Can you get on or offyour bike on the wrong side? Might little brain just cant compute this simple task. Physically also my left leg just won't go up that high.
Any ambidextrous dismounters on here?
Dunno about getting off but how come I'm right handed and I always set off with my left ???? Didn't really think about it until a mate spotted it and said " Try setting off with your right" You can guess how well that went 🙄
I'm very one sided. I can't start pedalling with my left foot, which made everyone assume I'd never ridden a bike before when I hired a bike with a coaster brake in the Gambia. You brake with right foot down, can't turn the pedals backwards so set off wobbling. Those high handlebars add to the stylish look.
All my grandchildren get starting with either foot drilled into them from age 3.
I can dismount in all four directions.
Sometimes intentionally.
Good question, I will try it tomorrow* ,but my thought is that it will feel weirder than a weird thing 🤣
I used to be able to do that cool inside leg dismount on a CX bike so you hit the ground running.
Now ,I think I would just hit the ground 😉
* if I hurt myself ,you will hear from my lawyers
I only dismount from the left, but I fall off from both sides quite well.
I used to be able to do that cool inside leg dismount on a CX bike so you hit the ground running
I still do that regularly, just to make negotiating gates a bit quicker.
I'll happily dismount on either side, usually left on road, but right on my turbo that's inches away from wall/window on left in bedroom.
I mostly dismount to the left but that may be related to years of using kick stands on motorcycles
I only dismount from the left, but I fall off from both sides quite well.
The majority of my injuries are to my left hand side, I must have a real preference for bailing to the left
Mostly dismount on the left but fall off on either side.
I guess getting off on the left is so you dismount away from the traffic.
Has anybody learnt to ride somewhere they drive on the right. Which side to do you dismount on.
Usually mount/dismount on the left, but I always unclip on the left, and pedal off using my right.
My kids really struggled to get started pedalling when they were learning to ride because they copied me. One day they started on the left and were fine. Bloody weirdos. I blame their mum.
Actually I can't blame their mum, she has to start right foot first as her left side is affected by her CP.
Left side mount and dismount.
I can do both from the right but it feels unnatural.
I can dismount in all four directions.
Sometimes intentionally.
Sometimes all at once
You lot are wierd, I intentionally dismount from either side depending on where I am. Sometimes there's a friendly bank to step off on to, maybe I'm on the side of a hill so will dismount to the high side, whatever obstacle I can't ride usually dictates which side I need to get off. Hang on, maybe I just can't ride and so end up walking more than you lot?
I usually do it to the left by default but practiced until I can do it comfortably on either side.
Due to my left hip being as stiff as a board I can only swing my right leg on/off the bike, so mount/dismount on the left usually. If I try and get on the right side by lifting my left leg over then I need to have the bike almost horizontal (it’s quite embarrassing to see).
I can dismount either side, but off the left is easier.
Pushing up hills, always from the left, though. Even if there was obstacles or a chasm on the left I'd take my chances rather than push from the right.
I can do both sides but there is a fair chance that I will fall off my bike if I do it on the wrong side. So I never do.
There is nothing quite as embarrassing as falling off your bike trying to get on it or off it. So I have discovered. At least when you are moving you can dream up some sort half baked excuse for falling off your bike.
Wow weird bias. I can (dis)mount either side but am more comfortable on the right. And I set off and coast left foot first. Do any of you skate/snow board, are you all goofy, or are you all mongo pushers?
While I'm not ambidextrous I am fairly capable with both hands.
I still unclip with my right foot even when turning left on the road. Growing up in a roadie/touring household I was always told left foot down. I learned to ride left foot down. It's like Shimano gave me its European model pedals at 20 years old and only the right one unclips.
I can of course unintentionally exit the bike in 5 dimensions.
I will happily ride left or right foot forwards including technical terrain, mud, corners, steeps, jumps, drops. Same for bunnyhops and manuals and will happily mount/dismount from either side and start off with either foot in literally any position.
But. Same as @teethgrindr pushing/walking the bike any sort of distance if I'm stood on the right side of it just feels all wrong so after a few steps I'll usually swap sides.
I only mount/dismount from right.
I have another ingrained habit I wasn't aware of until I bought a cheap second hand folder with a coaster rear brake.
When I stop pedaling, no matter where my feet are I rotate the pedals backwards and coast with my right foot down.
I got rid of the folder.
Wests word is that i know i ride right forward when stood up. I know i lead with my right foot pedalling ave get on by raising my right leg.
But i have no idea how i get off!
I’ll report back later
TIL that some people can only get off their bike on one side.
I used to be able to do that cool inside leg dismount on a CX bike so you hit the ground running.
I came a cropper last week doing this pas the "cyclists dismount" signs on the concourse at work. It's surfaced with granite and slippery as heck in SPD-SL shoes so rather than coming off to a graceful walk me and the bike just skated along out of control for a few feet 😂
I mostly dismount to the left but that may be related to years of using kick stands on motorcycles
I was trying to figure out why it's so engrained! I guess kickstands are on the left because (push)bike chains are on the right and it's stuck even though motorbikes have chains on either side.
I used to be able to do that cool inside leg dismount on a CX bike so you hit the ground running.
Triathletes do an advanced version of this (yes, I know apparently triathletes are a liability at everything ba bla). Take your shoes off in the last few hundred metres leaving them clipped in and riding with feet on top of your shoes. Then at the dismount line do a cyclocross style dismount with bare feet, trying to keep your cranks level so one of the shoes doesn't catch on the ground and upset the bike. I've come in a bit hot a few times and, knowing there's a big penalty for still being on the bike after the dismount line, hopped off anyway. The exfoliation effect of touching down at 20mph on tarmac with bare feet should be marketed!
And as to sides - I seem to have a real problem with needing/wanting to dismount on the right - which is stupid in pretty much every way, but I can't help it!
Well yes, but have to practice to remember the RH side. Only really relevant in an emergency or a tour in Europe though.
I was trying to figure out why it's so engrained!
Pavement on the L. No point unnecessarily getting into the road when you are pulling up to the cafe/shops/pub.
Pavement on the L. No point unnecessarily getting into the road when you are pulling up to the cafe/shops/pub.
That logic works on a motorbike, in the relatively small RHD market. And even then it doesn't actually make sense because it would be far more practical to be able to park up against a wall / the side of the road and get off to the right like a car driver would (plus then considering how you're going to leave the bike pointing uphill, which generally means scooting it back wheel towards the pavement to get it upright on the side stand (assuming the road has a reasonable amount of crown.
Doesn't follow on a push bike though because the first thing you've got to do after getting off then is to re-arrange it/yourself so you can lean it against the wall.
I can dismount in all four directions.
Sometimes intentionally.
This was exactly where my brain went too.
Quite often I dont get the luxury of choice when dismounting 🤣
I can get off in either side, but I prefer the left.
I do have a mate who has forced himself to practice not just dismounting, but also pickups, carrying and remounting from both sides for CX. Which when you think about it is a potential place winner on certain courses…
Doesn't follow on a push bike though because the first thing you've got to do after getting off then is to re-arrange it/yourself so you can lean it against the wall.
Well yes that's true, but the other consideration is if you are in heavy urban traffic, unclipping on the L means resting the L foot on the pavement whilst the R is still clipped in and you are still sat down. Or the other way round if you are in Europe. I found this to be especially true of tandem touring where heavy urban traffic becomes a coordination issue for stopping/starting and is easier if you get the one-foot on the pavement rest and re-start from there.
You mount a motorcycle from the left as that's how you mount a horse. And an Ordinary Bicycle.
I guess for some people, dismounting on the less dominant side is like someone getting off your bike for you.
I mount the bike from the left side. Other things I mount from the right.
It's like cleaning your teeth holding the toothbrush in the other hand, or eating your dinner with the knife and fork the wrong way round.
This had never occurred to me, but I've just tried getting on and off on the right and it's fine, feels totally normal.
But I am very weird. I'm heavily right handed but use a mouse with my left hand which is great because I can control the computer and write at the same time.
I also have this odd thing where if I try and write with my left hand, I do perfect mirror writing - look at it in a mirror and it looks like my normal hand writing.
My brain is weird.
I guess for some people, dismounting on the less dominant side is like someone getting off your bike for you.
It comes from horses. Try to swing your left leg over a horse while wearing a sword on your left hip.
I ride horses (without a sword) and just get on whichever side is convenient which seems to bother some people at the riding school. On the bike it's usually left but sometimes right (because we ride on the right here) which really pisses Madame off when I put my right foot down on the tandem.
I can get on and off either side. Freewheeling though is always left foot forward.
I ride horses (without a sword) and just get on whichever side is convenient which seems to bother some people at the riding school.
Sometimes it bothers the horse too if it's been trained to expect it a certain way. My sister's dogs are trained to walk to heel on the left hand side. They really don't like being on the right, it definitely confuses them.
The horses soon get used to me leading from the wrong side, getting on at random, one-handed loose reins or whatever - it's the humans it confuses. 😉 Horses are quite clever things, if they have several riders they develop a particular behaviour with each person that rides them; very often what they've learned they can get away with: being lazy, being difficult, grazing... . It's great watching the horses at the farm with the blacksmith, he's really nice to them but they all know he's the boss and even the difficult ones are submissive.
I can get off on the right but only do it if theres no choice and it doesn't feel natural. OH only gets on and off on the right, I've told her it is wrong because of the traffic thing but she can't seem to do it on the left. She also lifts her leg over the top tube instead of swinging it over the rear wheel and it looks really awkward and difficult to me. Anyone else do that?
I can only get off on one side.
Which side that is changes on any given day, but on that particular day there is no way I am getting off my bike on anything other than the side my brain chose that day.
Same goes for when I'm pushing back up to the top. One side only per day.
I can fall off any side though, although I've not fallen off the back for a while.
Ok. I'll bite. Why is everyone getting off their bike in traffic? I can't recall ever getting off on a busy road, I'm sure I would have turned off onto a quiet side street or hopped up onto the curb.
Usually to use a zebra crossing rather than be in the middle of the road at a junction or avoid using a dangerous roundabout. Getting off the bike gives me priority in a lot of situations and drivers are much more reluctant to bully a pedestrian pushing a bike than a cyclist.
Ok. I'll bite. Why is everyone getting off their bike in traffic? I can't recall ever getting off on a busy road, I'm sure I would have turned off onto a quiet side street or hopped up onto the curb.
I always assumed this was to do with whether you were left- or right-handed. Left-handed, you tend to push the bike on your left hand side so get on and off on that side (the right, when you're on it). Right handed, vice-versa.
Oh! I thought I was being a bit facetious (not sure I'm using the term correctly), I didn't actually imagine anyone was getting of in traffic, just in describing the getting off curb side was making it sound like that.
That sounds sensible edukator, not that I ride on the road anymore if I can help it, but id be the idiot bullishly holding prime position round the dangerous roundabout because I'm allowed to be there and aren't going to let the vocal minority of drivers bully me away.
I must spend more time than I think swapping sides of the bike. Because if I'm pushing I'll have the bike on my right side by preference. And I will lay a bike down nds down, my wife on the other hand always lays the bike drive side down, and it really bothers me.
I thought handedness was a factor. I'm right handed, I push a skateboard with my stronger right leg, I support myself and bike with my right leg, I balance better in yoga on my right leg.
Must pay attention if I propel myself started on my bike more by pushing along with my right leg than pedalling with my left.
Depends which side of the bike the frame bag zip is on 😉
Ie when locking bike against a fence it's handy to have zip on side facing out.
But no problem getting on/off either side.
I’ve really had to think about this! I’m right-handed, but with a fair degree of use with my left hand, but if I’m pushing my bike, I have to do it with the bike on my right-hand side, when I mount I either bring the left pedal up, put my left foot on it then scoot pushing the pedal and swinging my right leg over, but occasionally I might have to stand on the left pedal, scoot a few times to get moving, then swing my leg over; it all depends on how level the ground is.
When I’m shooting a bow, however, I’m left handed, meaning I’m holding the bow in my right hand, drawing with my left, and sighting with my left eye - this is because my left eye is my dominant eye, but it makes things awkward when putting an arrow onto the bow because I’m having to do it from the ‘wrong’ side, that is holding the arrow in my left hand, but having to knock it on the right side of the bow.
Bloody glad riding a bike isn’t that convoluted! 😫
TBH I deliberately used to practice foot down either side as if you have to stop near potholes /uneven tracks an stuff you probably want to be putting weight on the side you least likely to do a comedy fall over on
but I do tend to mount/dismount from the right, I think a lot of it is just habit, you start off and just run with it as your muscle memory just clicks in.
I always do find it giggly that the brake levers are a thing depending on which side the drivings done on, that there is actually a rhd/lhd bicycle.
