TfL 1:1 training session#

Tue Mar 25 20:42:08 2025

Well. tl;dr my standard of riding today would have been a mod 2 fail - first because I wasn't doing shoulder checks that I should have been, and then second because I missed road signs and lane markings (imo because I was concentrating too much on the shoulder checks because I don't do them by habit)

So, I guess actionable feedback is the best kind of feedback. He did say my checks on lane changes/joining roads were fine, I guess the pattern is I'm only looking for vehicles bigger than me but not for the cyclist/scooterist who's going to cut me up on the left.

A little more info, then: it's a 1:1 session run by Universal MCT (there is another school who also do it but they're based further south). We covered

• some tips for U-turns because I'd said I was weak there,
• riding round some slow residential roads turning left and right, where I was pulled up on lack of shoulder checks (and compensated by doing the wrong shoulder checks) and for cutting the corners on right turns
• some 30mph roads with speed humps and mini roundabouts
• some 30/40 multilane roads with full size roundabouts

We stopped after the first bit to chat at the roadside, and then at the end for a full debrief. Instructor was cheerful, friendly, and communicated clearly. Would recommend to anyone else who left it two years between passing their test and getting on a bike again and wants an objective assessment of what they're doing right/wrong. You need to live, work, or study in one of London's 33 boroughs to be eligible, it's two hours, it's free, and it's open to CBT riders as well as full licence holders.

Most Common Mod 2 Mistakes 15. Shoulder checks & Lifesavers - seems this is what they want to see. Looks like I'm turning my head too far, as well