Article for IAM
A few months ago somebody said, “Why don’t you write something for the IAM newsletter about your Masters experience?” And I thought why not?
I decided to give it a go for the simple reason that if someone else had written one before I started on my Masters, I would have found it very useful. The request came after a mate had looked at some of my Masters videos on YouTube and found them useful. Have a look at highpeakbiker to see what you think. At the end of the article I reveal what I achieved. Don’t cheat!!
The IAM qualifications for Advanced Riders range from a PASS and a F1RST at Advanced level, to a PASS and DISTINCTION at Masters level. Of course, you can fail both, but we will not consider that here. The difference in level between the Advanced and Masters is quite difficult to explain, so sit back and get a cup of tea.
The Masters is not simply a ride at F1RST standard all the way around. That has been said and quoted, but it is not. It is a different beast altogether. I must say these are my personal thoughts and reflections and not official IAM definitions; and I am sure my ramblings may mean one thing to me and another to someone else, so I am happy to chat about any of this with you at one of the meet up venues or ride outs if you wish; or via the website or YouTube comments.
The level of advanced riding you attain shows that you are able to make sustained progress and maintain that progress wherever it is safe to do so, whilst showing the restraint needed, at that level. However, Safety trumps all.
Now for me, those last three words were difficult to reconcile with making more progress than I currently was. I believed I was at my limit, but my second Master Mentor said, “Think back to your first Advanced run.” He went on to talk about the safety bubble or buffer we create and operate within: how when I started riding, my limits or boundaries were governed by two main things: my experience and my skill. They still are, but I have 50,000 miles more experience and have developed more skill. We then discussed what, “pushing the boundaries” means, and what it means for me in particular.
The idea of pushing boundaries is key. Maybe not pushing, but setting. For example, an overtake. Approaching a right-hand bend behind a car that has been travelling just below NSL (say 56mph) for a while, unable to overtake without an illegal manoeuvre, I plan for deceleration of car on approach and in bend, and anticipate my speed, and how much space I need to overtake that vehicle. Using the limit point, I judge the bend, and as the space opens and all pre-set parameters are ticked, I execute the overtake. It is, to quote my mentor, “a binary decision.” Is it on? Yes. Go!
What I hadn’t done up to that point is really and honestly thought, measured and practised to find out exactly how much space I needed visible ahead of a car at a certain speed to execute the overtake. By practising and thinking, I now do (at least to
a higher level than previously). I have moved my boundary. Thinking is important, both on and off the bike.
One exercise I used was to set up an overtake and imagine I was performing it. Then work out whether I could do it. Then go back and try it and afterward do some more thought. So, Long Hill as an example. A car going 40 in double solid white area just after White Hall going towards Buxton. (What3Word : ///educates.outings.giggle should show you spot where two cyclists are). As you bear left the solid line on your side breaks for 100m or so. Can you legally overtake it? Meaning can one get back in before the solid returns? Stay behind and count the car. Go back when clear and approach the same empty space at 40 and then accelerate and manoeuvre (if no oncoming!) Remember to count it. Take one from the other. Is it possible? So I did this and started to analyse and practise.
Practice becomes experience, experience becomes knowledge or skill. Suddenly I started to feel that feeling I hadn’t had since my first Advanced runs with Wiggy back in 2020. In those first couple of runs of 2020 a door of realisation was opened. Position 1 for a right hand bend? Oh yes it does make a difference. The limit point? Wow, it moves towards you and runs away. All these things that had been there always, but not seen by me. Use them, practise them, and suddenly you make progress. But more importantly, it feels easier. Feels safer. Simply because it is. The Masters programme has enabled me to make more progress; more importantly it has made me a safer rider more in control and more knowledgeable about the actual boundaries / limits / safety margins.
“Stop in the distance you see to be clear on your side of the road.” We all know that, it is a staple part of the system and our practice. What does it mean for you? I reflected on this and knew then that I had to practice more. Up until this point I had not formally got on the bike and gone out to test how much space it took me to stop. I had, like most, gone out and practiced emergency stops. Find a straight quiet road, accelerate up to 30-35 mph, get that constant speed and initiate an emergency stop. But out in the “nationals” at 60 mph? How much space did I need to stop? So I went out and practiced and observed. I started by finding a straight stretch, deciding my point of observing the hazard and where the hazard was. Then approached it at 30mph, initiating a stop to stop just before the hazard. Then 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60. Clearly you need to be 100% certain the road is clear and have good views. Doing the same on the “twisties” was harder to set up and practice, but worth the effort. I used a couple of spots on Snake Pass (What3words spot) and Long Hill (What3words spot), where there were good straights before some bends and I could make progress before the “imagined hazard” and then perform my braking sequence. Clearly there is a lot more going on in a bend and you have to think of lean angle and shifting the bike more vertical and changing position in the road. Again, 30 mph, 40, 45, 50. It was a surprising result, as I found my preferred “naturally developed” speed of approach was a lot less than the possible. This new knowledge for me needed practicing then to become second nature bread and butter, as the limit point had been in my initial advanced training. Worth noting here, that the same exercise was also repeated in a single track situation, with the added complication of factoring in an on-coming vehicle doing the legal limit. The final elephant in the room for me was wet weather practice. But I took it by its trunk and practiced. Thankfully we had some really dire weather in May and I was able to get out in the wet often! This paid dividends for me on my Masters test as there had been heavy rain before, some during and enough sun to dry out large parts of the route. So, all my training came in handy. I did some research about tyre grip and wet weather. Eye opening. I felt like the child I was in the ‘60s scared of the monster under the bed. Yes you need to change things in the wet. But how much is a revelation (less than I thought).
After ensuring I could stop in all conditions, I then started to really consider the system and break down IPSGA. The system should be separated with only the information phase overlapping and permeating all. So let us take bends as an excellent example (everyone’s favourite bit of the ride), but for me something I always felt I could improve further. The bend is all about the limit point. So, my mentor questioned me as to why, when the information told me there was an approaching bend, did I not get into position sooner? I started my own answer in terms of you never sacrifice safety for position. Then considered whether moving into P1 earlier did, in fact put me in an unsafe position. If it did, why do we ever venture there? So I practiced, and I did indeed see a smoother ride due to better limit point analysis and earlier views. We carried on breaking down bends and I developed my decisions as to when to leave P1 and move across to the apex, joining up bends and effectively straightening the road much more than I had done previously. I think my role as National Observer had made me consciously stick to the regimented positioning to show associates. That became habbit. In my dissection and re-evaluation of bends I realised I was doing too much ISPSGA. I didn’t need to.
Roadcraft is the bible for Masters. There was discussion of this before the assessment and questions about different scenarios. You are expected to know it, live it and breathe it. Another document that is recommended and I found so useful in preparation is the “Full Control” document. This is a short but technical read that covers all of the physics you need. For me the use of foot pegs whilst cornering was very useful indeed. You can download the FULL CONTROL document by clicking the link on the website here.
What the Masters course did for me is made me break down my riding and consider once again, and in more detail, what I do and why. It also made me appreciate more than ever the simplicity yet complexity of the system we know as IPSGA. There were many more learning points in my journey but hopefully this has given a snapshot of them and a glimpse of what my experience of the Masters course was. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and look forward now to the next challenge.
And finally: I completed my course by riding an assessed ride on 5th June with the ASDM Dave Cox. It wasn’t the nicest of conditions, but this played in my favour. I achieved a Distinction, with 1s in each category.
And finally, finally: Thanks for taking the time to read the article and I hope you found some worth in it. The Masters truly changed my riding skill level. I went into it with a positive but questioning mind. I came out quite transformed and safer. You have to have a positive mindset from the off, or you will not try to change.
Now a quick favour. Please, if on YouTube, can you go to the channel and like and subscribe (if you like and want to subscribe). It really helps the channel and really gives me a bit of positive motivation to film and edit more”.
Thanks everyone and enjoy the ride
Best regards
Rob
Aka HighPeakBiker
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