Me & some buddies are thinking of doing this next year, has anyone done on here done it? Recommend it? Any advice/info on accommodation/etc?

Thanks.

Make a trip of it and stay a few days.

Done it twice with a group, we stayed just out of town which was good and took it in turns to drive in.

Make sure you book the coach there and back too and try and get a good spot in the start, after the long road run in the first off road climb turns into a push for a lot and blocks the path if your still riding. Nothing too technical out there just can get muddy if the weather is bad.

The locals are friendly and come out to support and the free feed the day before and night of the ride is great.

There is plenty of riding on the island to do and a few touristy things around.

One of the best events I have done.

Done it for the last 5 years.
I’m definitely in the “out for a day’s ride” bracket, having never broken the 5hours 30mins barrier. (1 more chance before I’m 50).
Started at the back last year, took 11 minutes to get over the start line, still clocked 6:10 at the finish and had some good banter with fellow riders in the constant headwind.
This year It took about 6 mins to get over the start line and more often than not I found myself riding with boring **** who were not really enjoying themselves did not want to have a laugh.
Can’t help with accomodation as I stay with friends who also supply transport to the start and back from the finish.
I park my car at Heysham Port and go Foot passenger on the ferry because I know I’m sorted for transport.
Not cheap when transport and accomodation are on the budget, but always a great weekend away.

I live two minutes from the finish, have done it around ten times now, best time was 3hrs 30 when I was a racing snake in the middle of an alps guiding season, now with wife, kids and shift work I come in around 4hrs (4:03 this year).

It’s a great event, superb organisation for food and water stops, police escorts and junctions manned by bobbies, everybody comes out to watch and clap you along, real carnival atmosphere The first half now takes a straight forward route up on to the hills to avoid former bottle necks. The second half takes in a lot more techy riding – man made forest trail, weather proofed moorland singletrack,all of which is being expanded and developed for 2014.

You also get fed…twice at the sign on and presentation, where else does that happen?!

If you want to do it on the cheap, park up at Heysham and roll on with your bike and take advantage of the transport to start and finish. The ferry docks right in Douglas town centre so accommodation anywhere in town will be fine, most are bike friendly

I’ve done it the last 3 years and would definitely recommend it! The event is really well run and in my opinion very good value, the price of the entry also includes the T-shirt a meal on the evening before the event and another at the presentation evening on the Sunday. We have always gone for the transport option when entering, this means you and your bike get picked up from Douglas on the morning of the race and taken to the start, then when (or maybe if haha) you finish you also get taken back to Douglas. Price for the event including transport was £52 this year. I would recommend taking some protection for your bike for both the ferry out there and the transport to the event as the bikes are packed in pretty tight on the back of the lorry/ ferry car deck. I just use some foam pipe lagging.

We get the train and then the Steam Packet company Manannan ferry from Liverpool on the Saturday and return on the Monday, you can come back on the Sunday evening though if time is limited. Price for the ferry is usually about £40 return as a foot passenger and the bike goes for free. First year we stayed in one of those wooden pod things at a campsite in Glenlough 3 miles out of Douglas but for not much more we have stayed in a hotel in Douglas (The Best Western Palace hotel and Casino) for the last 2, worked out at around £75 each for 2 nights.

The event itself is excellent, and the support from the locals along the whole route is great! I’m really slow up the hills so my best time is 6hrs 28mins, the winners usually do it in around 3hrs. Changes to the course this year solved some of the issues with bottlenecking and queues through some sections. It is a lot of fun though (unless it’s raining and there is a horrible headwind like in 2012) and I have always enjoyed the whole weekend. This is my video from this years event https://vimeo.com/74233440

When is it?

Mid September, entries usually open in February and can fill up pretty quickly (1700 places)

Leave your car at Heysham, they you’re only on the island for 1 night.
Sail from Liverpool and your stranded for 3 nights.

Done it 3 times, each time getting a gold, so no need to do it again.

If you’re quick, get as close to the start line as you can.

definitely stay over if you can – there is a lot of riding over here using hills, trails & plantations beyond the E2E…. there’s a lot of work behind the scenes but everyone who survived seem to like the course & event. i’m biased as i hand out Tees’s @ sign on and did the finish too this year. When i do ride i always find someone of roughly the same pace to ride with. there were several big groups over this year too i noticed…

oh, and you can get accommodation packages with boat/hotel too. If you’re a distance rider the local MTB club chair also organises the “legs of man 100” as covered in Privateer (rip)

Really fancy this & a very good friend lives in Peel so it seem madness not to! Im going to aim for the 2014 event!

The ferry trips are good fun, the hold is packed with bikes and almost everyone on board is a mtber. There is a free cinema & a bar, much fun for those not driving.

I live in Ballaugh,15 mins from the start. Did my first e2e this year. Previously did Ratrace Crossing in July and it matched it for great organisation and routes. We ride sections of it most weeks and never get fed up.
Great scenery, great banter and some great trails…. IOM tourism will sort accommodation for you if you tell them your price bracket….my goal was 5 hours….. finished in 5.01…. Chain came off on last climb DOH

doesnt take a minute to put a chain on 😉

There is a free cinema & a bar,

Don’t be under any illusions, the bar is most definitely not free, quite the opposite in fact 😀