The Isle of Man is synonymous with its motorcycle TT races and in June 2007 the event was celebrating its 100th Year.
12 months earlier Dad had booked a 4-Star apartment in Douglas for the TT fortnight along with plane tickets with Eastern Airways, and the opportunity arose to visit the famous Isle again.
Dad and his growing legion of bike mad Welsh fans first visited the ‘Mecca of Motorcycling’ in 1966, 1968 and 1969. At the ripe old age of ‘2’ I made my first visit with him and Mam in 1972, although by then I was an experienced UK circuit campaigner!
The family visited again in 1977 and 1978, witnessing Mike Hailwood’s historic TT comeback, and in 1979 my father, his bike mad brothers Alwyn and Phillip and my cousin Christopher went to see Hailwood win again on the Suzuki RG500 in the Senior TT.
The family visited in September 1989 for a Wedding event (and the Manx GP!) and Dad and I visited in 1990 witnessing Carl Fogarty’s big bike double win at the Bungalow, and Welsh legend Ian Lougher’s first TT win at Rhencullen.
In 1993, whilst helping Paul Iwanski with his sidecar team I went again but this time it was great to be on the inside of things. The more you get involved the more interesting it gets. It’s not just a sport it’s a community and a way of life.
The history just flows at the Isle of Man. It is something truly unique and special. I wanted to go there every year but school exams, holidays and other commitments often prevented it, so in 2007 – the Centenary year – I had to escape from the real World and take it all in again.
12 months earlier Dad had booked a 4-Star apartment in Douglas for the TT fortnight along with plane tickets with Eastern Airways, and the opportunity arose to visit the famous Isle again.
Dad and his growing legion of bike mad Welsh fans first visited the ‘Mecca of Motorcycling’ in 1966, 1968 and 1969. At the ripe old age of ‘2’ I made my first visit with him and Mam in 1972, although by then I was an experienced UK circuit campaigner!
The family visited again in 1977 and 1978, witnessing Mike Hailwood’s historic TT comeback, and in 1979 my father, his bike mad brothers Alwyn and Phillip and my cousin Christopher went to see Hailwood win again on the Suzuki RG500 in the Senior TT.
The family visited in September 1989 for a Wedding event (and the Manx GP!) and Dad and I visited in 1990 witnessing Carl Fogarty’s big bike double win at the Bungalow, and Welsh legend Ian Lougher’s first TT win at Rhencullen.
In 1993, whilst helping Paul Iwanski with his sidecar team I went again but this time it was great to be on the inside of things. The more you get involved the more interesting it gets. It’s not just a sport it’s a community and a way of life.
The history just flows at the Isle of Man. It is something truly unique and special. I wanted to go there every year but school exams, holidays and other commitments often prevented it, so in 2007 – the Centenary year – I had to escape from the real World and take it all in again.
I first drove the TT course in a Ford Orion during that 1989 Wedding visit. After driving round and round and watching countless on board video laps it was always a dream of mine to do it on two wheels – but curiously not on a motorcycle.
I suppose anyone can drive a car or ride a motorcycle around the course (not like the racers mind!) thus I wanted to do something a bit more challenging and a bit more special.
I have been a cyclist since 1987 thus I guess as part of my own ‘20 year celebration’ what better way to commemorate that than to cycle around the 37.75 mile TT course whilst I was young enough and fit enough to do it. The timing was right so I decided I would take my state of the art carbon fibre Scott CR1 racing bicycle on a plane for the first time and tackle the full course head on.
I spent several weeks researching the course beforehand. The history and stats about the place are huge but due its size some parts remain a mystery and there are a lot of forgetful parts and ‘traps’.
I would be riding a bike some 100mph slower than most road riders, let alone racers thus I had to carefully pick my own lines round to avoid their peeling in points. It seems no matter what time of day or what time of year you go to the Island there are always ‘McGuinness’ wannabes on the course testing themselves.
I joined an on-line TT Forum and posted a thread asking if anyone had tried or was going to try and ride a bicycle round the course during the fortnight. The response was mixed – a combination of “go for it mate” with “don’t be such an idiot”.
It seemed the most dangerous area for cycling was up on the mountain section where the wannabes really let rip on their 160bhp missiles, so the wind blast alone had to be taken into consideration. Could it be done during TT fortnight?
I didn’t see the distance itself nor the climbs as being the problem, as it is really no different to any other road or 40-50 mile cycling course I have competed on. The difference however was the pace of traffic around you and the magic and history of the place that alone can leave you breathless and in awe.
Anyone who is anyone in motorcycle racing has raced and won at the TT. It was certainly true until the place lost its World Championship status in 1976. Hailwood, Agostini, Read, Redman, Surtees, Duke, Ivy, Fogarty, Sheene, Hislop, Dunlop, Jeffries, McGuinness, Lougher, etc. The list of greats is endless.
The sections of the course are no less famous: Bray Hill, Braddan, Ballacraine, Glen Helen, Kirk Michael, Ballaugh Bridge, Sulby, Ramsey Hairpin, Guthries, Brandywell, Creg Ny Baa, Hillberry, Signpost, Governor’s Bridge to name but a few… the place names just trip off the tongue and are full of history.
Just the thought of going round made me feel nervous but I knew I was following a path of legends. I had picked up an old Silver Replica TT Trophy at an auction so now was my chance to have it engraved with my own ‘TT result’. The more I thought of it the more it had to be done.
Cycling the course is not impossible, nor indeed groundbreaking. Professional cyclists race there once a year and Club riders have done it many times. There is even a Charity event in September each year covering one lap of the course, so it is far from Everest or mission impossible.
1992 Olympic Pursuit Champion and former Tour de France Yellow Jersey Winner Chris Boardman from Liverpool holds the World Record for the course in an incredible 1 hour 23 minutes (averaging over 27mph). Generally my race pace over 30-40 miles is between 18-22mph so if I could get around at an average of 18mph then that would be realistic and I would be delighted with that.
It was a wrench leaving my beautiful wife and 4-month-old daughter at home as I set off on the plane. I was living like a TT racer now. All I could think about for weeks before were the high tempo time trial sections and pacing the climbs and praying for a clear run with no loons whizzing by at close range.
My father, mother and I flew from Bristol to Ronaldsway Airport on Saturday 26th May 2007. As soon as I got to the apartment in Douglas, in true TT racer style I was in the hallway unpacking the bike from it’s specially designed box and then rebuilding it. It all added to the TT experience.
For the first day or two I did a few reconnaissance missions, riding the bike between the Grandstand and Union Mills (approx. 5 miles) and doing a couple of laps in the hire car at different times to check out the roads.
I was in luck. For the first time (apart from the traditional ‘Mad Sunday’ event) the mountain section was all One Way – and traffic cones had closed off half the road too! Safety is paramount at the TT and the cones were my lifelines. It was a psychological barrier more than anything but at least it would give me my own piece of tarmac and keep me safely away from the traffic and the wannabes.
Now I knew the lap was ON and I started getting really nervous. When when when…
The weather was mixed on the first two days but I set my time and date: 6.30am on Monday 28th May 2007 – my sister’s Birthday.
It was a perfect sunny morning and not much wind around. I left the apartment and rode to the nearest vantage point at Quarter Bridge, approximately 2 miles from the Grandstand/Start line.
The roads were surprisingly very quiet and I made way the wrong way up Bray Hill, which is incredibly steep and to the Grandstand area on Glencrutchery Road. I did some stretches and composed myself in the Pit Lane and crossed the start line at 6.55am.
I sped down Glencrutchery Road on my first ever TT lap on two wheels! The wind was down and the bike was flying. It really felt like I was racing the course just like a TT rider and although I am used to cycling speed I was covering the ground far quicker than I expected.
Reality check. Traffic lights at the top and bottom of Bray Hill! Bugger! As soon as you get going it’s hard on the brakes and an enforced stop at Ninians. Bray Hill falls away like a rollercoaster in front of you.
The lights change and you’re off again. The weightless bike accelerates like a rocket and you shift up through the gears as fast as they can click and you bear left down the steep Bray Hill. It is so much steeper than it looks on TV – and it looks steep on TV!
Bugger! The lights at the bottom of Bray have changed again! The font end dives and the back end raises and squirms as I try to stop from 46mph to 0 in about 20 feet. Thank God the bike is so light!
Start again, the rhythm is frustratingly broken and I instead of bombing down one hill and whizzing up the next I have to climb up towards Ago’s leap.
It was one of those climbs I dreaded when running through the course in my head but the bike flew up and over and I was heading down towards Quarter Bridge quicker and easier than I expected.
It’s one of those strange things where everything looks so much bigger and so much further apart on TV, yet you can cover the ground surprisingly quickly on a racing bicycle. You reach the landmarks a lot quicker than you’d expect.
Down to Quarter Bridge and it’s hard on the brakes. Again the drop is deceptively steep and you are doing about 30-35mph here even on a bicycle.
There are two mini roundabouts in the middle of the corner which makes it tricky to navigate in traffic, but thankfully it was really quiet and I ran through it cleanly.
The road runs away to the right and you head on passed the campsite on your right and onto the legendary left right flick at Braddan Bridge.
The magic just flows as you ride through there. You think of all the photographs and footage of all the greats as you pass through it and you lose a bit of perspective and your head is a mess.
It was a perfect sunny morning and not much wind around. I left the apartment and rode to the nearest vantage point at Quarter Bridge, approximately 2 miles from the Grandstand/Start line.
The roads were surprisingly very quiet and I made way the wrong way up Bray Hill, which is incredibly steep and to the Grandstand area on Glencrutchery Road. I did some stretches and composed myself in the Pit Lane and crossed the start line at 6.55am.
I sped down Glencrutchery Road on my first ever TT lap on two wheels! The wind was down and the bike was flying. It really felt like I was racing the course just like a TT rider and although I am used to cycling speed I was covering the ground far quicker than I expected.
Reality check. Traffic lights at the top and bottom of Bray Hill! Bugger! As soon as you get going it’s hard on the brakes and an enforced stop at Ninians. Bray Hill falls away like a rollercoaster in front of you.
The lights change and you’re off again. The weightless bike accelerates like a rocket and you shift up through the gears as fast as they can click and you bear left down the steep Bray Hill. It is so much steeper than it looks on TV – and it looks steep on TV!
Bugger! The lights at the bottom of Bray have changed again! The font end dives and the back end raises and squirms as I try to stop from 46mph to 0 in about 20 feet. Thank God the bike is so light!
Start again, the rhythm is frustratingly broken and I instead of bombing down one hill and whizzing up the next I have to climb up towards Ago’s leap.
It was one of those climbs I dreaded when running through the course in my head but the bike flew up and over and I was heading down towards Quarter Bridge quicker and easier than I expected.
It’s one of those strange things where everything looks so much bigger and so much further apart on TV, yet you can cover the ground surprisingly quickly on a racing bicycle. You reach the landmarks a lot quicker than you’d expect.
Down to Quarter Bridge and it’s hard on the brakes. Again the drop is deceptively steep and you are doing about 30-35mph here even on a bicycle.
There are two mini roundabouts in the middle of the corner which makes it tricky to navigate in traffic, but thankfully it was really quiet and I ran through it cleanly.
The road runs away to the right and you head on passed the campsite on your right and onto the legendary left right flick at Braddan Bridge.
The magic just flows as you ride through there. You think of all the photographs and footage of all the greats as you pass through it and you lose a bit of perspective and your head is a mess.
You pass the Church on the exit of Braddan and then it’s onto Snugborough and then Union Mills with the petrol station on your left and then it’s the long drag – on a bicycle anyway – through to Crosby.
You can’t help but think of David Jefferies as you go through here and I said “hello Dave” as I went through.
Before visiting the Island I really dreaded the long stretch through Crosby and on to Glen Vine. It’s a section which gradually climbs and seems to go on forever, even when you watch an on board race bike at over 170mph!
Thankfully it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I expected, mostly because my light bike just flits over the rises without a thought, but your average speed drops and that is always frustrating! The pressure is on then to make it up a bit later.
I crack on passing fields to my left full of tents and camper vans and bikes and I see some beautiful houses and churches. You never see these on TV of course but it reminds you of what a beautiful place this is.
The road winds, rises and falls and eventually you get to the Greeba sections. It is pretty average road riding stuff through here to be honest and not particularly interesting or exciting so you just get your head down and keep your rhythm.
Again before you know it you are at Ballacraine. I spot the two trees that Steve Hislop always used as his braking markers and they are surprisingly close to the corner! Unfortunately on the approach there are some useless traffic lights which appear to let one vehicle through at a time so you have to stop. Again.
The corner itself winds away to your right and on the left – almost straight ahead in fact – is the famous pub into which George Formby crashed into in the movie ‘No Limit’.
The corner is quite a big wide sweeper and has a good surface, but it really tightens up and narrows on the exit, pushing you out to the edge in the dirt even on a bicycle. I can imagine it being a nice smooth knee down corner on a race bike.
The next section is very technical for racers, and no less technical for cyclists. There are lots of blind winding bends that as a cyclist can leave you exposed at the apex. Ballaspur was the first of them.
Before the tight left corner at Ballaspur I had a quick glance over my shoulder to check no one was approaching from Ballacraine. I pegged it as hard I could to get beyond the apex as quickly as possible. It is real heart in the mouth stuff as if someone comes hurtling round there with their knee down…
The run from Ballaspur to Glen Helen was really scary. It is in fact probably the most scared I have ever been on a bicycle. I’m not afraid to do any speed on a bicycle or attack any corner at full pelt, but the thought of some beastie boy or wannabe racer running into the back of me on a blind bend at over 100mph was extremely scary.
I have to admit that I bottled it somewhat. On the right side of the road there is a pavement, so just after Ballaspur I went across the road and used the pavement rather than run the road! Purists may not be happy to know that I did not in fact ride on the road to Glen Helen but believe you me I was terrified of the consequences if I didn’t!
It was the same distance anyway so matters little I suppose. Unfortunately the pavement was really bumpy and uneven so I lost quite a bit of time – and suffered a bit of soreness!
The approach to Glen Helen – the first timing checkpoint for TT racers – is downhill left then right and then sharp uphill left. I am back on the road now.
The Glen Helen corner itself is in a dip and as you drop into the dip you turn hard left and up into a steep uphill climb. You need a lot of momentum here. The exit of the turn is really steep and on a bicycle you could come to a dead stop. You therefore have to get into the right gear for the exit and ensure you carry enough corner speed from the dip to get moving up the other side.
Again this corner is quite scary as because it is tight and blind you are worried about someone hurtling in from behind and peeling into you. Thankfully there was not a soul in sight.
I was aware of the climb up to Sarah’s Cottage so I had enough speed to carry me through but it was much steeper than I expected.
The climb from Glen Helen up through Creg Willy’s Hill and onto the Cronk-Y-Voddy straight was another one of my pre-event concerns and on the approach to Glen Helen itself you are already taking a deep breath and relaxing your legs gearing yourself for the nasty climb ahead.
And it was pretty nasty. My bike and legs were good enough to whip up the climb pretty easily, but I can imagine non-cyclists really struggling here.
Car drivers, bike riders and TT racers wouldn’t give such climbs a second thought but riding a racing bicycle around this place requires a completely different strategy and thought process.
When I first ‘raced’ pushbikes I always used to ride like hell down the hills and hard through the bends in the hope it would make up for my poor climbing skills. Not a bit of it. In my experience you have to more or less relax your legs and stretch on the downhill sections and save it all for the climbs.
You may make up a few seconds when pushing the limit on downhills but you can make up minutes on climbs, so they are actually far more important for a good overall time.
The climb up towards Cronk-Y-Voddy went okay and it was a relief knowing that Crosby and Creg Willy’s was done.
The Cronk-Y-Voddy straight itself was quite frustrating. It is very long and very undulating with lots of slow ups and slow downs. It seems so slow and tedious and boring and seems to take forever. It takes 3-4 seconds on a 190mph TT racer! Push, pull, push, pull go your thighs and calves – boring! On to the next exciting bit please!!!
At the end of the straight it drops away to the right and you pick up a lot of speed again. You head towards the more exciting 11th Milestone and the famous Handleys corner.
By the time you reach Handleys you are travelling reasonably quickly again, maybe 25-30mph so it’s quite exciting. Handleys is really small and tight too. God knows how you squeeze a Superbike through there.
It is then on to another landmark, Barregarrow. The road drops away to your left and you head down towards the famous concave dip at the bottom. Even on a bicycle at 43-46mph you really feel the compression, and on the exit the momentum helps you get back into a nice time trial mode until you reach the small town of Kirk Michael.
Kirk Michael is another famous TT section as you ride through a street lined with terraced houses and shops. Although it features in many TT picture and videos it is not very exciting on a bicycle and is just like riding through any other town street to be honest!
On the exit of Kirk Michael the road winds away to the left and you pass another petrol station and you reach Rhencullen. This where we watched Ian Lougher win his first TT – the 250cc Junior in 1990. It is a section where the TT riders crest a rise at high speed, passing a 30mph speed limit sign and usually pull a massive wheelie. Not for me, I’m head down powering away up and over the rises and I press on to the next section.
The next run towards Ballaugh is odd and in my view separates the men from the boys. No matter how many times you drive or ride through it it is so hard to remember. And I can’t remember much about it right now!
It includes sections like Bishopscourt – where US GP star Pat Hennen suffered his career ending accident – and Alpine Cottage. Trouble is I remember very little about these sections and all I do remember is eventually bearing right and seeing the white covered straw bales and white fencing that border Ballaugh Bridge.
Ballaugh Bridge is iconic. It is one of the definitive TT action areas and one of the most photogenic sections on the TT course. Many famous TT photos are taken here as it is where both bikes and sidecars lift off the ground.
Remarkably the bridge is tiny. It more like a ‘bump’ or sleeping policeman than a real bridge. The bump itself is hardly 2-3 feet high but you wouldn’t believe it when you look at the photos and when you see riders flying over it. It is nothing like the motocross style ‘jump’ you’d expect.
You do feel the lurch as you go over the bump, but unlike TT racers I didn’t actually take off. After doing 17 miles to this point and with 20 miles to go flying was the last thing on my mind!
During a later photo shot with Dad no matter how many times I tried I just couldn’t take off. I don’t know what it was – speed probably! – but on a bicycle as soon as the front wheel clears the bump the rear would quickly follow and pull the front straight back down again. It’s probably because racing bike wheels are so big and the wheelbase so short. I really wanted a leaping photo so I was gutted! Never mind.
The road surface after Ballaugh is lovely and new, so you can really get your head down again and motor on.
Again my memory of the sections from here are sketchy but the next thing you know you are at Quarry Bends which features a lovely snaking right left right left right sweep which leads you on to the famous Sulby Straight – the fastest section of the TT course for TT racers.
I actually caught and passed another head down cyclist through the sweep on my lap, so I felt a bit like Hislop for a moment!
In 2006 New Zealander Bruce Anstey clocked 207mph along the Sulby Straight on a Suzuki GSXR-1000. My old pal Ian Lougher cracked 201mph on a Stobart Honda Fireblade 1000 too. Nothing like that for me! This was gruelling 20-25mph time trial stuff.
Exiting the smooth Quarry Bends the road changes significantly and amazingly the Sulby Straight is badly broken up and very bumpy. The road is straight and disappears into the distance but the surface is really bad and has lots of pitted sections, drains and repair patches. Not what you’d expect from a World famous course, nor indeed what you’d expect for a 200mph section of road! It is teeth chattering, hand numbing stuff and as I’m buzzing along I remember Joey Dunlop complaining about it in his on board ‘V Four Victory’ lap recorded back in 1982!!! Nothing has changed it seems.
At the end of Sulby Straight comes the right-handed Sulby Bridge corner. As you clear the tunnel of trees that engulf Sulby Straight the surface improves significantly but it is very shiny and very slippery.
Sulby Bridge itself is extremely tight. Much tighter than it looks in photos and on TV. It almost turns back on itself.
Moreover it is very slippery, even in the dry. Many a TT racer has dropped it here and now I know why, especially approaching it hard on the brakes from over 200mph.
The road actually rises slightly on the exit of Sulby Bridge and you lose momentum. It catches you out a bit as you have to drop a gear and push the pedals a little bit to keep the momentum.
The road surface after Ballaugh is lovely and new, so you can really get your head down again and motor on.
Again my memory of the sections from here are sketchy but the next thing you know you are at Quarry Bends which features a lovely snaking right left right left right sweep which leads you on to the famous Sulby Straight – the fastest section of the TT course for TT racers.
I actually caught and passed another head down cyclist through the sweep on my lap, so I felt a bit like Hislop for a moment!
In 2006 New Zealander Bruce Anstey clocked 207mph along the Sulby Straight on a Suzuki GSXR-1000. My old pal Ian Lougher cracked 201mph on a Stobart Honda Fireblade 1000 too. Nothing like that for me! This was gruelling 20-25mph time trial stuff.
Exiting the smooth Quarry Bends the road changes significantly and amazingly the Sulby Straight is badly broken up and very bumpy. The road is straight and disappears into the distance but the surface is really bad and has lots of pitted sections, drains and repair patches. Not what you’d expect from a World famous course, nor indeed what you’d expect for a 200mph section of road! It is teeth chattering, hand numbing stuff and as I’m buzzing along I remember Joey Dunlop complaining about it in his on board ‘V Four Victory’ lap recorded back in 1982!!! Nothing has changed it seems.
At the end of Sulby Straight comes the right-handed Sulby Bridge corner. As you clear the tunnel of trees that engulf Sulby Straight the surface improves significantly but it is very shiny and very slippery.
Sulby Bridge itself is extremely tight. Much tighter than it looks in photos and on TV. It almost turns back on itself.
Moreover it is very slippery, even in the dry. Many a TT racer has dropped it here and now I know why, especially approaching it hard on the brakes from over 200mph.
The road actually rises slightly on the exit of Sulby Bridge and you lose momentum. It catches you out a bit as you have to drop a gear and push the pedals a little bit to keep the momentum.
The road then drops very slightly and take a deep breath for the next climb just after the Ginger Hall corner. The Ginger Hall pub is on the right and is where we watched the 400c TT in 1990.
Ginger Hall is noticeable in TT photos from the high white fencing that is on the inside of the corner. It is very much like the exit of Glen Helen in that it is a sharp uphill left hander. The road surface on the exit however is worse. Much worse.
The road from Ginger Hall through to Parliament Square in Ramsey (at the North of the Circuit and the Island) is extremely bad and probably the worst section of the course. I was really shocked at how bad it was.
The tight left at Kerrowmoar a little further up is a really horrible, pitted, tight, messy corner. Cwmaman standard. Probably in breach of Section 41 of the Highways Act 1984…. And these guys are still lapping 125-130mph average? How?
Even on a bicycle your teeth rattle and you are out of the saddle more than you are in it.
When you hear a TT rider complain about suspension or handling problems then I guess this is where it is most noticeable. It is so pitted, gritty and covered in repair patches it beggars belief. Very bad.
After a bone chattering few miles through Glen Duff, Glentramman and Milntown you reach a green overhead walkway emblazoned in motorcycle advertising banners. To the left and right are schools. You are now approaching School House Corner and you are now entering Ramsey.
After passing School House you immediately catch sight of the famous ‘TOTAL’ petrol station ahead on your left. It is thrilling to see Ramsey after a bit of a grind through the bumpy lanes. It’s a huge relief.
I have always believed the section from Glen Helen through to Ramsey was the trickiest part of the course, and where the TT experts really earn their crust. It is so hard to remember everything here but there are lots of little traps and nasty corners and surface changes you have to be aware of. I’ve driven the course many times and now ridden the course yet I’ve forgotten most of that section already. It’s really hard to make this little bits stick in your mind.
Parliament Square is again very small. It looks quite big on TV. The approach is so narrow, and the right-angled right hander is so tight and insignificant. The section is almost unrecognisable amongst street traffic so taking photos here is pointless.
Before turning right you have to stop at traffic lights. Straight ahead is Ramsey town centre and the TT course continues to the right.
Waiting at the lights at Parliament Square you can’t help but think of the legends who have passed through here. I’d seen hundreds of photographs over the past 35 years or so at this section including Hailwood, Ago, Bill Ivy, Jack Findlay etc. You can’t help but daydream and dwell on the history of the place as you go round. It really is magical to anyone who knows anything about motorcycle racing.
Right at Parliament Square and then left past the car dealerships and then up a bumpy road under another footbridge towards May Hill.
May Hill is surprisingly steep right hander and you have to go down two or three gears on a bicycle and get out of the saddle.
You are conscious that the mountain section is now approaching – like approaching the Alps on the Tour de France – so you have to change your mindset slightly and think less about outright pace and more about rhythm. This is the start of a tough up and up slog.
Through the horrible tight and narrow left hander at Cruickshank Corner and you are on the
way up towards Stella Maris and the super famous Ramsey Hairpin.
As I said earlier during TT fortnight the mountain section was all ‘One Way’ and in parts traffic cones split the road in half. Whilst this must have been a terrible killjoy for the wannabes it was great for me as it meant I could ride my half of the road in complete safety, protected by the cones. From Stella Maris to the Waterworks half the road was closed by traffic cones, so the climb up to Ramsey Hairpin was bliss.
Approaching Ramsey Hairpin is filled with mixed emotions. Elation at making it that far feeling reasonably fresh and happy with life, but bracing yourself for the daunting 7 miles of pure mountain climbing ahead. And is it safe?
As I approached Ramsey Hairpin I spotted the ever present collection of police cars opposite. I was just waiting for one of them to step out, shake their head and tell me “you’re not cycling up that mountain today sonny”.
To avoid this potential embarrassment I stopped and sent some text and photo messages. I had a quick chat with the officers asking them how busy it was up top etc and explained that I was doing a full lap etc. Remarkably they were really cool about it, looking at the bike, my on board computer and were generally quite encouraging. They wished me all the best and off I went like a rocket up towards Waterworks. Rock on, here we go…
The long, steep climb from Ramsey Hairpin was always a big dread of mine. I knew what was coming and it was possibly my most studied section of road pre-event. I knew this would be tough, and make or break really. You wouldn’t think twice about it in a car or bike – although anyone who has driven it will appreciate the gear changing and revving involved – so on a bicycle, coupled with fear of rear end impacts it was pretty daunting.
I was now 24-25 miles into the lap was feeling surprisingly fresh. I had some good time trial sections but my overall pace was spoiled a little by the traffic lights, the Glen Helen ‘pavement’ and poor road surfaces from Ginger Hall to School House. There was only 12 miles to go. This was going to be a breeze. Surely.
The Waterworks, just two corners up from Ramsey Hairpin is an extremely tight right hand, uphill corner and it is ‘out of the saddle stuff’. Like the run through to Glen Helen it is quite scary as you are worried some biker will come tearing up behind you, knee down and lose it, wiping you out in the process. Thankfully only one bike passed me and he was well slow so I got through it all okay!
Up through to Tower Bends and towards the Gooseneck, the hill gets more and more severe. Your speed drops and drops and you are in that ‘this is getting boring now’ zone.
The climb from Waterworks to the Gooseneck is not particularly far but boy it seems to take forever. The Gooseneck itself is cringeworthingly slow. The racers look great diving into there and powering up the hill but thank God no-one was there watching me as it was dog slow!
Before turning right you have to stop at traffic lights. Straight ahead is Ramsey town centre and the TT course continues to the right.
Waiting at the lights at Parliament Square you can’t help but think of the legends who have passed through here. I’d seen hundreds of photographs over the past 35 years or so at this section including Hailwood, Ago, Bill Ivy, Jack Findlay etc. You can’t help but daydream and dwell on the history of the place as you go round. It really is magical to anyone who knows anything about motorcycle racing.
Right at Parliament Square and then left past the car dealerships and then up a bumpy road under another footbridge towards May Hill.
May Hill is surprisingly steep right hander and you have to go down two or three gears on a bicycle and get out of the saddle.
You are conscious that the mountain section is now approaching – like approaching the Alps on the Tour de France – so you have to change your mindset slightly and think less about outright pace and more about rhythm. This is the start of a tough up and up slog.
Through the horrible tight and narrow left hander at Cruickshank Corner and you are on the
way up towards Stella Maris and the super famous Ramsey Hairpin.
As I said earlier during TT fortnight the mountain section was all ‘One Way’ and in parts traffic cones split the road in half. Whilst this must have been a terrible killjoy for the wannabes it was great for me as it meant I could ride my half of the road in complete safety, protected by the cones. From Stella Maris to the Waterworks half the road was closed by traffic cones, so the climb up to Ramsey Hairpin was bliss.
Approaching Ramsey Hairpin is filled with mixed emotions. Elation at making it that far feeling reasonably fresh and happy with life, but bracing yourself for the daunting 7 miles of pure mountain climbing ahead. And is it safe?
As I approached Ramsey Hairpin I spotted the ever present collection of police cars opposite. I was just waiting for one of them to step out, shake their head and tell me “you’re not cycling up that mountain today sonny”.
To avoid this potential embarrassment I stopped and sent some text and photo messages. I had a quick chat with the officers asking them how busy it was up top etc and explained that I was doing a full lap etc. Remarkably they were really cool about it, looking at the bike, my on board computer and were generally quite encouraging. They wished me all the best and off I went like a rocket up towards Waterworks. Rock on, here we go…
The long, steep climb from Ramsey Hairpin was always a big dread of mine. I knew what was coming and it was possibly my most studied section of road pre-event. I knew this would be tough, and make or break really. You wouldn’t think twice about it in a car or bike – although anyone who has driven it will appreciate the gear changing and revving involved – so on a bicycle, coupled with fear of rear end impacts it was pretty daunting.
I was now 24-25 miles into the lap was feeling surprisingly fresh. I had some good time trial sections but my overall pace was spoiled a little by the traffic lights, the Glen Helen ‘pavement’ and poor road surfaces from Ginger Hall to School House. There was only 12 miles to go. This was going to be a breeze. Surely.
The Waterworks, just two corners up from Ramsey Hairpin is an extremely tight right hand, uphill corner and it is ‘out of the saddle stuff’. Like the run through to Glen Helen it is quite scary as you are worried some biker will come tearing up behind you, knee down and lose it, wiping you out in the process. Thankfully only one bike passed me and he was well slow so I got through it all okay!
Up through to Tower Bends and towards the Gooseneck, the hill gets more and more severe. Your speed drops and drops and you are in that ‘this is getting boring now’ zone.
The climb from Waterworks to the Gooseneck is not particularly far but boy it seems to take forever. The Gooseneck itself is cringeworthingly slow. The racers look great diving into there and powering up the hill but thank God no-one was there watching me as it was dog slow!
The climb gets steeper and steeper and keeps on climbing and winding upwards. It’s like pulling teeth. Push, pull, push, pull the legs keep going round dragging the bike onwards and upwards.
Then the unthinkable happened – my legs just went. No way!!! That hadn’t happened to me in years!
Yes, as all cyclists know sometimes you ‘hit the wall’ known as the ‘bonk’. It is basically when you simply run out of gas. You feel fine, not out of breath or distressed or anything, it’s just your legs turn to jelly and you lose all power.
You have to drop to a very low ‘granny gear’, i.e. 1st gear and just spin your legs round and round cos you got no power to push. It’s a really awful feeling and a cyclist’s worst nightmare. It even happens to professional cyclists.
Damn it. What terrible luck. I thought I was going to have to abandon the lap. I couldn’t believe it. No, not now!!!
I managed to ‘spin’ my legs through the 26th Milestone (now known as ‘Joeys’ after Joey Dunlop’s 26 TT wins) but I had to stop at Guthries a bit further up. Gutted.
I wanted to stop at Guthries anyway to take some shorts of the Memorial to 1920’s TT legend Jimmy Guthrie and look down on the fabulous scenery below.
It spoiled my lap time but I was now praying I the break would give my legs chance to recover and get me round, never mind the lap time. It was a very disappointing moment and I now know how some of the Tour de France pros feel when it happens to them and they lose minutes.
I took some photos with my mobile phone and enjoyed the spectacular views over Ramsey. The weather was perfect and it was an incredible sight. Inspiring in fact.
‘Come on legs we gotta keep this going!’ A few stretches, a swig of squash, a quick biscuit and it was back in the saddle, teeth gritted.
I dragged the bike up the climbs but it was hard, hard work. It was slow, really slow. 10-11mph stuff. I was supposed to be doing 16-18mph and eating up the ground.
The road went on for miles ahead and it was wide and open. It was like riding across a desert and there seemed no end. 180-190mph Superbikes just eat this up without a second thought – you try it on a bicycle!
At this point I had to forget I was on the famous TT course and simply remain focussed on pedalling in as light a gear as I could get away with. The flashbacks of TT history often makes your heart race and I’m sure it’s what contributed the premature tiredness. And the 28 miles of power riding of course!
Thankfully my bike is one of the best in the World and it effortlessly glides across the tarmac and keeps on climbing. I don’t think I could have done it on another bike, but then I was almost trying to ‘race’ around the course in 2 hours as opposed to just cycling round in 6-8 hours admiring the views!
The Mountain Box 28 miles out came into view and my legs went again. Oh no. Not again. This is desperate. I cannot believe this. I’m really having a job getting round here. ‘Never again’ springs to mind…
I stopped at the Mountain Box, had another swig of squash, ate some biscuits (thank God I brought them) and got back on. COME ON!!!
I slugged away and saw the famous Verandah corner up ahead. It consists of 4 right hander apex corners on the edge of the mountain. It is very famous and again looks huge on TV, and even driving round it in a car.
It is surprisingly easy and quick on a bicycle and you get through it in no time. Perspective at the TT is very strange like that. I stayed on the left edge of the road and two motorcycles came whizzing by me on the inside.
Suddenly, my legs cleared. The power returned somehow and I had a massive energy boost. The bike took off and I was flying again. 20, 25, 30, 35mph – now we were going. Back in time trial mode again. What a relief!
On the approach to The Bungalow section the traffic cones re-appear and I slip into a safe right hand lane. I spotted a fantastic Joey Dunlop monument up on the hill so I just had to take some pics. I was buzzing again now. What happened?
Looking at that sculpture and looking down from the Bungalow was inspirational. I’m only 7.75 miles from the Finish now – “come on you can do that in a flash”. Thank you, Joey.
Some German bike fans pull up to pay their respects to Joey and gave me a nod. I drop back down the hill and back through the cones onto the course.
I cross the famous Snaefell Railway tracks, and head up under the footbridge and I’m charging up Hailwood Rise. No weaknesses now, my legs are back at full power. The adrenaline has taken over and I’m flying up this hill at about 20mph.
The traffic cones have gone so it’s wide-open road again. Motorcycles are now flying by me to the left but we’re a safe width apart so there’s no danger.
I reach the peak, the highest point on the TT course known as Brandywell – although the sign said ‘Hailwood Heights’. I took another quick picture and couldn’t wait to get back in the saddle. All my confidence and pace were back and I was going to nail it all the way home. Big relief.
‘Come on legs we gotta keep this going!’ A few stretches, a swig of squash, a quick biscuit and it was back in the saddle, teeth gritted.
I dragged the bike up the climbs but it was hard, hard work. It was slow, really slow. 10-11mph stuff. I was supposed to be doing 16-18mph and eating up the ground.
The road went on for miles ahead and it was wide and open. It was like riding across a desert and there seemed no end. 180-190mph Superbikes just eat this up without a second thought – you try it on a bicycle!
At this point I had to forget I was on the famous TT course and simply remain focussed on pedalling in as light a gear as I could get away with. The flashbacks of TT history often makes your heart race and I’m sure it’s what contributed the premature tiredness. And the 28 miles of power riding of course!
Thankfully my bike is one of the best in the World and it effortlessly glides across the tarmac and keeps on climbing. I don’t think I could have done it on another bike, but then I was almost trying to ‘race’ around the course in 2 hours as opposed to just cycling round in 6-8 hours admiring the views!
The Mountain Box 28 miles out came into view and my legs went again. Oh no. Not again. This is desperate. I cannot believe this. I’m really having a job getting round here. ‘Never again’ springs to mind…
I stopped at the Mountain Box, had another swig of squash, ate some biscuits (thank God I brought them) and got back on. COME ON!!!
I slugged away and saw the famous Verandah corner up ahead. It consists of 4 right hander apex corners on the edge of the mountain. It is very famous and again looks huge on TV, and even driving round it in a car.
It is surprisingly easy and quick on a bicycle and you get through it in no time. Perspective at the TT is very strange like that. I stayed on the left edge of the road and two motorcycles came whizzing by me on the inside.
Suddenly, my legs cleared. The power returned somehow and I had a massive energy boost. The bike took off and I was flying again. 20, 25, 30, 35mph – now we were going. Back in time trial mode again. What a relief!
On the approach to The Bungalow section the traffic cones re-appear and I slip into a safe right hand lane. I spotted a fantastic Joey Dunlop monument up on the hill so I just had to take some pics. I was buzzing again now. What happened?
Looking at that sculpture and looking down from the Bungalow was inspirational. I’m only 7.75 miles from the Finish now – “come on you can do that in a flash”. Thank you, Joey.
Some German bike fans pull up to pay their respects to Joey and gave me a nod. I drop back down the hill and back through the cones onto the course.
I cross the famous Snaefell Railway tracks, and head up under the footbridge and I’m charging up Hailwood Rise. No weaknesses now, my legs are back at full power. The adrenaline has taken over and I’m flying up this hill at about 20mph.
The traffic cones have gone so it’s wide-open road again. Motorcycles are now flying by me to the left but we’re a safe width apart so there’s no danger.
I reach the peak, the highest point on the TT course known as Brandywell – although the sign said ‘Hailwood Heights’. I took another quick picture and couldn’t wait to get back in the saddle. All my confidence and pace were back and I was going to nail it all the way home. Big relief.
I don’t know if it was the slope or having a strong tailwind but I absolutely flew from Brandywell to Hillberry – flat out on a pushbike in top gear for over 6 miles.
The road surface was fabulously smooth and fast. My computer was reading 35-40mph and on occasion crept up to 45-46mph. I kept nailing it, nailing it, nailing it, pushing that bike as hard as I possibly could almost until I ran out pedal. I had to make up for the lost time on those dead leg climbs which was so annoying!
Windy Corner was fantastic. Flat out and smooth I whistled round there in one big sweep. I did feel a slight side gust as I peeled right but I had pretty good conditions on the day so it didn’t affect me at all. This is great.
What is really surprising is how narrow the mountain road gets as you go through places like Keppel Gate. It is really narrow road and the drop from the edge is pretty scary! It’s only noticeable when you cycle it – or walk it. It must like threading a needle on a TT Superbike. You don’t want to lose the front going through there…
It’s during this high speed run that the realisation and emotion kicks in. Kate’s Cottage is in the distance and it was at that moment I now KNEW that I was going to fulfil an ambition – to cycle the entire 37.75 mile TT course. And I was flying again now, really loving it.
It’s bizarre. I ride 30-40 mile courses all the time, but this place is different. I think it is the emotion of it all that makes it feel bigger and tougher than it probably is. My mind now changes from thinking “never again” to “goddam it I got to break 2 hours round here!”
Numerous thoughts and emotions run through your mind. You’re on automatic pilot now, eating up the ground. You can’t believe what you are doing. My bottom lip starts to quiver and tremble and my eyes fill up. I’m buzzing along at over 30mph almost in tears.
You are constantly think of people like Stanley Woods, Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Bill Ivy, Phil Read, Renzo Pasolini, Jack Findlay, Pat Hennen, Tom Herron, Mick Grant, Ron Haslam, Joey Dunlop, Steve Hislop, David Jefferies, John McGuinness, Ian Lougher, etc. etc.
You think of the bikes screaming round here on full chat, like the 250cc Honda 6; 500cc Honda 4; 500cc MV 3; 500cc Benelli 4; 125cc Yamaha 4; 750cc Kawasaki 3; Heron Suzuki RG500; Sports Motorcycles Ducati 900; Honda RVF’s; Hislop’s white rotary Norton; Ian’s white 250 Yamaha, etc etc.
An amazing experience, treading the same tarmac as Gods and Legends and doing something none of them probably ever did! It really is a fantastic, magical place. I can make my own bit of history here, and say that I have done it!
I think of Lina and Daniella; Mam and Dad; my Uncles Alwyn and Phillip; Roy Wilmott; etc. Yes, I AM going to do this!!! One of my proudest achievements! Bloody great!!!
On the approach to Kate’s Cottage the traffic cones re-appear. The concentration returns and I slip into my own lane again.
I’ve been doing 35-40mph for about 10 minutes now and the famous drop down from Kate’s Cottage to Creg-Ny-Baa makes things even more dramatic.
The drop is far more severe than I ever imagined. It really is a steep slope and is just like that first drop on a Rollercoaster. It is quite breathtaking. I’d hate to walk up it, your nose would be touching the road in front of you!
It is also surprising just how far it is from Kate’s to the Creg. It’s miles away!!! You can hardly see the Creg as you come round the corner!
You buzz along the mountain, peel round Kate’s and accelerate even more down the hill. You hardly notice the top speed really because the Creg is so far ahead of you and takes an age to reach you.
When you look at the readout on the computer it is quite a shock. You’ve just come off a 35-40mph run from Brandywell and you’re now knocking on 50-54mph down the drop. Amazing. I never ever thought the drop to the Creg would be that fast. It doesn’t look that bad on TV or in pictures.
I’m sure 60mph+ is possible here. The Pro’s and Tour de France boys would almost certainly be hitting that here. With their extra pedal power and body weight they tend to do 60-65mph on most mountain drops anyway during their races. But then again they can sprint on the flat at 40-45mph!!!
Unfortunately as you reach the flattening part of the drop the traffic cones force you from right to left and into the main road. On the day I was lucky as it was pretty quiet, but I still had to brake hard to nip through a narrow gap between cones.
The Creg corner itself is compromised by traffic lights. Luckily I caught them on green so I just ran through but there were quite a lot of bikes around so I had to take it easy.
At corner entry there is a new rough beige colour surface. I suppose it is very grippy for cars and bikes but it’s pretty harsh and bumpy on a pushbike. That in turn makes the corner quite slow and uneventful, albeit it very historic.
Almost every TT rider is photographed at this point, looking back up to Kates Cottage in the distance, so it’s still a huge thrill to even be on the same patch of road. Unfortunately due to traffic lights and road restrictions it was not possible to get that type of shot, but Dad did capture me cruising around it on video a few days later.
Just after the Creg the traffic cones disappear and the road reverts back to the usual ‘Two Way’ system.
The run from the Creg down to Brandish corner is superb. The surface is not that bad and you quickly get a full head of steam. The road doesn’t look all that steep but it must be as you quickly reach 30-35mph without too much pedal effort.
You bear slightly right and the new sweeping left hander at Brandish is just ahead. It used to be very tight.
On the approach it looks like a nice, smooth wide surface but the corner is deceptive. For a start it is far more bumpy than you’d expect and the bike tends to buck and wallow. The corner looks wide open and sweeping but on entry it pulls you in quite tight, then straightens, and then tighten up again on the exit. Odd really.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not using all of the road like the racers but due to passing traffic my parameters are limited to a width of about 6 feet of tarmac, so the road shape is very similar and thus I am subject to similar restrictions.
Down to Hillberry and again you are rocking on at a good pace. Deep breath at the bottom, not because of fear but because of the pending final climb up to Cronk Ny Mona! I remember me, my father and Alwyn and Phillip watching Mike Hailwood whipping through here on a white Suzuki RG500 in 1979. As Phillip put it: “a**e tightening stuff”.
My experience was more like “sore a**e stuff”.
I have some momentum to get half way up Cronk Ny Mona but the climb is steep. It turns left, and in a car or motorbike is totally blind. I’m a bit concerned as throughout the lap I’ve been worried about rear end impacts so I prayed for a nice clean finish to the lap.
I get out the saddle and push that bit extra to reach the historic Signpost corner, then “ping” – what the hell was that???
My right thigh went into an enormous cramp contraction. It went completely limp. For a moment I was cycling uphill out of the saddle using one leg! Ridiculous! The trials and tribulations of the TT Course eh? Even a cyclist has reliability issues! Blimey, what a tough and unforgiving place this is! Just when you thought you were safe…
I shook my right thigh like never before and tried to stretch it clear. It was impossible to do a proper stretch riding uphill with your feet locked into a cycle pedal so I just had to keep it going! Crikey, am I actually going to finish this lap!?!?!
Thankfully it calmed down as I reached Signpost corner itself and all was well. I now thought I’d better stop pushing so hard and start looking after my legs in case I didn’t make the line, so I practically coasted down towards Bedstead corner. With 2 miles to go not to finish now would be unbearable.
The run down from Signpost to Bedstead corner was a Godsend. It was just what I needed to regain momentum and allow my legs to recover. It was also pretty fast – 35-40mph from Signpost to Governor’s Bridge.
Down through Bedstead and towards the Nook I think of Carl Fogarty’s bucking Loctite Yamaha in the 1992 Senior TT. I’m unable to match that aggression for fear of pulling another muscle but it was pretty quick anyway, all tucked in with chin on the bars.
Downhill right, down the Nook and the hugely famous dead slow right hand hairpin at Governor’s Bridge is in sight. The last 0.75 miles.
The drop to Governor’s is again surprisingly steep and you approach it very fast. I can fully understand why some riders find it hard to stop in time!
It has a very strange camber too. The road drops away sharply and significantly to a much lower level.
I approached it really fast and hard on the brakes. I practically had to throw the bike on its side to get round. I think of the 1972 photo of Mam with me sitting on the white drum shaped brickwork that signifies the corner, and the same shot updated in 1989.
The road surface was fabulously smooth and fast. My computer was reading 35-40mph and on occasion crept up to 45-46mph. I kept nailing it, nailing it, nailing it, pushing that bike as hard as I possibly could almost until I ran out pedal. I had to make up for the lost time on those dead leg climbs which was so annoying!
Windy Corner was fantastic. Flat out and smooth I whistled round there in one big sweep. I did feel a slight side gust as I peeled right but I had pretty good conditions on the day so it didn’t affect me at all. This is great.
What is really surprising is how narrow the mountain road gets as you go through places like Keppel Gate. It is really narrow road and the drop from the edge is pretty scary! It’s only noticeable when you cycle it – or walk it. It must like threading a needle on a TT Superbike. You don’t want to lose the front going through there…
It’s during this high speed run that the realisation and emotion kicks in. Kate’s Cottage is in the distance and it was at that moment I now KNEW that I was going to fulfil an ambition – to cycle the entire 37.75 mile TT course. And I was flying again now, really loving it.
It’s bizarre. I ride 30-40 mile courses all the time, but this place is different. I think it is the emotion of it all that makes it feel bigger and tougher than it probably is. My mind now changes from thinking “never again” to “goddam it I got to break 2 hours round here!”
Numerous thoughts and emotions run through your mind. You’re on automatic pilot now, eating up the ground. You can’t believe what you are doing. My bottom lip starts to quiver and tremble and my eyes fill up. I’m buzzing along at over 30mph almost in tears.
You are constantly think of people like Stanley Woods, Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Bill Ivy, Phil Read, Renzo Pasolini, Jack Findlay, Pat Hennen, Tom Herron, Mick Grant, Ron Haslam, Joey Dunlop, Steve Hislop, David Jefferies, John McGuinness, Ian Lougher, etc. etc.
You think of the bikes screaming round here on full chat, like the 250cc Honda 6; 500cc Honda 4; 500cc MV 3; 500cc Benelli 4; 125cc Yamaha 4; 750cc Kawasaki 3; Heron Suzuki RG500; Sports Motorcycles Ducati 900; Honda RVF’s; Hislop’s white rotary Norton; Ian’s white 250 Yamaha, etc etc.
An amazing experience, treading the same tarmac as Gods and Legends and doing something none of them probably ever did! It really is a fantastic, magical place. I can make my own bit of history here, and say that I have done it!
I think of Lina and Daniella; Mam and Dad; my Uncles Alwyn and Phillip; Roy Wilmott; etc. Yes, I AM going to do this!!! One of my proudest achievements! Bloody great!!!
On the approach to Kate’s Cottage the traffic cones re-appear. The concentration returns and I slip into my own lane again.
I’ve been doing 35-40mph for about 10 minutes now and the famous drop down from Kate’s Cottage to Creg-Ny-Baa makes things even more dramatic.
The drop is far more severe than I ever imagined. It really is a steep slope and is just like that first drop on a Rollercoaster. It is quite breathtaking. I’d hate to walk up it, your nose would be touching the road in front of you!
It is also surprising just how far it is from Kate’s to the Creg. It’s miles away!!! You can hardly see the Creg as you come round the corner!
You buzz along the mountain, peel round Kate’s and accelerate even more down the hill. You hardly notice the top speed really because the Creg is so far ahead of you and takes an age to reach you.
When you look at the readout on the computer it is quite a shock. You’ve just come off a 35-40mph run from Brandywell and you’re now knocking on 50-54mph down the drop. Amazing. I never ever thought the drop to the Creg would be that fast. It doesn’t look that bad on TV or in pictures.
I’m sure 60mph+ is possible here. The Pro’s and Tour de France boys would almost certainly be hitting that here. With their extra pedal power and body weight they tend to do 60-65mph on most mountain drops anyway during their races. But then again they can sprint on the flat at 40-45mph!!!
Unfortunately as you reach the flattening part of the drop the traffic cones force you from right to left and into the main road. On the day I was lucky as it was pretty quiet, but I still had to brake hard to nip through a narrow gap between cones.
The Creg corner itself is compromised by traffic lights. Luckily I caught them on green so I just ran through but there were quite a lot of bikes around so I had to take it easy.
At corner entry there is a new rough beige colour surface. I suppose it is very grippy for cars and bikes but it’s pretty harsh and bumpy on a pushbike. That in turn makes the corner quite slow and uneventful, albeit it very historic.
Almost every TT rider is photographed at this point, looking back up to Kates Cottage in the distance, so it’s still a huge thrill to even be on the same patch of road. Unfortunately due to traffic lights and road restrictions it was not possible to get that type of shot, but Dad did capture me cruising around it on video a few days later.
Just after the Creg the traffic cones disappear and the road reverts back to the usual ‘Two Way’ system.
The run from the Creg down to Brandish corner is superb. The surface is not that bad and you quickly get a full head of steam. The road doesn’t look all that steep but it must be as you quickly reach 30-35mph without too much pedal effort.
You bear slightly right and the new sweeping left hander at Brandish is just ahead. It used to be very tight.
On the approach it looks like a nice, smooth wide surface but the corner is deceptive. For a start it is far more bumpy than you’d expect and the bike tends to buck and wallow. The corner looks wide open and sweeping but on entry it pulls you in quite tight, then straightens, and then tighten up again on the exit. Odd really.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not using all of the road like the racers but due to passing traffic my parameters are limited to a width of about 6 feet of tarmac, so the road shape is very similar and thus I am subject to similar restrictions.
Down to Hillberry and again you are rocking on at a good pace. Deep breath at the bottom, not because of fear but because of the pending final climb up to Cronk Ny Mona! I remember me, my father and Alwyn and Phillip watching Mike Hailwood whipping through here on a white Suzuki RG500 in 1979. As Phillip put it: “a**e tightening stuff”.
My experience was more like “sore a**e stuff”.
I have some momentum to get half way up Cronk Ny Mona but the climb is steep. It turns left, and in a car or motorbike is totally blind. I’m a bit concerned as throughout the lap I’ve been worried about rear end impacts so I prayed for a nice clean finish to the lap.
I get out the saddle and push that bit extra to reach the historic Signpost corner, then “ping” – what the hell was that???
My right thigh went into an enormous cramp contraction. It went completely limp. For a moment I was cycling uphill out of the saddle using one leg! Ridiculous! The trials and tribulations of the TT Course eh? Even a cyclist has reliability issues! Blimey, what a tough and unforgiving place this is! Just when you thought you were safe…
I shook my right thigh like never before and tried to stretch it clear. It was impossible to do a proper stretch riding uphill with your feet locked into a cycle pedal so I just had to keep it going! Crikey, am I actually going to finish this lap!?!?!
Thankfully it calmed down as I reached Signpost corner itself and all was well. I now thought I’d better stop pushing so hard and start looking after my legs in case I didn’t make the line, so I practically coasted down towards Bedstead corner. With 2 miles to go not to finish now would be unbearable.
The run down from Signpost to Bedstead corner was a Godsend. It was just what I needed to regain momentum and allow my legs to recover. It was also pretty fast – 35-40mph from Signpost to Governor’s Bridge.
Down through Bedstead and towards the Nook I think of Carl Fogarty’s bucking Loctite Yamaha in the 1992 Senior TT. I’m unable to match that aggression for fear of pulling another muscle but it was pretty quick anyway, all tucked in with chin on the bars.
Downhill right, down the Nook and the hugely famous dead slow right hand hairpin at Governor’s Bridge is in sight. The last 0.75 miles.
The drop to Governor’s is again surprisingly steep and you approach it very fast. I can fully understand why some riders find it hard to stop in time!
It has a very strange camber too. The road drops away sharply and significantly to a much lower level.
I approached it really fast and hard on the brakes. I practically had to throw the bike on its side to get round. I think of the 1972 photo of Mam with me sitting on the white drum shaped brickwork that signifies the corner, and the same shot updated in 1989.
The magic just flows! There are people around now and you feel a bit special. They can tell you’ve just done a full lap.
The final mickey mouse section from Governor’s back onto the Glencrutchery Road is incredibly naff and incredibly slippery. Why more people don’t fall off here I’ll never know because the surface is permanently damp, is covered in moss and leaves and is as slippery as could be. I was sliding all over the place!
Back out onto the Glencrutchery Road and heading towards the finishing line. I think of Steve Hislop’s onboard lap, and even my Grand Prix Legends computer game lap! The Grandstand comes into view on the left and the scoreboard edges closer and closer. It is still a fair run from Governors to the finish line and the road climbs slightly so it’s no easy coast home. I know some people have run out of fuel at Governors in the past and had to push for home – it’s no easy task I can assure you!
There it is. There‘s the line. It’s done! I’ve done it! A full lap of the most famous race course in the World. I’m absolutely ecstatic!
I pull into the Pit Lane and get off my machine. I stand there taking it all in. I’m in shock but relieved. A group of French fans come over and ask about the bike. We discuss the lap and they are very complimentary and take some photos. I felt like a TT Winner!
I don’t know why but the thought of doing it, actually making it round, what time I’d do etc weighed on me for months previously. It was ‘only’ 38 miles of road but what a special piece of road. I had now done it. A life long ambition and as close as I will ever get to competing the TT.
I’d seen every stone, every pebble and felt every bump. I was one of the boys! Incredible feeling.
Despite the trials and tribulations during the lap I had done it now and perhaps got the monkey off my back. Knowing what to expect is half the battle and I would like to try it again, hopefully without the threat of traffic, traffic cones and without stoppages and muscle cramps.
I know I could go round much quicker if I focussed on the job more instead of daydreaming and fantasising - but then again that is what is was all about isn’t it? Taking it all in, absorbing the history and becoming part of it? The speed isn’t the be all and end all really is it? Or am I just getting old?
There’s nothing like a first time and I know that if I ever did it again, even with a better lap time, it wouldn’t feel the same. That’s why I’ve tried to put the experience into words. I’m very proud and indeed honoured to have done it. Maybe I’ll just leave it at that, who knows? Another box ticked.
Mind blowing.
(see: http://mike-the-bike.webs.com/ for more details and photos)
