Supreme Stylist

[Grachan]

The most stylish rider for me was Martin Ashby. His style was so neat and perfect. Every photo you see of him riding looks exactly the same.

[steve roberts]

1 hour ago, Grachan said:

The most stylish rider for me was Martin Ashby. His style was so neat and perfect. Every photo you see of him riding looks exactly the same.

Vastly under-rated rider...and that from someone down the road!

[E I Addio]

3 hours ago, Grachan said:

The most stylish rider for me was Martin Ashby. His style was so neat and perfect. Every photo you see of him riding looks exactly the same.

I liked Crashby. The first time I saw him I though I’d never seen anyone going so fast, but it was really that he had such a neat comfortable style. 
 

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Ken McKinlay or Leigh Adams. Leigh looked like an identical version of Hurricane- Ken  generation later.. Both were immaculately turned out on immaculate machinery, almost never had engine failure. Both just seemed to be in total control , letting the bike do the work, both seemed to be able to find grip anywhere, could ride any line, both brilliant team riders , with great motorcycle skills. 
 

Another one I like was Peter Karlson. Such a lovely style I could watch him going round on his own and feel excited.

[Grachan]

7 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

I liked Crashby. The first time I saw him I though I’d never seen anyone going so fast, but it was really that he had such a neat comfortable style. 
 

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Ken McKinlay or Leigh Adams. Leigh looked like an identical version of Hurricane- Ken  generation later.. Both were immaculately turned out on immaculate machinery, almost never had engine failure. Both just seemed to be in total control , letting the bike do the work, both seemed to be able to find grip anywhere, could ride any line, both brilliant team riders , with great motorcycle skills. 
 

Another one I like was Peter Karlson. Such a lovely style I could watch him going round on his own and feel excited.

My memory of Ken McKinlay was always as a Compo-type figure in a bobble hat riding for Scunthope. I remember being very surprised when I found out how good he had been earlier in his career.

[iris123]

3 hours ago, Grachan said:

My memory of Ken McKinlay was always as a Compo-type figure in a bobble hat riding for Scunthope. I remember being very surprised when I found out how good he had been earlier in his career.

Same here. I remember being surprised that someone who looked so ancient was a sportsperson........ well i thought he should have been doing crown bowls or sheep dog trials with a pipe hanging out of his mouth instead of racing bikes 

Edited December 1, 2021 by iris123

[steve roberts]

5 hours ago, E I Addio said:

I liked Crashby. The first time I saw him I though I’d never seen anyone going so fast, but it was really that he had such a neat comfortable style. 
 

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Ken McKinlay or Leigh Adams. Leigh looked like an identical version of Hurricane- Ken  generation later.. Both were immaculately turned out on immaculate machinery, almost never had engine failure. Both just seemed to be in total control , letting the bike do the work, both seemed to be able to find grip anywhere, could ride any line, both brilliant team riders , with great motorcycle skills. 
 

Another one I like was Peter Karlson. Such a lovely style I could watch him going round on his own and feel excited.

I actually lost a lot of respect for Peter Karlsson when he rode for King's Lynn in 2001 when entering the first bend from the tapes and Lukas Dryml had clearly got the drop on him he drove thru' a gap that wasn't there and both ended up in the fence. Dryml withdrew from the remainder of the meeting with a badly damaged knee which affected him for the rest of the season and was never quite the same rider again in my opinion.

Edited December 1, 2021 by steve roberts

[E I Addio]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

Same here. I remember being surprised that someone who looked so ancient was a sportsperson........ well i thought he should have been doing crown bowls or sheep dog trials with a pipe hanging out of his mouth instead of racing bikes 

He looked always looked older than the actually was, having gone grey quite young and his hair receding by his mid thirties., but he must have been pushing 50 by the time he eventually retired.

I sometimes used to chat to a guy at Lakeside who used to help him unload his bikes at West Ham . At West Ham the riders entrance was at the end of Nottingham Road and at the other end of the road was a pub called the Nottingham Arms where, incidentally my grandad used to drink. Anyway this chap that helped Ken with his bikes told  me Ken used to stop for a pint in the pub on his way IN to the stadium as well as on the way home ! A different world in those days but not bad for a world class rider !

[waiheke1]

Shawn Moran

[Pinny]

On 12/2/2021 at 4:07 AM, steve roberts said:

I actually lost a lot of respect for Peter Karlsson when he rode for King's Lynn in 2001 when entering the first bend from the tapes and Lukas Dryml had clearly got the drop on him he drove thru' a gap that wasn't there and both ended up in the fence. Dryml withdrew from the remainder of the meeting with a badly damaged knee which affected him for the rest of the season and was never quite the same rider again in my opinion.

Remember that crash however think your wrong to say Dryml was never the same rider again - in 2002 and 2003 he was absolutely flying. 

[steve roberts]

3 hours ago, Pinny said:

Remember that crash however think your wrong to say Dryml was never the same rider again - in 2002 and 2003 he was absolutely flying. 

That's fair enough...he was simply awesome riding for the "Cheethas" prior to the crash after a very indifferent confidence building season the year before. He was gating and passing at will and was not quite the same force around Cowley after his injury the season following...but I take your point that perhaps he was more of a force on the international stage thereafter?

[Pinny]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

That's fair enough...he was simply awesome riding for the "Cheethas" prior to the crash after a very indifferent confidence building season the year before. He was gating and passing at will and was not quite the same force around Cowley after his injury the season following...but I take your point that perhaps he was more of a force on the international stage thereafter?

I just remember in 2002 and 2003 his league form was blistering until he had his big serious crash which completely ruined his career and turned him from a world star with a big likelihood of winning a world title into an average 6 point league rider. 
 

edit - i stand corrected. His 2002 league form dipped on his 2001 form but he went to Poole and averaged nearly 9.00 in 2003 , baring in mind that was when all the top riders raced in the uk too. He was also joint top of the gps until his nasty crash i think. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by Pinny

[steve roberts]

16 minutes ago, Pinny said:

I just remember in 2002 and 2003 his league form was blistering until he had his big serious crash which completely ruined his career and turned him from a world star with a big likelihood of winning a world title into an average 6 point league rider. 
 

edit - i stand corrected. His 2002 league form dipped on his 2001 form but he went to Poole and averaged nearly 9.00 in 2003 , baring in mind that was when all the top riders raced in the uk too. He was also joint top of the gps until his nasty crash i think. 

Yes his 2002 season at Cowley was quite ordinary compared to his pre-injury crash the previous season. The way he beat riders round Cowley during 2001 were sometimes quite spectacular. I never saw much of him after he left Oxford but you're right he did go on to register some impressive averages it's just the way that he scored points in 2001 that impressed me.

[geoff100]

Allways liked watching paul thorp u would think he was sitting in an armchair

[geoff100]

On 11/24/2021 at 7:36 PM, customhouseregular said:

On the subject of Knutsson and Nordin, my first Wimbledon Internationale was 1965. Both were competing, as were Fundin, Briggs and Harrfedt, along with a rider I came to admire, Charlie Monk. Knutsson won the world title that year, Briggs the previous and following years. Harrfeldt was second in 1966 and Fundin champion the following year. Nordin was a previous world number 3. It’s almost worth growing old to have memories and watching such great riders at the top of their profession.

Saw charlie monk ride for barrow in 1978 at park road made it look so easy , was in the pits most meetings dont think i heard him speak !

[racerback]

per jonsson for me just made everything look easy 

[fatface]

6 minutes ago, racerback said:

per jonsson for me just made everything look easy 

Class act. I thought his best years were still ahead of him before the accident.

[Guest]

Speedway at Smallmead was never the same after Per’s accident. His team riding was amazing. Just a class act all round.

[steve roberts]

2 hours ago, prodons said:

Speedway at Smallmead was never the same after Per’s accident. His team riding was amazing. Just a class act all round.

The same was often said at Plough Lane after Tommy Jansson's tragic death. Incidently I'm re-reading the book about him.

Edited December 7, 2021 by steve roberts

[iris123]

22 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

The same was often said at Plough Lane after Tommy Jansson's tragic death. Incidently I'm re-reading the book about him.

It wasn't for me Steve

[steve roberts]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

It wasn't for me Steve

I never saw Tommy ride at Wimbledon...infact saw very little of him to be honest. Used to enjoy my trips to Plough Lane and I guess the riders who struck a cord were  Larry Ross and Mick Hines during my visits?

Edited December 7, 2021 by steve roberts