Sounds very different in Ireland than it is in the UK. Then again, RoSPA don't run the training, it's independent clubs who subscribe to their rules and guidelines. As far as I know, in the UK you have to be police class 1 qualified before you can be an instructor. The club I trained with would assign an instructor who would go out with no more than 2 students taking it in turn to be observed. There are other group rides but they're for pleasure, not instruction. When you reach a standard you would go out with another instructor for an assessment as to what grade you could expect then it's up to you to apply for the test or do some more work. I never had a problem with anyone being too slow. The only group I ride with is the London Motorcycle Riders Club who are exceptionally well organised. They have a system which ensures that slower riders do not have to push themselves beyond their limits to have a good day out and the fast riders can crack on. There's a tail-gunner who remians the last bike at all times. Then, at every option, the person behind the leader stops in a safe place and points which way to go to each following rider until the tail-gunner passes, then it's catch up time. Very rare for anyone to get lost or left behind, no one has to fear being left and no pressure to keep up with the faster riders.
ROSPA is ROSPA .. UK and Ireland are the same. When booking the ROSPA test here, it's via the UK website. I found that out last night when I booked my test. One you pass the test, there is an extra tuition course to be a ride instructor. On the group ride, my instructor did warn me that there are some riders that are not comfortable getting up to speed limit speeds and are very slow. I guess it can depend on who attends the rides, and on the enjoyment of such rides. All organised rider are under instruction, and not simply for pleasure.
We have bikesafe, Iam Roadsmart in Northern Ireland. I dont like the fact they put pressure on you to "make progress" thats fine if your on blue lights but not casual at speed limit ride. Whats that antenna at the back of ur bike? I'm looking to get the black helite version the electronic version is good if u get rear ended. Usually people on these courses are fair weather riders which defeats the purpose of going to these courses 😂 I just dont understand why ppl dont want to ride in rain its very usefull skill to have.
The BikeSafe ride encourages you to make progress to stay out of the way of traffic to stay safe. I can get that. The ROSPA/IART is about staying strictly within the law, including speed limits. This isn't always the safest, IMHO. The back of my bike has a mount point for a 360 camera. While I don't enjoy riding in the rain, I ride all year round, except when the ground is frozen. I've been out plenty of times and get caught in the rain, or go on tour where you have no choice but to ride even if it's raining. Being able to ride in adverse conditions is a good skill to have and improves your overall biking ability.
12:16 - 12:23. Don't you require to obey "stop" signs in Ireland? In the UK that would be a fixed penalty and three points if the police saw it. (A generous cop might just give you a talking to but there is no guarantee). It would also be an instant failure in the ordinary test never mind ROSPA or IAM
By the letter of the law, yes, you must stop at a stop sign. However, when doing the BikeSafe course, the Gardai (police) stated that you don't have to come to a full stop and foot down, as long as it is safe to proceed, you have full visibility and you are at a slow enough speed that you could foot down and stop. Many stop junctions do have enough visibility that you can see if anything is coming. Clearly for those with less visibility, you do need to stop and have a good look before continuing. It's more about the safety than the full letter of the law. Yep, on your test, it would be a fail. But, there is a difference between the test, ROSPA, IAM criteria and then practical advanced riding. Same with many aspects of riding.
@photobiker4309 Pretty sure in the UK RoSPA test it would be a fail because it is against the law. Rule 171 of The Highway Code says you MUST stop at a stop sign with a solid white line, not just that you should. Same for mini-roundabouts, though you wouldn't think it the way everyone treats them, you MUST go around the central marking unless the vehicle is too large to be physically capable of doing so.
@@cliveadams7629 yep, for any graded test, it would be a fail. But, in general riding, you wouldn't get a ticket for not doing a foot down stop, as long as you're safe. I don't think I've ever heard of a biker getting a ticket for it.
