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[Closed] Left or right foot forward?

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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 2:11 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 4:50 pm
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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 ๐Ÿ˜†


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 4:56 pm
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Left and I'm right handed. Who remembers calling it their chocolate foot?


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 4:57 pm
 Euro
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:00 pm
 igm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:03 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:19 pm
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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!


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:23 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:28 pm
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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


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:35 pm
 leth
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:37 pm
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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 ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 5:48 pm
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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...


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:00 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:05 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:06 pm
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Left foot forward on everything - cycling, waterskiing, skateboarding, always LFF.
I'm right handed.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:08 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:14 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 6:41 pm
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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?


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 7:37 pm
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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 ๐Ÿ˜€


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 8:58 pm
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Right is strongest but I can work with which ever is forward at the time.


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 9:01 pm
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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 ๐Ÿ™‚


 
Posted : 16/12/2014 11:50 pm
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hmmm i'm right handed/ footed. and ride bikes and boards right foot forward.


 
Posted : 17/12/2014 10:31 am
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right foot, goofy for life!!!


 
Posted : 17/12/2014 11:06 am
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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


 
Posted : 17/12/2014 11:54 am
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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.


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 3:58 am
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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.


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 9:27 am
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Right foot forward. Left handed. Yet ride a skateboard with left foot forward


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 9:30 am
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Right foot forward, i'm left handed.
See I'm left handed and left foot forward

+1 left/left


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 10:39 am
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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.


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 11:17 am
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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.


 
Posted : 18/12/2014 11:49 pm
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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 ๐Ÿ˜‰


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 1:07 am
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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


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 1:10 am
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Right handed but left footed. Always end up left leading on descents no matter how hard I try to swap.


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 8:31 am
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[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.]

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.


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 8:38 am
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Right foot forward - although I've managed to train myself to use left/forward for tight RH switchbacks. I still find endo turns far harder to do to the right though, this was the same on a trials bike, and there's no leading foot issue there.


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 8:56 am
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you are my poor technique mirror. I'm Shit the other way round. Fancy trying a tandem or would we fall off instantly.

You'd just end up fighting against each other.
When we first got our tandem i had to try to remember to ride LFF* as this was easier than Mrsstu trying to learn how to ride RFF.
*i can ride either way.
Though we do have to set off RFF again down to Mrsstu.

I've seen it mentioned a couple of times on this thread. How does switching lead foot help with doing 360's?


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 9:16 am
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Bike I'm truly indifferent, it depends on which way the corner I've just exited turned.

Board left foot forward, but can ride switch if necessary.

Football, more right foot for deadballs, but definitely left foot for volleys (better foot as standing foot)

All right hand.


 
Posted : 19/12/2014 9:48 am
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