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My Bike Plus Day
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| Shires would like to thank Pep Lattuca for the following diary of the days events |
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If you're thinking of improving your riding or have recently passed your test and want to get a better
sense of the road, overtaking, corner positioning etc then I can't recommend enough the 'Bike Plus'
Rider Development Course run by Shires Motorcycle Training. The great thing is if you live within a
Derbyshire postcode it is subsidised by Derbyshire County Council.
I had passed my test in September 2008 and although I had ridden through the winter there were still
some aspects of my riding I felt I could improve on with a little instruction.
The main things being right hand bends, filtering and when to overtake safely.
I booked my Bike Plus with Shires for the 25th April 2009 and couldn't wait to get started.
On arrival I was greeted by Mark Walters who was going to be my instructor for the day, he asked me to relax and have a cuppa as there would be another rider Leigh joining us on the Bike Plus.
The facilities at Shires are excellent and well run by the team who are happy to answer any questions you may have on the day.
Before we got kitted up Mark sat us down and explained what the day was about and what we aimed to get from it.
He would be looking at key skills, bike control, road behaviour, hazard recognition and systematic approach.
Above all he said it is not like when you took your test and would expect to see us making progress including filtering and overtaking 'very different to a test'.
He asked what our riding experiences were, I have covered over 4,000 miles since passing my test and Leigh just over 600 miles so totally different experiences from myself and Leigh.
Mark checks our documents and bikes and gives us both a headset and we get ready to leave at 9am.
Here is a picture of Leigh and myself before we set off. (I'm the one next to the green Kawasaki)
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The route began with us riding out of Derby and taking the scenic route through Wirksworth
and Cromford into Matlock Bath where we would stop for Mark to give some feedback on our riding over a cuppa and breakfast.
Leigh and I took it in turns leading the ride so that Mark could assess our riding. Mark explained that he could see the difference
in our styles and lines as I had covered a lot more miles than Leigh.
Also Leigh was braking on bends and Mark explained that you need to get all your gear change and braking done before you enter/commit to the bend.
After a brief stop and with the rain starting to come down I would now take the lead and we head out of Matlock Bath onto the A6 towards
Bakewell where we would then take on some country roads towards Chapel-en-le-Frith and then another stop in Glossop.
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After a cuppa and some food in Glossop we head out onto the A57 Snake Pass Road for some work on bends,
road positioning and gearing. This road has some excellent sweeping bends with various degrees of difficulty
and camber The good news is the rain has stopped so makes the A57 a better experience.
Mark asked me to take the lead and for Leigh to follow my lines whilst all the time having radio commentary from
Mark about positioning and gearing. We got to the bottom of the A57 and stopped, we were doing well for time so
Mark asked if we wanted to go back up the Snake Pass this time with Leigh in front. All in all we did the A57 run
three times and on the last time I thought Leigh had found some confidence and speed as he was passing slower vehicles
'still within the national limit' and at one point I was two cars behind him WOW what a difference from the morning session.
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A picture taken just outside Glossop
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The views across the Peak District National Park are amazing here are a few more pictures. |
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Off we go this time through Bamford, Hathersage, Froggatt and Bakewell into Matlock Bath for a final stop and brief before we head back to Shires. Overall for me I gained better knowledge of looking further ahead on the road and bends and also not looking down immediately in front me, just look where I want the bike to go and it will. I think Leigh had an amazing day as he went from being hesitant in the morning on bends and passing vehicles to a more fluid rider by the end of it.
Back at Shires Mark went through the Instructors report with us and the best bit we both got a certificate to say we completed the Bike Plus course which may help reduce your insurance premiums.
To sum up a great day, covered approx 140 miles and if your thinking of doing the Bike Plus course 'Do it' it certainly made me a better rider and gave me more confidence on the bends just by knowing how to read the road and looking further ahead.
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