Bike trainer crashed into my girlfriend!!!
Discussion
Firstly, I must point out that I have been on bikes from the age of 13 and still enjoying them having years of experience and safe fun.
My girlfriend has recently passed her CBT, theory and practical and is now doing the final direct access bit.
She has been telling me all the training she has been given during the course and on the whole it seems to be very good. However, I have raised an eyebrow or ten at some of the things they have thought her about road safety.
One being only use your front brake when in a straight line !!!! and back brake all the rest of the time. What!?! Another was all the moving your head around and checking your "life saver" view when call me stupid but my 360 view is always on radar.
Anyway. I'll get to the point. After all of the information overload that the poor girl has had to contend with she was out on her 2nd three hour session today. The convoy was with girlfriend in position 1, trainer in 2 and 2nd trainee in 3rd.
My girlfriend stopped at a junction to turn left and accidentally stalled the bike. She was just going through the correct procedure to start the bike and set off when the trainer (who was busy checking his mirrors and "life saver" zone) when he smashed into the back of the stalled bike and sent my lady flying!
Poor lass, bike and girlfriend ended up on their side. She is now nursing a badly scratched and bruised left leg and knocked her confidence a bit to go further.
Just a thought but do new bikers really need to have their heads rammed with so much stuff that detracts from common sense training. (the trainers knowledge didn't help him from crashing did it?)
Any thoughts or is it just me!?!
Mak
My girlfriend has recently passed her CBT, theory and practical and is now doing the final direct access bit.
She has been telling me all the training she has been given during the course and on the whole it seems to be very good. However, I have raised an eyebrow or ten at some of the things they have thought her about road safety.
One being only use your front brake when in a straight line !!!! and back brake all the rest of the time. What!?! Another was all the moving your head around and checking your "life saver" view when call me stupid but my 360 view is always on radar.
Anyway. I'll get to the point. After all of the information overload that the poor girl has had to contend with she was out on her 2nd three hour session today. The convoy was with girlfriend in position 1, trainer in 2 and 2nd trainee in 3rd.
My girlfriend stopped at a junction to turn left and accidentally stalled the bike. She was just going through the correct procedure to start the bike and set off when the trainer (who was busy checking his mirrors and "life saver" zone) when he smashed into the back of the stalled bike and sent my lady flying!
Poor lass, bike and girlfriend ended up on their side. She is now nursing a badly scratched and bruised left leg and knocked her confidence a bit to go further.
Just a thought but do new bikers really need to have their heads rammed with so much stuff that detracts from common sense training. (the trainers knowledge didn't help him from crashing did it?)
Any thoughts or is it just me!?!
Mak
Having got rear ended by a bike yesterday myself, my sympathies are with your girlfriend. It does hurt and must have knocked her confidence so early into biking 
As far as using only the front brake, that insane
In the dry 75% front and 25% rear. In the wet 50/50 is how I've been riding for 21 years and how I was taught. Using all front or all back will change the balance of the bike too much and you should never use all rear unless you're riding very slowly and trail the rear for stability.
As for the trainer rear ending your girlfriend, if she's damaged her bike, clothing or lid she should claim. He was 100% in the wrong and sounds like he needs some training himself
Hope she feels better soon and passes her test
As far as using only the front brake, that insane
In the dry 75% front and 25% rear. In the wet 50/50 is how I've been riding for 21 years and how I was taught. Using all front or all back will change the balance of the bike too much and you should never use all rear unless you're riding very slowly and trail the rear for stability. As for the trainer rear ending your girlfriend, if she's damaged her bike, clothing or lid she should claim. He was 100% in the wrong and sounds like he needs some training himself
Hope she feels better soon and passes her test
Sounds to me like a lifesaver didn't really help the trainer in this situation.
To be honest lifesavers have a purpose but agree maintaining an idea of whats going on round you at all times really helps. To be honest I concentrate majority of my efforts to forward view, however I do use my mirrors all the time. Over the years I've taught myself to do shoulder checks either way as I deem appropriate and not religiously and sometimes for no purpose as you are when learning.
To be honest lifesavers have a purpose but agree maintaining an idea of whats going on round you at all times really helps. To be honest I concentrate majority of my efforts to forward view, however I do use my mirrors all the time. Over the years I've taught myself to do shoulder checks either way as I deem appropriate and not religiously and sometimes for no purpose as you are when learning.
makatya said:
Nice to know that Blue Peter can work on bikes!
So...........shouldn't the prat who rammed into you be paying for all of the work........and gaffer tape?
I've built my race car with Blue Peter tips so this was a breeze So...........shouldn't the prat who rammed into you be paying for all of the work........and gaffer tape?
The bike will probably get written off and I'll get paid out, but I need it for work or my commute is 2-3 hours longer in the car, so it's a temporary fix that may be long term if I can buy the back from the insurance company
My dad is a driving/biking examiner and a previous driving instructor. In Australia. Which isnt relevent except for the fact that the (Western) Australian test for both is an embarrassment to the nation and goes some way to explaining at least part of the annual road toll.
But I digress. Back on topic, his favourite saying used to be "Hey, I just teach them to pass the test, not to drive."
Unfortunately, anyone who had lessons simply wanted to know what was required to pass the test. There was little or no tolerance for being taught how to actually drive - that was wasting their time in their opinion. Hence people ended up with a head full of what some hand wringing baby-kisser thought was relevent, not what was required to stay alive.
I think the same goes in your case. Although having said that, thank your lucky stars your english test is as comprehensive as it is. (Ive managed to do both).
But I digress. Back on topic, his favourite saying used to be "Hey, I just teach them to pass the test, not to drive."
Unfortunately, anyone who had lessons simply wanted to know what was required to pass the test. There was little or no tolerance for being taught how to actually drive - that was wasting their time in their opinion. Hence people ended up with a head full of what some hand wringing baby-kisser thought was relevent, not what was required to stay alive.
I think the same goes in your case. Although having said that, thank your lucky stars your english test is as comprehensive as it is. (Ive managed to do both).
Edited by 308mate on Saturday 9th June 21:42
Not really sure what the issue is with the braking point as it sounds very much like they are saying 'don't use the front brake in a corner'. It could be down to interpretation rather than message.
As for lifesavers, when I passed my test you would fail if you didn't do your lifesavers. I also still use them and find them very helpful. It's such a habit that I feel unsafe if I don't do them. I'd be very surprised if the message from the instructors was 'do lifesavers and don't try to have any other sort of spacial awareness', all they've said is 'do your lifesavers'.
As for the accident, that really sucks. It sounds pretty foolish for the instructor to have not looked forward before pulling away, and I hope it hasn't dented your girl's confidence too much. At the end of the day it is an accident. The instructor is only human, and even the best of us make mistakes.
As for lifesavers, when I passed my test you would fail if you didn't do your lifesavers. I also still use them and find them very helpful. It's such a habit that I feel unsafe if I don't do them. I'd be very surprised if the message from the instructors was 'do lifesavers and don't try to have any other sort of spacial awareness', all they've said is 'do your lifesavers'.
As for the accident, that really sucks. It sounds pretty foolish for the instructor to have not looked forward before pulling away, and I hope it hasn't dented your girl's confidence too much. At the end of the day it is an accident. The instructor is only human, and even the best of us make mistakes.
I'm a CBT instructor and have noticed that some of the 500cc trainers have one in front and one trainee behind,seems a bit stupid in my opinion,you can't look in front of you and behind you at the same time,and look after yourself!Even if i was taught to do it that way(im yet to do 500cc training) i wouldn't do it,jeesus it's hard enough controlling two people right in front of you!Which reminds me i have two 16 year olds on scooters at 7.30 am tommorrow morning,aaahhhh!
rumpelstiltskin said:
I'm a CBT instructor and have noticed that some of the 500cc trainers have one in front and one trainee behind,seems a bit stupid in my opinion,you can't look in front of you and behind you at the same time,and look after yourself!Even if i was taught to do it that way(im yet to do 500cc training) i wouldn't do it,jeesus it's hard enough controlling two people right in front of you!Which reminds me i have two 16 year olds on scooters at 7.30 am tommorrow morning,aaahhhh!
When I did my CBT I preferred it when I was behind the instructor. He could show me where we were going and I could see him doing all the checks etc. Then when I went in front I didn't feel under so much pressure.rumpelstiltskin said:
I'm a CBT instructor and have noticed that some of the 500cc trainers have one in front and one trainee behind, seems a bit stupid in my opinion, you can't look in front of you and behind you at the same time, and look after yourself!
Let me set the record straight.This is not a knock at the instructors. They do a great job. The guy today did 2 x 3 hour sessions with my girl and another rider. That must be so hard.
I am just questioning what trainers are told to teach new riders.
"Life saver" look backs are important as previous in this thread but it's not just about getting people to pass tests but to make them able and safe riders into the future.
If I was a trainer then I would find it hard to concentrate on a rider in front and a rider behind.
No wonder the poor bloke rode into the back of my girlfriend!
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