And so it begins! Before the racing started we thought we’d be back next year for practice week only as the guys still crack on around the course and the roads are quieter for our own riding, however, then the first race happened!
Practice is very good, there’s more space to see it all, less madmen on the road trying to set their own lap times over the mountain and generally it’s a slower pace. But when you see that first bike or sidecar come into view and round the first bend at race pace it all becomes clear, the racing is when the real action happens! How on earth they ride into corners at the speed they do I don’t know, and never will. It is stunning, unbelievable and quite frankly, mental what the likes of Michael Dunlop, John McGuinness and many other road racers, right down to the last place rider can do.
Leaning a bike over enough to put your knee on the floor at 150 mph on the roads of the Isle of Man is incredible and until you witness it for yourself, the TV will never do their talents justice.
But it’s not just the racing that makes the Isle of Man special, there is so much more here. It’s a breathtaking island with beautiful scenery and some great riding roads. This is an island that should be visited regardless of whether the TT is taking place as it has so much to offer and all within such a small space. From the views on the south of the island to the Calf of Mann, to the Alpine like scenes just a few miles from the top of the Mountain course and Snaefell on the A14.
And the locals, what a reception. They have all been so friendly, informative and willing to look after the hordes that have descended on their island. Whether spending the day in someones field with free toilets and refreshments on sale at very reasonable prices or enjoying a morning looking around the private collection of classic motorcycles at the Old Vicarage, Kirk Michael, we’ve enjoyed a fantastic time here on the Isle of Man and still have another week to go!
Will we be coming back again, bookings are already being taken for our IoM TT trip in 2014!