Taking the motorbike CBT in Gloucestershire

What to expect in the CBT:

For years I have harboured a secret desire to get on a motorbike and experience the freedom of the road.

The tipping point for me has been the A40 roadworks.

Commuting to Cheltenham from the Forest of Dean has been a nightmare.

Going the long way round has heaped another £20 per week on my petrol costs and if you’re anything like me, sitting in a traffic queue is one of the most soul destroying side effects of modern motoring.

But to be frank, I was worried about taking my CBT (compulsory basic training) because I had never ridden a motorbike before.

The whole thing about changing gear by foot and being so exposed on today’s incredibly busy roads, kept putting me off.

But the congestion and cost of motoring finally forced my hand and I took the CBT at Westside Riders in Gloucester.

The day starts at 8am at Westside’s purpose built training centre in the Morelands Trading Estate on Bristol Road with a classroom theory session packed with really good, simple advice.

I had no idea what to look for in a helmet or what clothes to buy – the range is baffling to say the least – but the Westside team offer really clear, easy to understand advice.

I was worried that I would be surrounded by bike “gurus” who would assume a level of knowledge about bikes and riding which I simply didn’t have. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

As anyone entering the motorbiking world will discover,this fraternity is friendly, welcoming and eager to help whether you have never ridden before or you are getting back on a bike after years behind the wheel of a car.

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Not knowing how to even turn on the ignition (as I didn’t) is not a problem. The tuition is virtually one to one and individually tailored to the need of the rider.

The morning theory session covered a wide range of road know-how from basic Highway Code rules to reading the road conditions. The classroom at Westside is formal enough to make you really concentrate and friendly enough to make a complete motorbike novice like me feel welcome.

After covering the classroom session the instructors give you a beginner’s guide to looking after your motorcycle. This covers how to check the oil, chain tension, brake fluid and even how to sound the horn.

For people who have perhaps grown up around bikes much of this will be very basic stuff but I guarantee even those people who think they know about bikes will learn something new.

After being kitted out with a high visibility jacket,helmet and gloves, it was time to get riding. We wheeled the bikes around to a coned off area of carpark behind Westside Riders – the perfect place to learn how to ride a motorbike.

The brand new Honda CG125 was the ideal machine for a novice like me – a good size and easy to handle.

Having said that nothing can prepare you for the first time you actually click it into first gear and release the clutch. As a natural worrier and aged 37 I was acutely aware of my own limitations and was of course terrified of letting the clutch out and smashing head first into a wall in a state of utter panic but there really was no need to worry.

My instructor – Lian Warmington – was superb. Every single step, from which side of the bike to stand by and how to take it off the stand was covered and by the time I finally let out the clutch, I felt confident and well prepared.

The practical session involves stopping and starting the bike, turning it through a figure of eight; emergency braking; approaching a junction, signalling and turning and how to u-turn your bike in a narrow space.

The ethos of the training is to keep doing it until you get it right. It is not in the interest of the trainers to send you out on the road unprepared and if you can’t meet the required standard you will not be allowed to go out for the road session.

Mums and dads – if your teenaged son or daughter is hankering after a moped – be reassured that they have to do the CBT and it is thorough if you use a reputable training provider.

My one issue with the CBT is that you can take it on a moped which has no gears and then go and by a geared bike and start riding it. If you want to ride a motorbike with gears, take the CBT on a bike with gears.

The enclosed riding session over, there was a very short break for lunch followed by another classroom session which covered the essential rules for riding safely on the road.

I was fortunate enough to reach the required standard which meant I was due for a gruelling road session on the streets of Gloucester. Each rider is equipped with a helmet with an intercom which links directly to your instructor.

We headed out onto Bristol Road and spent the next two and half hours going ever every conceivable skill a new rider would need to get started.

Hill starts (a nightmare), emergency braking, the lifesaver look over the shoulder – the sessions covers it all thoroughly.

The day ends at around 4.30pm and I was absolutely exhausted but exhilarated.

Having met the required standard I gained my certificate and an eternal gratitude to Lian and the Westside team for tutoring me so excellently.

I am now riding a Suzuki GZ125 and gaining confidence every day. The next stage is t take the A2 test. If you are thinking of taking your CBT make sure you choose a reputable training provider which really puts you through your paces rather than just drilling you to pass and remember this is BASIC training.

The real training comes with practical on-road experience. I intend to ride a 125 for at least a couple of years before progressing onto a bigger bike but one thing is certain – I have tasted the freedom of the road and I like it.

For more info visit www.westsideriders.co.uk or call them on 01452 550 377