Cooil Roi & Begoade Road |
Well, a nice day so thought I'd pop out and try to get to Windy Corner on the Mountain circuit using just the tracks - didn't make it though
Started off by riding out of Douglas north towards Laxey on the coast road. First track is called Cooil Roi and starts just after the Liverpool Arms pub beside the electric tram rails
After a very short stretch of tarmac, the track proper started. The first section is pretty easy, with double ruts and only small stones to worry about
Then you hit a minor (very minor!) road for 50 yards or so before the second section of Cooil Roi starts. This bit is a fair bit more interesting, tight and twisty single track over various sized rocks and some rock slabs too
That went OK, switching between 1st and 2nd, then another short stretch of track before the Begoade track past the Conrhenny Plantation
The track is the little one in the centre on the horizon, not the wide one to the right
No more pics of this track, as it was a tad more technical so didn't stop to take photos. Coming out of one dip and puddle I got the wrong line on the track and the front wheel washed out - down I went. No real damage, bar a couple of bits of fairing snapped off, and I've twisted my wrist a little, which is partly why no more pics
Continued the ride, going through muddy puddles up to about 30 feet long or so, bike didn't complain once or lose traction, I was just finding it painful pulling the clutch in to change gear
Finished the track (I will go back to this one someday!) and decided to follow a small back road to see where it went (lost my map somewhere along the ride). Lovely narrow road, certainly not wide enough for a car and bike to pass each other, winding through Glenroy, Ballaquine (small ford here), Ballacow and Baldhoon, before dropping back into Laxey. Glenroy is where the track to Windy Corner starts, so there's another reason to go back
Rode home, to clean the slightly muddied and damaged bike
The standard fit Trailwings on the Dommie seem to work OK as long as it's not deep mud - coped fine with the muddy puddles, even though the rear is wearing down to near replacement level