On Thu, 1 Feb 2024 11:01:18 +0000, Alan Lee <
al...@darkroom.plus.com>
wrote:
<links fingers, stretches arms palms out>
>I paid the ridiculous £460 [1] for the return ferry fares for the Island
>yesterday,
See the bottom of this post for my response to this!
>so thoughts go to where we should view the practice week and
>races on the Saturday and Sunday?
Where will you be staying? It's only a small island, but this can
make a difference
>We arrive on Monday 27th, mid afternoon, go home on Sunday 2nd in the
>evening.
Practice on Monday 27th is afternoon, so you'll struggle to catch much
of that session, fresh off the boat with the roads closed. You'll
only see two race days (Sat and Sun), and for the Sunday you'll need
to be somewhere you can get to the sea terminal for you ferry home
(unless it's a very late sailing). Spend practice week checking
places out, and use the knowledge to plan your race day viewing.c
>A pal has recommended Cronk-y-voddy for the full on top speed
>experience, any other places we should go to?
This is a very good recommendation. I don't know where the
'restricted areas' are nowadays, but park in the Ballabrooie Road
(Cronk-y-voddy crossroads) and walk in the field to the kink at the
end of the straight. I last watched there in the mid-80s, and it
still makes me shiver!
>I always wanted to go to Ballaugh Bridge to see the flying bikes, would
>that be very busy?
It'll be moderately busy, cos there's a pub there. For me, it's not
that exiting, being so slow (in TT terms), and once I've seen a
handful of bikes pop off a jump at 30~40 mph, I've seen enough. But
you might love it.
OK, here's a long but (obviously) non-exhaustive list. For me the TT
is all about the speed, so my favourite spots are always the fast
places. You don't so much see the bikes as feel them...
FACILITIES: If the weather is questionable and/or you want a
pub/food/drink/loos:
- The Railway, Union Mills: decent pub, usually has food on, excellent
raised viewing beer garden, so you look down on the riders as they
come in to the Union Mills complex
(I wouldn't bother with The Crosby or the Hawthorn, as they're just on
straights)
- Glen Helen: the pub is long gone, but there's a decent snack place
with suprisingly good food. You can hear the bikes come howling up
the valley, then watch them brake for the tight uphill left hander and
then accelerate up the hill to Sarah's Cottage
- The Black Dub: don't know anything about the facilities here, as
it's a "pop-up pub". Great place to watch, tho - medium fast through
the tight and twistiy Glen Helen section
- Ginger Hall: popular spot, but lots of room with a good pub. Watch
the bikes accelrate hard out of Sulby Bridge and then just roll off
and throw it in to the left hander, shoulder (almost) against the
railings
- Parliament Square: busy, but loads of facilities (everything Ramsey
can offer!). Very slow, but the way some of the riders (I'm looking
at you, M Dunlop) have the bike sideways on the brakes is worth
seeing. Also, yours truly will be running the marshaling position
there.
- Creg Ny Baa: cliched to hell, but there's a reason for that - just
one of the most iconic TT views. Gets very busy, but room to walk up
the hillside, and a good pub, with viewing spots (for an extra fee, I
believe). Handy for Douglas. (you can use the back road to get
to/from even when roads are closed)
- Grandstand: you have to pay for tickets, and it's not that exiting,
but maybe worth it to see the pit stops and pre-race activity. For
races, get there early to watch the bikes get pushed up onto the
Glencrutchery Road, and form up in starting order, and then get the
tap on the shoulder as each starts
SELF-SUFFICIENT: if you're self-supporitng for food/drink/loos:
- Bottom of Bray Hill. Will be very busy, but there really is nothing
else like this on eartch. Bikes doing 170+mph down a suburban street
and then through the kink at the bottom
- Braddan Bridge: The church sets up benches in its grounds (and
probably ask for a few quid). Fairly slow, but you'll get a good view
- Top of Barragarrow: just breathtaking. Unbelievably spectacular
- Bottom of Barragarrow: see Top of Barragarrow
-Rhencullen: will get busy, and nowadays you probably have to pay
something for a viewing spot. But almost certainly worth it
Alpine: Park in the Orrisdale Road, and find a spot in the hedge.
Mind-blowingly fast.
MOUNTAIN: If the weather forecast is for sunshine, decent temeratures
and not too windy (hey, it was like this for the whole TT last year),
then have at least one day on the mountain, if you can. But be well
organised - most spots, you're stuck there for the day, up high, out
in the weather...
- Bungalow which does have facilities at the cafe. Also, you can use
the Tholt-y-Will road to get down to Ginger Hall, so you can escape if
you want (tho you'll still be stuck on the inside of the circuit until
roads open). From the Bungalow you can walk over the footbridge and
up the hill a bit, or walk round to Bungalow Bridge.
- the Gooseneck, which is accessible via the Hibernia back road, so
you're not stuck there, either. Get's busy, but is a classic viewing
spot
- Mountain Box: watch the riders come up the Mountain Mile, absolutely
pinned, and try not to roll-off through the ever tightening RH kinks,
before braking and dropping a couple of gears for the sequence of 4
left-handers itself (miss the 1st apex, hit the 2nd one, miss the
3rd, hit the 4th, is the way to do it)
- Black Hut: watch them come through Casey's as fast as they dare
(it's *really* fast, but not quite flat), and then down one (I'd
guess) and peel into the left before the 4 right-handers of the
Verandah
- Brandywell: the highest point of the course, and quite a difficult
and scary corner (always scared me, anyway). There's a back road from
here which can take you down to the top of Barragarrow, and even to
Braddan Bridge or St Ninians, if you want. You'll always be on the
inside of the circuit, tho, so stuck until roads open
- Sarahs Cottage/Keppelgate: Watch the bikes all the way from Duke's
(the 32nd) and Windy, disappear out of sight and then burst into view
again through the 33rd, before braking hard for the right/left at
Keppelgate, and then heading down to the Creg
>[1] The 'turn up on the day' fares for the Eurotunnel look reasonable
>compared to the Steam Packet in TT weeks.]
<straight bat>
Why do you think this is 'ridiculous'? How much do you think it
should be?
--
Champ
neal at champ dot org dot uk
I don't know, but I been told
You never slow down, you never grow old