“Multiple” cyclists were arrested for riding their bikes on the A18 Mountain Road during this summer’s TT season, the island’s police revealed this week, ahead of another two-week ban on cycling for the duration for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT races.
The ban on cycling during the Isle of Man’s famous motorcycling events was first introduced a decade ago on the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road, a fast-moving 13-mile-long A-road connecting Ramsey and Douglas and featuring a derestricted speed limit.
The road forms part of the famous Isle of Man TT and ascends steadily to an elevation of 400 metres above sea level, characterised by its sweeping bends and often changeable weather.
Cyclists are currently not allowed to use the route during the early summer TT season or during the Manx Grand Prix in August. During June’s Isle of Man TT, other vehicles using the road are also limited in that they are only permitted to travel in the direction of the course. However, the road remains two-way throughout August’s race period.
Cycling is now prohibited on the Mountain Road between the Ramsey hairpin and the Creg-Ny-Baa, the ban starting at 9.30am this morning and lasting until 4.30pm on Monday 31 August 2026.
The opening qualifying session for this year’s Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT takes place on Sunday afternoon, with racing set to finish on 28 August.
In a statement posted on social media highlighting the band – and captioned ‘How will your visit end? You choose’ – the Isle of Man Constabulary said: “Multiple people were arrested during the TT period for cycling on the A18 Mountain Road.
“Cycling on the A18 Mountain Road is also prohibited during the Manx Grand Prix/Classic TT period. There is clear signage across the Mountain Road advising that cycling on this section of the course is not permitted.
“Please follow the signs and instructions in place, they are there to protect you and others.”
The news that a number of cyclists were arrested for flouting the temporary ban on cycling during the TT comes a year after the Isle of Man’s Department for Infrastructure insisted that it has “no plans” to permanently prohibit cycling on the island’s Mountain Road.
The department made its stance public after a petition calling for cyclists to be banned from the “perilous” route attracted over 300 signatures. Yes, that many.
According to the petition, titled ‘Ban cyclists from the Mountain Road in Isle of Man’ and launched by resident Lee Smith, cyclists should be banned from the road at all times, because they cause a “backlog of traffic” while also “increasing the risk of collisions”, arguing that people on bikes cause the “risk factors to multiply”, and that they should instead be forced to use alternative routes “without interfering with primary traffic”.
The petition failed to grain much traction with the Isle of Man’s residents, however, attracting just 25 signatures during its first two weeks – until, that is, 3 FM, the island’s self-proclaimed “feel-good radio station”, shared the campaign online, causing the number of supporters to jump to over 300.
Nevertheless, those 339 signatures – bizarrely – weren’t enough to spur the Isle of Man’s government into action, with a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure stating: “We have no plans to restrict cyclists from any roads in the island, except during the TT period. If and when a petition is received, it will be considered by the Department in the normal way.”
If the petition is ever considered by the government, it will be forced to debate – as Smith argued – whether a ban on cyclists would, in fact, “protect lives and ensure smooth traffic flow on this crucial stretch of roadway”.
“Cycling on the Mountain Road in the Isle of Man is very dangerous,” the petition states. “Having lived in Douglas for years travelling between Douglas and Ramsey, I’ve witnessed the issues first-hand.
“This road, known for its scenic but winding path, is a hotbed for accidents due to its high-speeds and rapidly changing weather conditions that impair visibility. When cyclists use this road, the risk factors multiply, leading to serious safety concerns for both the cyclists and motorists alike.
“Most users of the Mountain Road are drivers who already have to navigate the frequent bends and unpredictable conditions. The addition of cyclists not only causes a backlog of traffic but also increases the risk of road traffic collisions. With poor visibility, drivers are often unable to see cyclists in time, leading to near misses and, unfortunately, some tragic outcomes.”
While this month’s ban is only a temporary, annual measure, our most-read story of recent times concerns a cyclist who was in fact prevented by police from riding his bike on the Mountain Road outside the TT season.
Back in 2023, Yorkshire cyclist Chris Glencorse was visiting the Isle of Man on a three-day cycling trip when he was stopped by officers who were dispatched to check on his welfare while climbing the A18, after several drivers reported that they had nearly struck the cyclist due to the apparent poor visibility and adverse conditions on the road.
The cyclist, who was riding in foggy conditions, says he was stopped by police three times and ordered to “put my bike in the van as it was too dangerous”, following the complaints from motorists on the climb.
“Unbelievably the Isle of Man Police thought it was appropriate to stop me three times while cycling over the mountain, the last time to tell me to put the bike in the van because of complaints by car drivers. That’s not how the Highway Code works. I didn’t get in the van,” Glencorse told road.cc.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Man Constabulary also told us at the time that the officers simply “offered to transport the cyclist and his bicycle to Douglas to ensure he arrived safely” and that the incident was a “timely reminder to all motorists that cyclists frequently use the A18 Mountain Road” and to “ensure that you drive/cycle to the conditions and arrive at your destination safely”.
