Hastings & Bexhill District Motorcycle Training Scheme

Negative experience: The triumph branch itself have nice staff but the training instructor gives you a hard time, told me he had just about enough of me so I cancelled and will find a better one else where.

Negative experience: Yesterday was my last session with Gedge & co thankfully. I had my first session with a new instructor at a different local company today . It couldn’t have been more different from the impersonal and demoralising experiences with Gedge & co. The new session was comprehensive, efficient, supportive and tailored to needs of learner. I held off reviewing Gedges after each lesson in the hope that things would improve through discussion. But it wasn’t to be . Now I keep on getting invitations to review . So there you go. Wouldn’t recommend them for lessons to anyone that doesn’t already know how to ride a motorbike or isn’t thick skinned.

Negative experience: I did my CBT a couple of days ago and the only thing I can say is the experience I had was terrible. The instructor I was assigned to was grumpy, rude and overly not helpful at all. I fell off my bike multiple times whilst learning and the responses I got were not helpful in the slightest. I was moaned at constantly when I made a mistake, as a result I was very panicked and anxious. On the road I dropped my bike and the instructor responded with “what are we gonna do with you?” And that to me was very harsh as a first timer on the road. At the end of the training I left crying and in pain, covered in bruises. I felt as though the instructor was belittling me and I learnt nothing from this.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly and patient instructors. I passed my CBT last month and now cometwd my 2nd lesson, thanks to the patience and friendliness of these instructors I now have my mod 1 booked for next month. Couldn't have done it with different personalities educating me. I had never been on a bime before this.

Fantastic experience: I completed and Passed my CBT this Sunday, it was a Fantastic experience from Start to finish, the training was clear and concise, we were encouraged and learned at our own pace with no pressure from the instructor who I believe was Claudia. I can recommend these people 100%

Fantastic experience: Exceptional training in just a short time my confidence grew and riding skills improved after every lesson. I never expected to pass in such a short time considering the level I started at.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend the JS Gedge training team, I completed my CBT with Claudia who was great really clear instruction, tuition and excellent advice. This week i started my DAS course with Phil who again really helpful providing great instruction and guidance. Everyone i have spoken to at the shop and at the CBT were really nice gave the impression that they genuinely care about helping people into the world of motorcycling. Great team and looking forward to continuing my training with them

Fantastic experience: Another great lesson spent with phil very informative and patient Thank you

Fantastic experience: Phil is a top instructor, got me through both Mod 1 and Mod 2 first time.

Fantastic experience: I completed my assessment ride yesterday, and it was a genuinely positive experience. Given that I have very limited riding experience and only passed my CBT last week, the session was incredibly valuable. It highlighted three key areas for me to focus on. Phil, who was truly professional throughout, took the time to explain everything in great detail and reassured me that he’ll guide me through both Module 1 and Module 2. The assessment was completely free of charge and probably took up an hour of Phil’s time, yet he was more than happy to do it. Overall, it was an excellent experience.

Fantastic experience: I chose these guys to train me to get my full motorcycle license right through from the CBT to my full module 2 test. I did my training with Phil who was very patient & helpful throughout. He worked on all the things that I needed to improve & explained things very clearly to me. I passed both the mod 1 & the mod 2 test 1st time. I can't thank these guys enough & the results speak for themselves. I will always recommend them to anybody I know in the future!

Negative experience: I was learning with Phil Cragg who never taught me to put the bike in neutral when waiting in traffic. So during my lessons I always had the clutch pulled in and sat in first. On my very last lessons with Phil I fell off the bike and it landed on my left leg. He did not seem bothered about my safety and wellbeing, in fact he was more concerned about the bike. When we got to the side of the road he said and I quote “I don’t think you are meant to ride a motorcycle.” On all my lessons Phil never encouraged me only put me down. After my accident when we got back to the shop he didn’t ask if I was ok but was more worried about the foot holder on the right side of the bike that was now broken. The last thing Phil said to me was to take up driving instead of riding. I never felt so awful about myself and to top it off Phil kept my deposit of £120 and the £220 I had paid towards the course. He quoted “This is for all of the lessons and we will call this even.” I was utterly shocked and thought instructors were supposed to help those learning no matter how many lessons it took. Please don’t anyone go to JS Gedge and have Phil he will put you down and you won’t learn anything from him. I am sat at home with a sprained leg trying to find somewhere else to finish my motorbike course with. 100% Phil should not be teaching as he cares more about the bike than the student.

Fantastic experience: Very happy with my decision to go with Phil. Not going to be plain sailing but will have an excellent instructor

Negative experience: I know someone who has done this CBT course. He said all the instructors do is shout, criticise and roll their eyes at you. It does not sound to me like they have any interest in nurturing people to obtain this skill, rather just insult them and make their anxiety 10 times worse. I would avoid like the plague.

Fantastic experience: "Fantastic experience" I had my first lesson for my full licence, my instructor phil was amazing and very easy to get on with, we had a very pleasant ride around town with mod 1 and a further lesson booked in on our return. The shop always gives you a warm welcome and as always Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: I recently passed my test with this firm out of the J.S.Gedge shop. They don't do an intensive course but weekly lessons instead. I still managed to go from assessment ride to passing my test in abut a month and at a far better price. The assessment ride was free and there was no obligation, it was obvious I hadn't got a lot of preparation from my CBT (take elsewhere) but I was offered what I considered a very reasonable fee to complete the full bike test. I really enjoyed doing the lessons, Phil was an excellent instructor and I passed both modules first time! I rode a Honda 125, Honda 500, Triumph Trident 660 and Honda Hornet 750 during the training and getting the variety of bikes added to the experience. Thank you!

Fantastic experience:

Fantastic experience: wanna say a big thanks to phil And the gang for helping me pass my full Bike Test today, thank you very much

Fantastic experience: I did my CBT with Claudia who was a patient instructor. There was 2 of us in our group a young man of 20 doing a refresher and myself a 50 something year old bike virgin. Claudia went through the course topics and off we went into the highway code, road positioning and q&a's. After that we kitted up and went to the bikes. She explained how they worked and basic maintenance. Then onto the bikes and basic straight line riding. I was very nervous at first but her calm manner and explanation really helped. I was then onto figure of 8's, U turns, junctions and emergency stops. All in the safety of a school playground. Once she was happy we were competent, off onto the road for 2 hours of riding. My confidence just grew and grew. She seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. The first 15 minutes on the road we followed her and she gave a continuous commentary about road position, mirror, signal, check and manoeuvre. Then we took turns to lead with Claudia giving instructions from her radio into our earpieces. We then did live demonstrations of u turns and emergency stops. If we did something wrong it was classed as a learning curve, then move on. Then it was back to base for post ride briefing and in our case our certificates. I can wholly recommend HBDMTS, from being apprehensive to feeling confident in the space of a day. The course was £135 and there is safety kit to borrow if you don't have your own. When I booked it over the phone I chatted for about half an hour receiving good advice.

Fantastic experience: Excellent instructor school, helpful and knowledgeable staff and talked me through everything. Got me passed by the end of the day.

Fantastic experience: I can’t thank you all enough for all your help getting me through my test. From my cbt training (Claudia) to mod1 training Claudia and Trevor, and the road ride training Phill, top class, I highly recommend this training school.

Fantastic experience: Can’t recommend highly enough! My instructor Phil is a superstar. So patient and calm even with my level of nerves! Passed Mod 2 first time and I give all the credit to Phil for his fantastic training. Huge thanks to all at Gedges. See you all soon, Kelly

Fantastic experience: I dropped into JS Gedge one afternoon to see about getting an assessment on my level of riding and the guys were all very accommodating, friendly and i felt comfortable. I booked a date and time that worked for me and had the assessment. Phil went through my documents and then talked me through a few things and we went out for a ride. When we got back, he gave me a full run down of what I needed to improve on more importantly, a full cost to do lessons and how I could pay for that if I wanted to go ahead with it. I was happy with the quote and felt that Phil was direct and to the point with how he delivered information, which I liked as I wanted to know if I was doing something wrong or if things were going well. After each lesson, Phil would give a full verbal run down of how the lesson went, what I needed to improve and what I was doing right. Within a short space of time, I had my Mod 1 training. I felt very rushed with this, but we had started late and the weather was closing in pretty quickly. Either way, I remembered the basics and passed the Mod 1 first time. The day after passing the Mod 1, I had a lesson. After this lesson, Phil said “If you ride like that next week, you’ll pass your test with ease” Sure enough, we booked in for test and I passed without any minors! Here I am, a full licence holder and I have already been out on a few bikes from JS Gedge! Overall, a great experience and I’ll definitely be a customer moving forward! Thanks again

Negative experience: When the poor headset provided crackled and I misheard an instruction, on return to the showroom when I explained the error due to that the instructor flat out called me a liar: 'it doesn't make words up' is the direct quote. Aggressively I might add. I cancelled my lessons on the spot, unbelievable unprofessionalism.

Fantastic experience: Excellent service, lovely people, Best around by far

Fantastic experience: The instructor are great people and made the day very enjoyable. Can't thank the enough. 10/10

Fantastic experience: Took my cbt with Claudia, great experience. She’s a great teacher. You really get the feeling she wants you to learn and be confident on the bike.

Fantastic experience: From CBT to a full A licence..I had the pleasure of being trained by Trevor, Phil and Claudia over the past few months. All of them very supportive and encouraging people considering my more cautious approach to speed and riding with the costant fear of damaging their bike I highly recommended training with these lot, you won't regret it! Thank you to everyone to make a life dream come true!

Fantastic experience: was a really amazing and engaging day, both instructors were very cheerful and easy to get on with whilst still being able to teach properly. came away with a feeling of great capability for riding a bike. thank you both for a lovely day!

Fantastic experience: I started my training in the summer, with an aim to obtain my full A licence within the year. The training provided by Phil was excellent, helpful talks post ride allowing me to make corrections to my riding. The whole shop were welcoming and very professional. I enjoyed my time learning, and look forward to getting out now that I have my full A licence.

Fantastic experience: Retook my cbt Saturday 25th november with Claudia and I couldnt fault her or the training! Absolutely amazing!

Fantastic experience: Completed CBT a couple of weeks ago and overall it was a great experience. It’s fair to say that riding a motorbike didn’t come naturally to me (never ridden before) but my instructor was really patient with me and although at times she was slightly abrupt or to the point, she was also really supportive and encouraging when the penny finally dropped! Very knowledgeable, fairly priced and also really competitively prices if you decide to go for your full license. I’d recommend. Thank you HBDMTS.

Negative experience: Wouldn't recommend these at all. The lady and man instructor are very impatient not willing to teach inexperienced riders. You are inspected to know how to ride properly and know all the high way code they aren't interested in even trying to teach. Very rude, arrogant, unable to teach these youngsters. Definitely avoid this place!!!!!

Fantastic experience: Would recommend to anyone who wants to learn and prepare for there test. Phil has been brilliant and patient

Fantastic experience: Great experience from start to finish. Professional and affordable service. Done my mod 1 first time with ease. Mod 2, 2nd time. Just had an off day. Highly recommended.

Negative experience: One of the young people from our care home had his CBT training at this venue. Unfortunately he came out of there with a really bad experience regarding the instructor he was allocated. The lady in question was extremely rude and was not helpful or able to teach efficiently. If he did something incorrectly (which is totally normal for his first time on a bike) she would start shouting things like "oh i just give up" and "im going to help someone else" by the end of it he was so anxious due to being criticised the whole time that he ended the test early due to the stress of her terrible 'instructing'