Does a CBT show you how to ride properly?
Discussion
The last time my partner and I went to Thailand we rented a bike for £4 a day. They were 125cc twist and go jobbies. Neither of us have UK licenses. Having not ridden properly before and in a weird place with few paved roads, ridiculous gradients and bikes which are not up to MOT standards and a pillion passenger I wasn't that confident. Thats before mentioning the other drivers and hundreds of dogs that just walk into the road.
I'm going back out for a few months in 2 months. I'm thinking that if I take the CBT I'll be in a better place. However a quick google shows it's just stuff I've already done - I was on a bike for 2 weeks each day, once at night doing a 100km ring road around Koh Samui which made me really want to buy a bike in the UK. It was amazing - almost as good as the diving I did out there, and that was stunning. But I'm unsure if the CBT is going to actually help me here...
Over there licenses are not needed. Just a passport and a couple hundred Baht. So that is not a problem. They didn't have helmets that fit me (I have a bit head) but I did insist that my partner wears one. I was trying to be safe(ish).
So anyway what is the easiest and cheapest way to get some training and ideally be able to learn to use a manual bike? Thanks
I'm going back out for a few months in 2 months. I'm thinking that if I take the CBT I'll be in a better place. However a quick google shows it's just stuff I've already done - I was on a bike for 2 weeks each day, once at night doing a 100km ring road around Koh Samui which made me really want to buy a bike in the UK. It was amazing - almost as good as the diving I did out there, and that was stunning. But I'm unsure if the CBT is going to actually help me here...
Over there licenses are not needed. Just a passport and a couple hundred Baht. So that is not a problem. They didn't have helmets that fit me (I have a bit head) but I did insist that my partner wears one. I was trying to be safe(ish).
So anyway what is the easiest and cheapest way to get some training and ideally be able to learn to use a manual bike? Thanks
WaferThinHam said:
Taking a CBT will help you with the technical bike stuff, won't prepare you for the roads over there though.
Yeah I've already ridden over there. For two weeks. On the nice roads, and the not so nice ones. I'm just wondering after riding for over two weeks there day in day out if a CBT will give me anything other than a piece of paper? I know how to use the stands, I know how to manoeuvre. What I'm looking for is some training on manual bikes and advice on carrying a pillion who doesn't like leaning into corners. If you are thinking of getting a bike in the UK then you have to do the CBT so seems sensible to do it before you go. It is very basic.
Learning to ride in Thailand sounds like learning to swim by being thrown in at the deep end. I'm sure I wouldn't have thought twice about doing it when I was 20 but with age (and a few crashes behind me), it seems a bit risky (especially with no protective gear nor a helmet). As a minimum I would suggest you get good travel insurance.
Learning to ride in Thailand sounds like learning to swim by being thrown in at the deep end. I'm sure I wouldn't have thought twice about doing it when I was 20 but with age (and a few crashes behind me), it seems a bit risky (especially with no protective gear nor a helmet). As a minimum I would suggest you get good travel insurance.
A CBT will teach you how to use the gears and how to use the brakes properly. (Just because you can stop a bike doesn't mean you're using the brakes properly.) It's probably also worth getting someone else to check the rest of your riding techniques to confirm they are safe.
Nothing in the UK will give you roadcraft skills without you passing a test first and riding on the roads here.
As said previously, your "just go for it and hope" approach is something I would happily have done in my teens and twenties. I wouldn't want to try it now.
Nothing in the UK will give you roadcraft skills without you passing a test first and riding on the roads here.
As said previously, your "just go for it and hope" approach is something I would happily have done in my teens and twenties. I wouldn't want to try it now.
Although you have ridden quite a bit already I think you would benefit from a CBT. Anyone can get on a bike and ride but to do so where you plan to do it(I have an idea how bad the roads and traffic can be) may end up in disaster.
Having driven a car for over 30 years and passing my DAS a few months ago I was surpised how much you coud learn in such a short space of time whilst training with profesionals.
ps Im in China now and its crazy here too. Theres no way im getting on a bike here.
Having driven a car for over 30 years and passing my DAS a few months ago I was surpised how much you coud learn in such a short space of time whilst training with profesionals.
ps Im in China now and its crazy here too. Theres no way im getting on a bike here.
CBT is almost purely about the physical riding of a bike, one of the classroom modules has some parts on road awareness, positioning, not driving under lorries and that sort of thing but there isn't the time in the CBT to focus on roadcraft, that's what the proper lessons are for.
Not sure I'd want to ride in Thailand without having a fair bit of experience and I certainly wouldn't have ridden with a pillion or without a helmet. I've never been to Thailand but I've been to some other places around that part of the world and the standards of driving, appalling road systems and nigh-complete lack of traffic management leave a lot to be desired. Coming off a twist and go with your mrs, even at 40-50mph with no safety gear will leave you in a right old mess and I doubt third world hospitals in Asia are all that much fun.
Not sure I'd want to ride in Thailand without having a fair bit of experience and I certainly wouldn't have ridden with a pillion or without a helmet. I've never been to Thailand but I've been to some other places around that part of the world and the standards of driving, appalling road systems and nigh-complete lack of traffic management leave a lot to be desired. Coming off a twist and go with your mrs, even at 40-50mph with no safety gear will leave you in a right old mess and I doubt third world hospitals in Asia are all that much fun.
Edited by Mastodon2 on Sunday 23 August 11:15
Thai islands are brilliant for getting a small bike and using it to get round, as you've found out. I love the freedom of it. It's a great way of life using bikes like the Dutch use bicycles - hop on, razz down to the beach or bars or shops or back to the hotel, park anywhere, no spending 15 minutes unchaining it, putting your gear on, making sure everything's roadworthy - just hop on and twist!
It's good that you want to get some basic training in before returning, and it's well-advised. If you're going to be taking up biking when you get back here then yep do the geared CBT. However if you're only going to be doing the CBT for your holiday then it'll be easier to just do the twist'n'go CBT.
Samui is one of the better islands for riding too although beware of picking up a 'Samui Tattoo' (local slang for the large road rash injuries you see tourists walking around with
) Pootling around Chaweng is one thing but when you go on the main circular road as you've seen it can get a bit hairy on an underpowered bike. I've seen a few nasty accidents on that road and I've only been on it a few times. The roads off the main ring road are generally concrete slabs with sod-all grip which get very sandy so take it easy on corners (I saw the aftermath of someone not doing that in Phuket last time and it wasn't good) . They're lethal after a rain downpour too.
One word of warning though - if you do get into an accident on a bike over there and need medical assistance or repatriation your travel insurance will be invalid, as you don't have a full bike licence. Also if the police attend they'll do you but Thai fines are generally small compared to ours.
Finally, one piece of advice when hiring a bike over there - NEVER, EVER, ever give up your passport as security for hiring a bike. If they ask for it then say you're willing to leave a returnable cash deposit or walk away. There's hundreds of places to hire a bike from, so choose another that will hire you a bike without a passport. I'd also say the same for if the bike looks a bit ropey so check it over and preferably choose a place with a decent number of fairly-new bikes for hire and avoid the houses and cafes that have just one bike they rent out.
It's good that you want to get some basic training in before returning, and it's well-advised. If you're going to be taking up biking when you get back here then yep do the geared CBT. However if you're only going to be doing the CBT for your holiday then it'll be easier to just do the twist'n'go CBT.
Samui is one of the better islands for riding too although beware of picking up a 'Samui Tattoo' (local slang for the large road rash injuries you see tourists walking around with
) Pootling around Chaweng is one thing but when you go on the main circular road as you've seen it can get a bit hairy on an underpowered bike. I've seen a few nasty accidents on that road and I've only been on it a few times. The roads off the main ring road are generally concrete slabs with sod-all grip which get very sandy so take it easy on corners (I saw the aftermath of someone not doing that in Phuket last time and it wasn't good) . They're lethal after a rain downpour too.One word of warning though - if you do get into an accident on a bike over there and need medical assistance or repatriation your travel insurance will be invalid, as you don't have a full bike licence. Also if the police attend they'll do you but Thai fines are generally small compared to ours.
Finally, one piece of advice when hiring a bike over there - NEVER, EVER, ever give up your passport as security for hiring a bike. If they ask for it then say you're willing to leave a returnable cash deposit or walk away. There's hundreds of places to hire a bike from, so choose another that will hire you a bike without a passport. I'd also say the same for if the bike looks a bit ropey so check it over and preferably choose a place with a decent number of fairly-new bikes for hire and avoid the houses and cafes that have just one bike they rent out.
Thailand has one of the worst road traffic safety records in the entire world. Thais just don't give a f
k if they kill someone. The Thai fatality rate is several times of that of its neighbour countries, who are actually less developed, such as Vietnam or Laos.
I'd do the CBT. You will probably not gain much from the mandatory syllabus, but most CBT instructors will also give you some tips about basic motorcycle road craft and how to stay safe on a bike. That will benefit you in Thailand. They will give you _some_ tips, don't expect an afternoon of pearls of wisdom as there won't be time and there will be other students who know zero and need more attention, but you will get something out of it.
And if you get a bike in the UK, you need to get a CBT anyway, so just do it.
k if they kill someone. The Thai fatality rate is several times of that of its neighbour countries, who are actually less developed, such as Vietnam or Laos. I'd do the CBT. You will probably not gain much from the mandatory syllabus, but most CBT instructors will also give you some tips about basic motorcycle road craft and how to stay safe on a bike. That will benefit you in Thailand. They will give you _some_ tips, don't expect an afternoon of pearls of wisdom as there won't be time and there will be other students who know zero and need more attention, but you will get something out of it.
And if you get a bike in the UK, you need to get a CBT anyway, so just do it.
Thanks guys - I've done most of the islands on a bike. I will call a place and ask them what they offer. If it's just the absolute basics I'll save the hundred quid and take my chances again. A full bike test would be nice - but I don't have the time to do that before I go. And my chances of riding in the UK are slim. Just don't see the same level of attraction over here. When it's rainy I'd prefer a car with a roof.
I might look into a helmet though. Couldn't even find any that fit my over there. Was wary of coming off at speed with just swimming shorts and t shirt on. But I just took it really easy. Was a hell of a lot easier without someone on the back - but my parter wouldn't ride on her own and I can't leave her behind. In the bigger towns and cities taxis are cheap and plentiful - it's just in the more remote places that I think you need a bike.
I might look into a helmet though. Couldn't even find any that fit my over there. Was wary of coming off at speed with just swimming shorts and t shirt on. But I just took it really easy. Was a hell of a lot easier without someone on the back - but my parter wouldn't ride on her own and I can't leave her behind. In the bigger towns and cities taxis are cheap and plentiful - it's just in the more remote places that I think you need a bike.
Correct. The helmets there are not fit for purpose and won't protect you in the event of a spill.
As for not seeing the attraction of biking over here? You couldn't be more wrong! Yes it's totally different to riding a 125 on holiday but believe it or not it doesn't rain here all the time!
As for not seeing the attraction of biking over here? You couldn't be more wrong! Yes it's totally different to riding a 125 on holiday but believe it or not it doesn't rain here all the time!
Moily said:
Correct. The helmets there are not fit for purpose and won't protect you in the event of a spill.
As for not seeing the attraction of biking over here? You couldn't be more wrong! Yes it's totally different to riding a 125 on holiday but believe it or not it doesn't rain here all the time!
The problem is - I'll never be that into bikes. I was driving on Sunday morning and saw a guy hanging back at a roundabout. Two minutes later he came past me at what must have been around 150 mph. I was doing 100 on the duel carriageway and he was gone in a blink of an eye. I'll never see the attraction in that. I can imagine it's fun, but I value my life too much. For me it's about cruising around with the air in your face and having a certain freedom. It's about just relaxing. My feelings are that riding over here is more about either commuting or driving at speeds that would scare me silly. As for not seeing the attraction of biking over here? You couldn't be more wrong! Yes it's totally different to riding a 125 on holiday but believe it or not it doesn't rain here all the time!
I'm a chicken. At 70 kmp I was happy on a decent road. The bike wasn't big and with someone else on the back that seemed more than enough when it started getting buffeted around. I enjoyed just relaxing and seeing places.
I am starting to see the attraction at the weekends actually. Smallish bike and going for a ride for a few hours not knowing where I'm going. Umm... I'll look into how much it costs.
Moily said:
photosnob said:
... I value my life too much ...
Riding in Thailand with no training or protective gear is about 1,000,000x more risky with your health/life-span than riding here with training and gear, trust me!This thread nicely shows the difficulty of correctly assessing risk. I have a 1000 cc bike, which is very quick, but riding in the UK on relatively good quality roads with relatively good standard of driving is just many orders of magnitude safer than wobbling around, untrained and unprotected on s
t roads in a third world country where there is only one road traffic law that people know: size matters (not a good rule if you are on two wheels).Our UK roads are some of the safest in the world for cars and bikes ...in the UK a few hundred bikers die per year, out of 5 million licence holders
In Thailand its 80 KILLED PER DAY, the 3rd worst country in the world for traffic accidents
...Im not riding or driving there, and wear your seatbelt in the taxis
In Thailand its 80 KILLED PER DAY, the 3rd worst country in the world for traffic accidents
...Im not riding or driving there, and wear your seatbelt in the taxis
It's not that bad in reality, for people like us. Most accidents are on the highways but tootling round the beach roads is relatively safe. They're more aware of people on bikes than UK drivers are, as a consequence of the sheer number of bikes out there.
The accidents off the main highways tend to be tourists who aren't bikers back home, when they see how easy and free it looks to get a bike there.
The accidents off the main highways tend to be tourists who aren't bikers back home, when they see how easy and free it looks to get a bike there.
photosnob said:
My feelings are that riding over here is more about either commuting or driving at speeds that would scare me silly.
There is no reason for that. Any halfwit can go fast in a straight line so there are limited thrills and limited skill involved in doing 150mph on a DC/motorway. Going on a bike, at more sedate speeds around the country side, is still better than in a car as when you come across 5 vehicles behind a HGV or caravan, you can actually overtake, without even using excessive speed and get on enjoy your ride instead of watching the back door of a hatchback for the next half hour.
I was hit by a car pulling out of a side street.
I was doing 30mph.
I was wearing proper bike boots and trousers etc.....
I was lucky to keep my leg (even if it does now look like a badly made pizza)
9 months on crutches.
Riding a bike in flip flops and a t-shirt with no helmet? Yer fking insane.
Still, it's your life, I wouldn't want to be responsible for yer girlfriends though.
I was doing 30mph.
I was wearing proper bike boots and trousers etc.....
I was lucky to keep my leg (even if it does now look like a badly made pizza)
9 months on crutches.
Riding a bike in flip flops and a t-shirt with no helmet? Yer f
king insane.Still, it's your life, I wouldn't want to be responsible for yer girlfriends though.
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