BikeSafe London with Jazz
POSTED: 29/04/2022
Real advice from real riders
Our Marketing Assistant, Jazz, went along to a workshop run by BikeSafe London in Bromley and had an amazing time. Jazz rides a Honda 125cc scooter and is still on L plates, but as she starts planning her journey to get her big bike licence, she did her research and discovered BikeSafe... and she's very glad she did.
Read more about her experience below...
What is BikeSafe?
BikeSafe is a national initiative run by the police, aiming to teach motorcyclists how to be safer on the road. BikeSafe workshops involve some classroom-based activities, as well as an observed ride with a police-graded motorcyclist who will observe and provide feedback on a rider's attitude, observations, cornering, hazard awareness and general motorcycle control. The workshops are delivered in a relaxed environment and Jazz promises that it's not as nerve-wracking as you'd think being followed on your bike by a police officer!
Read Jazz's full account of her BikeSafe experience below...
How did you find out about BikeSafe?
"A friend of mine organised our group workshop with one of the police officers at a stand at a motorcycle show in London. They were really friendly and approachable and it was reassuring to book a workshop as a group of people who already knew each other. However it’s just as easy to sign up to a workshop on your own and use it as an opportunity to meet new friends and potential new riding buddies!"
The day...
"After a long but enjoyable ride from Maidstone to Bromley via a learner-friendly route there, we parked up and were met by the officers who visually examined our bikes to make sure they were in a road-worthy condition. We all had to test our indicators and, rather comically, our horns, which a lot of riders struggled to find!"
"We were welcomed into a beautiful building called The Warren, where we sat around a big table and met the wonderful character that is Gordy. As we filled out some paperwork, had our documents checked and enjoyed some refreshments, Gordy briefly explained to us what the day would involve. The atmosphere was very relaxed and we were all in agreement that we'd rather have shorter breaks... meaning more time on the road!"
"Gordy gave us some tips on motorcycle positioning, explaining how in order to stay safe as riders, we need to make sure we are seen - and that we also take up the most advantageous road position - on bends especially, in order to gather as much information as possible about the road ahead."
"We were introduced to the acronym IPSGA, which is the system of advanced riding...
Information - gather it.
Position - find it.
Speed - control it.
Gear - select it.
Acceleration - apply it."
"We were then shown some short clips of examples of accidents and collisions to show us just how dangerous a lapse in concentration or misjudgment can truly be. We sat and analysed them as a group with Matt, (another equally characterful officer), and discussed why the collisions occurred, how they could have been prevented and heard the opinion from the eyes of the law."
"We then chose whether we wanted to pair up or have a 1:1 ride with an officer... and we headed back out to our bikes!"
"After pairing up with my friend Kate and being introduced and briefed by our officer, John, we set off onto some of the most beautiful roads I have ever ridden. We were told to ride how we always do for the fairest assessment. We took turns to lead and John would pull us over to discuss his observations and feedback with us."
"John said that we made fantastic students and that we had the perfect attitude for advance motorcycle training, which was a huge compliment and something that we're both looking into!"
"We stopped for lunch and a leg stretch in a beautiful spot before getting back back on our bikes for even more riding time. John continued to provide invaluable feedback and said that we were ‘absolutely nailing it’!"
"It gave us a lot of confidence knowing we could just ride as we normally do and not worry about filtering or overtaking if we didn't want to. Being told to forget you have a police officer behind you is actually a lot easier than you think!"
“We rode for what felt like miles and miles. John asked us if we wanted more ride time or another break, and we were having so much fun that we stayed on the road.”
“We headed back to base for about 3:30pm and met up with everyone else. They all had a blast and said they’d absolutely attend one again and consider going on to do further advanced training. Our officers completed our feedback sheets and discussed the day with us through massive grins!"
"We were assessed on how well we handled: junctions, cornering, filtering, overtaking, awareness, speed, controls, signs and signals, attitude and responsibility.”
“The feedback I received was absolutely invaluable and felt very personal, detailed and constructive. I would highly recommend all riders of all styles and all experience levels to take part in one of these workshops. Not only was it an amazing learning experience, but it has given me so much confidence and it was an absolutely terrific day.”
Get a 10% discount on insurance with Devitt!
Devitt sponsor the National BikeSafe scheme, working together to encourage UK bikers to develop their post-training skills and improve their on-road safety.
“Thank you so much to all at BikeSafe London!”
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