Day started off well, introductions and explaining riding ability, so I said slow, lacking in confidence and crap on bendy bits which seemed a correct overview of my skills.
Did all the classroom stuff which was interesting, lunch then out on the road. Got paired up with another girl really nice and has all the same issues as me - to sum it up we like straight roads and that’s it.......
our "observer" I had come across before at a biker cafe when out with the dear heart and having heard him talk to the person he was an observer for that day I commented to the dear heart - what a prat I hope I don't get him when I do bike safe.......that'll teach me
given how slow we were we didn't clock up many miles during the day, as we had no communication while on the bike it was hard to follow his directions and at 1 point he cut across us to make a turn as I was second I managed to turn but my co- biker safer missed it and he had to turn back for her while I waited. Not too bad a riding day, we managed to avoid the cow wandering the country roads. I thought I was really slow, but bless my co-biker safer is slower and more anxious than me, I'm a bit of a breaker at the bendy bits, she doesn't break, but she does have an excellent skill for going round bends doing the slow ride, I was impressed at her slow riding skills
So he then says we are going to the follow the signs for XX and then get on the A55. so off we bimble start to get slowed down by a tractor and trailer, I got all confident and overtook
sadly I left my co-bike safer and the observer behind, so I carried on at the roundabout followed the signs for XX thinking they will catch up soon got stuck behind another tractor but never mind they will catch up - they didn't then I realised at the roundabout they must have got on the A55 - poo, what to do, oh feck it carry on get on the A55 further up and catch them up. Going hell for leather on the A55 didn't catch them up, and got back to Police HQ no sign, so asked around about what I should do..... about 15 mins later they come back, stop at the junction for a debrief before coming down to the car park, and find me.... bit pissed that he didn't seem to concerned we had got separated, although he did tell me when he realised I might have gone a different way they did turn round and travel the same route as me, but at no point did he leave my co- bike safer to check on me!!!then a dig that he would be unable to comment on my duel carriageway riding and the several comments through the afternoon on the dear hearts experience, and what he might be teaching me, and I need to put behind me the DAS way. How advanced riding would be good for me but how way off that I am.... while his feedback was honest it was negative
all I can say is that he did nothing for our or at least my confidence, at the end of the day I felt even more disheartened about my riding skills than I did before and I spent Saturday evening with a migraine. I never felt this bad after a lesson that hadn’t gone well – but then I had an encouraging instructor
I haven’t felt that miserable in a long time, thought long and hard about going back the next day, and wouldn't have bothered but felt I would have let my co-bike safe friend down
Awake at 5am Sunday morning, terrible after migraine headache, still deciding what to do, but as they said you get a different observer on the Sunday, so I got sorted and off I went. My co-bike safer was also trying to drop out of Sunday and like me didn’t want to let anyone down. Me and my co-bike safer got split up and had 1-1 with an observer. What a difference a day makes, he was very kind, supportive and gave good positive feedback throughout the whole mornings ride. I learnt so much, my confidence was building, and my riding improved as the day went on. Unlike the chap the day before he showed understanding towards my issues and concerns gave plenty of advice and suggestions and made me feel relaxed
Overall I’m glad I did the bike safe, it was a shame Saturday was so disheartening, if I had had a more supportive observer on the Saturday I would have learnt so much more, but never mind, come the weekend I’ll be scaring myself silly in the Pyrenees
