To think that the cbt is woefully inadequate for preparing people to go on the road?

[Timeforanamechangey]

I ride a small motorbike and when I completed my cbt I felt like I was given virtually no instruction about driving on the road/road safety/rules of the road etc.

There was no requirement in advance for me to have read the Highway Code or anything like that. As someone who had no previous road experience (and I told the instructor this), I was assuming that he would go through the basics with me as part of the test. He did not. The only thing he actually told me about the road was that the white line in the centre if broken = allowed to overtake, unbroken = not allowed. He berated me for knowing nothing but I told him this in advance! He spent most of the day chatting to the other student and only told me how to use my indicators a split second before we actually went out on the road portion of the test.

Virtually everything I now know about riding and the road came as a result of me being my own research and questioning everyone I know who drives. But what if I didnt? Given that this course is often taken by 16/17 yr olds, who might not do what I did. Not long after I started riding I met a 17yr old who had completed his cbt the day before. He proudly announced that he had fallen off twice (in 24hrs). He only had a 50cc scooter so wasn't going very fast and not injured but he is allowed to go up to a 125cc, which has enough power for you to kill yourself if you do something stupid. To me it seemed obvious that he was unprepared for going on the road and was a bit clueless so why was he given his cbt?

I appriciate I'm rambling a bit but essentially, Aibu to think that the cbt should contain more information than it does considering it gives you the ability to ride a machine that will go up to 75/80mph on any road except a motorway? Or was the guy that did mine just an absolute liability?

I agree. I think mine was particularly incompetent but in general the cbt is not enough to make sure learner rides are safe. It doesn't exactly help the perception that bikes are death traps when so many, especially youngsters, get into accidents, partly because of inadequate training.

I mean, how many hours do you have to do in a car before you are considered legally ok to drive? On the cbt it's, what, 2 or 3 at the most? I think mine was just over 2. Doesn't seem like enough.

If it was that crap, a lot more learners would be getting killed, and that's not seen in the stats.

I'd like to see cyclists having to take Cycling Proficiency before being allowed onto the roads, a very large number of students where I used to live got on bicycles for the first time at 19 and had no clue about giving way or signalling. Fucking mayhem every October.

If your instructor didn't cover lane positioning and roundabouts in the classroom sessions then I don't believe they were covering the syllabus. But I still believe it was your responsibility to read the HC in advance to prepare yourself better.

If anyone would like to see what a CBT is supposed to cover, the details are here. I think it's pretty comprehensive, including the importance of proper kit, and an awareness that your emotional state affects your ability to control a vehicle.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/377662/compulsory-basic-training-cbt-syllabus-and-guidance-notes.pdf

And one last thing - I'm having a quick scan of motorcycle training schools after googling 'how to prepare for a CBT'. They all say you should learn the Highway Code and be confident on a pushbike. Frankly, i'm not surprised your instructor bollocked you for failing to prepare.

But you can go out on a pushbike with not training and, up until 2001, could use a moped with no training.
The truth is, on a push bike/moped, if you get it wrong you kill yourself. In a car, you kill other people. So why should the state prevent your suicide?

I can only presume the last few posters are not motorbike riders! If you were you'd understand that the physics of riding a motorcyle are a lot more complex than car.. Probably a bit similar to a pushbike at top speed but much more extreme..

My concern is not just re road confidence but the actual bike control.. For example, although best practice in a car is to brake before a corner then drive through the bend, if you underestimate the tightness of the bend and need to brake mid corner then a car is fairly forgiving.. With a motorbike if you go too hard into a corner then need to brake in it you've a fairly good chance of the bike just going straight ahead and into an oncoming vehicle or off the road due to the physics involved!

Also, so many more things are hazardous on a bike! Agree this can also apply to pushbikes but you're presumably not travelling at 60 mph on a push bike with the possibility of travelling much faster..

Agree we don't hear that much about deaths of CBT-level riders.. I would think there are a lot of accidents though and the riders either don't report it as such (insurance cost concerns) or just stop riding as they've had a fright!

Imust, I had an extensive conversation with him at least a week before when I booked the cbt, at no point did he ever mention that I needed any prior knowledge or to read the Highway Code. I know it seems obvious now but at the time I really thought he was going to teach me.

He didn't do any classrooms sessions at all. The whole day was spent out on the rain in a coned off section of a car park.

He didn't check my eyesight or tell me anything about how to check my bike (tyre tread etc).

During the road test we didn't use a roundabout, traffic light or pedestrian crossing and we had no radio/intercom to communicate with each other. So quite a few things on that document upthread were missing!

OP - sounds like your CBT instructor was awful, which is a shame and hopefully wont put you off going further with biking.

I would recommend to anyone looking to get into biking that they do a lot of research before hand, including theory etc and looking into the instructors for the courses - my instructor was ex police bike patrol and the school I used trains the police bikers so was really comprehensive.

The other thing is, if it doesn't feel right of your don't feel confident...don't do it, as you may put yourself and others at unnecessary risk.

Taking a CBT only entitles you to ride as a learner, you get 2 years to do your full theory and practical tests and you have to display L plates when riding before you have passed.

Re: scooters at 16 yrs are 50cc and have a 31mph speed restriction. Regarding the 17yr old...if he fell off a moped twice he would put really daft to try getting straight on to a 125 without getting some proper mileage/experience on his 50cc first - that will come down to his own decision making...

I love biking and definately want to pursue upgrading to a full license, still have a year in which to do it so that's fine.

Unfortuntely said instructor was so nasty when I stalled the geared bike I tried that I have completely lost confidence in my ability to operate a clutch, as such now I only ride a semi automatic but I know this is something I will have to get over if I want to progress.

One thing is for sure I won't be using the same guy for my full license! I have found another school a bit further away that looks much better and does training days where I can practise riding a fully manual bike ahead of the test to get some confidence.

Aw time I learned at a school but I had the same instructor for most of it and he was hideous too! He was thorough but he had zero patience and was a bit of a bully - everyone hated him! Instead of building confidence he almost wrecked mine... Shouting at mistakes.. He has me in tears 5 minutes before my module 1 test - you really need to be calm and collected for that one - god only knows how I passed it! I bet loads of folk gave up half way through the process because of him..

Anyhow all the other instructors were nice so it was just bad luck..

Your confidence will increase gradually then you can get back on a fully manual bike.. I did DAS so I had all my training days scheduled in... And going back to a precious point - a half day was devoted to 'country roads' - with an instructor.. The girl who passed her cbt same time as me would have had to do all this on her own!!

Good instructors are out there. Ours was very patient with my neice who was having confidence issues on her moped.

We did have a classroom session and detail about clothing and basic bike safety. We also were in radio contact on the road section. OP you seem to have struck very unlucky with your instructor.

Even with a good CBT instructor I thinks it's inadequate training and road time before someone is let loose on a motorbike on the roads...

I failed my CBT I followed the rider in front onto the slip road for the motorway. Never heard a grown man scream so loud. It was her fault, I knew she was taking the wrong route but we had been told to ensure we stay together at all times (I'm very literal)

We were both on 50cc mopeds btw

I took my CBT 15 years ago and I can assure you that as far as my instructor was concerned you could fall off the bike and still pass, as I did

I remember for months after feeling like I was going to be stopped at any minute and be told to get off as I was a danger to myself and every other road user! I also managed to fall off a few times after passing my test and somebody reversed over my bike trying to let a bus past

OP, you re missing the point of the CBT. Up until the late 80s (and maybe later), anyone could jump on a 250cc with nothing but L-plates. The CBT isn't meant to be a driving test, merely a basic introduction before you go out on a 125cc TO LEARN to ride.

It's a shame they don't have them for car drivers too.

You can't actually fail a CBT (it's not a test), but I do recall a guy being told to 'come back again when he'd learn to cycle first' when I did mine years ago!

Now, the DAS, that is pretty tough!

babycham it was 2001

I did CBT many many years ago, it as a full day spent mainly going around bollards at low speed. I was taught where the gears are, indicators etc etc. This was before DAS I think.

I'd been driving cars for years so did know the highway code.

What are the alternatives? Before CBT you didn't legally need any instruction.

What about car drivers? You can start learning to drive a car with no instruction and not in an instructor's car.

I was giving a friend a 'lesson', more of a practice between her official lessons and at one point she couldn't see the junction properly because of a badly parked van, instead of listening to me she thought to herself, "I'll just have to go for it" and turned right on to quite a busy road - we didn't hit anything or be hit but that was shear luck. We could have easily killed someone.

Learner car drivers can't go out if not accompanied by a qualified driver (though appreciate this doesn't remove all risk). Car driving is easier and safer generally.