Left or right foot de-cleating?

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100%JR
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by 100%JR »

Mick F wrote:Left for me.
It's because the kerb is there, or a bank, or a low wall. I won't unclip if I can lean on a railing/wall/lamp post etc.
I get on from the left too, and also walk with the bike on my right. The left side of a bike is the Get On and Get Off side.

+1
It feels unnatural for me to either walk with the bike on my left or get on from the right :|
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The utility cyclist
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by The utility cyclist »

Consciously I try to even out on either side figuring more even wear on the cleat and retaining mechanism. Also it means that you're not always pushing off on your perceived strongest leg all the time and that one time when you need to put your foot down on the 'wrong' side in an emergency/not much time to think scenario it isn't odd/unnatural or awkward so less chance of an incident.
Now for me I don't seem to think about it as but it evens itself out more often.

re which side to mount, I get on both again, predominately as my path from the house leads straight to the cul de sac road so I'm on the right hand side and so alight from the right and for that it's probably left foot in first. However I tend to ride straight from the front door sometimes, due to the orientation of the fence to next door it's alight from the left.
Pushing the bike, either side works for me, mostly from the right though

I also often soft pedal on the right and take up the slack with the left peg for a few rotations just in case I'm favouring the right subconsciously.

I'm right handed but do do lots of things left handed, very specifically I can't shuffle cards for toffee with my right hand, left hand is just the natural hand, knife/fork has always being left handed use.
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by Vorpal »

I used to always put the right foot down first. when I was teaching Bikeability, I taught myself to put the left foot down first, and to get on and off the bike from the left. Now, I just do it whichever way best suits the situation. But if I walk with the bike, it's on the left side.

I suspect pros use their right feet because they ride alot in countries where traffic drives on the right, rather than the left.
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NUKe
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by NUKe »

reminds me of the Hendon shuffle. (One for the motorcyclists)
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yakdiver
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by yakdiver »

I've always unclipped my right foot first
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nick12
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by nick12 »

I'm just wondering if its a lefthanded thing to put the right foot down or not. I'm lefthanded and presumed that is why I put my right foot down . I mount from the right. Find a righthand corner much more fluent and natural to a lefthand corner.
I had what could have been a very nasty mishap once while mountain biking down into a canyon. I've done the ride many times one of my favourite ride's. On this occasion after a recent earthquake the track had a large crack appear across the track. The local villagers who use the narrow path to go to the market had mended the crack with branches and dirt on top to bridge the gap. Not seeing and knowing the crack was there my front wheel wedged into the crack between the branches. Naturally I put my right foot down on what appeared to be solid ground and vegetation but it was fresh air and I tumbled over the edge of the canyon buttock first legs and arms in the air falling through vegetation growing out of the canyon wall. It felt like you see in cartoons. I fell for maybe 8 meters and landed on a pile of soft sand deposited on a narrow shelf 20 meters above the river below. Unscathed I got up and climbed bear grills style up the crevice to find the bike still standing up the front wheel wedged firm.
I went back the day after to ride it again so I didn't loose my confidence. But walked over the crack.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Neither on the trike... :mrgreen:
On the rapto... erm. I usually uncoil neither (and use my hands) or both and sit comfortably.
I’ll push away without necessarily clipping in if needed...
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ChrisF
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by ChrisF »

Thanks for all the responses! From this small sample, seems like about 9 lefts, 6 rights and a couple of ambifooted riders. Now I'm left wondering if it's true that pros generally unclip on the right, and if so is it because they're mostly riding in LHD countries or have they been trained that way for another reason?
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by eileithyia »

Interesting the comments re- mounting the bike, just cos I put right foot doesn't mean I also mount from that side, I mount / dismount to the left, and push the bike from the left. Mount from left side, straddle bike and clip in left foot, push off with right.. simples.
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tatanab
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by tatanab »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Neither on the trike.
Unless dismounting of course, so the question applies. As an upright tricylist, to dismount, my left foot is unclipped first and set to the ground because that is the side I dismount; then, in one smooth movement, my right foot is unclipped and is swung over the front to join the left. Bicycle or tricycle, always the same becaue I am right sided.
crossy
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by crossy »

When I first used clipless spds I clipped in and rode away when I came to stop I didn’t know which foot to unclip first. So just guessed I in clipped left foot but on stopping my right foot tried to go down first clippless moment. Just didn’t think of it before.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

tatanab wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:Neither on the trike.
Unless dismounting of course, so the question applies. As an upright tricylist, to dismount, my left foot is unclipped first and set to the ground because that is the side I dismount; then, in one smooth movement, my right foot is unclipped and is swung over the front to join the left. Bicycle or tricycle, always the same becaue I am right sided.

Erm, I don’t know which I do to dismount - probably depends which bag I want to look in first.
I put both feet down then stand up, so it’s not as important which one unclips first.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Postboxer
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by Postboxer »

Think I do left for the same reasons of there's a kerb and my right leg then sets off. Now thinking maybe it would be useful to alternate just so both legs are used to unclipping in case of emergency.
captain offensive
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by captain offensive »

I unclip right foot 95% of the time. No idea why, it just seemed to happen that way. I am left sided so maybe its because I find it easier to push away with the left foot clipped in; but couldn't swear that being the reason (I do on occasion unclip the left foot and have never had any problems moving off with my right). I'm sure there's some sort of deep psychology going on in there somewhere....
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pjclinch
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Re: Left or right foot de-cleating?

Post by pjclinch »

ChrisF wrote:If you use cleats or clipped pedals, when you slow down to stop at a junction, do you unclip your left or right foot? I've always used my left foot, but noticed on today's ride that two of our group of 4 de-cleat on the right.
Thinking about it, maybe because I started my cycling in an urban environment there was nearly always a kerb to put my foot on when I had to stop. But I can't see any advantage (in the UK) of removing the right foot from the pedal, unless your left leg is stronger for the subsequent push off.
Any thoughts?


My left foot down is default, mainly because that's historically been on the kerb before I set off. Similarly, my default rolling mount/dismount is to the left.
However, there are times when it pays to be less one-sided and use the other side. Stopping at junctions on my MTB (which has a high bottom bracket, being an MTB) I'll tend to go more often for right foot down these days, as the camber of a typical road makes the ground that little bit nearer on the right.
Also, when the MTB gets to where its going (off road) it's entirely possible I'll be in a situation where the right foot down just works better on the ground I'm on (e.g., damn great puddle on the left, place to dismount to the right but not the left etc.).

Being able to pick and choose is a Good Thing. If you've only ever got on and off a bike from one side it's quire amusing how cack-handed one is trying the other side. Or just plain scared if it's a rolling mount/dismount.

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