Personally, I started riding last year and I took a course. Most of the stuff that was covered was pretty common sense (at least it seemed that way to me). I did feel the course was useful though, largely because the riders who were teaching it had all been riding for over 30 years and knew what they were doing.
I thought that the cost was fairly reasonable and at the end of the course we took the state riders certification test (that would have cost me about the same as the course did if I took it on my own)
If the instructors had been young or new riders I think I would have felt a bit more like Wolfie does about the course in general so in general I think you do need to ask about the course you intend to take a bit to find out about the instructors before you sign up.
I thought that the cost was fairly reasonable and at the end of the course we took the state riders certification test (that would have cost me about the same as the course did if I took it on my own)
If the instructors had been young or new riders I think I would have felt a bit more like Wolfie does about the course in general so in general I think you do need to ask about the course you intend to take a bit to find out about the instructors before you sign up.
