Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 83 total)
  • Left or right foot forward?
  • avdave2
    Full Member

    Right forward
    Always fall off to the left

    joat
    Full Member

    I used to think I was left foot forward and indeed told a friend I was whilst riding a bike. He pointed out to me that I actually had my right foot forward when coasting.

    benji
    Free Member

    Which ever one ends up at the front, try not to see it as an issue, just get used to using both feet, same for getting on and off in cross, practice dismounting and remounting on both sides till it become second nature, some courses favour the alternate side.

    ceepers
    Full Member

    @batfink that’s not strictly true. In skating and snowboarding you pop off your back foot and its your back foot that controls most lip tricks on a skateboard. It’s a bit simplistic to say either is in control as almost everything involves both

    Old fashioned snowboard technique favored weight on your front foot but the way it’s currently taught is with weight evenly spread and turning controlled by foot movement. Sure turns are initiated with front foot but they finish with control from the back foot so it’s at best 50-50.

    Also worth pointing out that in general on boards frontside turns involve more front foot than back foot, backside is the other way around

    JefWachowchow
    Free Member

    I did a skills course a few years ago, starting with the obligatory track stand. Feeling very smug stood there on the pedals for a little while the others fought for balance the guide suggested that I practice with my other foot forward so as not to be too dependant on my chocolate foot.
    I found it nigh impossible initially but have been practicing over the years. I wouldn’t say that I am ambidextrous now but it can be learnt I think.

    robinlaidlaw
    Free Member

    Right foot forward on the bike, Goofy foot on a board, right handed. I hip and table to the left and feel more comfortable pushing the limit on left turns, which makes sense to me for a leading right foot, I’d think left leaders would be the opposite.
    I’d always assumed that it went with your boarding foot, so slightly more folk should be left foot leaders on the bike but it’s not looking that way so far from the above.

    myopic
    Free Member

    Right handed, but left foot forward. Pushing to do more right foot forward for those occasions where it would be best, but it takes real concentration, and as soon as the trail gets rougher and I have other things to focus on, I discover left is back in front.

    Suggsey
    Free Member

    To push off, right foot forward unless it’s on a real off camber narrow trail then I ll switch to left foot push off, but for general riding I vary it according to which knee hurts most/least or which thigh is cramping up towards the end of the day’s riding 😆

    mjsmke
    Full Member

    Left and I’m right handed. Who remembers calling it their chocolate foot?

    Euro
    Free Member

    I’m left footed and left handed but my right arm is my throwing arm and my right foot leads if i’m doing jumps/drops. On a snow/skateboard it’s left foot forwards but i can ride switch ok.

    I rode a lot of halfpipe and miniramp in my younger days and air/spin to the left. I did spend a bit of time trying to get comfortable riding switch but it always felt awkward and i still have the occasional comedy crash while trying to hip to the right.

    igm
    Full Member

    njee20 – Member
    I also really struggle to put my left foot down to stop, and can’t turn left as well as I can right, I’m also shit at off camber trails if the camber is sloping down to the right. These are not ideal traits.

    Njee – you are my poor technique mirror. I’m Shit the other way round. Fancy trying a tandem or would we fall off instantly.

    jameso
    Full Member

    and can’t turn left as well as I can right

    ? possibly due to riding left foot forward – if your hips are turned out of the corner not into it you’re tending not to come into the corner as well as you could.

    I’m Shit the other way round.

    Same here, or was more shit than I am now. The most useful riding tip I’ve been given was about how your feet orientation sets you up for corners, by a guide in France watching my first struggled attempts with steep right-hand switchbacks while I found left-handers no real problem. I’m naturally right-foot fwd, ie the guide’s comment was ‘outer foot fwd’ as I came into a right hander wrong-footed.

    njee20
    Free Member

    Njee – you are my poor technique mirror. I’m Shit the other way round. Fancy trying a tandem or would we fall off instantly.

    Interesting… perhaps we’d balance each other out, and actually end up staying upright regardless. Unlikely though!

    possibly due to riding left foot forward

    Yep, it’s all related. I don’t like cambered trails because if I stall I struggle to put my LH foot down, so I’m more likely to roll down the hill, as you say, cornering is because my footing is wrong. I’m a lot better than I used to be I must say!

    Big-M
    Free Member

    Left foot forward over jumps etc. Always unclip my left foot to stop, unless off camber.

    Right handed and skate/snow board leading with my left.

    notsospeedydaz
    Free Member

    Im happier with my right foot forwards on a bike, left foot forward on the few times I have snowboarded (prefer 2 planks). Windsurfing things feels better on port tack when left foot is the front foot.
    I am right handed

    leth
    Free Member

    I am comfortable with either foot forwards, its dependent on whats ahead.

    When I used to gate at races it was always left foot forwards though.

    crosshair
    Free Member

    I try hard to weight the outside pedal through corners but my default pedal-level position is left foot forward and it feels alien if I end up with the right there. I always unclip left first because I struggle to rotate my right leg because of my dodgy hip full of plates and screws. I do practice to try and break out of both these habits but it’s pretty pointless when the monkey brain takes over 😉

    njee20
    Free Member

    I do practice to try and break out of both these habits but it’s pretty pointless when the monkey brain takes over

    That’s the trouble I have. If I focus on it then I’m ok, but that’s really not fun, so I soon just lapse into habit, which means I get slack again. Being as it’s a habit and that…

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    Left foot forward on bikes and snowboards (and for occasional forays on surfboards, wakeboards and skateboards).

    More-or-less ambifootstrous on both these days. Many years of instructor training on boards and lining up for left-hand switchbacks on bikes to thank for that!

    Can spin 3’s front or backside on a board (no chance on a bike!) but the most natural spin for me on a board is cab (switch frontside) – this isn’t uncommon.

    B.A.Nana
    Free Member

    For those who aren’t certain, get a friend/partner to push you in the back when you’re not expecting it, which ever foot automatically shoots out to catch your fall is most likely your dominant foot.

    I’m a lefty on everything, I have kind of taught myself to lead with both on a bike, but will always default to left if I’m not thinking or the sheet hits the fan.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Left foot forward on everything – cycling, waterskiing, skateboarding, always LFF.
    I’m right handed.

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    My opinion only – there is a pretty strong, but not definite, correlation between goofy riders and lefties (and vice versa).

    There is no gold-plated test to determine whether or not one is regular or goofy. I find pushing people to be pretty much useless.

    I actually think that it matters a lot less than many people think. If learning to snowboard, wakeboard or similar where it’s not very practical to keep switching direction, then just pick one, stick with it and get on with it.

    When I’m teaching people to snowboard, I always try to make sure their board is set up with a centred, symmetrical stance so that it’s easy to have a go both ways. Most of the initial phase of learning to snowboard is done in both directions anyway.

    z1ppy
    Full Member

    I’m right handed/footed but lead with my left on the bike. Always wonder why I find it more comfortable, and think it for me maybe due to the first pedal stroke is about getting moving/balanced, and the 2nd (right foot) actually starts putting power down.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    Left foot for me, dont have a problem settng off with the right, but to coast feels weird with the right forward, and wouldnt want to ride techy stuff like that.

    Does it matter?

    LadyGresley
    Free Member

    I think I’m all mixed up – right forward on bike, but start off with left, and I’m better at right turns. The few times I was silly enough to try snowboarding, that was right forward too. I am also right handed.
    It’s probably no wonder I’m rubbish at anything technical on a bike 😀

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    Right is strongest but I can work with which ever is forward at the time.

    bwfc4eva868
    Free Member

    Right foot. Only had two injuries on it (hip and Achilles) whereas left I’ve broke it four times over the years.

    I write with my left hand eat with my left. But for throwing, pulling, pushing, punching, golf and cricket my rights dominant.

    But I’m just a freak 🙂

    rumple
    Free Member

    hmmm i’m right handed/ footed. and ride bikes and boards right foot forward.

    felixdamouse
    Free Member

    right foot, goofy for life!!!

    fingerbang
    Free Member

    I ride left foot forward but am right footed (football etc). Am also orthodox on surfboard. I write left handed and do ‘finesse’ things with my left hand (fnarr fnarr) but my right hand and arm is stronger so play tennis, golf etc right handed. FWIW

    makecoldplayhistory
    Free Member

    Right foot forwards although I’m ambidextrous(ish).

    It makes no difference to me which foot goes forwards when I wakeboard; I assume I’d be the same snowboarding but I’ve never tried.

    I remember a video with Martyn Ashton from years ago where he calls the stronger leg your ‘chocolate foot’. To find it, you have someone push your forwards. The leg you put out to stop yourself falling is the one that should be leading. That’s fro bunnyhopping etc, assuming no corners or other obstacles.

    Clover
    Full Member

    Right foot forward. And right handed. Which is lucky as the OH is also right foot forward (but left handed) so there is harmony on the tandem.

    M6TTF
    Free Member

    Right foot forward. Left handed. Yet ride a skateboard with left foot forward

    oxym0r0n
    Full Member

    Right foot forward, i’m left handed.
    See I’m left handed and left foot forward

    +1 left/left

    russ295
    Free Member

    Right handed and right foot foward. Spins on my old bmx were always counter clockwise.
    I can ride switch on a snowboard but only very good if that makes sense?
    I can ride good and bad goofy.
    Think it’s down to picking up cheats/bad habits over the years riding goofy but haven’t picked them up switch.
    180 on board f/s switch, 360 f/s goofy.

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    I can ride switch on a snowboard but only very good if that makes sense?

    I actually know what you mean, although I suspect many would not!

    I can make nice turns switch (some very nice turns in fact), what catches me out sometimes is little speed checks and quick corrections, riding flats, simple little things like that. Thankfully pretty solid these days, but it took a lot of work.

    Capt.Kronos
    Free Member

    Right handed but goofy footed here!

    I discovered this “learning” to snowboard (though I could switch fairly easily on that) and then again surfing… which I haven’t tried switching at yet, perhaps I should….

    Just incase I am wrong 😉

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    donkeys years of right foot forward, then i learned to snowboard, board left foot forward, now bike left forward 99% of the time, tech uphill stuff that needs pushing, hopping then its back to right forward, I’m right handed

    leftyboy
    Free Member

    Right handed but left footed. Always end up left leading on descents no matter how hard I try to swap.

    russ295
    Free Member

    Yip. That’s me. I can carve a pencil thin line switch, took about an hour to learn, goofy – I still get a tiny bit of skid heelside now and then.

Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 83 total)

The topic ‘Left or right foot forward?’ is closed to new replies.