreliable public transport and sick of getting a lift of everybody I decided it was time to take my CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and make myself mobile.

What You Need

- A Valid provisional License (these can be obtained via an application form from the post office, or over the internet. The cost is £50, plus the cost of passport size photos (around £4). REF Link 2

- Once you have this you can find a local Training Centre (Google is handy for this, or Yell.com) and ask them for a price. Mine cost £115 (on a Saturday). You will find that prices vary from area to area (down south costing slightly more) and it will be cheaper during the week.

- Book a date!

Please note: When you apply for a provisional license, you are agreeing to the fact that you have read the latest version of the Highway Code. It is important to know what is in this book; it may well save your life and stop you breaking the law inadvertently.

On the Day

I can honestly say on the day I was bricking it. Having never driven anything other than a quad bike on holiday I had no clue how to work a gear box, when to change up and down etc. DON’T WORRY! It’s not actually all that bad.

Before you go to bed (early! You need plenty of sleep) make sure you pack your bag with:

- Your provisional, the Photo Card and the Counter Part. This is very important!

- A packed lunch, high in sugar and carbs. A soft drink will go down well too. You have a lot of information to soak up so you need your brain active

- Moneys for the Training Centre if you have not already paid.

- Your mobile phone (on silent of course) to let everyone know how you’re doing at lunch time and whether you passed or not at the end of it!

Don’t forget to take your bag with you. That would put a downer on the whole day. I very nearly did!

When you arrive, there will be a few bits of paperwork to sign, covering you for insurance, maybe loaning out the gear and bike etc.

Once this is out of the way the CBT will begin. The first part is all about classroom based learning. This covers the Do’s and Don’ts Biking, looking after your gear etc.

After this you will be taken outside to meet the bike you will be riding for the day. I had a Honda CG 125(REF Link 3). This part of the CBT covers basic maintenance, checking the amount of wear on the tyres, brake pads. Checking chain tension/condition, the amount of oil and brake fluid in the bike.

Once this is out of the way you will be shown how to work the controls of the bike. The clutch (left hand lever), the front brake (right hand lever), the rear brake (right foot pedal) and the gear lever (left foot).

Next you will be on the bike, turning the key, checking you’re in neutral, making sure all the lights are working then finally starting it up. I can guarantee you will stall more time than you can count in the first couple of hours, don’t worry, its part of the learning process. My Instructor said that every time I stall I will owe him £5. We worked it out to be near £100 within 2 hoursJ.

Next you will learn about pulling away (don’t worry you’re not on a road, the Training Centre will have a ‘Pad’ to work on). This involves putting the bike into 1^st gear (down one click from Neutral) then releasing the clutch slowly with a small amount of throttle. My Instructor said to think of the clutch as a flower slowly opening (I found this slightly disturbing for some reason).

Once this has been mastered along with stopping gently you move onto slow speed manoeuvres. This involves a little bit of throttle, feathering the clutch and use of the back brake. This gets you moving at a slow and controlled pace. You will be asked to navigate some cones like this.

Next is changing up and down gears while moving, this easier than everything above so no worries there.

Then you move onto emergency stops, left and right turns etc. There is a load to take in just a morning. Try to get as much as possible in your head. Don’t forget your lifesaver glances (checking your blind spot before any manoeuvre), MSM (Mirror Signal Manoeuvre) etc. This is all covered in the Highway Code if you want to have a read.

Link 1: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

Link 2: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/DG_10012514

Link 3: http://www.ukbike.com/UserReviews.aspx?ID=-1463054

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:34:30 GMT

endemoniada_88 (07/06/2009)

Right ending, except it was at the end of WW1 not 2- it wasfirst published in 1930.

I stand corekted

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:14:52 GMT

I was forced to replace mine fairly recently, about the time I bought a new copy of the complete Molesworth. Amazon, £0.01 plus p&p each - absolute bargain. Right ending, except it was at the end of WW1 not 2 - it was first published in 1930.

I was allowed to take History O level - it was the only one I failed, mostly on account of having no interest in the aforementioned Chartists. There again, I hadn't wanted to do it in the first place, but I wasn't allowed to do Art (the only other choice in that option column) by virtue of demonstrating no discernable talent. Given how much art I've done since, in all sorts of media - some of it in exchange for quite reasonable money - I can only agree: education is wasted on the young. Wish I'd actually learned something when I'd had the chance, instead of having to teach myself later!

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:43:25 GMT

That book was brilliant. I no longer have my copy, which disintegrated from over-use years ago, but I can still remember most of it. It ends in 1945, I think, when "America became Top Nation, and history came to a."

I was awful at history at school, and got such bad marks in my mock 'O' level that I was not allowed to take the exam. Strangely, it is now something I am really interested in. Education is wasted on the young.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:05:48 GMT

Oh, yes..."1066 And All That" again:

"There also happened in this reign the memorable Charta, known as Magna Charter on account of the Latin Magna (Great) and Charter (a Charter)...was invented by the Barons on a desert island in the Thames called Ganymede. By congregating there, armed to the teeth, the Barons compelled John to sign...therefore the chief cause of Democracy in England and thus a Good Thing for everyone (except the Common People)."

Wikipedia with added humour.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:56:33 GMT

Almost too easy...

Sinking of the Royal Oak, 1939...no, alright then - The Battle of Hastings, 1066.

The Catholic-backed attempt to assassinate James I and the largely-Protestant House of Lords - Catesby & Fawkes' Gunpowder Plot, November 5th.

Being a student of the classics, BD, you might also recognise this from "1066 And All That":

"The first date in English History is 55 BC, in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed..." and "In the year 1066 occurred the other memorable date in English History, viz. William The Conqueror, Ten Sixty-Six...".

Or as Molesworth says: "History started badly and hav been geting steadily worse...".

He wasn't wrong.

I remember being forced to select 'O' level history as one of my options, which rejoiced in the sub-title British Social and Economic History, 1815 - 1914. Thereby missing out absolutely all of the interesting periods of history, skipping over the half-decent wars of that period (not social or economic enough, obviously) and concentrating almost exclusively on the Chartist Movement (the dull and rather annoying buggers who wanted MPs to be paid and therefore are directly responsible for today's expenses fiasco).

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:42:56 GMT

Hehe. People edumacated in the Good Old Days have a kind of Pavlovian reaction - Magna Carta, 1215. It's just one of those dates that sticks in the mind. Anyway, I'm glad someone appreciated the attempt at humour

On the same subject (Hist, chiz chiz), it is sometimes said that the average British person's memory of history consists of two events - one where they know the year but not the date, and the other where they know the date but not the year. Anyone? (Clue: 14 October and 1605.)

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:27:10 GMT

seems i can't edit my own posts...curious.

Anyway good old wikipedia :

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:22:15 GMT

Thanks for the help guys, i'll start writing this weekend.

Hopefully i'll cover all these items as time goes by, seems like a bigger project than I originally thought. So might be an ongoing project

Whos Magna Carta?

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

endemoniada_88 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:52:40 GMT

What the current training regime concentrates on.

In my day, it was a token figure-of-eight for the CBT, then a half-hour ride-round and identifying a couple of road signs. Make reasonable progress, carry out four lifesavers for every manouevre and make sure you do the Hendon shuffle at every junction. Job done, get on any bike you like.

I'm guessing there may be rather more emphasis on safety these days - it'd be nice to know which of my bad habits are particularly discouraged now...

But, yeah, whatever takes your fancy - words are free, after all! It's always good to hear what kit/bikes other people recommend (or slate) from experience. As well as any general riding stuff: good things/bad things that may have happened. As long as it provides an entry point for discussion, or is a hilariously entertaining read (or both), that'd suit me!

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Wilftop — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:25:34 GMT

Advice you've been given that you've found helpful, that other newbies may also find of good use.

How about you're fave roads too.

RE: New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Black Dog — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:32:27 GMT

Preparing for the test
Bike choice, obviously
Clothing and helmet
Essential vs non-essential gear (i.e. what you would buy again, and what you would give a miss)

There's loads to say - just start a thread and go for it. I for one would be interested in what you had to say. I speak as someone who did his test around the time of Magna Carta.

New To Biking, Newbies Guide from a Newbie

Trick3003 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:09:08 GMT

Hello All,

Like i said in another topic, i'm looking to write up a summary of my biking experience so far, including information that i have found useful, things i have figured out for myself etc etc.

Ive got some ideas already, but would like some ideas of topics, presentation and so on from yourselves.

Thanks

Rich