Discussion
Hi all,
I’m new to these forums and looking for a bit of advice, I’ve recently got into biking having always wanted one growing up. I’m early 30s now and thought that I’d give it a go.
I did a CBT and instantly caught the bike bug. As soon as I got home I booked a direct access 5 day course.
I’ve been doing my rider training in Kettering which is a bit of a way from where I live (I’m not familiar with the area)…
Passed my mod 1 first time with only 1 rider fault.
Mod 2…
First one was about a month and a half ago, failed on a serious fault for a yellow box junction and waiting for a green arrow to appear which didn’t, I went on the amber light as it was changing to red, that was deemed serious.
Second attempt last week - failed on two serious faults whereby I pulled out from a hill start and a car turned in front of me (about 50 yards in front) but it was deemed serious as I should have waited for him to go first. Second serious fault was not undertaking on a slip road.
I completely accept that these were my fault, but at £200 a time for the mod 2 I’m a bit disheartened as to weather to continue and stick with it. I don’t feel like either of those faults in the last test I had were dangerous but I’m not one to argue with an examiner!
Any tips or advice or encouragement would be welcome!
Thanks, Matt
I’m new to these forums and looking for a bit of advice, I’ve recently got into biking having always wanted one growing up. I’m early 30s now and thought that I’d give it a go.
I did a CBT and instantly caught the bike bug. As soon as I got home I booked a direct access 5 day course.
I’ve been doing my rider training in Kettering which is a bit of a way from where I live (I’m not familiar with the area)…
Passed my mod 1 first time with only 1 rider fault.
Mod 2…
First one was about a month and a half ago, failed on a serious fault for a yellow box junction and waiting for a green arrow to appear which didn’t, I went on the amber light as it was changing to red, that was deemed serious.
Second attempt last week - failed on two serious faults whereby I pulled out from a hill start and a car turned in front of me (about 50 yards in front) but it was deemed serious as I should have waited for him to go first. Second serious fault was not undertaking on a slip road.
I completely accept that these were my fault, but at £200 a time for the mod 2 I’m a bit disheartened as to weather to continue and stick with it. I don’t feel like either of those faults in the last test I had were dangerous but I’m not one to argue with an examiner!
Any tips or advice or encouragement would be welcome!
Thanks, Matt
Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I passed second time and after a more trivial serious. Speeding up before passing the NSL sign allegedly.
Definitely keep at it. You will love it once you crack it and fortune smiles upon you.
Could you ask the school to just let you drive there and pay reduced fee on the day to save money (shared bike with other candidate who rode there) ?
I paid £50 plus test for that. Whereas half day was £120.
Definitely keep at it. You will love it once you crack it and fortune smiles upon you.
Could you ask the school to just let you drive there and pay reduced fee on the day to save money (shared bike with other candidate who rode there) ?
I paid £50 plus test for that. Whereas half day was £120.
Stay with it, nerves completely did for me on my first test and I didn't ride how I normally ride, failed on progress as too slow and cautious. It was a bit of a wait for the retest but used the time for more practice and getting my head in the right place.
You wouldn't have been put through for a test if you weren't ready, it's just a harsh environment for a test without much room for error. Get another one booked.
You wouldn't have been put through for a test if you weren't ready, it's just a harsh environment for a test without much room for error. Get another one booked.
Definitely stick with it, i had a disastrous first Mod2 test, dropped the bike at a creep and peek right turn junction, bars turned, clutch out, not enough revs, stalled the bike and down it went, examiner (who was in his car) took the radio off me, terminated the test and left me for the instructor to come and get me, stood there like a t*at in the freezing cold (it was January 2020) for 40 minutes, quite humiliating really, was sick of the whole thing, if i hadn't spent so much (nearly 1K at that point) i'd have chucked the whole thing, i also had a GSXR600 sitting, fueled up, insured and waiting to go when i passed (bought on finance) so giving up was not an option, went on to pass in February last year (same examiner again in his car), at 50 years old i wish i'd done it years ago, have three bikes now and absolutely love it.
As said above, stick at it.
I passed my Mod 2 6 weeks ago and it was worth the time, effort and money.
Alot is down to routes, I did my test in Nottingham and I was told they had a potential of 10 routes to choose from on the day, some are lovely routes through the countryside with clear sight lines and barely any traffic, some are small villages and boroughs but they have a couple of routes through an area called The Meadows (Think Kabul on a rough day) and it's horrendous. Tramlines everywhere, 20 to 30 to 20 to 40 to 30 every couple of hundred feet, traffic, traffic calming measures, blind junctions. If I had got a Meadows route, I think I may have failed. I was lucky and got a small villages route through an area I work in so knew the roads like the back of my hand.
You just need to drop lucky with a good route at the right time to avoid busier roads. Less to focus on means more concentration on the basics.
Good luck for next time.
I passed my Mod 2 6 weeks ago and it was worth the time, effort and money.
Alot is down to routes, I did my test in Nottingham and I was told they had a potential of 10 routes to choose from on the day, some are lovely routes through the countryside with clear sight lines and barely any traffic, some are small villages and boroughs but they have a couple of routes through an area called The Meadows (Think Kabul on a rough day) and it's horrendous. Tramlines everywhere, 20 to 30 to 20 to 40 to 30 every couple of hundred feet, traffic, traffic calming measures, blind junctions. If I had got a Meadows route, I think I may have failed. I was lucky and got a small villages route through an area I work in so knew the roads like the back of my hand.
You just need to drop lucky with a good route at the right time to avoid busier roads. Less to focus on means more concentration on the basics.
Good luck for next time.
I passed my Mod 2 today first time. The chap who I went down to the test centre with unfortunately failed as he was a bag of nerves and wasn't riding as he would on a lesson.
I found playing a catchy song in my car before I started my lessons/Mod1/Mod2 really helped me relax and take my mind off overthinking. Others say audibly narrating their ride helps. Try it for yourself on your next lesson.
Good luck with the next test OP I'm sure you'll crack it, you can't give up now.
I found playing a catchy song in my car before I started my lessons/Mod1/Mod2 really helped me relax and take my mind off overthinking. Others say audibly narrating their ride helps. Try it for yourself on your next lesson.
Good luck with the next test OP I'm sure you'll crack it, you can't give up now.
KC_TypeR said:
I passed my Mod 2 today first time. The chap who I went down to the test centre with unfortunately failed as he was a bag of nerves and wasn't riding as he would on a lesson.
I found playing a catchy song in my car before I started my lessons/Mod1/Mod2 really helped me relax and take my mind off overthinking. Others say audibly narrating their ride helps. Try it for yourself on your next lesson.
Good luck with the next test OP I'm sure you'll crack it, you can't give up now.
Well done on the pass and that's great advice.I found playing a catchy song in my car before I started my lessons/Mod1/Mod2 really helped me relax and take my mind off overthinking. Others say audibly narrating their ride helps. Try it for yourself on your next lesson.
Good luck with the next test OP I'm sure you'll crack it, you can't give up now.
I did my test whilst doing a running commentary just to make sure everything my brain was taking in, stuck.
Found the first half a mile the hardest, after examiner made me pull over to side for first time it all seemed to click and I calmed down, just tried to enjoy the ride after that.
OverSteery said:
Stick at it.
My experience suggests they are far harder on Bike tests than Cars - which is understandable to a certain extent given the risks.
I thought the opposite - on mine they were a lot less fussed about 10,000 mirror checks per minute and more about the real-world riding skills.My experience suggests they are far harder on Bike tests than Cars - which is understandable to a certain extent given the risks.
Ah you’ve just got to keep at it OP, you’re so close to the freedom of the bike and I promise you won’t look back once you’ve got over this minor inconvenience!
I have to say I was pretty rubbish at biking after only had ridden a bike for 5 days previous to the test so I just decided to treat my test as a practice which removed all of the pressure/stress of it. I thought yeah this costs a bit of money but if I fail I can learn from it and just chalk it up to experience.
You only fail when you give up!
I have to say I was pretty rubbish at biking after only had ridden a bike for 5 days previous to the test so I just decided to treat my test as a practice which removed all of the pressure/stress of it. I thought yeah this costs a bit of money but if I fail I can learn from it and just chalk it up to experience.
You only fail when you give up!
I know what you mean about the expense as I failed mod 2 last week and it’s £300 for a retake which is a blow…failed on not realising I’d turned into a one way street and thus didn’t position bike on the far right when making turn right..was deemed a serious error.
Have rebooked for farnborough now which is a different site for me then the last one…mod 1 Uxbridge mod 2 fail mitcham as it happens to be the first one available
Anyone used farnborough before any tips? Cheers
Have rebooked for farnborough now which is a different site for me then the last one…mod 1 Uxbridge mod 2 fail mitcham as it happens to be the first one available
Anyone used farnborough before any tips? Cheers
Just going to echo everyone else - stick with it.
My Mrs. struggled with her MOD1 and finally as she was about to throw the towel in passed on her 3rd attempt. It was definitely all just nerves, she breezed the MOD2 and passed that first time and absolutely loves biking now.
I failed my MOD2 first time, passed a line of parked cars too closely apparently (I still dispute it was too close but then again I'm not the examiner so it doesn't matter what I think
) but again am so pleased to have a full license and I'd do it all over again if I had to.
My Mrs. struggled with her MOD1 and finally as she was about to throw the towel in passed on her 3rd attempt. It was definitely all just nerves, she breezed the MOD2 and passed that first time and absolutely loves biking now.
I failed my MOD2 first time, passed a line of parked cars too closely apparently (I still dispute it was too close but then again I'm not the examiner so it doesn't matter what I think
) but again am so pleased to have a full license and I'd do it all over again if I had to. 
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