So I've finally decided to do my bike license

[Willeh85]

I always used to think I'll never take my bike license due to two things:

1. The speed and acceleration available on tap, I never thought I was mature enough to ride a bike sensibly and without risking either loosing my license entirely, or causing an accident resulting in either mine or others severe injury or death.
2. My father is a Pathologist and has told me about / shown me the photos cases he has worked on of some of the horrific injuries/death sustained in a combination of my first point and from other road users(cars) being involved in a collision.

I've had my car license 12 years this June and I'm 30 in September. Life is short and having just about recovered from a period of reactive arthritis due to illness, I feel I've reached a point in my life where I've reached a suitable maturity to enjoy and ride bikes safely while I'm still fit and able to do so.

I've got my theory test booked for the 18th of May and as soon as I've passed that I'm going to get my CBT and practice using a highly recommended training school in Notts, and then onto the next stages from there.

I know it's a long winded way to say I'm learning to ride bikes, so I suppose its a way of saying 'Hi, I'm new here' to this part of the forum.

[Willeh85]

LoonR1 said:

You need to keep this updated with your progress. Too many introduce themselves and are never heard from again.

I promise I will keep you all updated with my progress.

[Willeh85]

bogie said:

Good news for you, in a couple of years time you will wonder why you didn't start sooner

Have you booked the theory test and CBT yet ? whats the plan, a 125 for a while or straight to direct access on a big bike ?

Theory test booked for 18th May, going to do my CBT ASAP after passing, then DAS so I can ride any bike I like.

I'm not particularly set on anything. I was going to see what I learn on firstly, get something similar and get some experience, then test ride some other bikes and see what I really feel comfortable with.

Seeing as Bikes are relatively cheap in comparison to cars I suppose there is nothing to stop me getting perhaps a 125 and then something a bit bigger as well?

[Willeh85]

Well its test day.

Got my theory booked in for 6.45pm this evening. Gives me chance to do a few practice questions after work.

Wish me luck.

[Willeh85]

The Mad Monk said:

How did you get on?

Did you learn how to spell licence?

Taking it this evening.

My browser was accidentally set to American English and so any spelling and typing mistakes through my heavy handed typing were corrected that way. Really though, I'm not overly bothered.

[Willeh85]

Well I failed. Which I'm very annoyed about because I'll have to pay to sit another test, and it will delay me getting the rest of my license done.

I got 48/50 for the questions, and the hazard perception is what I failed on because of the test scoring system.

After watching the 'practice video' it said make sure you click for this and that etc, some will develop into a hazard and some an additional hazard.

So first clip, I clicked about 8 times for the hazards. In the practice video it showed far more clicks for some clips than that so I thought I was ok. Then a message pops up saying 'you clicked in an unacceptable manner you will score 0 for this clip'

Immediately I think fk now I've failed for certain, which set me up to fail for the remaining clips as I was then overly cautious about my number of clicks. Because of this on what I imagine were the clips immediately after this on 2 clips I scored 0 and another 2 I only got 1.

Had I not been given 0 for that first clip, I would have passed as I was 1 point off the mark required to pass.

grrrrr

[Willeh85]

I lifted this from that suggested thread as its spot on really. Basically Its more about learning when the scoring system will let you get points and clicking at the right time than actually spotting the hazards.

'Basically you click when you spot a hazard developing, and click more if it continues to develop. There is an obvious hazard in each clip, something like a cyclist doing an emergency stop, a car pulling out of a junction into your path etc. Click when you spot the hazard, click as it develops, and look out for additional hazards as some clips have more than one. If you sit clicking at everything you see you fail the clip.

Each clip is given a score based on how quickly you spot the developing hazard and respond to it with a click. If you don't click quick enough you get no points, if you spam the clicks to try and cover everything, again you get no points.'