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Just interested.
left, then right, then left again... That's how I roll.
Right on and off road, left on the track. Right pushes the bike into the kerb, left up the track.
Right for everything except track stands where oddly I am left foot forward.
right, although i surf, skate and snowboard regular (left foot forward) which seems strange!
Left. Feels completely alien riding right foot forward if it's for anything more than a few seconds! Trying to work on it!
right foot forward, tried to go left foot forward on a pumptrack and almost ended myself.
Right foot forward, i'm left handed.
left riding and snow boarding so much that I consider it my front leg 😛
goofy ftw.
Right foot forward, i'm left handed.
See I'm left handed and left foot forward 😕
Right foot, unless there are right corners/switchbacks, it doesn't feel weird with left foot forward.
left, then right, then left again... That's how I roll.
I think that's pedalling, not rolling. 😉
my theory - many people regardless of "footedness" lead with their right foot as they were taught cycling proficiency riding which always meant starting on the bike from the kerb side and pushing off with the right pedal.
start off on right, but if coasting downhill, left foot forward usually (I think).
Goofy, although I'm working on being ablet ride switch.
Left foot forward, right forward just feels odd.
Can snowboard either way though oddly.
Left. I'm comfy coasting or setting off but I can't bunnyhop or anything that involves not crashing with my right foot forward.
I can't remember off hand. On a snowboard it's left foot forward though.
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.
Left forewards.
But I'm right handed and surf (badly) either way, I think my brain wants to jump up right foot forewards, but after years of MTBing the other way arround I think my core's actualy more flexible the other way as actualy jumping up left forewards feels odd even if standing that way feels better!
Right foot forward. Left forward feels weird especially if you get air with the wrong foot forward
Right foot is the "chocolate" foot for me. Trying to ride some sections with the left forward however I'm not ready to tackle a drop higher than a curb like that yet!
I used to think I had no preference - then when I started riding rockier trails I noticed that my outside chain ring was missing all the teeth over the bit that faces down when I'm right foot forward.
So right foot forward for me (and outside chain ring replaced with a bash guard)
can't turn left as well as I can right
I didn't know we had Zoolander on the forum.
From my days riding trials as a kid we found the vast majority of people rode right foot forward. I ride left.
This could turn into a good statistical inquiry...
I can do either but I default to right foot forward.
When I went to learn snowboarding, the instructor used a trick of pushing us from behind to see what foot we stuck out. But I stuck out my left leg, because my right leg's quite busted and so instead of leading with my dominant side, I protected it with the unbusted side. So I spent 2/3ds of the lessons riding the wrong way round and really struggling.
Right handed
Goofy (right foot forward) snowboard.
Hip/table to the left
But I lead with my left foot on the bike.....unless I'm doing 360's-in which case I swap feet (it gets really confusing riding trails having to put in half pedal strokes mid set).
Technically bmx'ers call it 'shit footed' (leading with the 'wrong' foot) but you see it a lot with mtb'ists.
For surfing etc, most people have a "natural" foot which feels "right" when you first learn. This tends to be the foot you would raise to step up a curb or the foot you would automatically put forward if you stand against a wall and topple forward. There's no correlation between left and right handedness and this. I have a dim memory that statistically more people are regular (left foot forward) than goofy
Skating and snowboarding you can learn to do stuff switch (the un-natural way for you) but it is harder. Surfing switch is possible but its pretty hard.
I'd have assumed that i would have the same preference for the leading pedal but certainly for me its not so. Left foot forward seems really un-natural on a bike and yet i surf, skate and snowboard ( to a pretty high level) that way.
Maybe it's because on a bike it's the lead foot that is "in control" whereas on a board its mainly the back foot which is my right in both cases.
Its interesting!
Goo dpoint by crash test monkey may be due to where we ride
Right forward and right handed/footed
I can do both and often force myself to use the poorer one but i would not do much of a drop the wrong way but general trails are fine.
Left .
I struggle with a drop to my right ,bizarrely .
Also a less than ideal trait .
Best normally.
Naturally left foot forward, but years of riding trials means I'm happy either way on the trails, the LFF trend still shows when I'm trying to 180/360 or on the back wheel.
right forward on bike, left on snowboard.
theory - when going slowly on a bike you control small pedal inputs with your favoured foot - I'm right footed; when on a snowboard you use your favoured foot to control more - pushing into turns and swiveling about.
Used to always lead with the right but a back injury in 2011 revealed an over-developed right side. Spent a year/18 months forcing myself to lead with the left now I don't have to think about it left/right/whatever
right foot on bike and board. air right to left and 360 left too
Either I'm ambidextrous
Bike - left fwd. All the big dings on the bashring show that I'm nothing if not consistent.
Board - you gotta be kiddin'. Two planks is better than one. 😆
Right fwd when stood up on the bike generally but outside foot fwd going into corners.
In board sports, all of the fine control comes from the front foot..... I'm right foot dominant, so that goes at the front. How are people snowboarding with their dominant foot at the back?!
maybe it's a style thing - or bad technique. I'm more about pushing through the back end at speed and in powder than 'fine control'.
Left foot forward (my chocolate foot ja?)/ control.
Right foot back / power.
Same whether I am on a bike or board.
right handed and footed (again most powerful)for everything else.
Right forward
Always fall off to the left
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.
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.
@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
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.
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.
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.
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 😆
Left and I'm right handed. Who remembers calling it their chocolate foot?
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.
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.
? 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.and can't turn left as well as I can right
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.I'm Shit the other way round.
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!
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.
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
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.
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 😉
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...
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.
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.
Left foot forward on everything - cycling, waterskiing, skateboarding, always LFF.
I'm right handed.
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.
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.
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?
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 😀
Right is strongest but I can work with which ever is forward at the time.
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 🙂
hmmm i'm right handed/ footed. and ride bikes and boards right foot forward.
right foot, goofy for life!!!
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
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.
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.
Right foot forward. Left handed. Yet ride a skateboard with left foot forward
Right foot forward, i'm left handed.
See I'm left handed and left foot forward
+1 left/left
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.
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.
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 😉
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
Right handed but left footed. Always end up left leading on descents no matter how hard I try to swap.
[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.