Relishing the freedom of two wheels: what it's like to learn to ride a motorbike

It all started when the mental health counsellor gave a talk to her partner Mark’s motorbike club - the Lichfield Advanced Motorcycle Group - at Fradley Village Hall, near Lichfield,

At the time many people in the UK were reporting suffering suicidal thoughts as a result of the trauma of the pandemic.

Sheila wanted members to watch a 10-minute YouTube video she had created with advice on how to help someone in this situation as many people don't the best thing to say or do.

Knowing that the video would be uncomfortable for them, and to inspire them to watch it, she set herself a challenge to step outside her comfort zone and to make the leap from being Mark’s pillion to riding a motorbike herself.

"The idea absolutely terrified me to be honest," she tells Weekend.

But true to her word, she went on to complete her Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) and last month she passed her motorbike theory test with flying colours.

And now she is working towards the first step of gaining a full motorbike licence - Module 1, which is an off-road riding test. This will be followed by the on-road riding test, Module 2.

“I’d no idea that I would grow to love being a motorbike rider and can definitely see the benefits with motorbiking and mental-wellbeing," says the 47-year-old, who is also a stand-up comedienne.

The first step in her training had been to borrow a pushbike so she could work on her balance on two wheels. Keen to inject a bit of humour into the situation and as it had been over 20 years since she had last ridden, she decked herself out, head to toe, in full biker gear.

Next up, was her first motorbike lesson. It went well and she found great joy in having the confidence and balance to lift her feet off the ground and onto the pedals.

But the second lesson proved more of a challenge when it brought back memories of a horrific car crash when she was a teenager.

The driver of the car that she was in accidentally put their foot on the accelerator instead of the break and the vehicle somersaulted through the air.

"I didn’t expect this challenge would be as fraught with emotional difficulties to the degree that it was. It not only triggered past memories of the accident, but I discovered that I also had a fear of using accelerator/throttle in the wrong way and crashing too," Sheila explains.

Recalling the lesson, she says: “When I took to the road for the first time away from the safety of Shire Oak Training School in Brownhills my entire body felt like jelly.

"The noise of the traffic and reality of being out on the road just felt too overwhelming.

“If I just been doing it for myself, I might have thrown in the towel and tried again at a later date when I felt more prepared.

“But what drove me to stick with it, was that the fear of what I was putting myself through was far outweighed by the positive benefit it could have on others through watching my video.

“Although it was really hard and extremely challenging and times, I’m really proud I stuck with it."

Sheila’s partner Mark rewarded her efforts with the gift of a motorbike and they have enjoyed taking road trips together which have included a visit to the Peak District.

"I've spend the past year building up my confidence on my motorbike. I've done over 400 miles on my YBR 125.

"I've also had a lesson on a bigger bike. I could stay with my YBR 125 for the rest of my life but I wanted to push myself further by trying a bigger bike. I found it a lot more stable which people told me I would," Sheila tells Weekend.

In November, she was over the moon to pass her theory test which brought her one step nearer to gaining her full licence.

"I enjoy learning a new skill and I enjoy pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I think it's really important to do this because we can get bogged down doing the same things all the time.

"I also enjoy being out in the open air and the sense of freedom that comes with it. Being on a bike, you're so focused on your bike and your surroundings, you're very much in the moment," says Sheila.

But she says enjoying riding the motorbike is an "added bonus" as her challenge has been motivated by a desire to encourage people to watch her video on how to help someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Since beginning her motorcycle challenge, the video has had more than 150 extra views.

“People have also been sending messages to say: ‘I’ve watched it’. So, I’m overjoyed that so many people of pushed themselves out of their comfort zones too. It just shows that if we work together we really can make a difference," says Sheila.

"It's a 10-minute video and it's important to watch it because it's so helpful for people to have this information so they know what to do."

*To watch Sheila's video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjKNO3qv7E8