IAM Advanced Rider Course

[DaveCly]

Well done on the pass

[Capt Sisko]

Why the pressure to overtake?

Kind of agree with that. When I was doing my pre-test with a different observer I was criticised for not taking a particular set of overtakes. It had stopped now, but it had been lashing it down, the roads were awash and we came up behind a strung out queue of about a dozen or so cars with a couple of vans in it and HGV at the front I didn't overtake any. I knew we were only about two and half miles from the end and I knew this particular road very well. It was mostly bends with short with one half decent section and the rest short go for it straights. An overtake would have meant a short punchy bursts of power, then ease myself into a gap. I chose not too. Questionable line of sight, wet manhole covers, several junstions and more, and I was criticised for not overtaking. Me being me I argued my case and although the observer shut up you could tell he didn't someone challenging his idea of what I should have done.

Going back to the why the pressure, we ride motorbikes, we ride them faster than the average traffic speed so safe overtaking in an intregal part of advanced riding, but once you've shown you can do it properly (and consistantly) that ought to be enough. I mean the observer doesn't take you on a route that's got twenty five roundabouts on it, just to prove you can do roundabouts. No, you do a couple or three, do them properly and let's move onto the next topic.

P.S. Congratulations.