Team Enduro Europe 2008

TEAM ENDURO – FROM NOVICE TO RIDER IN JUST FOUR DAYS…….WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR NEW FOUND FRIENDS!

 

My Phoenix experience – Sarah.

 

I have to admit, when I first jumped up and said ‘Yes, I definitely want to get involved with this’ I hadn’t really thought it through completely. It all sounded like a great idea, a lot of fun and a fantastic way to raise a lot of money for some very worthwhile causes, but I had never ridden a motorbike before and when I actually made myself stop and think about this, the idea of doing so made me feel pretty nervous. Despite this I wanted to be involved and I decided to go ahead with it and try not to think about the fact that I was scared.

 

Once the team was together we started to think about getting the training started so we could get our tests done and start doing some riding. That’s when Mike got in touch with Phoenix training school (www.phoenixtrainingonline.co.uk). We had emailed a number of motorbike training schools around the area and had generated some interest in the possibility of being sponsored by them to do our training. As soon as Phoenix got back in touch with us though, we thought we were onto a winner. They replied to our initial email within about 15 minutes asking for more details of the trip and expressing an interest in meeting the team. Having spoken to them on the phone the same day we arranged to meet them a few days later. We were all ecstatic that things were happening so quickly and really touched by Ali’s offer to get some food ready for us when we arrived at their house!

 

Having met Tony, Ali and Leigh (from Phoenix training) we came to the agreement that they would be happy to help us out by providing all of our training (including off-road training). The deal was struck and we arranged to get in touch to sort out a date to do our first training day with them – the Compulsory Basic Training.

 

 

DAY 1 - CBT day, 6th January, 2007.

 

We had arranged to meet at the Phoenix Amesbury training centre at 9am on that Sunday morning. I know for myself I was a big mixture of massive nerves and excitement. I was seriously worried that I wouldn’t be able to ride the bikes, that I would pull the throttle too hard and fall of the back or slam on the front brake and go flying over the handlebar. Tony, Leigh, Russel and Brian were all waiting for us when we got there, with the bikes out ready. Introductions were made, tea was drunk, cigarettes smoked and then we found ourselves sitting in the ‘office’ being debriefed on what we were about to do. With the paperwork and chat out of the way the next thing was to kit up. Tony had told us all to come wearing boots that would not come off our feet and jeans, with another layer underneath. He provided us all with jackets, helmets and gloves.

 

Then it was down to the bikes. We spent some time being shown everything on the bikes, how to take them on and off the stand and all the other bits that have to be gone through to achieve a CBT. Then, all too soon (and somehow not soon enough) it was time to actually ride them. On I got, started the engine, tried to pull away and stalled! I was so scared about putting the throttle on too hard and being thrown off the back that I hadn’t got the revs high enough. Despite Leigh telling me over and over again that I could put the revs up higher and control the speed with the clutch my nerves kept getting the better of me and again and again I stalled. Leigh had the patience of a saint that day and kept telling me not to worry, to take my time and explaining to me (yet again) how to get going without stalling the bike. Finally I was riding and Tony, Leigh, Russel and Brian were all keeping a close eye on the four of us weaving in and out of cones, doing u-turns, practicing right and left turns and doing emergency stops (again I was terrified I would fall of the bike doing this but it all went fine). As the morning passed I began to realise that the instructors weren’t lying to me – as long as I did what they told me to do then I could actually ride the bike (only a 125cc engine as well!) We stopped for lunch and the next thing I knew Tony was leading us out of playground and on to the road. The afternoon passed really quickly and I loved being out on the open road riding (even though we did have to keep stopping to practice U-turns and all the rest). Towards the end of the day I asked Leigh (who had taken Mike and I out for the road ride) if he thought I had passed the CBT. He said to me that I had been fine, but my speed on the faster roads had not been enough (I was pretty scared to go over 40 mph on a stretch of road that had national speed limit). On the way home I decided to be brave. I opened up the throttle and got myself up to a whopping 55mph. It was exhilarating (even though I felt that any minute I would be blown off the bike and was gripping the handlebars for dear life). When we got back to the training centre we were all exhausted but none of us wanted to stop riding. Tony was happy with all of our efforts and we left clutching a CBT certificate, feeling very proud of ourselves and desperately looking forward to the following Sunday when we would be out and about on the motorbikes again.

 

Thanks Tony, Leigh, Russell and Brian for getting us all through the first day – we loved it and were really happy with all the instruction we received.

 

DAY TWO (HALF DAY TRAINING) Conversion to 500cc bikes – 13th January 2008.

 

Our conversion day had been split into two – myself and Mike were doing ours in the morning and Flick and Mikey were doing theirs in the afternoon.

 

When Mike and I arrived at the training centre we got kitted up and headed down to the playground. Again the bikes were out ready for us and Tony told us which ones we would be using. They looked huge compared to the ones we had done our CBTs on and my nerves suddenly started up again. I thought I would have forgotten everything from the week before and wouldn’t be able to ride but Tony and Leigh talked us through everything again and I started to relax.

 

We got on the bikes and basically repeated everything we had done the week before (slow manoeuvres, emergency stops etc). We then went out on the road again (I went with Tony this time and Mike went with Leigh). We did a ride around and practiced U-turns, emergency stops and then Tony took me onto the dual carriageway. When you are out riding on the roads under instruction you have an earpiece in which the instructor talks to you through. When we got onto the dual carriageway Tony was telling me to pick up my speed and move up to 70 mph. Remembering how scared I had been the week before going at 55 I was pretty nervous about this but shifted the throttle and picked up some speed. I realised pretty quickly that these bikes were a lot better at speed than the smaller 125ccs. They felt a lot more stable and I took a deep breath and started to relax. In fact I did more than relax – I loved it! Riding along at 70 was the best feeling. Everytime I checked my mirrors I could see Tony behind me and knowing he was there keeping an eye on everything and giving my directions made me feel a lot safer and calmer.

 

Again, the morning session finished far too quickly and when we got back to the centre I really didn’t want to hand my bike back, I wanted to keep riding. At that point I knew for sure that I was going to get hooked.

 

 

DAY THREE (HALF DAY TRAINING) – 20TH JANUARY, 2008

 

This Sunday we had more of a lie-in. Meeting at the centre at 11am this time we had Tony and Paul (from the Bournemouth training centre). Like all the other Phoenix instructors we had met so far he was friendly, chatty and a great teacher. We got kitted up and got on the bikes. We did a short stint in the playground and then we headed out onto the roads. We did the usual manoeuvres and practices and then headed back to the centre (it was only set to be a couple of hours that day as long as Tony was happy with our progress, which he was).

 

DAY FOUR – 21ST JANUARY, 2008-01-24

 

We turned up at 9am and this time we went straight onto the roads and over to Salisbury where we would be taking our tests. Tony and Leigh split us into two groups again and I went out with Tony for the morning. He took us round the test routes, coaching us the whole way and we practiced all our manoeuvres in places where the examiners might stop us. He even took us to a car park and got us doing u-turns in a really narrow part. We were all a little worried about this but it was a great confidence trick as Tony told us afterwards – ‘You’ve all just done your u-turns in a 6m turn – you won’t have anything this narrow in your tests so you know you will all be fine’ – or words to that effect. We stopped for lunch and then carried on with the training. At the end of the day we all rode back to Amesbury, exhausted but confident.

 

DAY FIVE – 22ND JANUARY, 2008

 

 That morning was a little different. We arrived at the centre at the same time and went out for a quick ride. At 10am we returned to the centre to meet with Vision News who were filming an interview with us and our riding to do a news piece on us and the trip (www.vision-news.tv). Having each been interviewed and filmed we were ready to get on with our training. We rode straight into Salisbury for a repeat of what we had done the day before. Tony had told us that we would be doing a mock test that afternoon and I for one was feeling nervous about this. My u-turns went out of the window as my nerves got worse and I started to worry that I just wouldn’t be able to do them anymore. When it came to my mock test, my fears were confirmed as I let my nerves get the better of me and put my foot down doing my u-turn – immediate fail.

 

Riding back that night I tried to relax and enjoy the ride but I was worried about the next day…..

 

THE TEST DAY – 23RD JANURAY 2008.

 

6.15 am saw us all struggling out of bed each of us a bundle of nerves. Testing each other on the questions on the way to Amesbury in the car, we all knew that each of us was more than capable of passing after the excellent instruction we had received, but I think we all had our own little worries and doubts despite this. For myself I was still thinking about the U-turns. It had been really frustrating the day before as I knew I was capable of it, I also knew that it was when I got nervous that I tended to muck them up.

 

Mike had drawn the short straw to go first and as he pulled away from the test centre all us of felt a synchronised anxiety descend on us. Our team had been through all of the training together and we each desperately wanted the whole team to get through the day and emerge with a full bike licence. What seemed like hours later, Mike returned to the test centre. Giving a sneaky thumbs up on the way inside we knew he felt it had gone well but didn’t relax until Tony (who went inside to listen) came out and told us he had passed his test (with only one minor). We were all thrilled, but this soon gave way to anxiety again as Mikey stepped up for his turn. Again, it felt like hours as we waited for him to return from his test (even though we had been out for a ride while he was doing it). When he got back we couldn’t tell from his body language if he felt it had gone well or not. Unfortunately Leigh came out to tell us that Mikey hadn’t passed. Mikey had ridden brilliantly,

receiving just 2 minors on his ride, but had misread the one daunting roundabout in Salisbury and made a mistake that caused the examiner to fail him. Nevertheless, he was in good spirits and knew that when he took the test again he would ace it.

Next up it was my turn. As we ate our lunch I thought through the test ahead and imagined myself doing perfect u-turns!

 

When it came to my turn I felt ready for the test. Everyone had wished me luck and Tony and Leigh had both reminded me that I was prepared for this and that I was ready to do it. Feeling better I met the examiner and gave him fluent answers to the first two questions.

 

Then the ride began. I revved the bike up the hill and round the corner; we were off. Waiting for the others the test had seemed to last for hours but it flew by when I was actually riding. The u-turn came up and I sat for a second before doing it and then – pulled off what I think is probably the best one I’ve done throughout all the training. I don’t know what I was so worried about! After that was out of the way I could relax and enjoy the ride. I was so relieved when we got back to the test centre that I had a big grin on my face and that got even bigger when the examiner told me I had passed (four minors).

 

The last to go was Flick – she pulled off and again the rest of us sat around feeling worried and nervous, but we needn’t have. Flick also aced her test, passing with only three minors. Test day was over and three of Team Enduro were ready to ride! None of us have any worries about Mikey’s next test. He is a confident, safe rider who made a silly mistake that I’m sure he won’t repeat! We are all looking forward now to getting our bikes and joining the Phoenix team for some more training. They have all been great to have as instructors and I can safely say that there is no way we could have achieved this massive goal in our challenge so quickly without them. If anyone says to me now ‘where should they go to get their motorbike training?’ I would recommend Phoenix without a moments hesitation – after all they got me from a complete novice on a 500cc bike to full bike licence in just three days training! Well done guys!!

 

You can also read about our training on the Phoenix site (http://www.phoenixtrainingonline.co.uk/news.asp), the Motorcycle Directory (www.motorcycledirectory.co.uk) and watch the video that was filmed (www.vision-news.tv).

 

Now comes the even more challenging part... with people's help we need to obtain 4 motorbikes for our trip!

 

We are offering the chance to WIN one of the bikes that we will be using for the trip by clicking on the 'Motorbike Giveaway' link on the left.  All money raised from this will go towards helping us to raise money for the trip which is being undertaken in aid of UNICEF, the RNLI and Help the Aged.

 

Please donate to the charities and enter the online competitions for chances to win a range of exciting prizes.

Also, we are calling on companies to help us achieve our targets by sponsoring a bike in return for

advertising space on our bikes, kit and website.