London Based Riders - FREE BIKESAFE

[Viney]

Hi all

I got accosted by an officer of the law the other day that anyone that rides in London is eligible for a FREE...yes FREE Bikesafe course.

This is all apparently due to some idots being squashed and TFL spending some cash on it.

Log onto http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/
Slect your site and date, and enter BE1500XER in the voucher code box and apply. Then you will save yourself £45.

If youre not form London, dont whinge at me alight, its not my fault you live outside the greatest city in the world with free stuff :)

[pookie]

cheers Viney !

[ophic]

Nice one, booked.

[SvNewbie]

Cheers Viney, booked for the 13th June.

[the_lone_wolf]

I did Bikesafe last year, and although a lot of what he said was stuff that I'd already found out through independent research and seven years of riding I got a huge boost from the day, did learn some news things, and would recommend it to all riders of all experience levels.

The policemen were obviously there because they enjoyed riding and wanted to help other riders, probably half the bikes (like mine) were sporting exhausts of questionable legality and black visors/small plates were everywhere, not a word was said other than he occasional compliment and the whole experience was a good day out...

To get all that for free is a brilliant opportunity...

[Littlepeahead]

You don't have to be from London, you just have to take the course in London. So if London, or in my case Romford is an easy ride you can still participate. I've just booked free spaces for me and Mr LPH in July - Thanks Ian.

I think it may be of more benefit than the 2 I've done in Essex near where we camp for TOGMIE as I know those roads so well I can anticipate them very easily and don't get caught out on the tightening bend or nasty junction.

[DJ123]

Cheers Viney, booked one :)

[shiftin_gear98]

Just booked, thanks for the heads up.

[Popy Fresco]

I did it a few years ago and was a very nice day riding

thanks for the tip

[shiftin_gear98]

Just roped my brother in law in too, so that's both of us for free. Thanks for the link.

[shiftin_gear98]

Just got this....Bugger..


Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for booking a BikeSafe-London workshop, unfortunately the voucher code that you were given to use is only allowed to be used on weekday workshops and the workshop you have booked is on a weekend. I have transferred your booking to a holding date for now until we can transfer you to a weekday workshop that is suitable for you.

[shiftin_gear98]

Unfortunately there isn't an available weekday - no holiday left. Pity.

[Littlepeahead]

I got the same too. I could take a day off but Stu won't as that costs him a day's wages so we're going to cancel.

[DJ123]

Don't forget that a Bank Holiday is classed as a weekday still. You have 2 next week & 2 in May.

[shiftin_gear98]

Alas no courses those days, easy come easy go.

[pookie]

did the bike safe in romford today.. top chaps and good comedy value. Made me realise what fun it is to be on a bike again. Thanks OP.

[ophic]

Did mine today! This is a great day riding and I might have even learned a few things along the way! The team are really good, clearly love their jobs and make an "educational" day an awful lot of fun as well. I finished the day grinning from ear to ear.

Thanks to Viney for passing on the info!

[millemille]

Forgot to post this at the time. I took advantage of the TfL offer to do a Bikesafe day as I've been involved in 3 RTC's whislt commuting in the last 6 months (all of them were judged by the insurance companies to not have been my fault) and wanted to a 2nd opinion whether I was inviting trouble with my riding.

Did the day a couple of weeks ago, at the London South centre near Bromley, on a Friday in biblical rain.

Staff were all very friendly but I realised pretty quickly, when the punters were going round the room introducing themselves and saying how long they'd been riding for and how many miles a year they rode, that it didn't look like I was going to get what I'd hoped for from the day. Everyone else had been riding for less than a year and did a few thousand miles a year, whereas I've been riding about 30 years and cover more than 20k miles a year. Even the coppers raised their eyebrows at that one.

Morning was spent on supposed "city" riding through Orpington, lunch at Frankie and Bennie's near Farnborough and then the afternoon was out into the country roads around Edenbridge, Hever and Croydon hills.

Instruction from my assessor was to ride as I would do normally but not break any speed limits.

I was on the yellow peril ("T" plate SV650S with 75k miles on it) and the copper was on his fully loaded BMW police bike.

I rode exactly as instructed and, to put it bluntly, the police officer couldn't keep up. I had to continually keep stopping and wait for him to catch up.

It got to the end and all he said was "there's nothing I can teach you about riding a bike".

Waste of time - if I'd have paid my own money I'd have been mightily unimpressed.

[ophic]

Could be viewed as a waste of time, but it is an assessment.

I'd say that being assessed as being already fully competent is definitely worthwhile having. Also it might save you some money on insurance.

and you get a free solar powered torch in the goodie bag... :smt043

[millemille]

Could be viewed as a waste of time, but it is an assessment.

I'd say that being assessed as being already fully competent is definitely worthwhile having. Also it might save you some money on insurance.

and you get a free solar powered torch in the goodie bag... :smt043

I don't for a minute that I'm fully competent, you can never stop learning and improving. I think the officer who was assessing me just couldn't be arsed - either on the bike or with the paperwork. He didn't fill in any assessment forms at the time and promised he'd email them through to me afterwards. Which he hasn't done.

Yes, you're right about the possible insurance discount - that was another reason for doing it, in the hope that it may go some way to offsetting the inevitable premium increase that will come with 3 claims - even no fault ones - in a year.