|
NW200
May 20, 2015 16:36:43 GMT
Post by GAv on May 20, 2015 16:36:43 GMT
Thanks very much for posting those, I will get there one year...
|
|
|
NW200
May 21, 2015 8:22:52 GMT
Post by DahDit on May 21, 2015 8:22:52 GMT
Nice indeed.
|
|
|
NW200
May 21, 2015 14:42:15 GMT
Post by grumps on May 21, 2015 14:42:15 GMT
Nice pics
I went a few years ago when they cancelled the main race because the track was wet one end and dry the other. They said the slick tyres would be dangerous in the wet and dry tyres would burn up on the dry bits.
Woh there boys! My bike tyres have to cope with wet and dry. So, if you have to use different tyres and slow down a bit who cares? People have traveled from all over at great expense to watch a race so bloody-well race! Rant over.
I have just come back from the Tandragee 100. Weather was entirely miserable, cold, wet, windy but the racing went on. Fair play lads.
|
|
|
NW200
May 22, 2015 10:12:29 GMT
Post by grumps on May 22, 2015 10:12:29 GMT
I agree with almost all of what you say other than it cannot be beyond the wit of man to make intermediate tyres that will cover the situation. OK, they will race at a lower pace but they will still race giving their bikes and tyres the max in the situation. They will still overtake, come off, breakdown - whatever but they will at least still be racing
Sorry, but I traveled to the NW200 once and it was cancelled. I thought about going again on the basis that lightening doesn't strike twice but again the main race has been cancelled so I'm not going to try again. My loss no doubt but I'm not prepared to risk the cost and time for no race. (I know there are supporting races etc but that's not the point)
It's a great festival of biking and a great atmosphere. Shame about the cancellations.
|
|
|
NW200
May 22, 2015 12:05:05 GMT
Post by teejayexc on May 22, 2015 12:05:05 GMT
Woh there boys! My bike tyres have to cope with wet and dry. So, if you have to use different tyres and slow down a bit who cares? People have traveled from all over at great expense to watch a race so bloody-well race! Rant over. Big difference is your bike isn't traveling at 200+ mph, so your treaded tyres ain't going to burn up. Plus your bike ain't being pushed to the limit 100% of it's time, so a bit of water isn't going to affect you. One corner could be dry one lap and wet the next, which makes it too unpredictable at those speeds to ride on slicks. These guys are on the limit 100% of the time so rider safety is paramount. They cancelled the last race this year. With bikes the aare capable of doing 200+ mph, they deemed it too dangerous with 40-50mph cross winds. As you say we go to a lot of expense to watch them race, but I'd rather see the race called off than watch a formula one procession, or even worse see a rider die. Hear what you say, but it's the same for every racer. As Grumps says, they go to race, if they can't be at the max then so be it, but ffs cancelling seems a tad ott.
|
|
|
NW200
May 22, 2015 12:40:24 GMT
Post by HRHpenfold on May 22, 2015 12:40:24 GMT
Woh there boys! My bike tyres have to cope with wet and dry. So, if you have to use different tyres and slow down a bit who cares? People have traveled from all over at great expense to watch a race so bloody-well race! Rant over. Big difference is your bike isn't traveling at 200+ mph, so your treaded tyres ain't going to burn up. Plus your bike ain't being pushed to the limit 100% of it's time, so a bit of water isn't going to affect you. One corner could be dry one lap and wet the next, which makes it too unpredictable at those speeds to ride on slicks. These guys are on the limit 100% of the time so rider safety is paramount. They cancelled the last race this year. With bikes the are capable of doing 200+ mph, they deemed it too dangerous with 40-50mph cross winds. As you say we go to a lot of expense to watch them race, but I'd rather see the race called off than watch a formula one procession, or even worse see a rider die. They don't cancel the superbike races because it has wet areas of the track, they put on intermediate tyres!
|
|
|
NW200
May 22, 2015 16:18:00 GMT
Post by grumps on May 22, 2015 16:18:00 GMT
And anyway, it's not just about the racing, it's more about the long weekend away with your mates and having a cracking time. Oh and having a blast around some brilliant Irish roads. Yes. That is part of it. And a great part of it. But the tradition of Irish Road Racing is local laddies getting their bikes out from the back of vans, fags in mouths, practicing around the local roads at odd hours of the day and then closing off the local roads for 'The Race'. Zero sponsorship, but maybe a pint or two if they won. No Elf n Safety then. They raced come whatever. That has all been lost. They raced at Tandragee a couple of weeks ago. That was Wet/Dry/Wet/Windy (believe me I was there) and did I mention Wet/Windy? Worst conditions you could experience - but they raced!!! Sorry - a race is a race and they can (if they wanted to) overcome the conditions with modern tyre technology. Period. NW200? - not me again. Tandragee / Cookstown / Skerries - yes please.
|
|
|
NW200
May 23, 2015 9:59:13 GMT
Post by grumps on May 23, 2015 9:59:13 GMT
So, we need to agree to disagree.
And, a challenge to tyre makers to make intermediate tyres that can cope so race fans don't waste time and money on non-events
|
|