Never owned a motorbike, never will although ive a grudging respect and envy for those that do...but the TT races are out of this world, absolutely spellbinding for the speed, accuracy needed around the streets...i'll never get fed up of watching it. Probably THE most exciting, most dangerous racing you'll ever see.
I was there on Saturday for the Superbike race, i first went in 2007 and i've been every year since. I can only do a day now due to the wife's job and children, but after sitting at the bottom of Bray Hill and watching John Mcguinness bottom his bike out at 185mph i was hooked. I've watched bike racing since 1992 but this is completely different, you're so close to the action... raced on public roads.
If you want to do a day to get a taste, the Steam Packet Ferry is £58 ret from Heysham or Liverpoool, leaves at 02:15, arrives at 06:15ish, wander to Bray Hill(30mins) and watch the day unravel, return ferry is at around 20:00 and gets you back for 23:30. Book in January and check the TT website for dates.
If you go for the Superbike race on the Saturday you don't need to take a day off work, but the Senior on the Friday is the top race.
Long day but it'll give you a good taste of the place.
Ive afriend in italy home of cool cycling and his big event of the year.....is to head for the isle of man TT - bizarre.
Moto racing is huge in Italy though, isn't it?
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
infact the dad of one italian mate has a bike from the 50's that he's won races on - his pride and joy, still immaculate kept in his little shrine of a shed under wraps - quite touching when he showed it off. 8)
The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
Ive afriend in italy home of cool cycling and his big event of the year.....is to head for the isle of man TT - bizarre.
I'm not aware of any event that comes close in terms of running big speed through an unaltered townscape, massive attendances & top competitors who may well be the guys MOT'ing your car the next week (if they're not in plaster :x ) I love the latter bit, top end motorsport (less so bikes, I guess) is so safe and full of money, chic-but-useless hangers on & affectation - events like the TT are quite the antithesis and the relative lack of kudos & the absence of material reward makes the riders seem all the more heroic.
Something of it's like just doesn't seem a conceptual fit for somewhere like Italy; the location would be glam, the riders nonchalant playboys & their girlfriends beautiful - and that would just be cr*p.
berliner
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If you want to do a day to get a taste, the Steam Packet Ferry is £58 ret from Heysham or Liverpoool, leaves at 02:15, arrives at 06:15ish, wander to Bray Hill(30mins) and watch the day unravel, return ferry is at around 20:00 and gets you back for 23:30. Book in January and check the TT website for dates.
If you go for the Superbike race on the Saturday you don't need to take a day off work, but the Senior on the Friday is the top race.
Long day but it'll give you a good taste of the place.
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
Moto racing is huge in Italy though, isn't it?
@gietvangent
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
I can remember Agostini riding MV Agustas back in the 60s and 70s.
http://thechicaneblog.com/wp-content/up ... .54-AM.png
I'm not aware of any event that comes close in terms of running big speed through an unaltered townscape, massive attendances & top competitors who may well be the guys MOT'ing your car the next week (if they're not in plaster :x ) I love the latter bit, top end motorsport (less so bikes, I guess) is so safe and full of money, chic-but-useless hangers on & affectation - events like the TT are quite the antithesis and the relative lack of kudos & the absence of material reward makes the riders seem all the more heroic.
Something of it's like just doesn't seem a conceptual fit for somewhere like Italy; the location would be glam, the riders nonchalant playboys & their girlfriends beautiful - and that would just be cr*p.
Unfortunately SWMBO won't let me have a bike or go to the TT so I'm scuppered.
I'm still negotiating though. Maybe when the kids have grown up...
Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
It also highlights why I have never got a motorbike, or ever will, I would kill myself. I have come close enough on a one-man-power-cycle :shock: