Manx GP Day 3 31 Aug 10

Up and away for another lap of the course. Yesterday I did another half lap having toured around Onchan, Laxey and Jurby after the racing. By the way you stand on the campsite wall as riders go by just below at 150mph. I also viewed from the Church Hall garden in Union Mills, lovely old dears serving tea,sarnies and cakes all day.The MV replica sounded fabulous, great to hear all the old noise again.
Today had lunch with a Gabfester and ended up seriously interested in buying his beautifully restored bike. Watch this space. No racing today so wandered around the paddock and gawped at stuff. Probably will go for another lap in a minute as the weather is so good. Tomorrow is race day so need to choose a spot.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Manx GP Day 2 30 Aug 10

What a start to the day ! At first light,0600, its up and away for a lap of the mountain course. Where to start. It is the sort of route you would treat with extreme care if you were just out for a ride. Having watched so many video clips I was unprepared for just how bumpy and up and down it goes in all areas. So much of it is blind plus a really nasty early section, Glen Vine I think, has all the horrors and more all in one place. Also I had not realised how beautiful the island is. The view from Windy Corner out over the bay is brilliant.
Now its back to Union Mills for a clean up then to walk the old railway line back to Braddan Bridge to watch the races.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Manx GP Isle of Man 2010 Day 1 29 June 10

So here we are again 31 years after a 1 day trip to see Hailwoods last TT race. Impressions so far ?
The Steam Packet ferry has the most dog slow load / unload non system ever. Why do we have to be there 2 hours before departure just to stooge about with no shelter ? Anyway ship was clean, on time and food great.
We, Ethel and I, only rode 3 miles from the port to Union Mills but even at legal speeds the TT course scared me shitless. God knows what tomorrow will bring as the campsite is right on a 170 mph straight. Stand back. Tonight we have a 21st birthday bash on site complete with tone deaf monotone fuckwit non singer destroying classics at mega volume. Thank God its only every 21 years.
Very pleased with the Khyam Biker tent. It takes a bit of getting used to pitching it but it is spacious and the large porch is ideal to leave kit lying about everywhere.
Dunno how the monster sleeping bag will work out, soon see though.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Do not use Etap Hotels - avoid them

I still have not been reimbursed for the double charge demanded at the Etap hotel in Egremont in Rennes back in April.
No matter how many times I e mail and post all the claim documentation to the hotel and their head office no one answers and no refund happens.
Accor own Etap, Formula 1 and other cheapo overnighters.
Be warned that if everything goes ok then you gets what you pays for - but if anything goes wrong then Etap and Accor do not care and will not look after you.
Sooner or later someone at Etap will pick up all the negative press I consistently give them on here and Twitter @quimbling and will maybe do something.
In the meantime I have to put up with a Gallic shrug.

Ethel's latest new bits

Ethel now has a new 30 mm shorter Hagon rear shock. What a difference ! All of a sudden I can get a foot flat on the ground. Moving her around is now a doddle and at last I sit in the bike not on it.
On the move the Hagon gives a firm ride without the plush feel of the original but without the clonk that came from the back over sudden bumps in the road.
Also new are plastic hand protectors. The problem has been that the Oxford handlebar muffs tend to wrap themselvres around the controls at motorway speeds - to the degree that the front brake is pulled on. now she has belt and braces - muffs on top of the protectors. Now the muffs cannot foul the controls or fingers and speed is up.
I had to put a new clutch side heated grip on as I stupidly cut through the wires when trying to fit handlebar end weights. I did not realise that having heated grips would make any difference nor did the Motorworks website point this out.
The plastic fuse cover has mysteriously vanished but a replacement is due today so when that is on hopefully that will be it for a while.......................

Manx Grand Prix 2010

Getting excited about the Manx GP - only 16 days to go, yeehar !

Have finished all the servicing jobs on Ethel so she is ready to roll. A silly thing is that you can take Camping Gaz on the Steam Packet ferry as long as it is attached to a cooker but not as a spare - so now I will have to carry it in the top box or pannier in case they want to see it.

All set for a pub lunch with Gabfesters pals on the Tuesday, not a race day, plus an invite to join the marshals up at Windy Corner. If the weather turns foul a cosy hut will be attractive rather than shivering elsewhere outside.

I am hoping to do a lap of the circuit each day just to see what it is like trying to remember which way the road goes !

By the way we are on Twitter @quimbling which is so much easier to post photos up to than anything else so I will be putting up loads of 'em.