About Us
Total Advanced Training was formed in 2005 following increased demand from riders who want to benefit from police/emergency service riding skills and experience.
We believe that your course will only be as good as the instructor teaching you. Although there are many companies that offer advanced training we believe that few have the same calibre of staff. The team have undertaken work such as covert surveillance riding for the National and Regional Crime Squads, the Flying Squad, Special Escort Group as well as regular traffic duties. We also have on the team the head of the Essex Fire Bike Team who personally has delivered so many initiatives to make riders safer. To attain these skills each have undertaken many weeks of intensive training and of course years of experience. It is this experience which means that several of our instructors are also assessors for Bike Safe and the Fire Bike Team in Essex.
We have also endeavoured to convert the Police skills into civilian qualifications that may be familiar to you. The level of Police training means that our instructors automatically qualify as RoSPA Gold standard, the highest qualification for riding skills and membership of the IAM. Some have also attained a RoSPA Diploma the highest qualification for teaching advanced riding.
All this obviously means that they are good riders but what about teaching and communication skills. Being within the emergency services demands high level communication skills and staff are provided with numerous courses to improve these skills. Some attend specific instructor’s courses whilst others are fully qualified Driving Standards Agency approved instructors and are also licensed to teach novices. This means that they are qualified teachers so have the techniques and skills necessary to teach you in an effective manner
Our Instructor’s Profiles
Principal Instructor Profile: Mick Jones
Mick started riding bikes off road when he was 13 years old and by the age of 15 was a competitive trials rider. On joining the police his career path led towards the CID and later as a detective on Regional and National Crime Squads retiring as Detective Chief Inspector. The covert policing teams presented him with an opportunity to become a surveillance motorcyclist, following people involved in terrorism, organized crime, kidnap and extortion, on a daily basis often in life threatening situations. Police surveillance riders were expected to conduct high speed riding/pursuits and still be able to safely negotiate red traffic lights, congested
In order to qualify Mick had to undertake the normal Traffic Police Motorcyclist Courses as well as specific courses aimed at covert riding and driving. He clearly had a natural flair as he scored the highest mark in his group and later another instructor quoted on an advance test “he has the highest level of anticipation I have ever come across”.
After 20 years on police bikes and owning numerous bikes in 2003 Mick diverted his skills towards motorcycle training ranging from teaching CBT’s to advance riding. He is a holder of both IAM and RoSPA Gold Qualifications. He also holds a RoSPA Btec Diploma in advanced motorcycle tuition and is the Regional Examiner for RoSPA. He was a DSA approved instructor for CBT and DAS, and a Bike Safe Assessor. These skills have been recognised nationally, with Mick being a resident expert for ‘Bike’ Magazine and a columnist for the Driving/Riding Instructors Association (D.I.A). He also can often be found on the biker circuit, as a guest speaker. Mick also delivers all the ‘off road’ training.
Instructor Profile: Nick Brown
Nick is a retired Police Officer from the Met, finishing his career in the Special Escort Group, during his career he was also a member of the road policing unit, and was involved in the introduction of Bikesafe-london, where he stayed for 5 years. He has been involved in Bike training for over 20 years from being a CBT and DAS instructor to being a member of the RoSPA diploma training team. He is also registered and qualified to deliver the DSA Enhanced Rider Scheme. He is additionally a member of the IAM, is a RoSPA diploma holder, and has a City and Guilds in teaching advanced riding.
Instructor Profile: Andy Stroulger
Andy is very accomplished Motorcyclist who many will know from his roles in Essex as the RTC Reduction Manager and more specifically Head of the Essex Fire Bike Team. He holds a Diploma in advanced motorcycle tuition and been the driving force behind numerous biking initiatives across the county. He is the chair of the partnership meetings for Essex County Council attended by highways, police, fire to name a few. He is a passionate Ducati rider and every year can be found touring in Europe.
Instructor Profile: Rob Dalton
Rob is a retired Police Officer from Essex, who spent the majority of his career on Roads Policing, completing his last 5 years in charge of the motorcycle unit, where he was trained up to VIP escorting, and has escorted heads of states as well as being on international cycling events. He has also assessed on many Bikesafe events in Essex. Following retirement, Rob took up the role as motorcycle instructor with Essex Police, and teaches all aspects of motorcycling up to, and including VIP escorting. Rob holds nationally recognised qualifications in both teaching and assessing, and is also a member of the IAM.
Instructor Profile: Chris Layley
In 1994/5 Chris qualified with DSA Cardington as an ADI for CBT a Direct Access, volunteering at two local schools. He has a qualified as an Observer for IAM in 1997/8 and as a National Observer in 2018 when the NVQ was introduced. He served with Essex Police from 1990 to 2020, serving my final 3 years posted to the Motorcycle Squad, passing my Police Advanced Motorcycle Course in 2017.
Instructor Profile: Ian Burchell
Ian is currently an ERS trainer/assessor holding both IAM and RoSPA riding and training qualifications. He was a Met Police officer for 36 years. For the last 14 years of his policing, he served as a Traffic Patrol officer and in 2002 joined the motorcycle team presenting Bikesafe London to the public. Since retirement in 2012 he has been a Taxybike rider, a speed awareness and RIDE trainer and delivered shopping.