I learnt that the Met are prepared to sell dodgy DVDs for A pound!!!
I paid £1 of my hard earned cash for a DVD of some Courrier/GP racer/Advanced rider switching riding scenarios stuff and the blinkin' DVD doesn't work. And it's not user error. The DVD player says it's not in there
Anyway, calming down now... what did I learn? Positioning. One of the things I've always done is move out of the overtaking lane back into the inside or middle lane because, if not overtaking, why be in the overtaking lane? From observation of the other rider out with us I realised you just cannot be seen if you are sitting in traffic in the inside lane. Get out there, in the outside lane, move in if something fast comes up behind you and is breaking the speed limit and you're holding them up but otherwise, be out there. Be visible, it's not illegal.
Also, I already knew about moving position on the road, I move left, right, wherever, to get a better view of what's coming up but moving right out, onto the other side of the road, to see round a bend ... that's not something I would have considered. Now I will. And probably the most important thing I learnt today was about the safe positioning. Not sacrificing safety for position. If there's a right hand bend with a road joining from the left, it's the traffic potentially turning onto that road from the left that could wipe you out, not the right hand bend. This was brought home very graphically by the safety lecture after the ride in the afternoon. There was a horribly negative message at the end of the day. That is, people who just ride their bikes for fun are likely to hit a lamp post at some stage, or an oncoming vehicle, or ... whatever. It's dangerous. I came away thinking I need more tuition. I am taking my life in my hands every time I get on my bike and go out on the road. I don't know enough. I don't see enough. Yes, I can ride a bike. Potentially, I can get killed. I need more skills at my fingertips to survive. That's my new project. Ambition 2006 - be a safer rider.