Pro Athletes V Speedway Riders V I Am Getting Old

[Sotonian]

Surely Mike lee is the prime example of someone who should have spent more time in the gym, if only to keep him out of trouble! Similar to Darcy, both naturally skinny blokes, who would have achieved so much more had they been as dedicated as other less gifted riders. Time in the gym may not habr made those two better riders but as much as anything the gym work is surely part of the psychological preparation and cutting out vices that may impact on your career on the long term

I keep seeing this in regard to Mike but he won everything of note that he could have. World champ in speedway & longtrack, WTC winner, British champ, BLRC winner when it actually meant something. A pretty tidy list by most standards.

[keepturningleft]

Didn't Steve Davies used keep himself fit and healthy in a sport where that wouldn't necessarily seem to be much of a requirement?

 

Fit body, fit mind.

[Shale Searcher]

One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is breathing when on a speedway bike..

 

Do you breath in when you're going in to a corner, and out coming out a corner, or do you only breathe on the straights, I also used to hold my breath on the green light.. it's not as easy to breathe as you think...

[Sotonian]

One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is breathing when on a speedway bike..

 

Do you breath in when you're going in to a corner, and out coming out a corner, or do you only breathe on the straights, I also used to hold my breath on the green light.. it's not as easy to breathe as you think...

On the few occasions I had a go, keeping things in at the other end was more of a concern!

[BWitcher]

The more I think about this the more I think Dean has completely the wrong end of the stick here.

 

I'd say in the modern world and to attempt to capture more younger fans MORE of an emphasis on the fitness side of things is required.

 

You're always seeing articles about such and such a celebrities fitness regime.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

The more I think about this the more I think Dean has completely the wrong end of the stick here.

 

I'd say in the modern world and to attempt to capture more younger fans MORE of an emphasis on the fitness side of things is required.

 

You're always seeing articles about such and such a celebrities fitness regime.

that's why I said I'm getting old on the end of the title , it is a young thing and maybe it is the future but it's not what made speedway popular and it turns me off the sport for one , I'm not saying it's the wrong way to go I'm just saying it's not what speedway was ,is and hopefully not what it's going to be

they spend so much time in the gym and on the phone , then turn up with unreliable crappy bikes .Unless they are spoilt like a few and daddy employs somebody to do all the dirty work . you're better off out of it Dean , rather than spend too much time with spoilt and precocious 15 year olds who think because they wear dark glasses and a t shirt with no sleeves and a tail they are something special

I've had a few offers to help youngsters but it just doesn't work for me , it's the same as a mechanic , I'm proberly a better mechanic than I was a rider and I've had a few offers but I turn them down as it feels like I can't relate to the modern rider , feels a bit like they are doing a different sport and it's not the sport I love ,this season I'm mechanic for a pole and I have no problem because he is one of the last of the old school riders and that is in a round about type of way the point I'm trying to make

[waiheke1]

I keep seeing this in regard to Mike but he won everything of note that he could have. World champ in speedway & longtrack, WTC winner, British champ, BLRC winner when it actually meant something. A pretty tidy list by most standards.

To be pedantic he never won the blrc. But agree he still had a good record, though his career as a top rider was over in early 84 at 26? years of age.

But compare what lee won to what say Mauger or nielsen or gundersen won. No question that Lee was a greater talent, yer he won far less than those riders who combined talent with dedication.

[bruno]

Tbh when all said and done I reckon Ivan was the best ever when you combine all aspects of the sport, there was a time , 75? When he was almost unbeatable

[Vince]

Out of the lads my boy started with at 14 it is very noticeable (with one exception) that those who did best were those who were dedicated and worked at it were the ones who succeeded and got into the higher leagues rather than the most talented.

 

The exception is an immense talent with plenty of money behind him who has done pretty well but by the time he gets to my age will realise how much further he could have got with a better work ethic.

[TwoMinuteWarning]

I think the need for improved fitness these days is partly down to the travelling the riders have/choose to do. Riding 4 or 5 nights a week (sometimes more) in 3 or 4 different countries is ludicrous, and must be very tiring.

 

I well remember the sight of the late Lee Richardson at Eastbourne on a Saturday night, curled up on the floor of the pits, trying to get some kip while bikes were being warmed up, as he had just returned from a Thursday night meeting in Russia.

[SCB]

One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is breathing when on a speedway bike..

 

Do you breath in when you're going in to a corner, and out coming out a corner, or do you only breathe on the straights, I also used to hold my breath on the green light.. it's not as easy to breathe as you think...

You're right. Every time I ride a speedway bike I actually forget to breathe for a while Same in a go-kart!

[Shale Searcher]

You're right. Every time I ride a speedway bike I actually forget to breathe for a while Same in a go-kart!

 

It's difficult, isn't it...! When I rode in a proper amateur meeting at Stoke (programme an all) holding breath at the tapes was difficult, 4 amateurs all trying to sit still!!

 

Don't think I took a breath from green light, to coming out 2nd bend!!, and by the time you've breathe out and in, turn 3 is there!!!! Truly out of breath after 4 laps on a waterlogged Stoke track!!

[phillipsr]

Cant believe anyone would say Speedway is worse because riders are fitter!! The reason i started to wnjoy speedway when i was young had nothing to do with unfit smokers. In my time of watching speedway ive never known any of the best riders who werent fit

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Cant believe anyone would say Speedway is worse because riders are fitter!! The reason i started to wnjoy speedway when i was young had nothing to do with unfit smokers. In my time of watching speedway ive never known any of the best riders who werent fit

that's not what I'm saying , it's not about being fit , they all are it's about them banging on about being this highly tuned althlete and fans really couldn't care less

[Falcon Hammer]

If you get a chance Dean, mechanic for Danny Ayres. Although he's relatively new to the sport, he's old school & the majority of supporters love him because of that

[E I Addio]

that's not what I'm saying , it's not about being fit , they all are it's about them banging on about being this highly tuned althlete and fans really couldn't care less

I get your point. Riders like Jim Tebby were of their generation, when people in general didn't understand things like fitness and diet in the way they do now. Times move on.

 

I think fitness is overrated in someways. In most sports fitness has to be focussed on that sport. In Speedwáy upper body strength is important so I can understand working on weights, but I don't think riding a motto cross bike necessarily adds much to Speedwáy fitness because it is a totally different sport.

 

But it has to be put in perspective. No point in being 100% fit if you lose the benefit by not setting the bike up properly or not having the wheels in line. Speedwáy is a very complex sport from a competitors point of view and it's important to get every aspect right and not keep working in the gym if it is at the cost of preparing the bikes properly.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

If you get a chance Dean, mechanic for Danny Ayres. Although he's relatively new to the sport, he's old school & the majority of supporters love him because of that

im already spanner man for a pole this year

I get your point. Riders like Jim Tebby were of their generation, when people in general didn't understand things like fitness and diet in the way they do now. Times move on.

 

I think fitness is overrated in someways. In most sports fitness has to be focussed on that sport. In Speedwáy upper body strength is important so I can understand working on weights, but I don't think riding a motto cross bike necessarily adds much to Speedwáy fitness because it is a totally different sport.

 

But it has to be put in perspective. No point in being 100% fit if you lose the benefit by not setting the bike up properly or not having the wheels in line. Speedwáy is a very complex sport from a competitors point of view and it's important to get every aspect right and not keep working in the gym if it is at the cost of preparing the bikes properly.

speedway is all about heads , the head of the engine and the head that's on the shoulders are the things that win races with the one in the shoulders being the most important , if that bit isn't right everything else is pointless and that includes fitness

[Davet]

As I see it, riders and promotions take things far too seriously these days, and, as a consequence much of the fun has gone out of speedway. A few years ago, riders seemed to take part because they enjoyed it, and, apart from the top riders payment was a bonus to supplement their income. The fitness thing is, I feel down to the need to maximise earnings rather than to enjoy what they are doing.

 

It's all about money now, and, although the racing is probably as good as it ever was, the "fun" atmosphere which predominated in the 60s, 70s and 80s is now in short supply.

[BWitcher]

im already spanner man for a pole this year

speedway is all about heads , the head of the engine and the head that's on the shoulders are the things that win races with the one in the shoulders being the most important , if that bit isn't right everything else is pointless and that includes fitness

 

Fitness can play a massive part in being mentally prepared. It can install confidence.

 

I think you're quite of touch with this Dean, the younger generation, whom the sport desperately needs to attract can relate to fitness.

[Davet]

Don't think anyone would argue that being fit was anything but a good thing. It's just that the modern, professional, sanitised version of Speedway is less appealing to the average spectator than the unsilenced, smelly version of the sport which existed in the 60s and 70s. The fitness regime is just one symptom of the professionalism which has reduced the appeal of the sport in my opinion.