In a bid to get better at not falling off, I got in touch with EDAM (Edinburgh District Advanced Motorists) who were offering a taster session for the IAM Ridesmart scheme – something you need to get if you want to be a blood biker, or just fancy a discount on your insurance.
I met Dave after work in Livingston, and we went out for a wee jaunt so he could tell me if I’m a liability or just plain dangerous.
We took the ride out in several parts stopping a few times to get feedback and discuss progress and strategy. Normally you wouldn’t have comms with the observer, but as Dave and I both had the same comms unit we were chatting as we rode which was handy as about 3 or 4 of the routes we wanted to take for closed for some reason on another.
A prime example is when we got to Carnwath and the A70 was closed so we had to head toward Peebles and back up the A702 to Edinburgh.
I did get some very useful feedback, the most surprising was that I was a competent rider and not imminently lethal!
If you do want some feedback on your riding, and are in the central belt, it’s worth getting in touch with the guys to arrange a ride out – it’s definitely got me thinking.