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Isle of Man TT 2016 : Day 4

January 26, 2017 by TomBoyNI

So this is it for this trip, the final day. The boat is about 7pm so unfortunately that means no viewing of the practice session tonight. That’s one of the bad points on coming over for Practice Week from Northern Ireland – the sailings aren’t perfect, but I suppose there is no way round it unless the Steam Packet put on an 11:00pm sailing – Hint Hint…

On getting packed up the hotel kindly offered to look after my gear and panniers so I could go and enjoy the mountain again – just another reason why I absolutely will go back to this hotel without any qualm.

After a meet up with the guys in Douglas, some breakkie and a quick walk around the town and a catching of the sights it was time to head out back out towards the track.

The Legendary Isle of Man Horse Drawn Tram

It was on this walk around the town that I called into the RoadSkin pop up store and purchased myself a nice Roodskin motorcycle hoodie (which I have been wearing regularly ever since) and a pair of jeans (which I have yet to pull on) – the pop up store saving me well over £100 on these two items alone, oh and I picked up a couple of neck warmers too.

(Long Term Review to follow on the RoadsSkin Gear)

Isle of Man TT 2016 : Day 3 – Isle of Man Motor Museum

October 21, 2017January 16, 2017 by TomBoyNI

As mentioned on my Isle of Man 2016 : Day 3 post I visited the Isle of Man Motor Museum. Quite simply this is an outstanding collection of motor vehicles that is well worth a visit the next time you are on the island.

The Museum was founded and funded by father and son team Denis and Darren Cunningham to act as the public home for their collection of over 130 vehicles. The Museum also hosts over 150 other vehicles on loan from other enthusiasts and collectors.
The Isle of Man was chosen as the location for the Museum due to the unique place the Island occupies in motoring and motorsports history. The Island is the motorcycle road racing capital of the world and has hosted the famous TT races on the public roads annually since 1907. The Southern 100 and the Festival of Motorcycling are also fantastic opportunities to see road racing here.
For 2016, the Museum is proud to host the Joey Dunlop Collection featuring many of his trophies, leathers and race machines. Joey is the most successful TT competitor of all time with 26 victories to his name earning him the title “King of The Mountain”.
Rallying and enduro are also a huge part of motorsport on the Isle of Man and the Museum features a Ford Zephyr which competed in the London-Sydney Marathon rally and World Enduro Championship winning KTMs from local hero David “Knighter” Knight OBE.

Isle of Man TT 2016 : Day 3

January 9, 2017 by TomBoyNI

Another well rested and early start this morning and I meet up with the guys at a local pub for a bit of a breakfast fry up…

It’s hard to recommend places on your first visit, simply because you have been to so few but that won’t change the fact that if a place is good – it’s good, and this places was. A nice breakfast down the hatch and it was time to make a move.

The guys I was with were keen to hit the Mountain Road again and get some fast miles under their belt, I however decided to go off the path less travelled and explore the Island a little more.

(There is a path much less travelled element to the ISle of MAn, with hundreds of miles of green lanes all over, and you will see lots of guys on scramblers and enduros coming off the countryside. The path I travelled wasn’t their path although to be fair they looked like they were having an absolutely outstanding adventure!)

Isle of Man TT 2016 : Day 2

December 7, 2016 by TomBoyNI

An early start after being well rested in my super comfortable hotel room!

A bit of breakfast down the hatch and the sun is already shining! The Start / Finish Line seems like the perfect meeting place…

Isle of Man TT Races - Start Finisg Line - Practice Week - 30/06/2016 — Isle of Man TT Races – Start Finish Line – Practice Week – 30/05/2016

To start of with a trip to one of the Island’s regular tourist attractions, The Laxey Wheel…

After the obligatory photo off we go to the mountain road.

This time however the road gets closed due to a collision. It actually happens twice today, 1 rider is unfortunately critically injured, 3 others are hurt coming off their bikes, and unluckily for them were only wearing tracksuits at the time!

The Isle of Man Constabulary Twitter Account shares this information live time and is really one of the greatest sources of news on the Island. Make sure you follow them for up to date info on all of the Island’s roads.

Isle of Man Roads Policing Twitter Account : https://twitter.com/iomrpu

Isle of Man Police Twitter Account : https://twitter.com/iompolice

Isle of Man TT 2016 : Day 1

November 30, 2016 by TomBoyNI

Joey Dunlop Memorial at the Bungalow, Isle of Man

It is 29th May 2016 and the start of Practice Week for the 2016 Isle of Man TT Races.

It is also my first time over to the Isle of Man in many, many years, and actually my first time for any of the racing.

With it being my first time over I took some advice and went for Practice Week, actually four days of Practice Week. The reasons behind this are…

It’s cheaper. Much cheaper. This year it cost £115 for the return sailing for me and the bike.
It’s easier to get accomodation. I picked up a ‘4 Star’ (according to Booking.com) Hotel for £60 a night.

That totals up to £295 for the four days. That’s not too bad.

So I met up with a couple of lads and headed off to Dublin. Reaching the ferry without drama and boarding the ship worry free.

Here is where I meet my first (of few) difficulties.

STICKY POST : The Wild Atlantic Way : The World’s Longest Dedicated Coastal Route – In 1 Week : #WAWIn1Week

October 21, 2017November 17, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Here are the links to the complete ride report on my #WAWIn1Week Trip, there is plenty of other interesting stuff on the site, I hope, so feel free to have a look about, but if you have come here for the Wild Atlantic Way reports, here is everything you need. Thanks for stopping by and having a look and hopefully you enjoy the photos and reports!

#WAWIN1WEEK – WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK – THE GEAR… : https://tbni.blog/2015/08/10/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-the-gear/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 0 – TRAVEL DAY : https://tbni.blog/2015/08/18/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-0-travel-day/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 1 – KINSALE TO KENMARE : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/02/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-1-kinsale-to-kenmare/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 2 – KENMARE TO BALLYBUNION : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/13/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-2-kenmare-to-ballybunion/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 3 – BALLYBUNION TO CLIFDEN : https://tbni.blog/2015/09/20/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-3-ballybunion-to-clifden/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 4 – CLIFDEN TO SLIGO : https://tbni.blog/2015/10/11/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-4-clifden-to-sligo/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 5 – SLIGO TO LETTERKENNY : https://tbni.blog/2015/11/06/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-5-sligo-to-letterkenny/

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 6 – LETTERKENNY TO MUFF (DONEGAL) : https://tbni.blog/2015/11/17/wawin1week-wild-atlantic-way-in-1-week-day-6-letterkenny-to-muff-donegal-2/

Wild Atlantic Way - The Route — Wild Atlantic Way – The Route

Please feel free to tag your images with the WAWIn1Week hashtag!

INSTAGRAM #WAWIn1Week : https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/wawin1week/

TWITTER #WAWIn1Week : https://twitter.com/search?q=WAWIn1Week&src=typd

#WAWIN1WEEK : WILD ATLANTIC WAY IN 1 WEEK : DAY 6 – Letterkenny TO Muff (Donegal).

November 17, 2015 by TomBoyNI

It is now Saturday 1st August 2015, the last day of my Wild Atlantic Way Trip. From start of the trail to this point has been five full, long days, today being the sixth. My target – The Wild Atlantic Way in 1 Week. I have only one more leg to do and it will be achieved, with a full day to spare. Result, almost.

Today’s leg looks a short one, Letterkenny to Muff in Donegal. Muff as you can already expect must be one of the most photographed town signs on the whole island. It is called Muff after all! I estimated today leg about 200 miles, for once this estimate was reasonably accurate!

Yesterday’s horrendous weather is a distant memory, but there are still a few very dark and ominous clouds floating about. Fingers crossed!

WAWIn1Week – Letterkenny to Muff – Day 6

One Signature Point on the Route today : (The most Westerly point on the above map is Fanned Head which was covered on 31/07/2015).

Malin Head :

Rugged yet inviting, Donegal’s Malin Head is steeped in history and offers activities such as walking, fishing, swimming and bird watching. Here, north of Trawbreaga Bay, you can view Five Finger Strand, home to some of Europe’s largest sand dunes. At low tide, you can even spot the wreckage of the ‘Twilight’, which sank in 1889 while sailing to Derry. For more history, follow the coast road. You’ll pass the old radio station, built in 1910, and The Tower, a derelict signal station located on Banba’s Crown, the most northerly point in Ireland. It’s the perfect place to relax with a picnic, as the stunning panorama includes Inistrahull and Tory islands, as well as the Scottish hills on a clear day. Plus, you can work off any extra indulgences with a walk along the cliffs to Hell’s Hole, a chasm where the tide rushes in with impressive force. If treasure hunting is more your speed, head east to Ballyhillion beach, which dates back to the ice age and is known for its many semi-precious stones.

#WAWIn1Week : Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 5 – Sligo to Letterkenny.

November 6, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Friday 31st July 2015 takes me onto the penultimate day of my Wild Atlantic Way adventure. I mentioned previously that by Day 4 I was really enjoying myself and after a long day yesterday, and a night in a great hotel I am thinking I need to get back here and do this whole thing a whole lot more slowly. I remember the few things that were annoying me over the first couple of days and now realise they weren’t really that annoying, just a fact of travelling on a tourist route growing in popularity.

I take a look over the map, the route taking me from Sligo to Letterkenny, and it looks like it is another long day, but then I look at the weather. Oh dear. This does not look too promising, there is a yellow warning for rain! I’m going to get wet! Also my initial and completely inaccurate distance calculations have me travelling 186 miles today. So I’m definitely more than that!

Leaving the hotel and things are dry, however the sky is very dark, grey and ominous and it doesn’t take too long for the skies to open and boy they open! I got wet on my journey down to the start of the WAW, and that only took me 4 hours, today I’m sure I have 10 -12 hours of it it looks like the only question will be how will the gear hold out?

WAWIn1Week – Sligo to Letterkenny – Day 5

Three more Signature Points to visit today (Downpatrick Head is the most Southerly Signature Point on the map, however it was visited yesterday). Today’s points are :

Mullaghmore Head.
Sliabh Liag.
Fannad Head.

(The other point on the map above between Sliabh Liag and Fannad Head is Donegal Airport – a small airport with services Dublin with two daily flights.)

#WAWIn1Week : Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 4 – Clifden to Sligo.

October 11, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Thursday 30th July 2015 and we have safely arrived at Day 4 of the #WAWIn1Week Challenge, and at this stage of the game I am really enjoying myself. The niggles I had over too much traffic and what can only be described as piss poor driving are still there but only so very slightly. I am much more in tune with it, I know what to expect and to ‘get out and round’ as soon as possible and when ‘they’ are holding me up, to just relax and take in the breathtaking scenery. All is good as we commence Day 4 and I am now finding it all going a little too quickly, when you look at the map this journey is not too far away from being completed and that’s actually a little sad. So best get enjoying it!

Today the journey takes me from Clifton, Co. Galway to Sligo, Co. Sligo. My panning stages have me to be believing this section of the route to be about 250 miles but if I have learnt one big thing from planning this trip is that I have always under estimated. Normally by a good amount, Day 4 was actually closer to 300 miles, it was a long day and that was the greatest downfall of the day.

This is also the Day that instead of booking into a B&B I got a cracking deal on a hotel and stayed at the Yeats Country Hotel at Rosses Point, Sligo. This is where the long day fell foul, this hotel is lovely and I would have loved to have factored in an earlier finish so I could have relaxed and enjoyed their facilities. The bar looked great, there was a brilliant fitness centre and the restaurant as I was arriving was closing but the place smelled great!

I ended up with a curry chip from the only take-away in the town, a Chinese that was getting ready to close as well. As I say that is the only disappointment and it was self made, I didn’t get enough time to enjoy this brilliant spot!

Although from the route above it looks like there are four signature points shown on this section there are again 3, the one closest to the bottom is just before Clifden and it was done the previous day (Derrigimlagh).

Killary Harbour.
Keem Bay.
Downpatrick Head.

#WAWIn1Week : Wild Atlantic Way In 1 Week : Day 3– Ballybunion to Clifden.

September 20, 2015 by TomBoyNI

Wednesday 29th July 2015 and we are at Day 3 of the #WAWIn1Week. Today’s route takes me from Ballybunion, Co. Kerry to Clifden, Co. Galway. My initial planning had worked today out to be somewhere around 205 miles, however again I underestimated a bit and it clocked up at closer to 270 miles.

WAWIn1Week - Ballybunion to Clifden - Day 3 — WAWIn1Week – Ballybunion to Clifden – Day 3

One thing that makes this leg a little different is that you have the option of getting on a boat, this is a good idea as it will keep you away from Limerick, which is big, busy and is going to take up a good bit of time to pass through, either of the ferries will keep you motoring on and keep you on track staying on the coast.

Wild Atlantic Way - Farewell Co. Kerry — Wild Atlantic Way – Farewell Co. Kerry

It was another long day in the saddle, with few breaks, other than at the signature points, of which there were three today, namely :

Loop Head.
Cliffs of Moher.
Derrigimlagh.