It is an absolute privilege to share that George passed his driving test this afternoon in Lichfield, and he did it in style with only one single driving fault!

This wasn’t just any pass for me; it marks the official end of an era. George is officially the very last manual learner I will ever teach! As many of you know, my coaching has moved fully over to automatic vehicles, but I am so incredibly glad I stayed the course with George.

Here is how a bit of team effort, a lot of determination, and some solid cycling background brought home a near-perfect result.

A Deal Between Cycling Mates

Imagine you’re out on a Gravel cycle ride, pedalling up a steep hill, chatting about gear ratios, and your mate turns to you and asks if you’ll teach his lad to drive. That is exactly how this journey started.

George’s stepdad, Simon, is a good friend of mine through the cycling community. George is a keen cyclist himself, tearing it up on mountain bike trails and even racing on the track in the past.

When Simon asked me to take George on, I was already well into planning my transition to automatic EV lessons. We struck a deal: I’d start George off in a manual car, but once I made the official switch to automatic, Simon would take over the reins.

Swapping Saddle Time for Dual Controls

As layouts and timelines changed, the plan adapted. Instead of switching instructors, I ended up continuing George’s tuition using a couple of different cars. We did a chunk of lessons in Simon’s car, and eventually transitioned into his Nan’s car to get him fully familiar with the vehicle he’d be using long-term.

When we first buckled up, George had that classic “cyclist speed” mentality. Because track and mountain biking require rapid reactions, he was approaching busy junctions and roundabouts just a bit too quickly.

Through focused tuition, we worked on his processing time and approach speeds. He quickly learned to channel that natural spatial awareness into becoming a highly competent driver who shows genuine care and consideration for all road users—including his fellow cyclists!

The Road to Master the Craft

George didn’t just want to get a certificate; he had a deep desire to truly master the craft of driving. He was constantly asking brilliant questions during our sessions, always wanting to know the why behind the DVSA standards, not just the how.

Before even booking the big day at Lichfield, he put his developing skills to the test by driving twice all the way out to the family caravan in Wales. That massive injection of real-world road knowledge, dealing with varying terrains and dual carriageways, gave him an incredible boost in confidence.

All that hard work culminated this afternoon when the examiner handed over that beautiful pass certificate with just a solitary minor mark on the sheet! It has been an absolute pleasure teaching you, George. Safe driving, look after that manual gearbox, and I’ll see you and Simon out on the bikes soon!

Summary

Huge congratulations to George Carter on passing his driving test in Lichfield this afternoon with just 1 minor fault 🥳🚗! George is officially my final manual pupil before the school goes 100% automatic EV ⚡. Coming from a heavy mountain bike and track cycling background, George used his sharp observations and dedication to transform from a speedy junction-approacher into a beautifully calm, considerate, and safe motorist. With extra practice trips down to Wales under his belt and a constant appetite for learning, he absolutely smashed it! Wishing you a lifetime of safe, independent travels on four wheels as well as two! Cheers, George 🏆!