Having Doubts

2 weeks ago I made my first attempt at the cbt. I didn't make it out on the road so obviously didn't pass.
The instructor said he was worried I would grab at the front brake in a an emergency.
I have no confidence and am scared of the road and am now thinking."why am I doing this?"
I love being a pillion though!

Next attempt at cbt this Sunday coming...help!

Well you just gotto find a way to relax on the bike. Stop putting too much pressure on yourself.

Do you really want to ride a bike or are you doing it for some other reason? If you want to do it then stick with it.

Oh and to amuse you i did my CBT with a friend took him 2 hours to get the bike to go in a streight line! Seriously. Took him longer to get the bike to go the direction he wanted it to. :S

how about getting a cheap off road bike just to practice on? on some grass?

[G]

My girlfriend loves riding pillion.

However both me and her dad (a DAS instructor) have advised her not to even think about getting a bike.

She is not confident on the road in a car and will panic/stress easily.

If she was to get on a bike the first time she paniced and touched the front brake she would end up in a hedge or worse into an oncoming car.

We vented our opinions and she needed to be honest with herself, and therefore gave up on the idea.

Only you know how you really feel.

awwww!

If at first you don't succeed try try again hun, if you're still keen that is. I think I'll be the same, it always made me wonder how someone loose on the road, whether they've been learning a while or not

At least your instructor noticed your nerves and did what he thought was best in the situation, and at least you know now sort of what to expect and hopefully how to get round the lack of confidence thing.

You've got one this sunday, are you feeling a lot better about this one?

chin up, things would be boring if they came easy all the time

[STRAMASHER]

Now you know what to expect you will be more relaxed and your concentration will be up.


You'll be a front seat rider no bother!


Good luck.

Firstly, relax. You know the basics of how to ride a bike, which is a big step in itself! Now, you gotta learn to refine is, so take things easy, don't rush. Riding a bike well is all about being smooth. Since you know how to ride a bike, then oyu dont need to think about it so much! So now you can keep an eye out for hazards (like...the dozy old lady in her metro), and instead of grabbing the brake at the last moment, you simply roll off a bit and cover the brakes, ready just in case!

Have another go, and as said - the first time was the great unknown, and the second time you're experianced.

Oh, and riding a bike around a grassy field isnt a bad idea. Go ahead and try that if you can, and try things like locking the rear wheel, then if it happens in real life, you won't be so afraid. When i was younger and only able to ride bikes on fields, I would lock the front (at about 10 mph) on grasy fields just to see what it was like. That experiance is quite valuble, IMO

Keep it smooth, keep it relaxed, keep a smile on your face. You'll be ok.

Matt

Originally Posted by mrs24_7

2 weeks ago I made my first attempt at the cbt. I didn't make it out on the road so obviously didn't pass.
The instructor said he was worried I would grab at the front brake in a an emergency.
I have no confidence and am scared of the road and am now thinking."why am I doing this?"
I love being a pillion though!

Next attempt at cbt this Sunday coming...help!

As others have said relax - easier said than done, I know!

Could MrMrs24_7 take you to a car park/runway to practice doing a few things to get used to the bike/its handling?

If you do your cbt & pass then ride a few back streets to get your confidence up, then think about whether you want to do your test - take it one step at a time. Baby steps!

When I was doing my lessons, I had a horrible day & even considered just leaving the bike in Pinner & letting my instructor deal with getting it back to the bike centre - I was having a really bad day!!!!!! But I stuck it out & got home and reflected on all I had learned that day. I focussed on all the good points (despite the many bad ones). I decided that I wanted to stick with it - I wanted to learn to ride a bike & now 2 years later I'm in northern asia having got here by bike.

If you still want to learn to ride, stick with it. You can do it. Focus on all the good points from the day - you actually rode a motorbike!!!!! It's all baby steps, it will happen, if you want it.

[timwilky]

I don't understand the worry. I would have supposed that in an emergency you are supposed to grab a big handful of front, and appropriate back as well,

Just feel scared about going out on the road. What if I stall or can't figure out what im doing and get stuck in the middle of the road?! (I think too much!!)

Feel a teeny bit pressured into doing it but if i don't do it now then i guess I never will.