I see under the "End of Morning Practice" thread, that Stella asks why there is no riders rep, and asks why riders are not asked for their views on the TT.
Have I really made such a small impact on TT fans? I have been Riders Rep since 1988,(taking over from Roger Marshall) and have served on the TT Tourist Board Riders forum since 1996( a founding member).This information is always printed in the programme. I make a number of postings on this site, including a recent one suggesting that an announcement would be made very soon about next year's TT. Is it just me, or is this site just for a little idle tittle tattle. Let me assure you that a great deal of effort goes into the TT and that riders ARE consulted.When I took over the Riders Rep role,and it is indeed a great honour to serve, there was just me.Subsequently I asked to have an assistant ( Jason Griffiths) so that there was always someone at the TT available, and now there are sidecars reps aswell.The full list at this years' TT was . Geoff Bell,Jason and me, Roy Hanks, Jim Hodson, and Phil Harvey. All these riders give their time voluntarily for the good of the TT.I can assure you that the riders know that we exist, and some of them have replicas on their shelves which would not be there but for our efforts. In addition hundreds of other tasks,( do you want to know them or are you going to take my word for it?) get done, and points are raised. Do any riders out there wish to add to this?

Yes, Nick, it is generally those who put the most into the TT that get the least recognition.

It would be very interesting to relate some of what goes on behind the scenes for the people who tend not to believe that things DO go on.....

Someday it could make an interesting book.

In the meantime, many of us worry about our main interest in life and hope that it still goes on forever............

Hi Nick I think what Stella was asking was are any MGP riders represented at meetings of the MMCC as the original post was only specific in saying early morning practices at the Manx were to be dropped.

Nick i apologise if i have upset you which it appears i may have, going by your reply. I can only assure you that the question was asked completly inocently? I have not been able to attend the TT for over 20yrs and only follow what i heard and read on the sites. After reading your reply i of course appreciate the work that you oviously do and no offence was intended.However have to admit i still wonder were you consulted re the proposed changes then as the riders representative that have been suggested on the various roadracing sites ?
thanks,
Stella

Nick i have also sent you a personal e mail.
thanks,
Stella

Nick, is there a riders representative for the MGP, because, if there is, as a rider, Im not aware of this fact.

OK let's clear this up. Thank you for your E Mail Stella, and I will write to you personally. The first posting in this thread was by David Griffiths, and yes it referred to the MMCC dropping morning practice. On the fourth line David writes, "and the same thing may happen at the TT". Next posting is from Elwyn Roberts, who writes about "sweeping changes to the TT".Next posting is from Stella asking if the riders are involved. You can see how I consider this to be a TT matter,we are, after all, on the "TT Website".
In response to the question, are there any Riders Reps at the Manx, the answer would, I believe, be "No". However I was aware that morning practices are becoming compromised for various reasons, and I'm sure you will understand safety being one of them.
I really wanted some actual TT Riders to comment, merely to discover how many of them are out there reading this message board, but in the meantime, you,never know, this thread may encourage the MMCC to invite riders on to a MGP riders forum, or to have a riders representative. Now there's something to write about.

Is it just me, or is this site just for a little idle tittle tattle.

Up to a point, yes, it must be. If nobody posted anything that wasn't an officially approved statement of polcy, it'd be a pretty empty bulletin board.

Also- is it impossible that official bodies are influenced by tittle tattle of their own?

If red herrings and gossip is posted and someone like yourself comes in to pass on some genuine knowledge and put people right, that's a good result.

Thanks.

Hi Nick
I am a regular (ish) TT and former MGP competitor, I think you are right in that there is NO riders rep that I am aware of at the MGP, personally I think that the reason for this is that at the MGP the MMCC are that bit more user friendly than the ACU at the TT and therefore riders feel that they can approach officials themselves with problems, certainly the office staff, Beryl etc are far more REAL than those at the TT. I think that introducing a riders rep at the MGP would possibly start to build a them and us situation which is not there at the moment. But thats just my view.
As for morning practices being scrapped, it is a shame as this is another unique TT/MGP thing that is being lost to new culture of suing that we live in, they are no more dangerous now than they were 50 years ago are they? OK the bikes are quicker, but they also stop and handle better, the riders reactions I feel are possibly that bit quicker than years ago, I remember Roger Marshal saying on video (1986?87/88 I think) that "the days have gone now where you could turn up at the TT, have a ride round and get a result" the point being that if you could turn up,ride round and get a "result" then your reactions would not need to be that good would they?
Morning practices are a mixed bag, I used to hate getting up for them, going through scruts, and then standing on Glencrutchery Road cold, but once going there was no better feeling than blasting round so early in the morning watching the sun come up and noticing how much lighter it was on lap 2 than lap 1 :-), you knew it was nearly time for tea at the Hailwood Centre then ;-).
On the point that they are stopping morning practice on the grounds of safety, this I will never agree with, the ONLY thing that makes the TT and MGP safer in the long run is RESPECT FOR THE COURSE, and the only way to gain more respect for the course (without pain) is MORE PRACTICE.
Sorry to rabble on a bit.
Cheers
Russ

Nothing wrong with tittle-tattle if thats what the bulletin board users want. This board has bits of serious stuff, and bits of the sort of friendly banter (well, usually friendly) that happenes when people share a passion, and have become friends.
Many of us meet at the TT, Manx and Southern100. Life is too short to be only devoted to seriousness, but having a laugh from time to time, does not mean we do not care greatly about the TT.
Most of us help either financially or practically, so whether we are current competitors or not does not mean our views are ill informed or unworthy.
Keep up the arguing, campaigning and gossiping...its all worthwhile.

Thanks very much Nick for your e mail. I am having e mail problems at moment as i would like to reply in the future.
cheers,
Stella