Jump to content

Psychybikey

Registered users
  • Posts

    186
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About Psychybikey

  • Birthday 20/05/1954

Personal Information

  • Gender
    Female
  • Bike(s)
    Honda CB125F
  • Location
    Wrexham area

Additional info

  • Interests
    Horseriding, snowboarding, outdoor pursuits, Dutch bantams, teaching myself to play the drums. And chocolate. I like chocolate.

Psychybikey's Achievements

0

Reputation

  1. So what was your point then ? I can't remember!
  2. I - taking a tortoise for a walk (on a lead) - taking a chicken for a walk (on a lead) - taking a stuffed dog for a walk (on what looks like a belt), actually dragging the soft toy along the ground
  3. [/media] So I can't ride it. But I can make it look a bit more bike.
  4. The World Health Organisation says we can go out for exercise as long as we don't mix with people. The TV keeps saying 'stay indoors' when it should be saying 'stay at home'. I don't understand the once a day thing. How can they police that? I go for a run at six most mornings, I have always gone at this time specifically to avoid having to speak to people, long before all this. Does that mean I'm not allowed to go for a walk? We live in a pretty rural area so it's easy to avoid crowds and buildings. As for the bike, surely it's more responsible to take a solo ride to get food, than to use public transport? (Our son has to borrow our car for the week whilst his is being repaired, and delivery slots are at least three weeks away). But, as we have been specifically instructed not to move about, where does that leave us if we need to claim on insurance for something?
  5. Calm down, everybody...
  6. Well, mainly because I got round to resetting my password (which I've already forgotten again). The other thing is that I've been off the bike for a bit because I developed cataracts in both eyes last year. I was okay driving, but on the bike it was quite scary because as we all know, the glare from sunlight is far greater when you aren't behind a windscreen. Cataracts, for those who don't know, cause additional glare. When I got to the point where I could only ride in poor light by looking at the kerb to see where I was in relation to the road, I stopped riding. I didn't know it was cataracts, I just thought it was age-related, as our eyes don't accommodate as well in middle age. I got some anti-glare lenses, which made it worse, because of course that wasn't the problem. I was quite shocked when the optician told me at my regular checkup. I even stopped driving at night for a while. I've had them both treated now. I spend far too much time online anyway. I'm sorry I missed the flouncer.
  7. You'd be surprised how bad your eyesight can be and still be legal for on the road. Quite worrying really (I used to nurse older people so I've seen a bit of this). I suppose the sensible answer is to keep up to date with your eye tests, we should all do this anyway once we get over about 40 because we can develop eye problems with no symptoms, which can be easily treated if detected early (nurse lecture over). Blind in one eye should not stop you, especially if it's been going on a while so you've got used to compensating for it. As you will know, it's depth perception that can be the problem.
  8. And that grrr is not the throaty sound of a powerful engine. We're now told that only 'essential' riding is allowed. Personally I think jumping on my bike to go somewhere is rather more responsible and less likely to spread bugs than catching a bus. There is of course the argument that if we come off we will make more work for the NHS and I understand that argument. Hard to disagree with that one.
  9. Why? My bike takes me up to legal limits and keeps up with my husband's 650. It's heavier to push round than the CG125, and I'm not 100% sure I could pick it up if I drop it, so I certainly couldn't pick up a heavier one. That's a bit like saying a pony isn't as much fun as a horse, and believe me, I much prefer ponies for their character - even though they can't jump as high or gallop as fast as big horses. Which obviously is not anything to do with bikes. But bigger doesn't mean more pleasure, as the actress said to the bishop.
  10. I think a lot depends on the kind of instruction you get. And the big difference is that you get as many goes as you need to do the exercises on your CBT. Ten tries to master the U turn? Six? Two? No matter. Hit a cone in the slalom? Not to worry. Have another go. But in the test you get only one attempt, and that's where the pressure comes from..Even if you know you will never do it like that in real life. Even if common sense would tell you to put a foot down, or even get off and push. I do know there are people who choose to repeatedly do CBT rather than take a test. My husband stopped a few months back to help a couple of riders on Ls who were having some problem and in conversation it came out that as they were perfectly happy on 125s they didn't see the point of doing tests. They ride all over the country. And most places charge more than £80. My brother in law, who's a traffic warden, got talking to a lady who told him the same thing. She just repeats her CBT every two years As the only differences between passing and not passing on a 125 are that you can use motorways and take a passenger (without a single minute's training, btw) I suppose that if you intend never to do either of those things, there is no need to do your test. But personally I wanted rid of the L plates, whether I moved up or not. And I succeeded eventually because I could practice on my own bike for no more than the cost of the petrol.
  11. Perhaps I'm not making myself clear. It's not the bike that's the problem. It's the test situation. I can ride a bigger bike. I cannot cope with tests, and that is not going to change at my age. It's probably a miracle that I even passed on a 125. I have a morbid and pathological fear of tests and exams. I know it's ridiculous and irrational, but it is what it is. Biking is supposed to be fun, and the thought of any more tests takes all the fun away. If they ever implement the suggestion that has been made of issuing a big bike licence after a course of training, with no formal test at the end of it, that might help, but somehow I doubt it because being assessed is stressful, too. This is also why I am never going to do a Bikesafe course. I cannot tolerate any more assessments or critiquing, however tactfully done, however constructive the criticism. I know I can ride safely and I enjoy what I do now. Perhaps if I'd started 20 or 30 years earlier I would have found it easier (and of course the test was easier then anyway). So thank you to those kind people who have said "you never know". I do know, and it ain't gonna happen. But thank you for the encouragement.
  12. [quote name=Six30 post_id=1089390 My advice ' date=' give it another go , you can ride a bike , your half way there.... as for the nerves just have a few glasses of wine to calm yourself before test [/quote] No. No more tests, ever.
  13. If only I'd wanted to learn years ago. Even just a few years earlier.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Guidelines We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Please Sign In or Sign Up