BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Right handed, right foot on the pedal.

I'm right handed. I put my right foot down near 100% of the time when coming to a stop. Mostly use SPD clipless pedals.

I think I naturally tend right foot down but I have been making a conscious effort to use both feet... hopefully not at the same time!

Ambidextrous, both hands and feet, which was handy when I played soccer. Use Power Grips and toe cages, mostly Power Grips. My right foot goes down unless I'm in the left lane preparing for a left turn.

I parked on someone's foot once. A guy in my neighborhood in D.C. made a living being "hit" by cars parallel parking. He'd position himself at the left rear corner of the vehicle, smack it hard as it came back, fall down and writhe on the ground. I saw him and knew I'd miss him, but somehow I parked square on his foot with my passenger side rear wheel. Fancy that. He kind of couldn't fall down. I got out of my vehicle and was going into my studio when he started yelling at me "Hey man you parked on my foot, you parked on my foot." I walked over and looked down and said, "Yup, sure did. Does it hurt?" "No." "You sure?" "Yeah, but you parked on my foot and I can't go anywhere." "Well, guess I'll move my car?" From then on I was known by him and some of the neighborhood as the guy who parked on his foot.

I don't want someone to take my title, and karma can be a bitch kitty, so I plant my foot away from idiots and smartasses who might park on it. There is usually a curb or car tire on that side so I don't have to straddle my "dangerously high" top tube. In fact, I look for signposts and streetlights and mailboxes on which to lean so I don't have to disengage from the Power Grips or toecagethingies; it's a strategy?

I think I put my right foot down more because I use spd clips, I am right handed, and my right foot is more reliable at performing the de-clip move.

Right-handed but steady with my left foot. I think it's because I'm mongo footed on a skateboard.

right handed and always the right foot.

I do right foot down, because it's a good habit. If you fall unclipping, you are less likely to fall in front of moving traffic. I don't lean on curbs or light poles because it's a bad habit; it sets you up for right hooks, gets you out of the safest line through the intersection and then you have to negotiate and merge back in at a difficult time. If you must lean, do it well back from the intersection, where the other road users won't be absorbed with their turning plan.

right handed, left foot down

right handed, left foot down

What? No track-stand comments yet?

I really do wish I could do strackstands longer than a fraction of a second. I also wish I were taller...

I always was under the impression proper form was "non drive" side foot down as putting drive side foot down increased chance of "chain leg tattoo" - and it is VERY BAD FORM to have chain leg.

right handed, left foot down.

Ian can track stand forfreakinever. Effortlessly. Astounding. Maybe height has something to do with it.

Right handed, left foot down.

Right handed, left foot down also.

Right handed, left foot down.

I think this dates to my younger motorcycle riding days. Left foot down meant right leg didn't end up on a hot exhaust pipe when stopped.

I also note that my left leg goes out long before I actually come to a stop, so as to send a signal to whoever is behind me that I expect to stop.

@Marko82 welcome to my theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyf0YwUJcqk

Also:

http://yarchive.net/bike/track_stand.html

I tried to keep track this morning. I am pretty sure I put my left foot down most of the time. Right handed.

Right-handed, right foot down. No rational reason, just habit.

(I don't worry about chain tattoos, because my knee-high white athletic socks protect my calves...)

RH,LFD

Right handed, definitely right footed (soccer). Right foot down. Probably a bad habit, as I think about it. Stronger leg should remain on the pedal. I just instinctively lead with my right foot.

Right handed, right foot down.

I keep a pannier on the right side. Once I fell over because I put my left foot down on a crowned road and lost my balance to the right, so I always try to use my right foot now.

I do a mixture of both in the hopes it will keep me from flopping with my spds in.

I've also heard a good argument that you should start out with your weaker leg on the pedal so that the second stroke is the strongest.

On the way to work today I found myself actually using whatever was more convenient (after the foot was down I noticed). When I consciously thought about it the left foot went down as indicated in my above post.

"SWF, LH, RFD, looking for SWM, RH, LFD, so we can fall into each other. Send photo of bike."

I don't always put my foot down, but when I do, I put my left foot down.

1. If I fall, drivetrain is not damaged.

2. No chain tattoo.

3. I can dismount on non-drive side.

4. My phone is in my left pocket. Easier to get to just-in-case.

@Edmonds - I was about to make a comment about Nate's "shortest ever meaningful post" when I saw your followup. It totally cracked me up. I really needed that laugh today, so thanks!

SWF, LH, RFD

Thanks for the trackstand accolades, guys. It's a lot easier to do on a slight uphill (the crowned road surface is usually enough), and I'm not quite there for handsfree, but it means that both red lights and green lights are fun for me now.

On those rare occasions I can't maintain my balance indefinitely, I typically put my right foot down. Sometimes when I have a trackstand fail, I put my left foot down which perhaps adds to the gracelessness of the panic-mode maneuver. I am left-handed for writing and some other things, but can still use right-handed scissors, etc. I guess I'm good with both sides.

rhrfd. i, too, try to "track stand", despite the fact that i'm not on a track bike. i agree that it is easier on a slight uphill, but sometimes i can just turn the wheel back and forth to maintain it. there's no practical reason for doing it, of course, but as ian noted, it makes red lights more fun.

Right handed, right foot down for me.

Part of it is my left foot is still more clumsy at getting into full clips. Maybe I should switch to force it to do better!

HV, the practical reason is that you can ride away from a red light without fumbling to clip in, or giving up your lane position.

I'm not as good at it as Ian, and I try to give up and dab before people starting panicking that I'm going to fall over.

Re: trackstanding/fixie question: When I'm trackstanding on the unicycle, it's almost always with right pedal forward. Is that the same thing?

right handed, right foot down, and I almost always have a nice big dorky chain stain on my calf, even if I'm only going a couple of miles.

I do the right foot more, but left sometimes. Less important when you have platform pedals, I'm thinking.

Right handed, right foot down.

FWIW,ALMKLM:RH/RFD.

BFD,IMHO.

ˆˆˆˆˆOMFGLOLˆˆˆˆˆ

LH RFD

ITW?

Ok Stef, now what?

RF LF

RH 11 10

LH 2 0

n/a 5 3

I think I have to change my vote - when I was riding in today I noticed I actually put my LEFT foot down, every time. I'm also RH, so that ties it up in that category (assuming i was previously in n/a)

I dunno.. I was just curious. I do get the Grease of my right calf, but I like to put my right foot on a curb. Guess that is why I started to clip out and put my right foot down to begin with. I was thinking about practicing with my left foot down, but i fear that I will fall over like I just started riding all over again. Interesting point about the strong leg on the pedal or down on the ground.

I seem to get grease everywhere, no matter which leg I use. I've gone into work, washed the grease off my legs, and hours later, more suddenly appeared out of nowhere (or, more likely, I missed a spot).

the two things I'm incapable of are drinking water without spilling it on myself, and staying clean. I'm pretty much just a five year old.

Anyway, I'm left handed, and I think I alternate between feet hitting the pavement. Then again, I don't use clips, so maybe that has some bearing on that.

RH, LFD. "My Left Foot" comes out with almost no effort. If I fall because of an unclipping failure, I will fall away from traffic. I am far enough into the lane that I shan't have my foot crushed.

RH. {R,L} foot down. Does it matter, really?

When I was young, I did "cowboy" mounts and dismounts. Everybody did it; it was not that big a big deal (and a way more flexible way to alight). These days I do the cowboy mount and the wimp (sorry, 'correct') dismount. Old age. (Though I keep meaning to practice that dismount, on grass.)

No this was just a thread that I started for shits and giggles

Right Handed, Left Foot Down.

Right handed - left foot down.

You put your right foot in,

You put your right foot out;

You put your right foot in,

And you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey-Pokey,

And you turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about!

You put your left foot in,

You put your left foot out;

You put your left foot in,

And you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey-Pokey,

And you turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about!

I skateboard "regular" so naturally I would put right foot down on a bike.

This thread puts Beastie Boys "Root Down" in my head.

It's Not A Put Down

I Put My Foot Down

And Then I Make Some Love, I Put My Root Down

Like Sweetie Pie By The Stone Alliance

Everbody Knows I'm Known For Dropping Science

I'm Electric Like Dick Hyman

I Guess You'd Expect To Catch The Crew Rhymin'

Never Let You Down With The Stereo Sound

So Mike, Get On The Mic And Turn It Out

We're Talking Root Down, I Put My Root Down

And If You Want To Battle Me, You're Putting Loot Down

I Said Root Down, It's Time To Scoot Down

I'm A Step Up To The Mic In My Goose Down

Come Up Representing From The Upper West

Money Makin' Putting Me To The Test

Sometimes I Feel As Though I've Been Blessed

Because I'm Doing What I Want So I Never Rest

Well, I'm Not Coming Out Goofy Like The Fruit Of The Loom Guys

Just Strutting Like The Meters With The Look-ka Py Py

'Cause Downtown Brooklyn Is Where I Was Born

but When The Snow Is Falling, Then I'm Gone

You Might Think That I'm A Fanatic

A Phone Call From Utah And I'm Throwing A Panic

But We Kick It From The Root When We Break It On Down

Jimmy Smith Is My Man, I Want To Give Him A Pound

@Stu: regarding your trackstand question. On a fixie I find it easiest to put my left foot in the 3 o'clock position on the cranks and turn the bars slightly to the right. Although I can maintain a very short trackstand performing the opposite manuever (right foot @ 3, bars left). FWIW I'm a righty and my best track stand lasts about as long as a typical light cycle before the aforementioned panic unclipping and then usually it's LFD.

BTW, Don't want to threadjack but I'll be doing everything with both feet down for the next 3-5 weeks as I broke my collarbone last week trying to perform a right shoulder down stop in Larry Land. No details (my fault, too embarassing!).

@chefjohn: "right shoulder down stop"

Glad to see you still have your sense of humor intact. Hope you feel better soon.

chefjohn, when you're ready: http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/the-art-of-falling

Heal up quick!