Riding school
We try out a 1-to-1 coaching course aimed at boosting your confidence and making you a safer, happier rider
BMW Rider Training
GETTING YOUR CONFIDENCE back after a biking mishap can be more easily said than done. We’re only human and any crash, collision or even a simple drop can shake us. Before you know it, you’re riding has deteriorated: you’re stiff, indecisive and more likely to crash again. It’s a vicious circle that leads some to fall out of love with biking — or even give up altogether.
This was the situation I found myself in as I headed to the BMW Rider Training School on the outskirts of Royston in Hertfordshire. Earlier on in the year, I was involved in an accident with another vehicle, which has dented my confidence and left me a little nervous on the bike. But after 15 years of near incident-free riding, I want to nip it in the bud.
The aim of today is to quash my anxiety and to brush up on my skills, with a day’s 1-to-1 tuition with Chief Instructor, Ian Bierderman. Ian greets me with a cheery smile and, as I enter the modern building, I’m asked to take a moment to wash my hands. We’re living in different times and the guys have worked hard to ensure Covid-19 measures are in place, handwashing on arrival, classrooms socially distanced and anti-bac wipes evident, for when shared equipment is needed.
There’s a couple of learners and their tutor preparing for their day; they’re heading out to take their Mod 1 test. The school caters for everyone, with CBT courses, Direct Access, Advanced Riding courses and the bespoke training that I’m taking part in today.
As Ian and I head into our classroom, we start to chat about why I’m here and what I want to gain from the day. It’s my day and will be tailored to my needs; I’ve got his undivided attention for the next eight hours. Instantly I’m at ease; Ian’s been
teaching for 30 years and it’s apparent that he’s a people person, as he’s calm, considerate and listens.
Over a cuppa, we spend the next hour chatting about my riding experience, what led up to my accident and what could I have done differently. I can see Ian is mentally taking note of areas for us to work on during the day. Initially, It feels a little random but as I stand in the classroom doorway and start explaining what I can see, we’re already working on the observation skills, which we’ll brush up on further, when on the move.
As the day progresses, I feel it’s more a therapy session than an advanced riding course. Ian’s approach is calm, thoughtful and shows his knowledge and experience. He classes it more as a coaching session than a training session and I like the way I’m learning without being dictated to or patronised at all.
I’ve opted to ride my BMW F900XR TE but if you prefer, for £50 you can hire one of the fleet of brand new BMWS. With machines ranging from the novice-friendly G310GS, through to the R1250RT, there’s something to suit all riders. The school’s affiliated to BMW (and I’m sure if you cut Ian in half he’d have the letters ‘BMW’ running through him, like a stick of Blackpool rock) but he’s happy to teach any rider, on any machine.
We link up with intercoms and I take the lead; for the first five miles Ian wants to see how I ride. The centre’s in the perfect location, undulating hills to the south, flat Fen roads to the north and, situated between the M11 and A1, there’s motorways within striking distance.
The feeling of being watched makes me act slightly out of character but I’m soon in the swing of my ride. We’d talked about the types of roads I love to ride and start on my favourites; fast, flowing A-roads but within minutes, we’re down tight country lanes.
We pull over for our first debrief, Ian’s complimentary but we both realise there’s areas I can work on. My observation is good but not as good as it could be and
I’m also spending too much time, unnecessarily, changing road position. Ian’s all about not muddling the brain with stuff you don’t need to, this ensures you’ve got capacity to concentrate on the more important bits. So my indicating to go round a hazard when there’s only me on the road, for example, is pointless; save that tiny thought to make sure I’m looking that bit further up the road, to catch sight of that tricky hidden driveway.
As we switch position, Ian takes the lead; he’s talking the whole time, explaining where he’s looking, why he’s in that position on the road and what his next move is. I take confidence from the fact that I wasn’t too far out with my road positioning and my observations could be sharper but are pretty decent already. A couple of hours on the road and I’m mentally drained. I’ve learnt a couple of nuggets that I’ll apply to my day-to-day rides though more importantly, I’m rebuilding my confidence.
It’s a safe, friendly environment and I can’t recommend it enough. Little touches, that will mean nothing to blokes but to ladies mean a lot, like the personal hygiene products in the ladies loo, shows they care about their customers. At £345 for the day, it’s not cheap but I’m a believer you get what you pay for, the quality of training and friendly approach make it worth it.