I like to enjoy life and new challenges. Learning to ride a motorcycle was a big challenge. I completed my CBT on the 13th July 2018, soon after acquiring my first motorcycle – a Suzuki Marauder (called Mercia) and taking my first solo ride, nine days later (went for a coffee and to a car boot sale). Thirteen months on, I became a fully fledged biker, passing both my Module One and Module Two first time and with a clean sheet. Very soon after that, I took my first ride without learner plates on my shiny Honda Rebel.

The truth is that every moment of this journey had challenges, with many moments of self-doubt and wanting to hand the bike keys back. I’m glad that I persisted and happy to be sharing a few of my stepping stones with you via this BikeSafe blog. Crucial to my journey has been choosing good instructors and this especially true, having attended my first BikeSafe and opting to advance my skills through my local IAM RoadSmart group in Redditch (RAMG). Michelle Waldron.