So how can I express how thankful and surprised I am with SAFERiDE and mainly Nathan!

Let me paint the picture so you can try and understand what amazing service and teaching skills can do when you really need them!!!

I first passed my cbt when I was 16 and I always said I’ll get my full licence as soon as poss. from then!!!  Now I have to say today I’m in my 30's!!! And I still hadn’t taken the full test! life doesn’t always go the way we want it and over the years either money, time, loved ones and bills tend to stop the things we really want from happening, so this year I said that’s it now, I’m getting on a bike again and I’m going all the way this time! So I passed my theory test in May and as a reward I went to bikes of Brighton to buy myself some boots and gloves! I had a helmet already so I thought if its going to happen I’ve got to do it right! So Steve at the shop looked after me well with good advice and information that I’d have wasted loads of money without so I liked him of course! now it was Steve that then recommended I gave Nathan a call at SAFERiDE to talk about booking up for a das course, so with that I made the call and couldn’t have felt happier, Nathan talked me throw the options I had to get to a full bike licence and surprisingly how quickly I could be on the road, he made me feel very confident both in myself and himself which is a clever trick! And so I booked up for the full Monty!!! (So to speak!)

So first Saturday with SAFERiDE, and it’s a hardcore CBT with Drew! He did a great job of getting my bike brain re started and up to date as things do change over 15 years since I first took my CBT! So thanks to Drew for that long day!

So all going well, I’m really buzzing only a week to wait then I’m in Nathan’s hands for 4 days training leading to the module 1&2 tests on the 5th day!  So Saturday first days training, all goes well, lovely weather ridding about all day on a 500cc what more could I ask for this is so good!!!  But then it starts to go down hill and I don’t mean the bike!!! Saturday night I fall very ill, like can’t be more than a meter from a toilet type ill!!!!  I let Nathan know straight away even though it was a bit late Saturday evening but felt I had to warn him I probably wouldn't be able to make it on Sunday!!! He replied almost straight away with concern for me as he knew it wasn’t good! So Sunday I was off! Monday still just as bad!! Monday night I’m texting Nathan to see if it’s even worth me turning up for the last days training as I figured I’m going to fail now no matter what!!! So thinking Nathan would agree with me I was surprised when he said get your self well for the morning and we'll try our best to get you ready for Wednesdays tests!!

So now it was a real big task for both me and Nathan who was also training another guy at the same time so this wasn't helping with me being ill! Anyway, Tuesday went fairly well considering I still wasn’t 100% and Nathan had to try and fill three days info into my poorly head and for it to mean some thing to me!!!  so going to bed on Tuesday night before the test I’m feeling very 50/50, I know with such little training my chances were low but I also felt my ridding wasn’t to bad and Nathan had definitely got a lot of good ridding skills into my head and actions so I thought maybe with some luck all is not lost!

So Wednesday morning, I wake up....... and then I throw up!!!!  I have never ever felt as scared or nervous as I did that morning, I’ve never thrown up from nerves but this was really happing and that’s when 50/50 went to about 0% chance!! So I get to Nathan’s place and tell him how I’m feeling... he laughs at me and say come on then let’s go!!! So that really helped to calm me down!! So we took a ride over to the test centre were the module 1 tests are taken and to possibly my doom! Now while I was off sick I missed my chance to practice on this part of the test so things weren’t looking good as I stood and watched three guys in a row fail it that had practiced it!! Nathan stood with me explaining what they were doing and how it should be done to pass and what will fail you that kind of thing, and then it was my turn!!!! Ok stay calm Shane, breath; no it’s not working just panic panic panic!

The first few seconds didn’t go great but I some how took a firm grip and the next thing I knew it was all over, I passed! Thank god but how did I do that? Because I listened to Nathan and I then did as he said, funny enough he was right!!!! That’s how you pass! So module 1 done half an hour untill module 2 and Nathan tells me there’s a road that’s been closed for a few days and its a slightly tricky road and threes a chance I might have my test on that route so he took me for a quick ride around it and talked me throw every thing he thought I would need to know and really made me feel comfortable in the way I was ridding, when we got back to the test centre I thought I’ll just have a quick fag but there was no time! My name was called!! This is it! Can I do this with such bad odds against me?

Off we go then, and yes the examiner took that tricky route didn’t he!!!! Thank god Nathan thought to take me quickly just before as I would never have been able to ride as clean as I did having not seen the route at least once! and some how everything Nathan told me just flowed throw my head and was all I needed to ride nice and relaxed fairly well if I do say so myself and of course well enough for the examiner to be very happy to tell me I had just passed my full bike licence and I was free to go ride any bike I want!!! I can not use words to express how good that made me feel but my legs went to jelly and I struggled to hold the tears back as I felt so overwhelmed that not only have I wanted this for so many years, plus having started my dream and then getting ill I really did expect to fail and have to re book but also the fact that I bought a gsxr 600 over a year ago I now had that magical licence to freedom. I really can’t say a big enough thankyou to Nathan for making this happen, you da man Nathan!

Thanks again Nathan and drew! True superstars!

Shane Somani - passed 21/04/2010