www.fastfishadvanced.co.uk
Why does it cost this much to do Advanced Training?
Well actually, we think
you'll find it hard to find better value than the training we offer.
Check out other advanced trainers' prices on their websites (the
ones that quote them!) if you don't believe this.
Putting it simply, it costs trainers money in the first place. They will need to have been trained through one of small number of schemes, most of which are very expensive. The only way to recoup this money is by charging customers (it's not tax-deductable). Then there's the set-up costs, advertising etc.. As well as the training required to become an advanced instructor, it costs money on the day. Typically on a full day's training you can run up 150-200 miles on the clock. That's not just petrol, it's wear and tear, servicing costs etc. Inland revenue rules permit motorcyclists to claim 24p per mile of business use. If the trainer uses this approach to recouping costs, that's £36-48 taken out of the profitability of the trainer's business. When put in this context you will see we are not doing this to become rich, but because we are passionate about bikes and rider safety. Typical commercial advanced training prices are in the region of £100-200 a day per person. There are other approaches to enhancing your riding skills other than using commercial training companies, the main ones being BikeSafe (run by local police forces), Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The following is an attempt to summarise these but this information is offered in good faith with no guarantee of accuracy - please check with the organisations themselves. BikeSafe is more of a taster to safer riding - they include some theory and then you get an observed ride, after which they will give you pointers on your riding. However, by its nature they can't cover as much as you can learn through a more intensive day's training. With IAM, you are effectively joining a club with an annual membership fee. You pay for the IAM test fee up front in your first year's subscription (which totals in the region of £85 for the first year), whether you take the test or not. Training to meet the requirements is then given by volunteer observers who typically just ask for a small donation towards their petrol each time they go out with you. Typically it can take a good number of sessions to get you to the standard required to pass the test, so it's a fair commitment to get the most out of your membership. RoSPA, like IAM, has a formal test which you can take. It currently costs £20 to join and the test fee is £53 (unlike IAM you only pay for this when you book your test). Again, you are basically joining a club and go out for riding assessments with existing members (who are volunteers) until they feel you are ready to take your test. You can find out exactly what they expect during the test from their website - bear in mind you may have to change your style of riding to pass (e.g. they don't like you to lean off the bike on bends). As with the IAM, it may take you some time to match your riding to the expectations of the examiner, so you're in for a fair commitment. You get graded according to how the examiner expects you to ride, with a 'near-perfect' ride giving you the RoSPA Gold qualification. RoSPA also has a register of approved trainers, many of whom charge professional fees for one-off training. This is a very brief intro some of your options. None of them is free, but the costs vary, as do the demands on you and what you get out of them. Fast Fish Advanced does not offer a formal test, demanding a particular style of riding in order to get through, but our training is more in-depth than BikeSafe (you get much more one-to-one tuition, even when you are paired with another student). What we aim to do is make you safer on the road. (See What Fast Fish Advanced training involves.) If we can't find ways to help you be safer, check out our money back guarantee. We believe it's unique among commercial advanced trainers. Just ask yourself what it will cost you in terms of pain, time off work, repair bills to your bike, loss of no-claims discount and heartache for your loved ones, if you are involved in a serious accident which our training might have helped to prevent. It's too late when it's already happened. Don't delay - book your training today! Back to Training Options |
