Riding Styles

[Hamish McRaker]

Saw film of a World Cup final from the late 1970s the other day. On a big Polish track. England (GB?) stuck it to the Poles.

What interested me was the riding style. Very much foot forward into bends 1 and 3 for the most part. Today, the riders left foot hardly touches the track.

Are we back to the leg trailing era, or is it now a third era of riding style?

[steve roberts]

Difficult to pin point when the change took place but I guess that the invasion of the Yanks during the late seventies early eighties when styles began to alter.

 

Remember watching Henny Kroeze at the 1987 World Final and he was the only rider riding the old fashioned (then) leg forward style!

[Sidney the robin]

Styles have changed over the years and these few riders had there own identity Broady Swindon, Pete Smith Poole. Nigel Sparshott Kings Lynn, Simmo, Leigh Adams.

[The White Knight]

Styles have changed over the years and these few riders had there own identity Broady Swindon, Pete Smith Poole. Nigel Sparshott Kings Lynn, Simmo, Leigh Adams.

No variation in handlebars, Team Kevlars, Riding Style all very similar these days.

 

I can remember the days when each Rider could be recognised, by and large, by his style of riding. Used to be great when you could be at Home (Sunderland) against Birmingham. Look - there's George Major, just look at those Handlebars, there's 'Big' Arthur Browning with his bustling style. When 'The White Knight' (Graeme Smith) wore his distinctive white leathers.

 

We even had 'Villains' in those days to entertain the crowd. Jack Millen, Tony Childs, Taffy Owen and Frank Auffret just to name a few.

 

Happy days..

Edited July 6, 2017 by The White Knight

[steve roberts]

No variation in handlebars, Team Kevlars, Riding Style all very similar these days.

 

I can remember the days when each Rider could be recognised, by and large, by his style of riding. Used to be great when you could be at Home (Sunderland) against Bitmingham. Look - there George Major, just look at those Handlebars, there's 'Big' Arthur Browning with his bustling style. When 'The White Knight' (Graeme Smith) wore his distinctive white leathers.

 

We even had 'Villains' in those days to entertain the crowd. Jack Millen, Tony Childs, Taffy Owen and Frank Auffret just to name a few.

 

Happy days..

Couldn't agree more...my uncle who was track photographer at Oxford during the middle seventies and once passed on to me hundreds of his images for identification purposes...and I got every one bar a couple. Styles, leathers, helmets, boots and masks were distinctive back then!

Edited July 6, 2017 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin]

No variation in handlebars, Team Kevlars, Riding Style all very similar these days.

 

I can remember the days when each Rider could be recognised, by and large, by his style of riding. Used to be great when you could be at Home (Sunderland) against Bitmingham. Look - there George Major, just look at those Handlebars, there's 'Big' Arthur Browning with his bustling style. When 'The White Knight' (Graeme Smith) wore his distinctive white leathers.

 

We even had 'Villains' in those days to entertain the crowd. Jack Millen, Tony Childs, Taffy Owen and Frank Auffret just to name a few.

 

Happy days..

Totally agree WK great when the new leathers came in, everyone was different all having there own identity .Broady for example whatever Kevlers/ Overalls/ leathers he wore you would reconise him because of his style (how did he not get his leg run over?)😜 Saying that i did not mind the old black leathers i just think the team ephic characters and just enjoying the racing has gone out of it now . And the WIN at all costs culture is here to stay for me being entertained comes way before winning by a long chalk. Edited July 6, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[The White Knight]

Couldn't agree more...my uncle who was track photographer at Oxford during the middle seventies and once passed on to me hundreds of his images for identification purposes...and I got every one bar a couple. Styles, leathers, helmets, boots and masks were distinctive back then!

Yep, scarletrider and myself spent hours and hours pouring over photographs identifying Riders. One, Jim Wells, we identified by the Sticker on his fuel tank in one photograph.

 

The Leathers came in to it too - wouldn't envy anyone trying to do that these days.

 

I think I have said before, but I will say it again, I am happy with my memories of Speedway and quite content to read 'Classic Speedway' and 'BackTrack' and Books reminiscing on the good old days of Speedway.

[iris123]

Saw film of a World Cup final from the late 1970s the other day. On a big Polish track. England (GB?) stuck it to the Poles.

What interested me was the riding style. Very much foot forward into bends 1 and 3 for the most part. Today, the riders left foot hardly touches the track.

Are we back to the leg trailing era, or is it now a third era of riding style?

Pointed this out to the old boy gustix on his "leg trailing" thread a few months ago.He was posting photos from the 30s and 40s and i posted modern photos of riders doing pretty much the same thing around the bends over the last 10 years or so.........

[The White Knight]

Pointed this out to the old boy gustix on his "leg trailing" thread a few months ago.He was posting photos from the 30s and 40s and i posted modern photos of riders doing pretty much the same thing around the bends over the last 10 years or so.........

Yes you did. Sadly it was a Historical Thread - not a modern day one.

[iris123]

Yes you did. Sadly it was a Historical Thread - not a modern day one.

No.It was a leg trailing thread in years gone by.My photos although modern in the sense that they weren't from the 30s or 40s were also from 'years gone by' with riders that have now retired like Mark Loram etc

[Gresham]

Riding styles have mostly become more 'generic'. From a distance it really is hard to tell one rider from another. Team Kevlars and bike covers also don't help, neither do small designed race emblems.

 

Kevlars, bike covers and such look ok in a still photograph, but they are so overly fussy in design, that when moving when racing, it just becomes a huge blur.

 

Sometimes....less is more.

 

As for riding styles, it imo, has become so, because of less dirt on the track and the higher revving engines. Corners are attacked more at full throttle. Also when exiting a bend on 2 and 4, a rider moves his body into a position to make the bike more upright compared to the past. Done so, to get the whole of the rear tyre in contact with the surface for extra drive, rather than the edge of the tyre. I remember first noticing this with the Moran brothers, way back when.

 

Only a few riders these days have noticeable riding styles. A lot of ex or present Grasstrackers, who ride speedway, have a distinct style that is noticeable.

[Sidney the robin]

Riding styles have mostly become more 'generic'. From a distance it really is hard to tell one rider from another. Team Kevlars and bike covers also don't help, neither do small designed race emblems.

 

Kevlars, bike covers and such look ok in a still photograph, but they are so overly fussy in design, that when moving when racing, it just becomes a huge blur.

 

Sometimes....less is more.

 

As for riding styles, it imo, has become so, because of less dirt on the track and the higher revving engines. Corners are attacked more at full throttle. Also when exiting a bend on 2 and 4, a rider moves his body into a position to make the bike more upright compared to the past. Done so, to get the whole of the rear tyre in contact with the surface for extra drive, rather than the edge of the tyre. I remember first noticing this with the Moran brothers, way back when.

 

Only a few riders these days have noticeable riding styles. A lot of ex or present Grasstrackers, who ride speedway, have a distinct style that is noticeable.

Shanes now certainly has and i remember Wiggy Banks and Schofield great grasstrack riders but all had different styles. Edited July 6, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[Terry]

I remember the Golden Jubilee meeting at Hackney in Feb 78 (the coldest meeting I've been to, and that includes the 88 ice final!)

All the riders were riding the vintage machines from the 20's/30's and 40's.

Most of the riders were trying to ride the old bikes in their usual riding style, and not doing too well..

 

The only rider who looked totally at home was Barry Thomas who really got into the spirit and rode like a pioneer leg-trailer.

I often felt that Thommo's riding style would have been more suited to the early years of the sport!

[SCB]

Couldn't agree more...my uncle who was track photographer at Oxford during the middle seventies and once passed on to me hundreds of his images for identification purposes...and I got every one bar a couple. Styles, leathers, helmets, boots and masks were distinctive back then!

NSSC have a quiz every year and one of the round is identifying riders from photos, mostly 80s and 90s and I get about 95% of them right. Styles, colourful kevlars, all sorts, riders are quite distinctive in recent times if you pay any attention.

[steve roberts]

NSSC have a quiz every year and one of the round is identifying riders from photos, mostly 80s and 90s and I get about 95% of them right. Styles, colourful kevlars, all sorts, riders are quite distinctive in recent times if you pay any attention.

Towards the back end of my attending speedway (2003) I was finding it more and more difficult trying to identify riders with their matching kevlars and full face helmets I have to say.

[SCB]

Because you never see riders doing anything like that anymore......

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206483731073755&set=a.10206483730313736.1073741828.1284136682&type=3&permPage=1

 

[Sidney the robin]

Danish webmasters race-off racecard http://www.holsted-speedway.dk/media/2017/Heatskemaer/SWC-RO-2017.pdf

I remember the Golden Jubilee meeting at Hackney in Feb 78 (the coldest meeting I've been to, and that includes the 88 ice final!)

All the riders were riding the vintage machines from the 20's/30's and 40's.

Most of the riders were trying to ride the old bikes in their usual riding style, and not doing too well..

 

The only rider who looked totally at home was Barry Thomas who really got into the spirit and rode like a pioneer leg-trailer.

I often felt that Thommo's riding style would have been more suited to the early years of the sport!

Been watching alot of old Hackney meetings on you tube with Hackney and Thommo what great value he was one of my favourites.I can remember seeing Barry ride for England at the Abbey against Russia over the years only went to Hackney about ten times a great night out some really good racing there but one thing i remember it always looked dark there. Edited July 7, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[spinkox]

I have always thought the leg back riding style was to do with the lower centre of gravity of the lay down engine - so it is easier to balance. I reckon if you put them on an upright engine they wouldnt be able to do it. As for the early leg trailers - there was more dirt on the track - so they didnt get so sideways - so that made it easier to ride in that style. That is my theory...

[Guest]

I have always thought the leg back riding style was to do with the lower centre of gravity of the lay down engine - so it is easier to balance. I reckon if you put them on an upright engine they wouldnt be able to do it. As for the early leg trailers - there was more dirt on the track - so they didnt get so sideways - so that made it easier to ride in that style. That is my theory...

 

The old-time classic leg trail style as demonstrated by Wal Phillips in the early 1930s, and commented on by spinkox.

Edited July 10, 2017 by Guest

[chunky]

Towards the back end of my attending speedway (2003) I was finding it more and more difficult trying to identify riders with their matching kevlars and full face helmets I have to say.

Thing is, while I find the team kevlars busy, that doesn't really cause me the confusion. In the old days, everyone looked the same in black, but it was easy enough to recognise most riders. Likewise the full face helmets. In the late 80's. there were a lot of riders wearing Bell Moto III's, and again, it wasn't difficult to identify everyone.

 

I really think that it is down to the "generic" riding style that everyone seems to have adopted, and it's not just a case of the cornering; even the body positions on the straight all seem the same now. Also, speedway riders used to be a much wider variety of sizes and shapes than they are now. Compare some already mentioned here, like Broady and Schoie, and "Big Arthur". You had Les McGillivray, Eric Boothroyd, Andy Buck, Graham Miles, Peter Craven, Norman Strachan...

 

Sigh...

 

Steve