Why I won't be doing the IAM Advanced Test and a laugh at my expense
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- I find the focus on making progress and riding everywhere at the maximum speed and overtaking everything that you come across reflects neither "normal" riding conditions nor demonstrates safest riding
An interesting video. After 47 years of riding (63 years old now and I still ride even day) with well over 400K miles on a variety of bike all over the world I think there is definitely a place for rider training at all levels. My experience however is that many IAM riders and observers have all either crashed badly or managed to injure themselves on a bike at some time or another. I think it comes down to maybe over confidence and a bit of blind faith in the 'system'. I ride to survive, ride for yourself, ride like there is nothing to prove and enjoy your riding at your own pace whatever anyone else says. Remember we are not invincible no matter what you think about training. I have been to too many bike funerals and see the grief it causes on the loss of a loved one. Take care out there it is jungle
Many thanks for your watching and commenting. As far as age and experience goes I'm not very far behind you. Honestly these days I prefer to go slower and enjoy the ride. I'm all too aware that my reaction times are not as fast as they once were which naturally makes me more careful. Ride safe
The IAM and its approach to motorcycle riding really does seem to polarise opinion. Personally I'm of your train of thought. A brief dalliance with them many years ago convinced me that I was less safe (my primary consideration when riding) following their system than my own. A friend joined his local group a couple of years ago and very quickly came to the same conclusion. Their hazard observation and situation awareness approach was of benefit (although you don't survive long on the roads without some self developed hazard awareness) but the constant criticism about not making enough 'progress' when he felt uneasy / unsafe doing it caused him to drop out. It may be appropriate to 'make progress' at every opportunity when you're riding for work - such as in police service - but often other factors make discretion the better choice. A personal opinion of course.
Thanks for your comment. My own view, rightly or wrongly, is that constantly pushing on makes the ride more stressful which is the opposite effect I want from a ride. I also have the feeling that, almost bullying you way through, just annoys car drivers
That’s my experience too…
I would disagree with the comments on IAM and local blood bikes. Firstly there are many aspects to riding at an advanced level and making progress is part of that but never put in front of safety. However, if you don’t think the IAM route is for you have a look for DART they have a different advanced certificate think but might be wrong it’s the Blue Riband course. DART is local to you.
Blood Bikes are not quite how your friend describes, yes they do have some fully liveried bikes but they are not allowed to be ridden as emergency or blue light vehicles. Some of the newer bikes have similar looks applied this is all about visibility. Obviously they want you to be a safe rider this is where the advanced certificate comes in but this doesn’t need to be IAM. There is also an insurance consideration where all riders/drivers must hold an appropriate advanced certificate and have three yearly refreshers. The white helmet thing isn’t true.
Thanks for your comment. My comments on the video related only to the IAM course and the benchmarks they use to gauge what constitutes a safe rider. I will look into the others you suggest because my goal is to be as safe as I can be rather than become more proficient at going fast. There was a time that something like that would have benefitted me when I would go everywhere hell for leather but I'm too old for that now and self preservation has become more important.
With regard to the Blood Bikes, yes, I did suspect that there were underlying grudges in my friends comments but, as I said in the video, those were his views. I actually think the Blood Bikes are a great service and have supported them in my own small way by making them keyrings to sell at events to raise funds. In fact every vehicle in their fleet has one of my fobs attached to the keys. I may well revisit the possibility of volunteering if and when I complete some form of advanced training.
The white helmet was a requirement I saw on the website last year but I see it's been taken off now and also my mate's comments may well be out of date.
Thanks for the constructive nature of your comment.
@@Teuchteronabike I must just say that the IAM isn’t about teaching you to ride fast it’s all about riding safe no matter what people say. Making progress doesn’t necessarily mean going fast and that’s not what I was taught or believed. Some of the teaching is down to the local group I’d say Dumfries were very good. Colin at DART is very good and can tailor sessions to suit you or you can sign up for the Blue Riband which is a full day teaching followed by a half day assessment usually somewhere different, off familiar roads with a different assessor. I definitely think advanced training is worthwhile it makes you much more aware and better overall rider/driver.
Fair enough but lack of consistency in teaching is a separate concern. I'll take your advice about dart because, as you correctly say, it's all about making myself a safer rider. Many thanks for your input
I've never had much time for advanced riders whether IAM or RSOPA, I found them to be self righteous I'm always right wannabe police riders. The more YOU ride the better you'll get. You've just said yourself there were no major issues with your riding. Having a certificate will only give you a false sense of security. Ride your own ride, you don't come over as an idiot.
You are entitled to your opinion but it is perhaps a little short-sighted to dismiss and entire safety system (IPSGA) which has been in use for car and motorcycle riding since 1955. Yes it is designed primarily to meet the demands of emergency response riding so making progress is key however for civilians that must be tempered but the other elements - sounds to me like you had a bad experience with an observer (which happens everyone is human and we get on better with some more than others) but don't let that colour your view
Thanks very much for watching and commenting. I did not intend to give the impression that I was dismissing all of the tenets of the IAM system and in fact did gain some valuable tips on my observed ride which I will utilise in my riding. My point, I suppose, is that most of us are not response riders, so do not (and perhaps shouldn't) ride in that manner. It's one thing to teach, for example, safe overtaking method but quite another to expect that one should overtake at every available opportunity.
Agreed - I was in exactly the same mindset as you until one day the IPSGA thing just made sense - now that is not to say I ride like that all the time - 9 times out of 10 I don't do the overtake etc as I'm never in a hurry but what IAM gives you is the confidence in your ability and your bike to do it , and do it safely, if you wish to - plus a whole host of other confidence issues etc - I stay in your neck of the woods - DM me if you fancy a chat in more detail
I did the I A M course many years ago but lost faith and never took the test.
Every lesson was finished with the debrief and I was told you failed to overtake here and there.
My argument was the same as yours but why do I need to overtake I was happy at the speed I was traveling. One situation would have made me break the speed limit to overtake.
I totally agree with you.
It's not for everyone.
Also, the bit about looking like a police bike, sure you'll get the Wannabees, but I think it does make drivers pay attention, I certainly noticed it when I was on my bike test (s), the DSA bikes with their yellow and black, white helmets, look very much like police bikes and people were a lot different around them by comparison to just us out with the instructor....
Completely agree that it gets you noticed which is a good thing but I do feel that sometimes, with that, comes a bit of arrogance (maybe not as strong a word as that) where people perhaps ride more forcefully than they would normally do. Just my own observations. Thanks very much for your comments and for watching
I'll agree with the point about riding more quickly, that's been a constant feedback point with my observer, is to make a bit more progress, show sparkle and take more opportunities for overtakes.... More often that not I'd be thinking "🫤 mmm I could but I'm not 💯 sure on this" how far I can see, can I duck back in if needed etc, so I'm not going to get a first by IAM standards, but the road positioning, looking up the road as far as possible that stuff is very beneficial and I think is definitely worth the training, at the end of the day, you can just not do the bits you don't want to do 👌🏻
Thanks for your comment. Yes I absolutely want to undertake some form of further training I just don't feel the IAM method is suited to me or the way I ride.
@@Teuchteronabike I think some off road riding, just to perhaps aid recovery on loose surfaces (campsites!!) and slower speed technique, as well as more "track" oriented riding for a bit more confidence in my equipment are on the cards next....