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The Snaefell ReviewIsle of Man TT magazine

An independent guide to the Isle of Man TT

The Isle of Man TT and the Snaefell Mountain Course

An independent magazine on the Isle of Man TT: the Snaefell Mountain Course, its named corners and vantage points, the races, and how to watch road racing.

Start with the courseWhere to watch the TT

A lone motorcycle leaning hard through a stone-walled country bend on the Isle of Man, dry stone walls and green hedges blurred behind, overcast Manx light
The Mountain Course is 37.73 miles of closed public road, from the streets of Douglas to the summit and back.

Start with the sections

Four guides, from the circuit to the island

Each section opens with an index of its guides. Pick the course and its corners, the practical business of watching, the races and their history, or the island around them.

  1. An elevated view over the Isle of Man from the mountain road, green fields and dry stone walls falling away to the sea under a grey Manx sky.
    01

    The Course

    The 37.73 mile circuit of closed public roads, corner by corner: the start in Douglas, the villages of the north west, the climb over the mountain and the descent to the finish.

    11 guides inside

  2. Spectators standing behind a dry stone wall and a hedge watching an empty closed road, folding chairs and a flask on the grass verge.
    02

    Watching the TT

    How the fortnight is run, how the road closures work, where to stand and what a day at the hedges actually involves, with notes for photographers.

    2 guides inside

  3. The TT Grandstand and start line on Glencrutchery Road with a packed grandstand, banners and a timing tower.
    03

    The Races

    The Tourist Trophy as a competition: the classes, the Senior TT, the time trial format, the history of the event and the Manx Grand Prix on the same roads.

    4 guides inside

  4. A wide view of Douglas bay with the promenade and the sweep of the bay under a bright sky.
    04

    The Island

    The place around the racing: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown, Snaefell and the Laxey Wheel, Tynwald, the Manx language and the heritage railways.

    3 guides inside

Section 1 of 4

The Course

The 37.73 mile circuit of closed public roads, corner by corner: the start in Douglas, the villages of the north west, the climb over the mountain and the descent to the finish.

  • A marshal in orange overalls standing beside a dry stone wall at a country road corner with a flag, the closed road empty ahead.

    The Course

    The Named Corners of the Mountain Course

    A guide to the named corners and vantage points of the TT course, from Bray Hill and Quarter Bridge to Ramsey Hairpin, the Bungalow and Creg-ny-Baa.

    More than sixty named features make a lap readable.

  • A residential street in Douglas dropping steeply between terraced houses toward the sea, closed to traffic with straw bales against a garden wall.

    The Course

    Bray Hill and the Start of a Lap

    The first mile of a TT lap: the Grandstand start on Glencrutchery Road, the drop down Bray Hill, Quarter Bridge and the run out through Braddan.

    The opening mile: the drop, the crowd and Quarter Bridge.

  • A stone humpback bridge over a small river in a Manx village, whitewashed cottages and a low pub beside the road.

    The Course

    Ballaugh Bridge and the North

    The north west of the TT course: Kirk Michael, the Ballaugh Bridge jump, the Sulby straight and the run into Ramsey along the old Castletown road.

    Kirk Michael, the bridge, the Sulby straight and the run to Ramsey.

  • A tight hairpin bend on a hillside road above a harbour town, dark tarmac curving sharply, moorland and the sea beyond.

    The Course

    Ramsey Hairpin and the Mountain Climb

    The hardest part of a TT lap: the Ramsey Hairpin, the climb through Waterworks and the Gooseneck to the Bungalow and Hailwood's Height.

    The tightest turn on the course and the climb over Snaefell.

  • A whitewashed country pub at a crossroads on a hillside with a small grandstand beside it and a dry stone wall, grey sky behind.

    The Course

    Creg-ny-Baa and the Run to the Finish

    The descent home: Keppel Gate, Kate's Cottage, the Creg-ny-Baa pub, Hillberry, Signpost Corner and the drop to the Governor's Bridge finish.

    The descent home and the corners that decide a race.

  • A four-wheel dynamometer cell at dusk, a rear-wheel-drive car strapped down with its driven wheels on the rollers, cooling fan running, the operator's screen showing two torque curves in the foreground and the car's tail lights glowing red.

    The Course

    Engine Stages, Dynos and the Law

    What stage 1, 2 and 3 actually change on a road or race engine, how a dyno measures a gain, and the legal and warranty consequences of tuning.

  • A dual-clutch gearbox on a workshop bench in Metz, its casing open to show the clutch packs, lit by a low angled work lamp with the rest of the bench in shadow.

    The Course

    Gearbox Limits, Ethanol and Returning a Tune to Standard

    Torque ratings, ethanol conversion and emission systems on a tuned machine, and why owners return a vehicle to standard before selling.

  • A motorcycle workshop bench at dusk, a used front brake pad and a micrometer lying on an oily cloth beside a removed caliper, warm tungsten light from the left, close framing on the pad and the measuring tool.

    The Course

    Consumables and Warning Signs on the TT Course

    What wears first on a racing motorcycle, what each dashboard light asks of a rider, and what an inspection test covers on the Isle of Man.

  • A diesel van parked at a fuel pump on a grey morning, the nozzle still in the filler neck, the odometer visible through the driver's window, shot from the rear three-quarter at windscreen height.

    The Course

    Declared Power, Fuel Cost and the MOT

    What a modified engine means for the paperwork, the pump and the inspection, and the questions that separate a careful workshop from a careless one.

  • A stripped engine block on a workshop stand under a single overhead lamp, cylinder bores catching the light, a bore gauge resting on the deck, shot from a low three quarter angle.

    The Course

    Rebuilt, Exchanged or Replaced: Engine Choices

    How an engine is measured, re-machined and renewed, and how the choice between rebuilding, an exchange unit and replacement is made.

  • A dyno cell at night, a rear wheel strapped to the rollers and a laptop screen glowing with two overlaid power curves, shot from behind the car at waist height.

    The Course

    Reading a Power Curve and a Tuner's Claim

    How to read a power curve, verify a tune independently, and understand the legal limits on the road, from the TT paddock to the dyno cell.

Open the The Course index

Section 2 of 4

Watching the TT

How the fortnight is run, how the road closures work, where to stand and what a day at the hedges actually involves, with notes for photographers.

  • A grassy bank beside a country road with a few spectators and a camera, looking down on a bend between tall hedges.

    Watching the TT

    Where to Watch the TT

    Choosing a vantage point at the TT: what each part of the course shows, how close the bikes pass, access on foot and the practical rules for spectators.

    Start area, villages or mountain: what each place shows.

  • A photographer with a long lens crouched low behind a stone wall at the edge of a road, tracking a motorcycle sweeping past.

    Watching the TT

    Photographing Road Racing

    How to photograph the TT: reading a corner, shutter speeds and panning, the best vantage points for pictures, and staying safe behind the fences.

    Reading a corner, panning, and staying behind the wall.

Open the Watching the TT index

From the archive

Guides that keep their historical addresses

This domain published a photograph site about the Isle of Man TT for many years. These guides answer the questions those pages answered, at the same addresses.

Further reading

Other independent sites worth a bookmark

The Snaefell Review sells nothing and answers to no club or promoter. These independent sites cover corners of motorcycling and photography that this magazine does not: touring culture, buying and running a machine, and the craft of the image.

  • Outside this site

    Akersberga MC

    A Swedish site on motorcycle touring and riding culture, with notes on trips, machines and the habits of long distance riders.

    Touring miles and riding culture.

  • Outside this site

    Arkas Motor

    A Turkish motorcycle and scooter dealership site, with model information and the practical side of buying and running a two wheeler.

    Buying and running a motorcycle.

  • Outside this site

    Blimp Photo

    An American aerial photography and video company publishing examples of work shot from the air.

    Photography and video from the air.

  • Outside this site

    JTB Photography

    A professional photography practice with a portfolio of commissioned and editorial work.

    A working photographer's portfolio.

  • Outside this site

    Authors Image

    Travel photography and picture making, with an emphasis on place, light and the craft of the image.

    Travel photography and place.

  • Outside this site

    Bilbao Fotos

    Urban photography from Bilbao, covering streets, buildings and the texture of a working city.

    A city seen through a lens.

Elsewhere

Other independent publications

The Forth Swimmer is an independent magazine covering swimming in Fife and the Firth of Forth, with practical guidance for families who want to teach a child to swim, plus clubs, competition, pools and open water.

For readers weighing a second-hand bicycle, a French guide sets out annual upkeep by use, how to read a repair quote, the repair bonus, and battery checks on an electric bike: bicycle running costs in France.

Section 3 of 4

The Races

The Tourist Trophy as a competition: the classes, the Senior TT, the time trial format, the history of the event and the Manx Grand Prix on the same roads.

  • A vintage motorcycle and rider in period leathers on a country road, muted sepia tones, reminiscent of early twentieth century racing.

    The Races

    A Short History of the TT

    From the first race at St John's in 1907 to the Mountain Course and the modern era: how the Tourist Trophy became the most famous road race in the world.

    From St John's in 1907 to the mountain and the modern era.

  • A clubman racer on a classic motorcycle through a leafy Manx lane in late summer light, tall hedgerows on both sides.

    The Races

    The Manx Grand Prix and the Classic TT

    The Manx Grand Prix, run since 1923 as the amateur road race on the Mountain Course, and the Classic TT: the September festival and its place in racing.

    The clubman race that has shared the course since 1923.

  • A lit residential street at dusk in a British town, a runner in a reflective vest passing under a street lamp, shot from behind at pavement level with wet tarmac reflecting the light.

    The Races

    Starting club sport: a beginner's first weeks

    A beginner's guide to entering club sport: first weeks of running, Couch to 5K, kit and shoes, safe hours, club affiliation, first events and volunteering.

  • A parquet competition floor in a sports hall under overhead lighting, seen from the edge of the floor at knee height, with a single pair of black dance shoes placed at the boundary line and the empty floor stretching away behind them.

    The Races

    Dance Sport Classes, Age Groups and Finals

    How competitive dance classes, age groups, preliminary rounds and finals are structured, and what changes for children entering competition.

Open the The Races index

The course in pictures

Five places on the Mountain Course

Five views from the guides below, each with the page that explains the place in full.

  • A residential street in Douglas dropping steeply between terraced houses toward the sea, closed to traffic with straw bales against a garden wall.

    Vantage 1

    Bray Hill: the opening drop

    The first mile of a lap, from the Grandstand to Quarter Bridge, where the walls are close and the crowd stands on both pavements.

  • A stone humpback bridge over a small river in a Manx village, whitewashed cottages and a low pub beside the road.

    Vantage 2

    Ballaugh Bridge and the north

    Kirk Michael, the humpback bridge that throws a machine into the air, and the Sulby straight beyond it.

  • A tight hairpin bend on a hillside road above a harbour town, dark tarmac curving sharply, moorland and the sea beyond.

    Vantage 3

    The Ramsey Hairpin and the climb

    The tightest turn on the course, then Waterworks, the Gooseneck and the highest point at Hailwood's Height.

  • A whitewashed country pub at a crossroads on a hillside with a small grandstand beside it and a dry stone wall, grey sky behind.

    Vantage 4

    Creg-ny-Baa and the descent

    Keppel Gate and Kate's Cottage down to the Creg-ny-Baa pub, then Hillberry and the run to the finish line.

  • The Great Laxey Wheel, a huge red and white water wheel on a wooded hillside above a village.

    Vantage 5

    The island away from the racing

    The Laxey Wheel, Snaefell by mountain railway, castles and the coast, for the rest days of a TT fortnight.

Section 4 of 4

The Island

The place around the racing: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown, Snaefell and the Laxey Wheel, Tynwald, the Manx language and the heritage railways.

Open the The Island index