T.T. The bales are going up round the course for this years event, starting the end of May. Are then any bikers on GC visiting this year?
Let me tell you a story..... I drove around the whole track one time in an 18 toner the traffic behind me was horrendous I work for a film company and we was making a film over there, and i have always wanted to go around it, you know about the fairy bridge? after about a week of going back and forth saying hi to the fairy's every time I went over the bridge (maybe 25 to 30 times) I didn't say Hi or goodbye to them, the first time I didn't do it!! the clutch went on the truck, just 1/4 of a mile from the bridge.... I'm not superstitious but.... I always said hi, and goodbye after that
Dopey, an 18 toner was not the ideal vehicle to do the course in! I bet the air was blue in all those vehicles following you as well. To be honest, there are very few locals that welcome the film industry here, it creates havoc with road closures for us and we certainly get enough of those. Two weeks for T.T., two weeks for Grand Prix, various car rallies throughout the year etc. So you've come across the Fairy Bridge! It's actually an accident black spot there, so it stands you in good stead to greet the Fairies.
Thanks Joolz it's not a bad place to be...........in summer! Joking aside it is a beautiful island but is being spoilt by all the huge ugly housing estates they are building here. This is Peel, just five miles from where I live.
Thanks Lolimac. Old Peel is quite pretty but they've spoilt the outskirts by building about four hundred 'flat pack' houses all identical.
Im sure i went there aswell sheal,the pic ive posted is at port erin,we satyed in douglas they was getting for TT while i was there then,we went up to the top of snaefall aswell(scariest train ride ive ever had sheer drops to the side) not on my list of things to do againbut the bus ride round the island was brilliant,however the bends on them lanes ..no wonder riders die sometimes x
I've only ever been to the top of Snaefell once. At the bottom (not the TT course) there are two roads that run parallel to each other from east to west. I use one of those on a regular basis, the drops are even scarier there and the road's narrow, sheep to contend with too. The sad thing is that the riders that live here know the course as well as the racers that are here during TT and there's no reason why we should lose local lives. But unfortunately a lot of them have to 'push it' that extra mph and that's when disaster strikes. As you probably know the mountain road has no speed limit and I mean no restriction at all, so some are inclined to push speed to there bikes limits, which is way over a 100mph these days. TT racers are now reaching 150mph, which is very scary on everyday roads. They haven't got the protection of a man made course. That said, the only consolation is that these (mainly male) riders die doing something they love. Sad though it is.
I could see from the amount straw bales on most bends shown how dangerous it could be,noone can dispute how safe they try n make it for them and ivis everywhere Maybe a bike scramble down from snaefall would be less dangerous....not
I wouldn't like that at all - I had a panic attack going over Snake Pass last year and won't ever do it again. I know nowt about the TT, but when my ex hubby was in hospital once, there was a bloke in the bed opposite who'd crashed whilst taking part - headlong into wall. It was several years later and he was still having operations and skin grafts. Not a pretty sight. Would love to visit the IoM one day though - it's on my bucket list.
As you know sheal I used to race with Bemsee in Supersport and GP250, but the TT has always scared the c##p out of me. As a youngster, my attention to the TT first came with a book about Bill Ivy, and from listening to tapes of Hailwood and Agostini. Sadly my favourite rider are now all long gone. Mark Farmer, Richard Britton, Steve Hislop, Joey Dunlop, and the best of all for me David Jefferies. I had the privilage of meeting Jey one day in Crowborough. He had stopped off to visit one of my friends, who was very sadly with him he took his last ride. I couldn't understand a word that he said, but I was still left in awe of one of the greatest ever riders. The same friend also sponsored Richard Britton. David Jefferies I somehow felt linked to because of the sharing the same surmane, and interestingly when I made a trip to a race circuit in France, the attention that I got from the French was amazing. People kept coming up to have their photo taken next to my bike!! Lets hope for a safe and happy TT for 2012.
Happy days, which sadly came to an end when I started to loose my nerve after two very big crashes, one at Lydden Hill and one at Brands Hatch. The guilt of looking at my daughter fast asleep in bed as I would leave to go racing then became too much. I had some fantastic times, some very sad times, met some great people and really miss it, but I'd never go back out there.
Most of my family have been and are bikers. Father, brothers, son, daughter and sons-in-law, so you could say it's in the blood. My son has always said if you have the slightest fear when you're on a bike it's better to give it up and I don't think he's wrong. Two years ago my son and his best friend witnessed the death of a rider on one of the fastest stretches of road, From Kate's Cottage to the Creg-ny-Baa (downhill). Do you know it Eddy? Unfortunately a boy racer, a young man behind the wheel of a Suburu I think it was, was showing off on this stretch of road, going uphill he pulled out from behind a van to overtake and clipped the biker on his way down the road with his wing mirror, the chap on the bike didn't stand a chance, he died instantly. My son's friend never got over what he witnessed and gave up his own bike last summer. It's very sad. My son is currently without a bike having sold his beloved 'bag of nails' ( I think you'll probably know what make I'm referring to), he emigrated last autumn to America. But once he's settled there will be another one. My elder brother restores vintage bikes.
Why do people, when they find out you're a biker, find it nessasary to tell you about someone whos died. I'm a biker. Have been all my life and it still amazes me that alot of people dwell on the doom and gloom of biking. I drive a car and lorry too but when telling people they don't suddenly start telling me about everyone they've ever known dying in a car or lorry. Come on people, keep it light. Biking may be dangerous but I'm not going to stop just because someone has died doing it. there are many many other dangerous sports, do you feel the need to tell everyone whos died doing those sports too?? Sorry It just really gets my goat. No offence mean't just a question as to why??? Hey get the newbie spouting her mouth off. Don't ban me please, i really am a gardener and when I can work out how to upload pics I will post up pics of my garden. I'm also a friend of Eddie's
