Discussing the Quarry Bends improvements under the "What year did this happen" heading got me thinking about all the course improvements that have taken place since I first rode (1975), and more importantly, whether these improvements have made the course safer.
Bray Hill is safer, since the descent and Ago's were made smoother, Union Mills is more dangerous since Snugborough was effectively removed as the entrance speed to Union Mills has risen dramatically.
Glen Helen is 50/50 since there is more grip, and you can use more of the road, but everyone goes faster.
13th milestone the same, as entrance speed is higher, but you can't afford to get it wrong.
Quarry Bends in my opinion is safer, but someone mentioned the higher speeds, so maybe that's 50/50 aswell.
Gail said she was glad that the Ginger Hall to Ramsey section hadn't changed, and I agree. proper TT course that bit.
White Gates out of Ramsey looks way faster nowadays, so same again, more speed OK until you get it wrong.
All the Mountain is much much faster today,and I think it is much safer, but as we can see, sadly they're still getting hurt up there.
It was an interesting point raised re. the course improvements and higher speeds. Anyone got the answer, apart from putting everyone back on rigid frames, and limit the age to between 34 and 35!!?

Lap speeds will go up again once they adjust Windy corner and Brandish.

The facts are all very intresting. I look foward to seeing the site complete, as it is a real sign of riders bravery and remembrance.

Hi Nick, we are keen to know your opinion on the section from 33rd right down to Cronk-ny-Mona and how much that has changed even in your racing time scale.

The other section in question is from Ramsey Parliament Square to Guthries....

When I first rode in the MGP in 1974 I "learned" the course from a book written by, I think, Fred Hanks, and in a lot of sections it used to say "Bumps limit the speed". Smoother doesnt necessarily mean safer cos, if youre going faster then when you do fall off you hit things a lot harder, Elementary my dear Watson!!!!!! LOL If you fell off up the mountain in the "good old days" youd probably end up lost forever in a four foot deep ditch but all these have now been filled in to encourage you to cut the corners even more thereby increasing the speeds even more etc and of course in the "good old days" the biggest bikes allowed were 500's.

Your post reminds me, Nick, that so many changes and "improvements have been made over the last 20+ years.

And yet, to my mind Tony Rutter put it absolutely correctly way back in 1974.

You, Nick, and many others will remember the old Flow Bog corner at Dundrod - a fast lefthander over a crossroads with a pronounced "hump" on the apex where the road from the left joined the main road.

Bikes left the ground there - I can remember Ramon Torras on the works Bulto in the air there, in the wet!!

I can also see in my mind's eye John Cooper dropping it there - story was his glasses steamed up!!

However, in 1974, the powers that be did a lot of resurfacing round the circuit, and one of their tasks was to dig up the crossroads, remove what turned out to be a bl**dy great boulder underground, and resurface with the old hump removed.

Come the UGP, and tony Rutter came in after first practice. "What do you think?" they asked, expecting paeans of praise for the "safer" corner.

"You should have left it as it was" he said. "We all knew it was there".

Says it all, doesn't it??

A lot has changed since i first raced the Mountain Course back in 1984 MGP..... Dangerous it is no matter what changes they make... How to make it safe, is this really possible i dont think so... the walls and the trees are still going to be as hard.. Air bags air fences.. its not the speed that kills its the sudden stop or as they call it blunt force tramua....i love racing the TT course and hope to for a while yet God willing....Within the next ten years the Big Bikes will be Banned for sure as the speeds grow greater.....I can see the organisers being forced into bringing back smaller classes.....But lest we forget those who have gone before us in realising their goals and Dreams over the Greatest Races in the World..........Irish Ago..