I found it a bit so so. When I contacted cycle training uk I told them that I had done cycle training almost 2 years ago and have been riding in London for two years. The training started with the basics like emergency braking, always using the two brakes at the same time, looking behind and indicating etc.. Then we went along very quiet roads where we spent a lot of time talking about positioning, turning left and right. We eventually went on the road, I had to ride less than 10k an hour as she was struggling to keep up. I got a little stern "you are going quite fast so you couldn't hear me when I told you to go left". I had been going very slowly.
Anyway at the end we went from Stockwell until after the Oval and back again. There is a stretch on the A3 just before the Oval where cars tend to undertake so I told her that I wanted to go through there. So we did, I looked back a few times as we went along. About 4 cars undertook us. Then I continued, I looked back and couldn't see her, slowed down, looked back, looked back. I stopped eventually and she arrives, pretty pissed off "you never looked back! I told you to turn left, you don't look behind, if you had you would have noticed that I wasn't there. The same on that stretch of road, people undertook you because you don't look behind, I looked behind all the time. It's after 1200, I need to go somewhere!". I apologised (although pointed out that cars still undertook us even when she looked back) and let her get on with the telling off.. . She relaxed a bit, gave me my sheet. I looked at the time it was 1205. But basically I don't feel more confident if anything probably less confident and a bit useless! :) Apart from the end she was quite nice and I learnt new things but it felt like training for grannies maybe also my fault as I should have been more clear on what I wanted to learn but she should also have been more clear on when to stop and where we were going.
I tried to practice looking back on my way home, she told me to look back every 3-4 parked cars. I found this a bit difficult and confusing as I normally spend a lot of time scanning for obstacles ahead obviously depending on what is going on and where I'm heading to. So any tips welcome.
This from Vee Vee
I found it a bit so so. When I contacted cycle training uk I told them that I had done cycle training almost 2 years ago and have been riding in London for two years. The training started with the basics like emergency braking, always using the two brakes at the same time, looking behind and indicating etc.. Then we went along very quiet roads where we spent a lot of time talking about positioning, turning left and right. We eventually went on the road, I had to ride less than 10k an hour as she was struggling to keep up. I got a little stern "you are going quite fast so you couldn't hear me when I told you to go left". I had been going very slowly.
Anyway at the end we went from Stockwell until after the Oval and back again. There is a stretch on the A3 just before the Oval where cars tend to undertake so I told her that I wanted to go through there. So we did, I looked back a few times as we went along. About 4 cars undertook us. Then I continued, I looked back and couldn't see her, slowed down, looked back, looked back. I stopped eventually and she arrives, pretty pissed off "you never looked back! I told you to turn left, you don't look behind, if you had you would have noticed that I wasn't there. The same on that stretch of road, people undertook you because you don't look behind, I looked behind all the time. It's after 1200, I need to go somewhere!". I apologised (although pointed out that cars still undertook us even when she looked back) and let her get on with the telling off.. . She relaxed a bit, gave me my sheet. I looked at the time it was 1205. But basically I don't feel more confident if anything probably less confident and a bit useless! :) Apart from the end she was quite nice and I learnt new things but it felt like training for grannies maybe also my fault as I should have been more clear on what I wanted to learn but she should also have been more clear on when to stop and where we were going.
I tried to practice looking back on my way home, she told me to look back every 3-4 parked cars. I found this a bit difficult and confusing as I normally spend a lot of time scanning for obstacles ahead obviously depending on what is going on and where I'm heading to. So any tips welcome.