Tag: tob

TOb Blog #5: The Final Chapter

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

tobtraining1I was happy to be back from my job abroad, with the prospect of improving weather and at least the next six months working in the UK, so it was time to get back in to my Observer training. So far, I’d completed all the key stages and progressed onwards to my first Observed ride with a real (as opposed to stooge) Associate. Previously, the role had been played by a Senior Observer.

Part of every TOb’s mission, as we take on increased responsibilities, involves organising our own training rides. This is no mean feat, as I’ve said before. So, at the risk of making a right nuisance of myself, I started to email all and any of the Observers I knew and many I didn’t in the hope of finding rides with Observers and their more intrepid Associates who were prepared to brave the cold, wet and wind of last spring. They say that the squeakiest wheel gets the most oil, so what had I got to lose?

My first TOb outing of the New Year was with Paul Wassall and his Associate, Stuart Russell. Off we went down to Littlehampton for an Observed ride and a fish and chip lunch. It was a very enjoyable run with such nice people and a great coaching opportunity. I hope Stuart took some useful observations away with him. A couple of weeks later, Di Woodcock, who is also acting as my mentor during Observer training, kindly emailed to suggest an outing with her Associate, Rita Alexander, who needed coaching on her cornering. That sounded like a great opportunity for TOb training, and I hope our run was one of those which helped boost her confidence for her recent IAM test pass. Well done Rita. Bob Harrison’s Associate, Jeremy Weaver, was already a full IAM car member and a trained VIP chauffeur with evasion skills. Thankfully, I’d remembered to ask him about his previous experience during our pre-ride briefing, so it was no surprise when we set off for his Observed ride. That was my ‘Coaching a Progressive Associate’ box ticked then!

With each successive ride, I gained a little more experience and confidence. Meeting new people, observing different riding styles, trying to tailor feedback to suit an Associate’s needs during the run and at the run report form stage, is what it’s all about, and I’m starting to relax a little and enjoy it more.

Every Observer has a slightly different perspective, and their feedback to the TOb is, without exception, invaluable. Taking all the advice on board and finding a happy medium is definitely the way forward. Each TOb Training Report Form (the feedback on how we’ve done) is a snapshot of what we did well and what needs to be improved upon. They build up into a very useful reminder of just how we’re progressing. Just like the Observed rides we’ve all been on, every Observer spots different details in our riding, coaching skills and report form completion that need polish.

Other very handy tips come out in the de-brief conversations. The root cause  will always boil down to IPSGA. An Associate could be having difficulty spotting the Information early enough and, as a result, be in the wrong Position, at the wrong Speed, or in the wrong Gear, or not be using appropriate Acceleration. That’s been drummed into us from the very start, but thanks to Andy Smith for the timely reminder.

Pre-Validation

It seems like it’s been a long and winding road, but finally, with all those rides ridden and all those boxes ticked, I find myself asking for a Senior Observer to be assigned to my Pre-Validation. It’s the last stage before my final validation as a Local Observer for TVAM. I’m back to the ‘stooge’ ride format again and John James had kindly offered to take me out. We met at a very civilised garden centre cafe on the A4 near Wargrave. John’s stooge character was that of an occasional rider who would like to be able to keep up when out riding with his more progressive mates.

The forecast wasn’t too promising and of course it started to rain almost as soon as we set off, but the ride went well, even though we had a thorough soaking on our way round. We de-briefed near Benson and John was kind enough to let me know I’d reached the required standard for validation almost as soon as I’d finished the Associate Run Report Form. So, one last hurdle to overcome.

Validation

Louise Dickinson emailed to say that I should now get in touch with David Jacobi, who was Andy Wedge’s predecessor as Chief Observer and one of just a handful of Validation Observers, to arrange my final validation. I was due to leave for France on a family holiday, so the validation ride was arranged for the end of July. We got home from our travels on the Sunday afternoon before Monday’s ride, and I thought I’d take the bike out for a quick spin to get a bit of practice in for the following morning. As I tried to wheel the bike backwards out of the garage it quickly became clear that all was not well. I had a flat tyre, with the offending self-tapping screw right in the middle of the tread – good job I checked!

I got it fixed (I thought), and made it to my meeting with David the following morning. Just to be sure, I bought another can of sealant and went through my notes one last time while I waited for him to arrive.

We started with an informal chat, talked about TVAM and TObbing, and then moved on to the validation proper. David’s stooge character was a born-again biker who spends his working life driving a car all over the country visiting clients. He says he’s had his bike for around a year and ridden about 800 miles. Working my way through the briefing, I remember all the key questions. As we headed out I could see that the tyre was well on its way down again, so it was time for a full can of sealant!

The ride went well. It poured with rain, but I made mental notes of the key points I wanted to bring up when we stopped. I was keen to let David know what I’d spotted, but found out at the de-brief that I’d laboured the points a bit too much here and there – we want our Associates to come back! Just at the point where I’d convinced myself I had failed and the suspense was getting too much, David held his hand out and said ‘Congratulations, you’ve passed’. I’m in no doubt at all that it was by the skin of my teeth and that I will always have a huge amount to learn, but a pass is a pass!

Why did I do it? Because I’m proud to be a TVAM member and try to offer what I can in return for the support and friendship of the many great people I feel lucky to have met and ridden with.  Thank you to everyone – Observers and Associates who let me out with them. You all make our club what it is.

John Rodda (Observer) – August 2013 (first published in Slipstream September 2013)

TOb Blog #4: The 2nd Stooge Ride

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

JohnRNew for 2013 is a second ‘stooge’ ride. It’s the last stage in our Pre-TOb training. I met up with Senior Observer Nigel Taylor, who’d be playing the part of my Associate, at Oxford Services. Service stations are a good meeting place, because they’re a safe and neutral location, with petrol, cafe, loos etc.

This is the last opportunity for me to practice my skills in a fairly controlled environment before I’m released into the wild. After today, any mistakes I make will be made in front of a real Associate, and I could look daft – or worse. There’s a lot at stake now and I will be taking on considerable responsibilities in the months ahead.

The information gathering before the ride starts felt a little easier than my last attempt, as I asked Nigel about his riding history, and chatted about what he wanted to get out of our ride together that morning. I remembered the all-important ground rules, and got Nigel to confirm that his bike was taxed, MOT’d and insured before we headed off towards Thame. A Pre-TOb has to arrange their own route, and I’d tried to build a mixture of roads into my plan for today’s ride.

Finding fault was hard. Nigel was very much in control of his bike, and apart from a couple of ‘safety bubble’ moments I didn’t really spot too much wrong. But then, as he explained to me later, ‘You’ll get all sorts’. He wasn’t wrong, as I was to discover, but more of that soon.

It was all going a bit too well. Having taken Nigel through a mid-run de-brief and demo ride, I suggested we try a junction or two on the M40. I headed us towards junction 7, where I’d planned to join the motorway and head north. Some of you will already know what I’m going to say next. There is no slip road onto the M40 northbound at junction 7! I won’t forget that one in a hurry. We turned around in the nearest lay-by while I hastily re-planned our route.

Nigel took it really well. We abandoned the idea of a motorway section and headed back to the services for the debrief. The run report form went pretty well. My ‘associate’ went home with a very well deserved ‘A’, and I went home with a red face.

TOb Rides

Having completed both ‘Stooge’ rides, I moved on to the next stage. My training card is gradually filling up with ticks, dates and signatures showing my progress towards becoming an IAM Local Observer. I’ve got my yellow TVAM membership card and am known as a TOb. The Trainee Observer itinerary comprises eleven stages. Each TOb is encouraged to work their way through the process at their own pace. ‘It’s not a race’, as Louise Dickinson told us all those months ago.

The 11 stages each have to be signed off by a different Observer on a separate coaching run. The only exception is slow riding skills, which can be signed off on the same ride as any other observer training ride. The stages are:

  • Introduction and Information Gathering
  • Observing Skills
  • Demo Ride
  • Coaching Skills
  • De-brief and Run Report Form
  • Coaching a Progressive Associate
  • Coaching a Cautious Associate
  • Coaching 2 Associates
  • 1 Run at St Crispin’s all at A Standard
  • 1 Run elsewhere all at A Standard
  • Pre-Validation
  • Validation
  • Slow Riding Coaching

These are live runs, managing a real observed ride with an equally real Associate – a lot like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach whilst attempting a hand-stand.

At St. Crispin’s we’re all there and ready for a ride out. There are dozens of Observers and usually more than enough Associates to go round. Getting all the elements together for a TOb ride between our Wokingham meetings can be hard. Observers have their own coaching agenda with their Associates, and most of us have work commitments, so getting three people together for a three or four hour session is a challenge.

Safety is my first priority. These rides are all about polishing the key skills expected of us, whilst an Observer follows on, watching for points to be discussed at the de-brief. The TOb writes up a run report on the Associate, and the Observer writes up a separate TOb training run report form on me.

My first TOb ride was from St Crispin’s on 12th December, the same day we were to receive our yellow badges. I’d ridden down to Wokingham early to try out my planned route. Dave Worker was my shadowing Observer and I was taking Chris Handy out on my first observed ride. Chris works as a dispatch rider and was very close to achieving his Green Badge, so I didn’t have too much to worry about.

Dave’s feedback was simple and clear – a good start but I’d need to extend my route and maybe have an alternative loop or two depending on the coaching needs of individual associate. Dave signed off my first task, the Debrief and Run Report Form.

But then came the coldest winter since the last ice age, and I was working abroad for three months. TObbing was put on hold until spring.

John Rodda – July 2013 (first published in Slipstream August 2013)

TOb Blog #2: The Riding Skills Check

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

JohnRHaving passed through all those theory tests, quizzes and questionnaires, it was now time to get back out on the road. My group of six hopefuls from the October intake had become PTObs (Pre-Trainee Observers).

Next on our journey towards becoming a full TOb (Trainee Observer), and being issued with the yellow membership cards you may have seen round necks at St Crispin’s, we’ll have to successfully complete an assessed, extended ride with a Senior Observer. We have to demonstrate our ability to ride at or above IAM pass standard for over three hours, on a wide variety of roads. If we fail this check, we’ll have to take a six month break before we can re-apply.

Richard Tickner was assigned as my Observer for the Riding Skills Check. We arranged to meet at a Reading McDonald’s, just off the M4, for pre-ride introductions, briefing and document checks. The weather forecast was pretty poor for the morning, but it looked like conditions were improving out to the west, so that’s where we headed.

The first section of the trip was a town ride, with all the hazards you might expect of a busy, damp Monday morning. Things seemed to go pretty well. Through the urban scene we rode, negotiating junctions, thirty and forty mile-an-hour limits, traffic lights, mini-roundabouts and pedestrian crossings – all there to make sure you maintain your concentration. Richard and I were using his bike-to-bike radio, which helped enormously in taking the pressure off that “missed turn signal” anxiety.

As we left Reading behind us, we headed up along the bank of the Thames towards Pangbourne, and on out into open countryside. Stopping briefly, Richard asked why I hadn’t taken a particular overtake. I explained about the car I’d been following, the driver’s level of concentration and why I’d chosen to hang back along the narrowing roads until a better opportunity to pass came up or they turned off our route.

Richard said he thought things were going pretty well and that I should relax a little and enjoy the open roads ahead of us – “as if I was out for a spin with a friend”.

There then followed about fifteen miles riding through some of the most challenging roads I’ve ever ridden, as we threaded our way out on the ‘B’ roads of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire towards Newbury, Wantage and Lambourn. It was tough but very rewarding riding. Richard told me later these roads are often used by police drivers to hone their skills.

I’m not surprised either – twists, turns and gravel strewn junctions by the bucket load posed tricky combinations of IPSGA decisions throughout. I was expected to demonstrate an ability to make good progress while maintaining a high standard of safe riding. All the while, Richard tootled along behind me, apparently without very much effort at all!

The autumn weather had improved by now, and the tarmac was drying very nicely as we found ourselves barreling progressively along the clear, straight stretches that lay ahead of us. My big, heavy BMW R1200RT had risen to the challenge, responding well to the sheer pleasure of it. “This is why we ride bikes”, I thought.

A final stretch of motorway followed, and when we pulled into Reading services, we grabbed coffee and snacks, and I waited for the de-brief and run report. If you know Richard, you’ll know he has a relaxed and friendly style. Yes, I could think of plenty I could have done better, but that’s what keeps us interested in what we do and on the path of continuous development.

The de-brief started at the beginning our ride, and Richard took me through the preceding three hours, explaining the strengths and weaknesses he’d spotted. Boxes were ticked and a few comments written, and with his big beaming smile he congratulated me with a welcome to Observer Training.

John Rodda – April 2013 (first published in Slipstream May 2013)

TOb Blog #1: So, What’s Next?

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

John-&-BikeI recently returned to biking after a twenty-five year break, and I can’t begin to say how glad I am to be riding again. I joined TVAM in April 2012, and have loved every step of my progress, from becoming an Associate, through my observed rides and coaching with Peter Dowlen, to taking the IAM test and getting my green badge. I don’t want it to end here because I’m really enjoying the journey – I don’t want full IAM membership and the green badge to be the final destination.

So, what’s next?

It’s time to give something back. Because I’ve learned a lot (most important of all being that I have a lot to learn), I want try passing on some of these new skills to others. So why not train to become an Observer? Simple as that…

Most months at St. Crispin’s there’s a “TOb Talk”. Louise Dickinson gives an informal chat about the standards required of Observers within TVAM, and what’s involved in becoming a Trainee Observer or “TOb”. TVAM is proud of its reputation for having amongst the highest training standards in the country, so each stage of this process is understandably rigorous.

There are quite a few hurdles to overcome before you can start training. I guess that’s partly to make sure you’re suitable for the responsibilities of the role, and also to make sure you’re aware of the level of commitment that will be expected of you. I went along to a TOb Talk not knowing what to expect, and left with a growing certainty that Observing is the way I wanted to go – if I can pass the numerous tests involved.

A few days after showing interest and attending the TOb Talk, I got a quiz and questionnaire for prospective Trainee Observers in an e-mail from Louise. The idea behind it is to get you thinking, it says, and as we all know, a thinking rider is a safer rider.

Examples of the questions asked include

  • Why do you want to become a TVAM Observer? (fair enough).
  • Which foot should you put down when you come to a standstill?
  • Is it okay to stop the bike with just two fingers on the front brake lever? 

As I said, the quiz is to get us thinking, and as far as I know, it’s not a pass or fail test. As I worked my way through the questions sitting at my kitchen table on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, the words of Peter, my Observer, rang in my head. “It depends!”

With the questionnaire and quiz sheet filled in and posted off to Louise, I waited to hear how I’d done. And waited… There’s no score for this quiz, but it gives us a flavour of the sorts of questions we should all be asking ourselves. Why do we do what we do? Is there a way we could improve our skills and our approach?

Finally, I got an e-mail invitation to take the TVAM/IAM theory test. I realised I’d better read and re-read Roadcraft and the Highway Code so I won’t make too big a fool of myself when we get back together again, early in the morning before the main proceedings at the next St.Crispin’s.

The Theory Test

Along with my invitation came a list of ground rules covering what we’ll have to achieve if we want to move on in the process. The theory test is the first formal step to becoming an Observer. There is an 80% pass mark. If I fail, I get one chance of a re-test, after which I would have to wait six months before I could re-apply.

We all arrived bright and early at St.Crispin’s and gathered in the library for the torture to begin! Pencils and question papers were handed out, and we had around forty minutes to complete all three sections of the test. There are fifteen questions on Roadcraft, ten questions from the Highway Code, and seven questions on the IAM. Much head-scratching and quite a bit of gnashing of teeth followed. Within five minutes of completion, Louise came back to us with our results.  I managed 87% in Roadcraft, 80% on the Highway Code and 100% on the IAM , so I got an aggregate score of 88%, – and I got through to the next round.

John Rodda – March 2013 (first published in Slipstream April 2013)