on my bike today, out the back where the garages are and it is bloody hard work.

I'm still good at stalling but can recover it now before it stalls. I can do a U turn but with my feet on the floor and best of all I can ride with my feet on the pegs now. Tomorrow I am going to try and get into 2nd gear I wobble all over the place but am gradually getting better. I cannot imagine anyone letting me ride on the road when I go for my CBT It sure ain't easy is it...learning to ride a bike?

Just build one skill onto another, and before long you won't even think about most of it - just keep practicing - and most of all, enjoy it

You'll get there Phoenix.
Just keep up the practice and you'll nail it before you know it

Keep it up

Stick with it Phoenix, we've all been there at some point.

keep it up, it will all come together with practices

keep at it you'll get there

Thank you all

Can I ask a question? It's a bit delicate (me being a girl and all that).....do you sweat in your helmet/jacket/gloves?

When I took all my gear off I looked like I had been in the shower with my clothes on

well quite frankly, yes!!

I recently went back to having a fringe and it seems to be particularly susceptible to the helmet/sweat combo!!

...but at least I now know if I'm having a bad hair day because someone in work is bound to ask "did you come on your bike today?"

Nope, it's just wayward!!

I go back to a curly perm every rally season - it means 'pulled through a hedge backwards' is a style!!

Thats the practising makes it worse - when you get on the road (and out of the towns) it's not as bad
I found a leather jacket with stretch fabric inside the arms which makes it cooler, and I get my hair cut to "helmet shape" then it don't matter

You shouldnt really need to get out of 1st gear yet by the soudsn of things . . .

Keep practising doing figure of 8's as slow as possible with your feet on the pegs and riding along as slow as possible to get used to real clutch control - all these can be done in 1st gear and changing gear is something to worry abotu at a later stage.

Keep at it and you'll be fine, the CBT will really help you to understand how it works and it'll give you confidence too.

I dont really sweat when Im moving, its when I stop and I cant get my helmet off quickly enough. I did heaps of sweating in the beginning though, its the stress of concentration I think.

I believe that you are sweating too much due to the fact that you might be more nervous or tense...

I know that I sweated a lot in the first day of CBT....

can you ride a normal bicycle ?

Yes I can.

Pheonix, you'll find it easier doing the CBT, as you will have an instructor showing you the correct techniques.
practising riding by yourself (or with another biker) will give you an idea of balance etc, but an instructor SHOULD make it far easier.
less stress/concentration = less perspiration, usually

just relax & try to enjoy yourself.
HTH

Everything helps thank you. I haven't done any more since Wednesday and am hoping the weather holds this week so I can practise a bit more....would really like to be not so wobbly I think.

Don't worry Fee, Mrs 955 was exactly the same at the beginning but she soon got used to it and once the methodology is implanted it becomes far easier. As Jones_Boy says, don't worry about changing gear etc. that will come in time. Bike control (especially at slow speeds) is one of the most important parts of riding and the better you get at this the easier general riding will become.

i was up in the retail park in the rain today for some practice. cant belive the difference in the rain

my neighbour was giving me some guidance,
we had cones out and were weaving in and out doing figures of 8 etc.

he had difficulty controling his r1 at low speeds lol.

The wobbles will be less when you are going faster, ie when you get into 2nd gear! But all your practice in 1st will stand you in good stead. The one disadvantage of the 'cruiser-style' bike is that they tend to be a bit longer so not quite so amenable to slow riding. Very pretty tho!

I sweated like anything all the time I was training, you'll find it's better once you've got your CBT and can get out on the road and practice actually going somewhere, even if it's only round the housing estate or to the local shops! I remember when I was at the stage of just riding round our estate, I thought that 25 was very fast and I'd never get up to 30!

Come to think, I still think 25 is quite fast round our estate - there are so many kids, cats, and cyclists around!

Sweat....hell yeah

I think today was the first day I have not been wringing since about March

You are wearing lots of kit it (as you have mentioned) will get a bit too warm from time to time.

I love it when the Spring or Autumn weather is here the air is cooler the bike goes better I am more comfortable.... It's lovely

BG is right though slow speed control will stand you in good stead not only for doing your test etc but town riddin is a lot easier if you can crawl weave and balance your way around..

It might all be a bit scarey but hang in there the rewards can be huge

Keep going Fee

Like its been said its easier when you go faster (don't need to go that much faster either )

I just wish I had a bike to practice on

I'm really missing being out. I can't believe how much 'the bug' has grabbed me! Can't afford to put in for lessons till after Pewsey. Can't really buy a little bike coz the house is still in tatters so nowhere to put one, although I could leave it at my mums. Gonna work on Ima see if we can get a little 125 till spring then go for the big un I can't wait any longer.

You'll get there hunny

Just keep at it; it WILL come, honestly

One little tip, with your feet on the pegs, gently grip the tank with your knees & use the shoulders for balance.

Hope that helps.

Good luck!

Suki, I happen to know someone with a CG125 they're getting rid of when they can secure a bigger bike....

Thanks hun but its upside down isn't it??

yeah, the gears are upside down, strange it is, but I never found it a problem when I started as it was the first geared bike I rode for any length of time, confusion started when I did my DAS and rode home every day naturally putting the gears the wrong way, it took me about 5 mins of switching bikes each day to get back into the right mode for each bike, I'd have preferred not to have rode mine whilst doing the DAS, but couldn't afford the Taxi's

Today was my last day of practise before my CBT on Saturday and I am glad to say I am loads better. I was crap on Monday and thought about giving up but I gave myself a stern talking too yesterday and today I was better......much calmer, not so wobbly and I feel I will be OK on Saturday.

Ta for all the advice, it's all been noted....whether or not I will remember is another thing entirely.

You will do fine fee, just listen to your instructor (who will always go at your pace). If you have any questions, always ask, no matter how silly you may think it is.
The first couple of hours will be spent in a class room, talking about safety equipment and riding principles. Then down to their training area, doing circuits, figure of 8's and u turns.
After all that you will go out on the road.

Once again good luck, and most of all...ENJOY IT!!!

Thanks TT. Just spoke to my instructor to confirm I am still going, so thats a good start I guess.

I just saw this forum and hence signed up as looked really friendly. This thread is great showing good support for the poster, but I cant help wondering - since I am wanting to take my CBT soon - should I be "preparing" for my CBT by practising? Is it recommended? Only I planned on passsing CBT first THEN buying a bike.

Thanks

To be honest, no you dont, as the CBT takes as long as necessary and they will not let you on the road if they do not think you are safe enough. If you have ridden a bike before, you already know the basics.

I had some bike experience before doing the CBT, but that was about 15yrs prevously, i was bricking it, but as soon as i got on the bike it was like i was home again.

Cheers for the heads up matey. This forum is very nice and friendly. All the other ones I come accross are full of mainly kids arguing and being fairly abusive!

I hope the above girl/lady does ok in her CBT. Cheers

Hi Steve and welcome

Well if you read my other post you will see I didn't get to go out on my CBT today. Thing is I am of a certain age (and it ain't young) and I think that my brain doesn't work as quick as it used to....things take a lot longer for me to understand than they used to when I was younger....I get there in the end but it takes time....I wasn't surprised that my instructor wouldn't let me go out on the road, I knew I wasn't ready. I wanted to practise because I had the bike and it seemed silly not to. Also I had somewhere where I could practise. There was another three people on my course today....one was a 16yr old with a 50cc scooter thing...no gears, a twenty something girl who had been driving a car for 7 years....poor thing the instructor gave her a bike with a centre stand and a kickstart....and a man about 35yrs old...also a car driver...he had no idea at all when it came to bikes...in the end the instructor got him a scooter. We were all totally different, in fact I was the only one with a little experience and the only one who didn't take my CBT, I'm not disappointed cos I know I wasn't ready.

There's always next week.

The good thing about the introduction of the CBT is that either you will sail it or realise your not up to scratch and what areas you need to master before taking on the rest of the world..

Before that the official training was for a group of you to take a knackered step through over the fields and fall off a lot

It's more of an assesment than an exam good luck with it all

Yeah it is more of an assesment, i went to my CBT today, second time on a bike ever, but the firest time didnt count (dont ask lol)

Im just proper cakhanded so everyone thinks i need to practice controling an automatic scooter for my cbt and then on the road for a few months, and then move up to gears.

Still it was prety gutting to watch everyone else ride off into the distance while i waited for my mum to give me a lift.

Won't be long, and then you will be zooming off with the best of them