|
 So,
having decided you're as mad as a hatter, buy your ticket, go through
the barrier and onto the straight, max it under the bridge, straight-line
the kinks from Tiergarten and then brake and turn late into the
first proper right hander into the Hohenrain chicane - there is
a section of run-off tarmac on the left here you can use to give
a wider entrance. Bit of care needed here as sometimes the next
couple of bends are blocked off and you are sent down the old pitlane
- apparently too many people stop to watch lëderhosen tugging
contests on the GP circuit ....
Into the next left and then a short squirt up to the right hander
towards the old 0km mark. This is a bit tricky as the bike tends
to run out wide if you go in too early, so keep tight to the armco
on the right as you apex. A quick blast then brake and down 2 gears
into the dropping left T13 after the old pits exit. Don't turn in
too early.
 Now
into the Hatzenbach section. Downhill, 2 fast rights (keep tight
to the rumble strip on the second apex to miss the bumps or you'll
bounce off too far left), a fast left and then braaake into a longish
double apex right. Then a sequence of left, right, left, all visible
and pretty straightforward short circuit stuff. If you're not fast
listen for the tell tale sound of squeaking rubber behind you -
cars are very quick through here. A short straight and then Hocheichen,
a right and tricky downhill left onto the straight.
 Big
throttle, keep left to avoid the bumps, over Quiddelbacher Höhe
(who makes these up?) and then some air as you leap Flugplatz and
into a high speed double apex right - let the bike run out in the
middle and clip the second apex. Now you're heading for a blind
crest, but it's fast, so wind on the throttle and don't drift too
far to the right - as you come over the hill the track is revealed
and if you're brave enough you can max it down through the kinks
to Schwedenkreuz, a very very fast left, and don't forget as you
exit to brake into Aremberg .. turn in late and gas it under the
bridge.
Now comes Fuchsröhre, a very fast downhill section which kicks
the bike about a bit. Straight-line the kinks but don't clip the
kerbs, then uphill and roll it off a shade for the fast left hander,
keep close to the left curb and down a couple of gears into a right
and then uphill to a tight left which must be the most crashed-on
bend, Adenauer Forst. Turn in really late (it feels like you're
at walking pace by now) then immediately right and watch out for
dirt and gravel on the road as you exit.
In a spin at Adenauer Forest |
Fuchsröhre |
Screw on the throttle for a flat, open blast then down a gear for
the first bit of Metzgesfeld, a fast left which really tests your
hero limits, then brake into a tightish cambered left. This climbs
to a blind right kink, so don't run out too far right. Downhill
again for another crasher, Kallenhard, a nasty, nasty little off
camber downhill right with lumps, which bites - wait for the faded
little marker by the left kerb, turn in and aim to apex about 2/3rds
along the rumble strip.
 A
quick blast down through a left/right chicane and then a fast load-the-front
long blind right, 3-Fach Rechts, which should give you a hit of
adrenaline if you get it right. Stay out a bit on the first apex,
hit the second and run out on the third. There is a white paint
marker to show you the peel-in point if you look hard enough for
it. Then stand on the anchors for Braiklikeshite, or Wehrseifen
if you want to be pedantic, a dropping left hairpin. Use just about
any line you like, but if you've got the fast section right you
should wind up at the peel-in marker on the right. Accelerate through
the opening right hander and then max it downhill to Breidscheid
Bridge.
|
Entering Breidscheid bridge, the end of
the downhill run from Aremberg. This is the only exit from
the circuit apart from the start line - some nice cafés
here for lunch.
|
Climbing out of Ex-Muhle towards Bergwerk
- the camera bike is just about to hit the jump. This is
the start of a long climb up Kesselschen to the Karussell
and Hohe Acht. |
Exiting Bergwerk |
Fast left over the bridge (don't show off to the spectators too
much and watch out for riders turning off right for a plate of Bratwurst
in Adenau) run out right then let the bike continue back to the
left of the track and then try not to brake as you wizz uphill and
sling the bike right up Ex-Mühle (Water Mill). Aim to apex right
by the rumble strip as the bend will throw you out to the left.
There's a lot of compression here on the front suspension. Bit of
a wheelie and slappy front as you attempt to max it up the steep
hill, then a flat-out left (where Nikki Lauder lost it) then brake
deep into Bergwerk - possibly the best bend on the circuit. Wait
until the concrete kerbing ends and then turn in right through this
wonderful climbing bend, hard on the throttle up the hill to Kesselchen.
The climb is pretty steep and if you're on a 600 or 750 you'll
really have to scream it through the gears to maintain a decent
speed. Two flat lefts, some flat out squiggles with the odd bump
and then roll it off a shade (unless you're a complete hero) for
the last left, Angst Kurve.
Wipperman |
On yer ear up to Klostertal, jumpy little right kink and brake
into a short-circuit right hander, sort of a big hairpin. Screw
the throttle up the hill, stay a couple of feet off the right kerbing
where it juts out and head for the little square marker on the armco.
This should drop you spot-on into the Karussell (oh, don't forget
to brake and change gears while you're doing all that). Bumpy, bumpy
round the horrible concrete Karussell. Whatever you do, don't try
and exit early if you don't like it - you'll wind up in the armco,
hard. Out fast, flat out right, then uphill to two lefts, Posten
147, the first one's very fast, the second one isn't! Then a climbing
right up to Hohe Acht, the top of the hill.
Eschbach, towards Brünnchen |
Latish entry into the next right at Hedwigshöhe to miss the bump
and down through Wippermann, a nice sequence of left/rights - try
to keep a constant throttle and let the bike do the work. This section
needs a fair bit of practice to avoid running out of road by the
end. It's followed by a climbing blind right, and you must stay
to the right so that you're in position for the left hander Eschbach
- another popular crasher. Getting the turn-in here is tricky -
don't apex too early and remember there's a downhill right to follow,
so don't drift out wide.
The Ring taxi doing it's thing at Brunchen
|
Eiskurve |
Now it's downhill into Brünnchen, where there is normally a good
crowd of spectators to heckle and abuse you. It all gets a bit tricky
from here as most of the bends are blind. A climbing right turn
out of Brünnchen, then get over to the right as you go up the hill
to Eiskurve, a tightening left bend with a blind crest followed
by a right kink - this bend catches a lot of people out as they
turn in too early, drift right and run out of track at the kink.
Stay out to the right to straightline the next left.
Pflanzgarten 1 |
Brake before the jump and drop down into Pflanzgarten 1. Then a
lovely climbing double apex right followed immediately by a couple
of dropping lefts at Pflanzgarten 2, then another climbing right
leading to a very fast blind kink, Sprunghugel. Pray your steering
damper hasn't fallen off as this is all tank slapper territory.
There are many crashes in the Brunchen/Pflanzgarten section, perhaps
partly due to drivers and riders showing off a bit to the large
crowds of spectators, so take extra care.
This is all very fast and a bit scary. Now down to a fast right
which tightens, into a funny uphill left - kinda creeps up on you
and very tricky to get the line right. Stay middle right of the
track and turn in fairly late (at the end of the rumble strip) -
take it a bit easy to make sure you miss the bumps out on the right
or you'll be on your ear. Quick squirt of throttle and a late entry
into the mini-carousel, Schwalbenshwanz. Up the hill, then into
the last bend, Galgenkopf. Once into the bend let the bike run out
towards a little marker plate on the left and then turn in again
to finish this very long, quick bend which leads onto the final
straight, Dottinger Höhe.
Oh, nearly forgot, the Ring is a public one-way road with limited
access, so no silly stuff! (but if you can't do it in 8.30 you're
a big girl).
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As
the ring is a public road all the usual insurance stuff applies,
so you should be covered if you dump the bike and if someone takes
you out you can claim against them. As Germans drive on the right
then that is where you should be unless you are overtaking. As far
as we know, the only odd thing is if someone crashes into the back
of you when you're wobbling about on the left side of the circuit
and don't get out of the way - apparently under German law you're
to blame. So use your mirrors, and if someone comes up behind you
assume he's quick and will want to get by! 
