Passed IAM Bike a few weeks ago. How old are you all?

[InsolentMinx]

Helloo

I passed my IAM car test about 4 years ago now, and shortly after that bought a motorbike.
Dad signed me up for the skills for life course thing which I finished about 2 years ago and could just never find enough weekends in a row to get some proper practise riding in. Plus I wasn't ever properly assigned an observer, so was riding solo majority of the time which isn't ideal for perfecting technique.
Anyway, excuses aside, I failed my first test after a comedy of errors leading up to the test which put me in a bad mental place. Nearly 1 year later (a few weekends ago) and I passed my retest

Conditions were pretty crappy, it was cold, and we had one countrylane that was just sheet ice!! So much so I didn't need to do any figure of eights or anything, as my slowspeed control on the icerink was perfect. I still didn't ride as well as I have done previously... nerves probably, but he passed me, thankfully. I said I'd go back when I can feel my fingertips and take a Bakesafe with him to show him I can ride better.

Anyway, I was just wondering how old IAM drivers and riders here are.
Most in my IAM bike group are 40ish+, and they're a good laugh, but there's very few my age. I'm 28.

Did the car when I was 24/25 I think, and was easilly half the age of all the IAM car group who where there when I got my certificate.

Is the IAM still an older generation thing, or are more young folk getting into it?

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

I can't speak for the bikers, but I was 18 when I first joined the IAM, and am 40-something now.

The associates joining our group's Skill For Life courses span the complete range of ages from 17 to 70+, but the committee and the people who actually do stuff in the group tend to be those with the spare time to devote to it. This usually means the self-employed or retired, but we've had some success in getting younger people involved of late.

Congratulations, by the way - it sounds like your test experience was less than ideal, so a pass is a good result.

Edited by S. Gonzales Esq. on Tuesday 18th December 18:37

[Benbay001]

I passed my IAM car test on the 17th of march last year. I would have been 18. I beat you!

[InsolentMinx]

haha thanks for the replies. I know what you mean about only the older people having the time for running the clubs, and that makes sense. My dad observes on bike and car... well, just car now... but it does take up a lot of spare time!
I've utmost respect for those who give up their spare time to help others

and well done Ben. i wish I'd have known about it when I was 17/18. Pass Plus was the thing they were pushing onto new drivers, but I never did it as I'd been told by a few that it was useless.

Might give RoSPA a try next year...

[MC Bodge]

I was in my early 30s when I did Bike IAM. Other than one observer who was a similar age to myself, everybody else I encountered on the rides and at the meetings was significantly older.

[trashbat]

Driver here, 28, passed this year. Only started driving at 26 else I might have done it earlier.

There seemed to be a reasonable, if not great, spread of ages amongst other associates when I was doing it.

[itcaptainslow]

I did my IAM test when I was 18 (now 25), I'm currently a "dormant" Observer-I'm struggling to devote the time to it at the moment unfortunately.

I really enjoyed the course and test and would recommend it to anyone, especially young drivers-it's improved my driving tenfold.

[brisel]

I did my IAM car test when I was 34. I'm 39 now. My wife did hers at the same time as me. My observer was a retired ex police & ambulance driver but hers was a 40 something car & bike observer who worked in a machinery dealership full time.

[Willy Nilly]

I did Rospa when I was about 32, the examiner said I was the youngest person he'd ever tested. I wanted to do rospa on my bike, made phone calls and left messages, but they never called me back. bks to them.