As I age, I change, it seems

I mentioned it in a post earlier but thought I’d get thoughts of others….

I’m not intending booking TT 2025 race week on a bike. I’ve been going for race week for over 30 years (foot and mouth, covid excluded) but I’m changing.

I still love the breathtaking speed and aggression of the TT but (for me) things out of the hedgerows are a changing….

I don’t do the miles at the TT anywhere near what i used to, too much traffic, 50mph speed limit seems a little draconian (i do understand and applaud the drop in accidents), 60 would be more appropriate imo.

Not enough days off, i love the racing but also love the days off where I can ride, laze, enjoy and relax as i see fit etc.

I’m not a fan of the two groups format where bucketlisters are prioritized over the people that came year in year out.

But, I’ve been going to the mgp for a good number of years now. Mgp became mgp/classic TT became mgp again. I attended all formats. Usually over a long weekend.

With the mgp, I find the watching, the racing, the people, the bikes, the riding and the atmosphere superior to the TT.

For 2025, I’m not booking a bike and ferry for the TT, I’ll maybe bob across as a footy to see a day or two but, I’m going to do the full mgp event, ferry and bike, the whole event, 9 or 10 days over and watch the lot.

I’ve no doubt, it’s an age thing, as i get older, I find more of an attachment to the older bikes and what i want from an event like the TT or manx has changed.

20 years ago, the TT tear up was just as important as the racing. The tear up wasn’t just the riding but the nights, the beer, the partying and riding on open roads at speeds that were legal and very big.

I’ve changed, those priorities above aren’t there now….
I want to watch at places where I don’t have somebody elses breath on the back of my neck, I go for a slash and still have a spot on the banking.
I want to enjoy the riding, just fire the riding and not the three figure speeds.
At the manx, the people are more mature, no bucketlist ‘pee’ heads, just fellow race fans that are there to see the spectacle and enjoy the day.
The bikes take me back to my younger days and i love that.

I didn’t think I’d ever feel like this but there you have, I’ve changed… It seems

Source: As I age, I change, it seems