It is worth a ride, a walk or taking a Horse Tram down along the length of the bay to observe the people swarming in and round the hotels, and to see the sideshows and all those bikes lined up along the prom three deep..
If it is early in the TT fortnight you will see over the next few days
the increase in two-wheeled transport as the ferries disengorge fans from all over the world.
Make time to doing your first lap of the TT course to savour what is to come..
Get a feel of the roads and relax.
Your homestay is expecting you but they know that we ALL do this first sounding lap.
Stop up on the mountain and smell the fresh air and look across to Cumbria.
The air IS fresh believe me, and there is a salty tang to it which will make you feel thirsty over the next few days so that you may be pushed into trying the Manx Ales.
( Do not DRINK and Ride--You may drop the glass !! )
Your sighting lap done so it is now time to sign in to your residence
and partake of your unique Manx welcome
plus a large mug of hot tea or coffee or if they are really pleased to see you,
a glass of something stronger.
There could be a meal waiting, if not, you then go to the nearest chippy.
If you are there in practice week and you have travelled some distance
to get to the TT it might be an idea
to have an early night so that you will be able to get up at the crack of dawn
( and I mean "crack" )..
Practice ( in my humble opinion--see below !!)
is probably the best period of the whole time you are there
so make every second count.
You will not get much sleep yet that adrenaline has a great effect
When you eventually get home after the TT, you will have a form of jet-lag
and it will require at least one days crash-out on the sofa.
Early Morning Practice
I must say that over all these years, I enjoy practice weekjust that little bit more than race week-
Probably something to do with getting up early, making a day last a day and a half, seeing the lads (and latterly, the lasses !) doing their stuff,
and then going back to the residence for a shower and then a breakfast big enough to burst your boots. (Shades of the old days, perhaps ?) I do miss the smell of Castrol-R though.....
Nowadays, I take my car over and run up a lot of lap mileage, showing new visitors the course, sometimes having a top rider with us to talk us through the lap.
Some years ago I attached a large Ferguson videocamera to the roof rack and with microphone held by my passenger, recorded a complete 43 minute lap of the circuit. It is still very showable and is useful to demonstrate to a new visitor a "calm/sedate" lap , before playing those frantic on-bike camera versions.
Nowadays, I use a very neat Sony camcorder from which I can download still pictures using a newly developed digitiser unit called "MOTION PICTURE" obtainable from APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES MANUFACTURING LTD. I have also invested in a scanner on which I am now reproducing and renewing photographs taken simply years ago and creating pictures of items from my loft collection.
The T.T. Grandstand
While you are experiencing practice week, make sure that you
book seats for one of the races in Race Week.
I recommend that you see at least one race from the Grandstand and all the area round it, with the sideshows, shops and displays....... -Yes--you do have to pay a nominal fee but you see OH SO much-
-the build up, the start, the pit-stops and the finish--
When you have all these factors making up a T.T. Race, you will appreciate how unique the T.T. is...
Up to 100 riders set off individually ( or in pairs )
...TO RACE THE CLOCK... Most can cover a lap of 37.73 miles at average speeds just short of 120 mph. And a race can be up to six laps long with pitstops to watch and compare.. It is a truly exhilarating experience for rider
and spectator alike..
I have devoted a section on a later page which puts
you in the Grandstand,
on an actual race day...
