Story of a very cautious female 40 year old

Great story from the ’19 year old idiot’. Well, I’m the complete opposite! I’ve just bought a Honda cbr125 in red and black. I’ve passed my test, but I’m only a size 8 and 5ft 1, so even though I could get any bike I like and have it restricted, they are all just too big. Let me tell you my story..

In February this year my fiancé was killed in a road traffic accident riding his bike to work, just 3 weeks before our wedding. He was 42 and had been riding since he was 15. A proper biker, no car, used and loved his bike every day. He rode to India last year with his mate, that’s how much he loved riding.

Mick came off his bike on a fairly small road, slid along the road and hit a van going in the other direction head first, he didn’t stand a chance, even with his helmet and protective clothing on. He had a green ZX10R, which I had been a pillion on many times.

We had to have an inquest and the outcome was that it was an accident – oh, so that’s just great, I’ll never know what happened….. He left behind 2 daughters and one granddaughter, me and his Mother , father, step mother and half brother.

We were always planning to have a bike business in France, Spain or Italy in 5 years so I was always going to learn to ride a bike. So, on my own, which I am very proud of, I passed my CBT, my theory and my driving test in only 4 months. Thanks to Quickstart in Taplow. I picked up my bike with a friends husband and we rode to my house together.

I’ve since been on a few little trips to visit friends on my own. I am not scared of falling off, or being knocked off, I am just so small the wind speed really scares me and I’m not very good at going over 50mph!! Everyone who knows me just tells me to keep on doing little trips and I’ll get more confident and I know that’s true. I just wish there was some mid way between me being so slow and cautious and the mad young lads.

Bikes are fab, just treat them with a bit of respect. I am so looking forward to going on my first trip with my friends. I live in Oxfordshire and the first two options are Breacon Beacons or Normandy. Just take one step at a time, so perhaps I’m doing the steps really slowly, but I do have to do everything myself and that’s not easy.

So, if anyone in the Thame area fancies a slow ride out to get me more practice then please get in contact. Just remember speed isn’t everything it’s better to get there than not at all. Just be safe!