In 2016 we enjoyed sunny skies and perfect temperatures for the entire IoM TT two weeks, it wasn’t quite as kind during 2017. However the darkened skies and gail force winds didn’t dampen the racing once it got going.
Once underway this year’s practice and racing was the usual incredible spectacle, my god those guys and girls fly. The level of concentration at the speeds travelled will always astonish me, no matter how many times we return to the stunning Isle of Man.
We viewed from some old favourites like Barregarrow, Crosby and Brandywell on top of the mountain road, and also from a few new areas, the paddock and Governor’s Bridge.
At Crosby the speed is breathtaking, with the Superbikes and Super Stock machines apparently pulling 180 mph past us sat on a grass verge, 6 inches above the tarmac. Even though we spent many a happy hour on the same verge in 2016, the speed is still stunning.
Then of course there’s Barregarrow, and whilst the speeds aren’t as excessive, Steve Parrish says it’s a 5th gear corner and as they pass at the top of the hill they show terrifying commitment.
But that’s nothing to what the spectators see at the bottom of Barregarrow, ‘bloody hell’ is the politest way of describing it. The violence of the bike as they almost touch the wall on their left and then bottom the bike out in the dip, and all the time that accelerator is pinned, holy cow!
And then there’s our favourite for the Senior, Brandywell just underneath Snaefell. You’re not as close to the road but it’s a spectacular place to view in terms of the view and watching the riders approach from a distance. Also, it’s great because you are up in the mountains, on the side of a road, watching the worlds best road racers ride the motorcycles around the Isle of Man TT course, brilliant.
For us Spyder Motorcycle employees, the trip across to the IoM is work and getting our guests to great viewing spots to watch the racing. Taking them for a tour of the beautiful Isle of Man and of course enjoying the atmosphere around the paddock.
We also make sure our guests have a great place to stay, different motorcycles to ride and great company from the other likeminded trip guests. We take all the hassle out of your Isle of Man TT visit.
Along with our fly-ride Isle of Man TT trips, we also run Steve Parrish commentated TT laps. This was our third and best year yet and we must say another big ‘thank you’ to Steve as the feedback this year was yet again superb.
Steve’s experiences as both a racer, commentator and general know it all about the TT are fantastic. The facts he recalls, speeds and gearing through different bends, the reasons behind naming of various corners and of course the details of the big accidents, all make for a unique TT experience.
We must also thank the Crossroads Cafe for hosting our briefings and breakfasts each morning. Crossroads Care are a leading charity on the IoM providing support for young carers and their families and we have enjoyed working with the Crossroads team since 2015.
Spyder Motorcycles also offers motorcycle hire on the Isle of Man. Motorbike rental is in high demand from overseas visitors and surprisingly popular with people from the UK choosing to fly in rather than struggle to get a ferry booking for their own machine.
This year we had another great selection of motorcycles and lots of happy customers. Most importantly, everyone came back safely and has gone home with great memories rather than the headache of leaving us with a rather large deposit.
Finally, we were also invited to see some of the racing on Senior day at Kirk Michael. We were made to feel like family by total strangers who quickly became friends. And that sums up the IoM and the TT, the Manx people are so friendly, so accommodating and so enthusiastic. Their hospitality is world class.
We are already taking bookings for the Isle of Man TT 2018, it really is a bucket list experience and we are there to provide it as we have for our 2017 customers. We’ll be running these experiences again on the Isle of Man for the 2018 TT and have already taken many bookings for the fly-ride trips. If you want to join us next year, please get in touch to find out more.