Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Information => Outdoor News and Events => Topic started by: MG1 on May 14, 2010
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Any one heading to the Northwest?
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Not this year :(. First year in a while that I haven't had my motorbike to go up on, so don't fancy having to fight my way through the traffic in the car! Will be watching on the "Red Button" though :)
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I've never been to it. Is it much fun?
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I've never been to it. Is it much fun?
To be honest I've always thought the NW200 was hugely over rated. The course is essentially three long straights, and this year they've ruined one of the most thrilling corners on the course at Mathers Cross.
Also, because of its popularity its now gone overkill on the H&S. Couple of years ago I was stuck behind a catchment fence - gone are the days of poking your head out from between a bush. Then there are the self important marshalls... if you ever want to see a superiority complex this is surely the place to go.
Race day itself is usually a sucession of red flags, so you watch a warm up lap followed by the first lap of the race. Then red flag it. Another warm up lap, another lap of the race... red flag comes out. Then they just call a result any way having never seen a flying lap of racing.
And then there is the fact that every chav and their extended family descend on the North Coast. They particularly like to spectate beside me and proceed to pee themselves in a drunken stupor standing right where you are.
Apart from all that, its alright I guess ::)
Give me the smaller races like Cookstown or Tandragee any day ;)
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I agree with Jon every tosser in the country goes to it. If you want to go to a good racing festival take a few days at the Isle of Man TT. Its first class plenty to do and its family friendly.
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Couldn't agree more, NW 200 is totally over rated, full of drunken edjits better off heading to the TT it is a far better event with a lot better atmosphere.
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Just spent the week there, and lost count how many arguments I had with so called Marshalls not letting me near the road, yet it is ok for some 20st St. Johns Ambulance girl to sit on her arse on a deck chair on the phone to her mate right at a crash hot spot.
No crashes yesterday which was good for the riders, and the Mathers Cross Chicane was sooo slow, really boring.
Bet bit of drama I saw was some random standing naked ontop of the condemed Metropole building, then getting arrested!!!
heres a handful of pics from it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirthferris/
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Typical north west 200 weekend. People falling off cliffs teenagers beat up and drunken people rescued in a boat.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/default.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/default.stm)