ADVANCE RIDING DEBATE - NOW HERE

[AndyCBR]

So sifting through all the bumf - under 25 Skills for life package costs £89, on average 6 to 8 observed rides before you take your test (£60 - £80) 1st years membership is included in the Skills for life package, in which case your very generous chairman is forking out approx. £9!! sounds like a bargain...

Not knocking the benefits of the skills for life package just the method of marketing (become an 'advanced' rider for FREE)...

[AndyW]

There is currently an offer on for under 25's as you point out (and that I had forgotten) of a £20 discount so Phil (the Chairman) will be forking out £89.......not sure how you come up with £9

Not knocking the benefits of the skills for life package just the method of marketing (become an 'advanced' rider for FREE)...

Sticking the word FREE on something does tend to get attention .........and in fact someone will get the Skills For Life package for free saving themselves £89
Either way 'Associates' (trainees) are expected to cover the 'Observers' running costs - Observers are all fully trained and give their time voluntarily and are not reimbursed any costs by IAM or paid in any way.

The IAM training is very worthwhile, I've known people who've ridden every day for donkey's years that after doing the 'training' were surprised by how much they learnt.

[speedy(delboy)]

Have you ever gone into a corner thinking sh*t…sh*t…sh*t!

Yes, Yes and Yes

However,

I did RoSPA for 4 years, and was one of their observers and was a RoSPA Gold Pass (Silver pass in RoSPA is a pass with IAM and a Gold pass is equivalent to IAM Observer).

I think their is 2 distinct methods of riding, IAM/RoSPA or Advance Riding Way and the enjoyment way, both of which are 100% totally different.

I think also, If I had to ride the IAM/RoSPA way of riding all the time, I would give up biking all together, as lets face it, its boring (these are my views).

I know speed limits are supposedly in place for safety reasons etc etc but to ride and not really ever go over the limit is depressing, admittedly, in RoSPA they do somewhat encourage speed breaking on overtaking as they say its safer to overtake quickly and get back in.

I still enjoy my riding and still occasionally shit my pants when going in a corner, not often but it does happen. The advance riding method on a right hander is to stay as close to the left edge and possible and the right line when taking a left hander, but what happens the the corner is sharp, your on the white line and a bus comes around ? Ops, another dead rider.

There are lots of pros and cons for Advance riding.

I do however think, it was well worth doing.

[phild]

So sifting through all the bumf - under 25 Skills for life package costs £89, on average 6 to 8 observed rides before you take your test (£60 - £80) 1st years membership is included in the Skills for life package, in which case your very generous chairman is forking out approx. £9!! sounds like a bargain...

Not knocking the benefits of the skills for life package just the method of marketing (become an 'advanced' rider for FREE)...

No, it's costing me £89 for the SFL package, and £15 for a years membership of CVAM. The petrol money will go to the allocated Observer, not me.

Total cost to me £104.....any takers?

[phild]

Forgot to say, I'm not into sales, it's my way of putting something back into the club.

You've got to want to do it or you're wasting your time.

[AndyW]

I understand exactly what you're saying but riding to the 'system' works whether you're sticking to posted speed limits or not In simple terms you're advised on how to plan ahead and improve your observational skills - if you ride to the 'system' whatever speed you are doing you WILL be safer!

The advance riding method on a right hander is to stay as close to the left edge and possible and the right line when taking a left hander, but what happens the the corner is sharp, your on the white line and a bus comes around ? Ops, another dead rider.

"but what happens the the corner is sharp" - with the right observation and use of some simple rules such as vanishing points you shouldn't get caufgt out
"your on the white line and a bus comes around ? Ops, another dead rider." ....always safety first position second (part of the 'system' ), if you don't have the view to see there's no oncoming traffic then you change your pace and position accordingly. It's much more likely that an inexperienced person (no advanced traing) will do the decapitation thing or if it doesn't come to that, crash due to trying to change line mid corner in a panic!
This is all basic IAM stuff..........the IAM 'system' is based on the Police Roadcraft Hanbook......and there's very very few riders that can outride a police rider!

[AndyW]

Bloody hell I must be more knackered than I thought....how may typos and where the hell did the word 'funky' come from when I typed 'crash'????????!!!!!!!!

Why no post editing facility on this forum???????

[AndyW]

Something weird with the forum software!!!!! type c r a s h without the spaces.....crash

[steve-d]

I definatly want to do an advanced rider qualifacation, think I would learn a lot from it.
But too far away for me, would have to do a more local one.

Oh and forums changes cras.h to funky automatically

[Smiler]

where the hell did the word 'funky' come from when I typed 'funky'????????!!!!!!!!

Why no post editing facility on this forum???????

funky = c r a s h

ie to do a funky..

and you have to pay for the privelidge of the ickle magic edit button....

[AndyW]

Hi you

I have to pay so that you guys can have posts from me that make sense?!.......you'll have to put up with the pissprununciation

funky = c r a s h
Lost on me, I don't see the point!

Doing anything Sunday.....few of us off out somewhere

[speedy(delboy)]

....always safety first position second (part of the 'system' ), if you don't have the view to see there's no oncoming traffic then you change your pace and position accordingly. It's much more likely that an inexperienced person (no advanced traing) will do the decapitation thing or if it doesn't come to that, C R A S H due to trying to change line mid corner in a panic! This is all basic IAM stuff..........the IAM 'system' is based on the Police Roadcraft Hanbook......and there's very very few riders that can outride a police rider!

I know that book like the back of my hand, what I am getting at, is an inexperienced trainie would be more worried about vanishing points than concentrating of the situation and severity of a sharper bend especially if there was a micro climate on the bend as well. A lot of peeps get real nervous when they know they are being watched.

Anyway, I have seen all the arguments for and against Advance Riding, there was a thread on the site no so long ago, with everyone getting up in arms, so lets no go down that road again.

Hope you manage to fill the vacancy.

[phild]

....always safety first position second (part of the 'system' ), if you don't have the view to see there's no oncoming traffic then you change your pace and position accordingly. It's much more likely that an inexperienced person (no advanced traing) will do the decapitation thing or if it doesn't come to that, C R A S H due to trying to change line mid corner in a panic! This is all basic IAM stuff..........the IAM 'system' is based on the Police Roadcraft Hanbook......and there's very very few riders that can outride a police rider!

I know that book like the back of my hand, what I am getting at, is an inexperienced trainie would be more worried about vanishing points than concentrating of the situation and severity of a sharper bend especially if there was a micro climate on the bend as well. A lot of peeps get real nervous when they know they are being watched.

Anyway, I have seen all the arguments for and against Advance Riding, there was a thread on the site no so long ago, with everyone getting up in arms, so lets no go down that road again.

Hope you manage to fill the vacancy.

Not a vacancy.......it's an offer.

[Varcon]

A real SWB would offer all the relavent infomation to us FOA anyway so we can all learn without having to pay and all be safer....

[phild]

A real SWB would offer all the relavent infomation to us FOA anyway so we can all learn without having to pay and all be safer....

In an ideal world yes, but IAM is a charity and I, along with all other Observers offer our time with no other charge attached. The £10 per ride goes towards petrol and running costs as we all use our own bikes and get nothing financially out of it. If you work it out I doubt very much if the £10 covers much in any case.

The fees pay for IAM admin, test fees and the SFL pack for the Associate. The local club gets £31 per new Associate, from IAM HQ, which goes straight back to the group for training days, training equipment etc.

Can I make it clear, we are all volunteers, get no payment and do it for the reason you state, to try to make riders safer. How much does a day cost with a riding school?

There is a Bikesafe Event, 25th and 26th April, Haynes Museum. Come along and have a chat and get the facts.

Still no takers?