Ron Pierce On Race Bikes

[pandy]

https://harnessracingupdate.com/

[Ray2000]

Bob, a question..

If all horses used a standard wooden bike,
Do you think more drivers with outside posts would try for the lead?
or would the driver still decide based on who inside him are leaving?




BTW
Here's a stat which drivers should see

In 10,000 races last year which had full 8 horse fields,

If the 8 post driver left the gate and got a 1,2 or 3 call at the quarter:
those drives (2000) won 22% and returned 1.48 roi

compared to taking back and hoping for a closing shot:
those drives (8000) won 3% and returned 0.37 roi

[Denny]

I read your article Pandy.

I'm relatively new to harness racing, only getting serious about it in the last ten years. (Mostly thoroughbreds before).

Were there ever bike specifications that had to be followed by everyone?
Height, weight, width, length?

Seems to me from just watching races that there's too much space, things are too strung out (bikes too long and low). Horses also have to lose too much ground on turns (bikes very wide). Too little space between in the stretch to fit through (width of wheel base).

Could a bike standard be established for the betterment of the racing?

Can anybody regulate such a thing?

[pandy]

Originally Posted by Ray2000

Bob, a question..

If all horses used a standard wooden bike,
Do you think more drivers with outside posts would try for the lead?
or would the driver still decide based on who inside him are leaving?




BTW
Here's a stat which drivers should see

In 10,000 races last year which had full 8 horse fields,

If the 8 post driver left the gate and got a 1,2 or 3 call at the quarter:
those drives (2000) won 22% and returned 1.48 roi

compared to taking back and hoping for a closing shot:
those drives (8000) won 3% and returned 0.37 roi

Yes, I do think that on half mile tracks in particular, horses from posts 6, 7, and 8 went out for the lead more often in the wood bikes. But, of course, they also won more often from off the pace. It's tougher to leave now because an inside speed horse can leave harder. In other words, let's say that a top driver, like a Jason Bartlett, has post 1 at Yonkers, and the horse is a strong contender in the race. Regardless of what kind of bike, Barlett is likely to go for the early lead. But, when driver's had the wood bikes, the driver had to be careful not to over extend. So, say the 5 and 7 also leave. Nowadays, Bartlett would just step on the gas, go a :26.4 first quarter. Maybe the five horse tucks third and the seven gets parked. But years ago, in the wood bikes, Bartlett probably sees the other two leavers and leaves well, but not that hard, parked the five horse to the quarter, and either retakes or sits the pocket, and the seven still gets parked. So because the driver knows that he can push his horse harder early, because the bike helps the horse carry it's speed, it makes it tougher for the outside horses to leave without getting torched.

[pandy]

Originally Posted by Denny

I read your article Pandy.

I'm relatively new to harness racing, only getting serious about it in the last ten years. (Mostly thoroughbreds before).

Were there ever bike specifications that had to be followed by everyone?
Height, weight, width, length?

Seems to me from just watching races that there's too much space, things are too strung out (bikes too long and low). Horses also have to lose too much ground on turns (bikes very wide). Too little space between in the stretch to fit through (width of wheel base).

Could a bike standard be established for the betterment of the racing?

Can anybody regulate such a thing?

There has always been bike specifications. A big difference now, however, is the way the driver sits in the bike. The drivers sit farther away from the horse. If you look at old photos, you can see that the driver's feet are alongside the horse. Now, the driver's feet are near the horse's tail. And, the drivers lean back now, some far back, which creates even more distance. So the horses that are sitting last and next to last have several more lengths to make up, which is a big reason why horses rarely win from off the pace now. Years ago a lot of horses won from off the pace, which is much more exciting to watch.

As far as the width, it's changed many times. The wood bikes weren't that wide, but then the aluminum bikes were very wide, and I think the current bikes are somewhere in the middle. Keep in mind, the bikes being used now are not straight. They are off-centered, meaning that the shafts actually bend to the left by as much as 10 inches. It's weird, but the idea was to get the horse closer to the inside so it would have less ground to make up. The off centered bikes really hurt the racing more than anything. The last conventional (straight) bike that was popular was the Telstar, which was used a lot in the 1990's, and the racing was much better with more movement.