craigxxl So how come you think its going to be anymore taxing then riding in Scotland? Within a week he will be dialed into it and having a great time.
I use bike to bike comms with my mate now and it is great and brakes the boredom on motorway slogs, good to change plans on the move etc. Occasionally we will let someone know its clear on a blind corner. I still hate doing it though its not natural and not something to be taken lightly or encouraged really 🙂
Comment was not aimed just at you 🙂
People used to set off on round the world trips on bikes that were expected to brake down, without even all the maps for where they were going let alone a GPS.
I will repeat it really is as easy as:-
Pass test
Buy bike
Ride bike to Ferry
Repeat until Bored or run out of money or time.
If you had actually read my original post you would have seen that I hadn’t ruled out mainland Europe but suggested going around Scotland and Ireland first, both of which have some fantastic roads. As the OP had stated his son has gone through a bad patch I didn’t think it was the best idea to take him completely out of his comfort zone with roads, laws and languages he wasn’t familiar with, all whilst been a novice on a bike with nothing but your own company for hours on end. Not everyone takes to biking naturally, I’ve known plenty of people who’ve passed their bike test, bought the bike all the gear and then sold it all because it wasn’t what they expected or scared themselves shitless and the furthest they ever went was the local biker cafe. Dealers are full of used bikes with bugger all miles on them. Keeping within the UK and Ireland for the first part of their trip he can see if it’s what he really wants whilst still seeng parts of the UK they may never have seen. If it doesn’t work out then they can return home, get the car or book a flight and modify their getaway. On the continent he may feel pressured to continue not enjoying or worse not concentrating and have an accident.
The comms is an aid which can help in tricky situations whilst allowing them to talk when they want.
Yeah comms are great and can relieve boredom an be useful if there are any issues, but for overtaking when you can't see probably the least useful part of having them.
I agree loads of people pass there test ride locally for a few weeks and give up. Maybe if they went on a bit of an adventure with their Dad, rather than being scared to do anything exciting by all the people telling them how dangerous it is, they might not.
The trouble with this country now is people are too cautious, how are young people meant to develop a sense of adventure and confidence when everyone is telling them "oh better not do that you might not like it, or it might be a bit more dangerous than your playstation"
I despair 🙁
I've ridden with comms with a newbie rider. Didn't do much harm, didn't do much good. Personally I wouldn't bother in this situation, on balance it's just one more thing for him to think about. We didn't bother with comms after the first two rides.
I've also ridden in continental Europe with a newbie rider. It was easer for them than UK roads. Less junctions, less cars, better roads. I'd have no concern about that. Frankly I think it might be better if all UK riders had to do a week in the Alps/Pyrenees before they take their chances on complex and dangerous UK roads!
I'm with Bazzer: Buy a bike of almost any kind: Ride bike to Ferry: Repeat until Bored or run out of money or time.
I agree with you about people being over cautious but at the same time throwing them in at the deep end doesn’t work either. I’ve had both with all the excitement of going for a week away for the excuses to come a few days before then you end up going alone. The others that have wanted to do the Pyrenees only they don’t want to ride the twisties when you get there instead just sitting around before cutting the trip short just to do the long slog back again. One of the reasons I hate riding as a group now and would rather just grab my kit and go.
I agree its not for everyone, but a lot of people would like it if they actually took the time to increase their skill set, its a lot like mountain biking strangely 🙂
The most important thing taking a newbie on an Alps trip is your attitude more than theirs. You have to understand its not going to be as fun for you and you are not going to be able to press on like you would normally. If you do that everything is golden. So part of it is understanding the person you are with and behaving appropriately.
Instead of saying not sure if you will like it so lets not go. Say its going to be a learning curve and hard in places, but its going to be rewarding and a bit of an adventure.
I have got into situations where I have thought how am I going to get me and my bike out of here. Did I get home and say never doing that again. No me and my mate laugh at it now and its a great story 🙂
"Do you remember the time when we had that real problem in Morocco, we can laugh at it now"
or
"Do you remember when we were too scared to go to Morocco"
I know which camp I would rather be in 🙂
throwing them in at the deep end
Having ridden in Continental Europe with a newbie I'm firmly of the opinion that Continental Europe isn't the deep end, it's the shallow end! Obvs the OP isn't going to ride through the middle of Paris. They'll be on road far quieter than UK roads with far less junctions.
Biking, cycling, camping, lots have the idea of what it’s like but the reality often differs. Some embrace the rough with the smooth whilst others just quit.
I’ve never pushed anyone out of their comfort zone but gradually increase the speed or techniques. I’d rather enjoy the scenery and the flow of the bike than race around and it become a blur. I don’t ride with idiots that want to go flat out either as they tend to run out of luck eventually and you spend the rest of your trip waiting for their bike to be recovered, visiting them in hospital generally having a shit time. Ive had that misfortune twice and won’t be a third. Those I do ride with I’ve known for a long time or met them on a trip and stayed in touch.
Your right about when things don’t go as planned been the better adventures and the ones you remember most fondly. A mate had his bike bike reversed into right in front of his eyes as we were having a bite to eat. He ended up marrying the women who reversed into his bike and now lives in Tarbes at the foot of the Pyrenees
Haha love that story.
I had a farmer stop the wheel of his trailer behind his tractor on my foot on a hairpin where I stopped to let him around. I didn't marry him 🙂
I’m sure he’s gutted.
Again, thanks all - much appreciate advice, thoughts.
So update for those who might be interested:
- I'm not underestimating the level of challenge for my son (or me!) to get his test/ride abroad/camp etc but to some degree, that's a large part of this - to make it a challenge, clear purpose, point of focus, something to feel proud of. His words, not mine. That said, I've biked a lot and in Europe, have a metal shoulder courtesy of an accident, so familiar with the risk which does weigh on me a bit. But I tend to think Europe minor roads, warm weather, dry roads might be a better intro.
- Son has passed CBT Part 1 comfortably. Currently doing figure of 8's in a car park on my old Bandit 600 and he looks good, so aiming for the Part 2 as soon as he's got plenty of practise under his belt
- Tent has been put up in the garden and seems waterproof so far!
- Route plan is now to take 5 weeks to get to Barcelona to meet Mrs A/other son via Germany, top of Italy, bit of France and then Barca. Ambitious or OK?
- Plan to navigate by map (forcing him to plan ahead each day, take control of the route) and then I'll navigate en route via map and a bit of Smartphone (CoPilot app looks good), riding in 45-60min stints on minor roads. I'm keen he stays involved in the route and using a paper map feels a more involved approach?
Any recommendations to good maps to use, and/or Smartphone apps to navigate? The cost of proper motorbike sat navs is horrendous! Looking to plan the route a bit more now.
Comments very welcome!
Take a Haynes manual (am I showing my age) and make sure you can mend a puncture.
As above, riding in France is safer / easier than here / Ireland.