Below I have listed some tips that have helped me through my riding years in overcoming struggles some of us face. This is not just about being vertically challenged but also about general day to day confidence and skills that I have seen even 6ft riders, both men and women struggle with.

CONFIDENCE

The main ingredient here is to be committed to what you are doing. I constantly meet people who are in two minds about whether they should be riding because of the dangers or because their friends/family are against it. You have to make the choice; not only is it not safe but you will not be able to progress if you are in doubt.

Be comfortable with your bike and the gear you ride in, this allows you to concentrate solely on your riding. Then it is a case of practice, practice and have fun. Take it one step at a time to learn and improve. Unfortunately learning will no doubt include a few mishaps, don't dwell or get too disheartened by them. The trick is to understand why it happened and learn from it.

FIRST BIKE

My first bike was a Suzuki GSF400 Bandit, which for me was wrong. I chose it because it was the bike I felt most comfortable on, but when I started to ride it I really struggled. It is a top heavy bike and because I was learning I didn't yet have the technique to deal with this so I found myself picking it up off the floor quite a lot. This wasn't helping my confidence, nor was I happy. It was only when other experienced riders also rode my bike confirming its difficulty I realised I needed to change. From the first time I rode my Babyblade, my riding, confidence and abilities improved immensely. Give me a Bandit now and watch out.

Try to get a test ride or at least practice moving the bike around to see how you feel with regards to the weight and turning circle, comfort alone is not enough. Also buy something cheap as a first off, a bike that you can learn on and don't mind dropping. This will take away any pressures or additional worries, allowing you to concentrate purely on your riding and developing the skills.

LOWERING A BIKE

If like me you struggle reaching the floor there are a variety of options available nowadays. Keep an eye on the Jounralism section, I am currently working on a article which goes into further detail into the information provided within this section. This should be out at the beginning of August.

Most dealers offer the choice of standard lowering kits, which normally takes about 30mm out of the height. I have discovered a company called DRS (Drop Raise Services) in hull who go a step further as in they lower the bike to suit you personally. This company is jointly run by Lozzie and Dave Rose. Lozzie is under 5ft and rides a Fireblade, Go Girl! I sat on her fireblade, with a standard seat, I reached the floor better than my R6.

When test riding bikes I take the seat off, you may laugh and get some odd faces from the dealers, but it gives you a better idea if it is the bike for you. With technology moving on, as like with the skills of DRS, I only would want to test ride the bike to check I like it. Not so much to find out if I can handle it height wise.

A problem with a lot of bike seats that they have a lot of foam and are quite wide. The height of the foam makes you sit high and the wideness pushes your legs outwards. Being short we need our legs to go straight down to the floor making the most of every millimetre. There are a lot of companies that offer this facility, some cut the foam down to fit and re-fit the cover. Others such as Custom Seating in Coventry remove the foam and re-build the seat up with a replacement gel pad.

You can also generally alter the forks and shock settings, there is nothing wrong with this, but it does effect the handling of the bike. Play with the settings gradually and understand how it is affecting your bike. I had the forks on my babyblade too soft and this drastically altered how the bike stopped and handled in the corners.

Finally, Are you Ready Boots! Find an experienced cobblers near you and they should be able to build your boot up by inserting another rubber layer in between your boot and sole. Thickness can vary and be of your choice, however remember you need to easily,comfortably move your feet, especially when changing gears. If you raise the boot to the extreme this will effect that process considerably causing additional issues.

LOOK UP, OBSERVE AND PLAN

On a bike, where you look IS where you go. Whilst riding look up and ahead as far as possible, along with using your peripheral vision you constantly scan and build up a picture of what is around and ahead of you. Being prepared, knowing and deciding your next step is a big part to making your riding smoother and more controlled. Observation also includes your hearing and nose, these can further detect any hazards ahead decreasing the risk of an incident or getting into risky situations. Unsettling your bike is one issue that can cause accidents, being unsettled can be avoided by being prepared.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BIKE

Learn the capabilities of your bike with regards to cornering, acceleration and braking. Practice u-turns, slow speed riding and develop a relationship with your two wheeled partner. If you do this on the road, make sure it is safe to do so and away from other vehicles, its best to go to an empty car park. Advanced training will provide special workshops to help you with any particular areas you struggle with, along with advice and support.

SHIFTING YOUR BUM

For the shorter legged bikers sliding your bum off to one side allows you to get one foot flat on the floor, making stopping or moving the bike easier. This then gives you more stability on off camber road surfaces by keeping the bike up right as much as possible and giving a more solid contact with the ground. When moving the bike forward or backwards it is easier because you are pushing through the whole of your foot, creating more force into the ground. Sliding is also a big benefit when you know you are going to have to stop in a dip, this decreases the lean angle of the bike making you more stable.

PICKING UP A BIKE

Unfortunately dropping your bike happens to us all, but picking it up can be even more of a challenge. It does depend on the weight of your bike and your strength, but surprisingly a lot can be achieved by technique. As the bike is lay on the floor turn the handle bars towards the sky. This changes the distribution of the weight making it easier to pick up. Squat down by the side of the bike, use the handlebar as a lever to start lifting. Use as much of your body to lift the bike as you raise it up, pushing through your legs. As the bike gets higher move your body further under the bike allowing you to use more of your body to carrying on lifting. If the bike moves on the front wheel as you lift put pressure on the front brake to keep it stable.

Don't be disheartened if you can't pick the bike up, which is a hard thing to do. The slightest thing can affect whether you can pick up a bike or not, how much petrol is in the tank, the camber of the road and the angle of the bike. I have seen these factors stop confident, stronger men picking up their bikes on their own.

MOVING THE BIKE

When moving a bike around it is at its lightest when it is at at its balance point (most upright position). At first when manoeuvring the bike, you may feel better by slightly leaning the bike against you. Therefore you can use your body to catch the bike if need to and taking some of the weight, it makes you feel you have control. As you get more confidence you will find you are able to push it around on its balance point, just always be aware of not pushing too far away from you. Cover the front brake, but don't panic and be gentle when putting pressure on it. The same as one you are generally riding, if you snatch the brake this will drastically unsettle the bike.

To push the bike up a hill/steep canver, onto bike trailers using the engine to drive the bike is a great help. However, be safe and you MUST ensure you take your time, that you are comfortable about where the biting point is and how much throttle you need to give. Again remember dont' panic and don't snatch the brake, keep the bike settled at all times.

LIFTING THE BIKE OFF SIDE STAND

Sometimes we have to park our bike at an angle which can be a struggle when trying to lift it back off the side stand. One option whilst sat on the bike is to turn the handlebars to the right, this will transfer the distribution of the weight, then re-try lifting the bike. It is surprising what a difference this can make.

You can also stand at the side of the bike, lift the bike up and swing your leg over. Be careful to keep the bike steady, especially as you lift your leg over. Keep the side stand down as a precaution, however be careful not to push the bike away from you, you will not be able to stop it. As a precaution I advise practicing this with a friend by your side until you feel comfortable doing it. Failing this you can simply move the bike to level ground.

TRACK DAYS

These can benefit you as it is a good way to learn what your bike can do. Not only is it away from most hazards such as vehicles, spillages and humans, the track is constant circuit allowing you to discover what you and yoyr bike can do. There are also instructors there, which you can book and receive advice/training from them. You can do a track day via numerous companies, the possible down side is they are inconsistent for novices. They contain a mixture of experienced riders so it's no guarantee that your novice group will be just that, which can be a bit scary and intimidating. If this happens just do your best and try not to be bullied. Going with at least one other friend or booking an instructor will help you on your way and certainly help with the nerves.

You can also do track days or skills day as they are rather known, with advanced training groups. You will find these are less erratic and a lot more instructors are available for you each session out on track. Also keep an eye out on www.bikegirl.co.uk for any events they put on. These are purposely designed for at least one group to be for novices or nervous riders, this to help them develop their confidence and skills further.

GROUP OF FRIENDS

If you start riding with others, try to go out with people who will not put pressure on you, who are patient and helpful while you gain your confidence. You do not need that added pressure of others, as this will not help you and could lead to an incident if you try to walk before you can run. Go at your own pace.

Being with friends or in a group like the IAM or RoSPA, you learn without realising. You not only meet people, go to places you probably wouldn't go on your own, but spending that extra, regular time on your bike allows your skills to develop naturally. What ever you choose, you must be happy with the people and their riding for you to progress.