How Many More Riders Are Getting To Get Injured Before It Even Starts

[lucifer sam 3,953]

My point is that there seems to be more injuries than there ever used to be in the 'old days' so early in the Season. Hence my claim that current day Bikes and Tracks are not ideally suited to each other. There were injuries back in the Seventies - yes - but not so many and not so early.

 

I don't think so. There's always been a rash of injuries early season.

 

All the best

Rob

[arnieg 3,643]

And would that prove anything?

 

 

Still, it would be nice if somebody could compile a complete list of every injury on British tracks from every March, and taking into account the exact number of riders, exact number of meetings, and exact number of races, and publish the complete statistics - in order to prove NOTHING!

 

Steve

No - if statistically significant it would prove that there are/aren't more injuries.

 

What it wouldn't do is explain why. Constructing a statistical model that tests a 'why' would I think be too difficult (too much random noise, too many subjective judgements), which I think is the jist of the rest of your post with which I do agree.

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

[Ray Stadia 1,071]

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

2 very good points!

[The White Knight 9,039]

I think it's down to a multitude of reasons...

The introduction of the modern, faster Laydown, followed by the introduction of the pyjama racesuits, the addition of the air fences (which give riders a false sense of security) because injuries are also caused by riders impacting with the track and by being hit by the bikes themselves, and then, the noise suppressing silencers which kill the bikes ability to handle dirt, add all these factors together, and add in the fact that some riders come back to racing before being fully race fit and are prone to getting re-injured by "nothing" falls..

AND here's a factor nobody has considered, the total number of riders riding Speedway now, compared to in the 1960s and 1970s, for example, if there were 25 injuries per 200,riders then, now there are 25 injuries per 130 riders now, if you see what I mean, perhaps we are forgetting that particular issue...

 

Discuss....

 

 

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

Also, in the old days, let's say 60's and 70's riders did fewer meetings, they certainly didn't ride virtually every night like they do now. The more exposed a rider is to racing, the more likleyhood he's going to get injured....?

Two very well reasoned Posts. I concur with both of them SS. :approve:

[iris123 20,991]

Not even convinced riders didn't ride almost every night.Top riders in the 60s and 70s also rode most days of the week and on the continent at the weekend.They also didn't have super duper transporters to sleep in whilst someone else drove them around and the roads weren't as good as nowadays,so the journeys took longer.When you read about Ove Fundin or Barry Briggs and their week it was pretty much the same as Chris Holder or Tai Woffinden without the comfort.

 

It is difficult to pin down if there are more crashes now,but less injuries or more injuries but less crashes or more of both or less of both,but my personal opinion is there isn't much difference.One year you might get more crashes but riders are lucky to get away without injury and another year have less crashes but more riders injured.Just the same as having bad looking falls but the rider jumps up and walks away or a relatively simple slide off that ends in a rider being paralysed.......

 

At the end of the day I don't think there are any more injuries than in the 70s,so I must be right

[weatherwatcher 664]

I think that the min problems that arise are the facts. The bikes are now to over powered, the tracks to slick and at the start of the season the riders are not getting enough practice time in and then go on to the tracks going at it hell for leather as they did the season before. With tired old arms and legs. Also they younger riders are now up in the big league and are out to try and prove a point that they are good enough to be there and race above their capabilities.

How many of the younger lads do we see try gung ho tattics and end up coming to grief. over the past 5 years or so we have see these riders having so very bad injuries. We only have to look at the air fences they either go under them or hit them and fly onto the track with the bike doing it's own thing either falling on top of the rider or hitting another bike.

I still say it is now time to bring in some changes to the bikes and the tracks.

[BWitcher 12,453]

It's amusing that despite that fact there is no evidence there are more injuries, despite the fact that what evidence that has been put forward supports the fact that there are no more injuries than in the past... we still keep getting long posts citing the 'reasons' why there are more injuries..... when there aren't.

[iris123 20,991]

And also it is young riders up in the big league now.That didn't happen years ago did it..........Ronnie Moore at 17 or Ivan Mauger at 17 or Mike Lee at 16 or or or......what about that no hoper Morten Risager?

 

I remember a fairly young Phil Crump getting injured at the beginning of the 1973 season.Only had 1 or 2 meetings the whole season,i think

 

Just going through the 1975 yearbook from A-D,english riders who rode in the top league at 16-17..not all in the same season obviously,but it was hardly a rarity even back in the 60s

 

Terry Barclay

Steve Bastable

Terry Betts

Nigel Boocock

Les Collins

Peter Collins

Andy Cusworth

John Davis

Edited April 2, 2015 by iris123

[Wheelman 13]

When statistics don,t work for you.....you some times just revert back to that'' old feeling'',nothing wrong with that..... makes it hard to prove of course.... .......... Ice creams are smaller, pies have less filling, and speedway isn,t what it used to be. But we still hang in there because we are passionate about it. F1 have made drastic changes over the years to try and cure what ails them..... Speedway has been pretty much left to it own evolvement......this is to the credit or dis interest of the rule makers. I feel the sport needs a brave , well directed kick in the intestines.......now where are my boots.

[New Science 1,059]

It's amusing that despite that fact there is no evidence there are more injuries, despite the fact that what evidence that has been put forward supports the fact that there are no more injuries than in the past... we still keep getting long posts citing the 'reasons' why there are more injuries..... when there aren't.

I would hate to see a season really blighted by injuries if what we are seeing at the moment is the norm as you state.Only 2 weeks in and 2 ELITE teams ride their first match at HOME and finish the match with 5 and 4 riders respectively ,the latest of those Elite fixtures being unusually abandoned because of a lack of medical cover.

[chunky 6,095]

Only 2 weeks in and 2 ELITE teams ride their first match at HOME and finish the match with 5 and 4 riders respectively ,the latest of those Elite fixtures being unusually abandoned because of a lack of medical cover.

It happens. Just because it has happened twice already this season doesn't prove anything. I've attended a number of matches over the years where teams have finished two or three riders short.

 

Steve

[SCB 0]

I would hate to see a season really blighted by injuries if what we are seeing at the moment is the norm as you state.Only 2 weeks in and 2 ELITE teams ride their first match at HOME and finish the match with 5 and 4 riders respectively ,the latest of those Elite fixtures being unusually abandoned because of a lack of medical cover.

TBF, right now I'm going to move away from this discussion as the numbers are not starting to look so great at present. But lets see how it looks in September - see if we have any more injuries than usual.

[weatherwatcher 664]

And another one bites the dust. Just read about Voldrh crash, where he suffered 2 compound fractures below the knee, after the bike lifted and he bounced off the air fence into the back of the front bike, he has had to have pins, and it looks like he will miss a big part of this season. So are the air fences a saviour or are they more of a danger hazard to the riders, than the old board and wire fences.

[SCB 0]

And another one bites the dust. Just read about Voldrh crash, where he suffered 2 compound fractures below the knee, after the bike lifted and he bounced off the air fence into the back of the front bike, he has had to have pins, and it looks like he will miss a big part of this season. So are the air fences a saviour or are they more of a danger hazard to the riders, than the old board and wire fences.

There was no air fence. He crashed into a rider on the straight. And once he had hit the fence he and the bike parted and never made contact again.

 

Not sure where you got your description of the crash from but it's totally wrong.

Edited April 8, 2015 by SCB