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Anyone been over there with a MTB when the TT's running?
I'm going over with a few mates,all on MTB's & camping at Quater bridge for 5 days.
I've done the E2E a few times so I'm familiar with the place,now wondering about getting about on the bike off road to get to some good vantage points.
Any ideas?
Off road yes, on road not advisable. There's just too much traffic about at that time of year, both two wheeled and four wheeled.
Yes! done it a few times. And in fact last year also stayed on the rugby field you mentioned.
The roads are okay if you stay aware, don't be an idiot and generally have twenty eyes in the back of your head and you'll be fine.
Take an OS map, and mark the TT route on the pages to get an idea of good routes. The viewing spots are endless but one that i would suggest would be..
Go over the road from the campsite to the Qbridge pub,(presume you're staying inside the course on quarterbridge corner?) There is a small access road that then runs parallel with the TT coarse behind a stone wall, that only goes so far before cars cant get any further but carry on along the course, (think its marked out on OS as an old railway line). If you carry on along there you can pick out loads of spots on the course as it goes quite far, personal recommendation would be to stop off at the Railway pub at union mills and get a beer and watch the bikes from the beer garden that overlooks the course.
Take a radio, be on the ball with road closures and you'll have a blast! take a padlock too just incase.
I often wondered about this - just be aware of potential closing speeds!
Thanks for the replies. I've heard about the old railway line so at some stage I'll probably use that. I also fancy getting up to somewhere on the mountain so I'll consult the maps. A few of my mates have been over on MTB's & survived so as long as I keep away from any fast areas we should be fine
Yes, we did the same last year for the Classic TT and had a great time.
No problems or issues at all.
The only thing you have to factor in is the timings for when the roads close. Once they're closed you're either on the inside or the outside of the circuit for the day.
I'll post a link once i'm home.
I did it with an MTB last year and am going over again on the 5th June. I worked out a few rides as well for when there is not racing/practices. I camp at Union Mills Football club, which is in the inside of the course ( so much easier to get about). From there i can get up to plenty of places on the mountain - Brandish is my favourite place for watching - but once there, you are there for the day. I find it fine riding on the roads - yes it is busy, but as others have said, be aware. I know its not 'cool' but i take a high vis with me. One thing i would advise against is riding on the mountain road (mountain mile) as during tt week, this becomes a race track for wannabe heroes ( it is also one way during the TT fortnight).
Take an OS map with you, plan your day the night before, work out where you want to watch and work out how to get there. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get to your chosen place as you dont want to get stuck when the roads close for racing.
Bottom of Bray Hill is also a good place to get a real idea of speed - but it gets busy!! Pub on Crosby straight is good and fast. Railway Pub at Union Mills is handy for a pint, but the view is restricted (you cant see the bikes coming towards you or accelerating away) and it isnt a particularly fast section
As i said earlier, Brandish is my favourite as you can see the bikes pass Kates Cottage, past Creg na Ba, round brandish, down to Hillberry and upto Cronk na Mona. There are limited places here though - so get there early. I'll be watching at least one of the races from here !
[url= http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6158 ]Classic TT Trip[/url]