[cesar_rojo]

I was talking the other day while riding with David Vazquez and he told me about how all the riders that have a really cool style ride with left foot on front. He really knows how everyone rides, amazing.. What riders you like most, what foot you have on front?

I really like, Minnaar, Blenkinsop, Hill, Neethling, Fairclough,... All have left on front!

 

[Verskis]

Chase Hawk rides right foot forward. He's the most stylish creature on two wheels.

 

[monkeyfcuker]

Theory blown, I ride left front forward!

 

[Straya]

Theory blown, I ride left front forward!

Double blown. Me too.

 

[Gary]

it's funny, I think most of the riders you mention all have pretty different styles (all amazing to watch tho)
Ignoring Peat there are very few unstylish riders in the WC DH scene these days. I think Gwin, Gracia, Bryceland, Danny Hart and Dan & Gee Atherton (prefer Dan's style to Gee's TBH) are all right foot fortward and all have amazing style in different ways too.
and leading a style class of his own right foot first there's Kovarik

Hill would easily be my favourite DH rider to watch, I switch feet quite a lot but usually prefer hitting bigger jumps and rougher sections right foot forward.

 

[bizutch]

I'm left foot forward (yes, I voted) and wish I could be both. Going into 180 right handers clipped in, you get thrown a little off because the pedal doesn't drop down to vertical and give your right pedal that extra clearance to skirt on off camber or tight turns.

If I'm riding on flats, I have to consciously throw a tripod foot out to get that extra bite and weight the outside pedal.

Left hand turns are a piece of cake as your foot is always back and down.

I've raced DH's that follow a fall line to the right and gotten owned bad because of it.

 

[Heidi]

I'm left forward and tried to change it a few years ago when I injured my left knee. Never could switch it up, it felt to awkward and I was out of control.

 

[SthFRider]

I think its hard to train yourself to switch which foot you ride with forward. I guess it has something to do with muscle memory maybe i don't know. Is there a benefit of riding with the left foot forward? Im right foot forward and don't have an problems. Just curious.

 

[swaussie]

the Trek gravity girls recently did a downhill training camp in Austria and they were teaching the girls to do the "Sam Hill", i.e, arms and legs seriously bent and pointing out (guess thats how Hill and many others rides). I tried it and it does give a sense of stability but you need wickedly strong muscles to hold it for a long run

I am left forward on my bike but right forward on a snowboard which doesnt make much sense.

 

[Eastwood]

Kovarik rides right foot forward and IMO he's a really stylish guy

 

[jutny]

left foot forward because it just feels more natural. I try to switch up to train especially now that I realize how uncomfortable I feel with my right foot forward. When I skateboarded it was left foot forward too.

 

[Craig Quik]

I am left forward on my bike but right forward on a snowboard which doesnt make much sense.

Same here, but I thought that was prettymuch normal?

'Regular' (left foot first on a board) is more common than goofy afaik, and I thought right foot first on a bike seemed to be much more common, but not according to the poll at the moment!

 

[Patrick L]

I can ride either foot front if i have too except i cannot hit jumps or drops with my left foot front. Over all i would say i am right foot forward but i find myself many times taking that extra half pedal stroke for more speed before some rocks or roots, i certainly prefer my right foot front though.

snowboard which ever foot forward i feel like for the day

 

[Kevin]

Left foot in front while riding, right in front while snowboarding...

 

[fluider]

I'm right foot forward on bike as well as on board and I do have a small difficulties with right-hand turns in whichever pedal configuration.

My theory on this is that majority of people use mostly only one brain hemisphere. There is minority of people (the lucky ones) who use both hemispheres at the same time. I'm strong right-hander, have very strong left leg as I use it as carrying leg, the stability leg, and can freely move the right foot then. That's why I switch legs on easy sections when DHing in order to relax my left leg. In serious turns I have my feet in up/down position instead of forward/backward.

 

[norbar]

I'm left foot forward (yes, I voted) and wish I could be both. Going into 180 right handers clipped in, you get thrown a little off because the pedal doesn't drop down to vertical and give your right pedal that extra clearance to skirt on off camber or tight turns.

If I'm riding on flats, I have to consciously throw a tripod foot out to get that extra bite and weight the outside pedal.

Left hand turns are a piece of cake as your foot is always back and down.

I've raced DH's that follow a fall line to the right and gotten owned bad because of it.

We are on the same boat though I ride only flats this season. Try to move away from spds becuase I crash much too often for clips.

 

[cesar_rojo]

Gwin has killer style, but he has left front. Hart I like and he is right but I think is the only one I like with front right...

Beaumont, Leov, Hannah, Bryceland, Gee,... all right and yeah they are fast but no way to compare their styles with minnaar's, hill, gwin, neethling, lehikoinen, fairclough, blenkinsop... Sure there are stylish and non stylish left and right front foot. But if you look to the top 20 wc riders and you need to choose 5, I'm sure all will be left foot front

Not telling their style is horrible they have good style, but tell me any of those has better style than one of the top left front feet riders...

it's funny, I think most of the riders you mention all have pretty different styles (all amazing to watch tho)
Ignoring Peat there are very few unstylish riders in the WC DH scene these days. I think Gwin, Gracia, Bryceland, Danny Hart and Dan & Gee Atherton (prefer Dan's style to Gee's TBH) are all right foot fortward and all have amazing style in different ways too.
and leading a style class of his own right foot first there's Kovarik

Hill would easily be my favourite DH rider to watch, I switch feet quite a lot but usually prefer hitting bigger jumps and rougher sections right foot forward.

 

[toowacky]

Left forward riding; left forward (regular) snowboarding/skateboarding. Been interesting to see how others ride/board, I was always curious about this.

Riding switch on bike (r foot forward for me) is bizarre. Descending after a grueling push up the other day, right calf was cramping something fierce, so I rode w/ the right forward to stretch it out--- was an absolute hack. Bashed rings/rims and pretty much hit the worst lines possible, completely out of my element. Eye opener...

 

[scottishmark]

left handed
left footed
left foot forward (bike)
left foot forward (board)
both feet forward (skis)

 

[nyhc00]

pay attention to his feet, he switches them up all the time.

 

[aaronjb]

Solution: flip one crankarm so that both feet are pointing forward. Then you can be stylish and fast. Added benefit: you can get both pedals far off the ground for max clearance and dramatically raise your center of gravity simultaneously. DW and other engineers will have to redesign linkages to accommodate this new configuration, but the benefits are too obvious to ignore.

I guess it's time to create a thread to solicit an answer for a burning question I've always had: Brake levers angled slightly up or slightly down? Which is faster? Where are the wind tunnel results to back up the assertions? Surely it's not simply a matter of personal preference! We'll need data, people!

We'll need Stik to weigh in with anecdotes from the trenches, preferably with a story involving Cully and a custom mod - now being used universally in all pits - made just minutes prior to the start of a race. Also, maybe Stik can answer this burning question: Why did Greg Herbold wear that stupid skinsuit for the 1995 season? That was ridiculous even when lycra was still acceptable on a DH course.

EDIT: I'm new here, is this how I'm supposed to participate?

 

[nyhc00]

for brake levers you should keep them slightly down. they should be in line with hands/fingers/wrist. the reason being is so you don't restrict any circulation of blood. I learned that one way back in the day from a X-C racer

 

[woodsguy]

I'm right handed and it's left foot forward for me. Same with snowboarding, skateboarding, and jumping. Oddly though I'm right foot forward on a scooter or when sliding on ice.

I realized my preference several years ago. I will ride right foot forward once in a while and although it's not super comfortable it doesn't feel too bad.

 

[kickstand]

the Trek gravity girls recently did a downhill training camp in Austria and they were teaching the girls to do the "Sam Hill", i.e, arms and legs seriously bent and pointing out (guess thats how Hill and many others rides). I tried it and it does give a sense of stability but you need wickedly strong muscles to hold it for a long run

I am left forward on my bike but right forward on a snowboard which doesnt make much sense.

Same here, but I thought that was prettymuch normal?

'Regular' (left foot first on a board) is more common than goofy afaik, and I thought right foot first on a bike seemed to be much more common, but not according to the poll at the moment!

Left foot in front while riding, right in front while snowboarding...

same here, for jumps I am left foot forward but do switch it up through the turns....I think.....

and on the snowboard I am right foot forward, though I can ride either way almost as equally well

 

[supercow]

Is right foor forward not " goofy foot"
I surf left foot forward, skate (when I was a kid) left foot forward and ride my bike left foot forward - i.e: natural stance.

 

[wood booger]

Practice switching.

It may be near impossible at first, but it can make you faster and can keep you off the ground. Pedal forward to switch feet, usually better for the chain and you get a 1/2 power stroke in. Seems like one foot will always be dominant, but you can get pretty good at the other one w/ practice.

 

[rockofullr]

Practice switching.

It may be near impossible at first, but it can make you faster and can keep you off the ground. Pedal forward to switch feet, usually better for the chain and you get a 1/2 power stroke in. Seems like one foot will always be dominant, but you can get pretty good at the other one w/ practice.

I have been wondering about this for a while. Are there any top DHers who switch it up depending on the conditions/turn direction?

I don't see this happening but I will admit I haven't looked very hard.

 

[scottishmark]

I have been wondering about this for a while. Are there any top DHers who switch it up depending on the conditions/turn direction?

I don't see this happening but I will admit I haven't looked very hard.

wonder no more http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232031&highlight=foot+forward

 

[woodsguy]

I'm right handed and it's left foot forward for me. Same with snowboarding, skateboarding, and jumping. Oddly though I'm right foot forward on a scooter or when sliding on ice.

I realized my preference several years ago. I will ride right foot forward once in a while and although it's not super comfortable it doesn't feel too bad.

When I say "jumping" I mean regular jumping with my feet. Not on a bike.

 

[SylentK]

Guess I'm in the minority here:

Right foot forward bike
Left foot forward board
Right handed
No style is my style

 

[brian field]

most stylish WC rider ever,,, and he rides right foot in front,,, case closed!

 

[rockofullr]

wonder no more http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232031&highlight=foot+forward

I posted a similar question in that thread but (other than one comment about Shaum) no one had any insight about how the fast boys ride. So if someone has any info lets hear it.

 

[MDJ]

Right foot forward for everything. I can ride switch on a bike much easier than a snowboard. Snowboard much easier than a surfboard.

Left hand for everything. Right isn't nearly as pleasurable.

 

[aaronjb]

Oh crap. People do take these discussions seriously.

Apologies for inserting my nonsense earlier in the thread. Carry on!

 

[Bikael Molton]

goofy, baby.

 

[stoney]

Right lead to jump and drop, but I switch for every corner, or based n how my feet need to be placed to get through a section. It started after getting half strokes in while in between sections.

 

[Leppah]

i ride goofy footed. I've tried to switch to left foot forward, but it feels really funny to me. I feel like a dork. My body positioning gets all funny.

 

[JCL]

I've wondered about this crap a lot in the past too

It is a little strange that so many of the stylish/quick guys are LFF or is it? As others have said most people skate/surf/board regular/LFF and if you think about the bike most peoples strong support leg will be their right leg as most are right orientated. Hop about on both legs and see which one feels stronger. Probably your right I think you'll find.

The really odd thing is that most of the top BMX'ers are RFF. That might be because you're so much more upright on a BMX and having a preferential support/strong leg isn't as critical ?

Either way Cesar, you have to look no further than your fellow countryman for the epitome of stylish bike riding and he's RFF ! -

 

[DHracer1067]

I'm left foot forward (yes, I voted) and wish I could be both. Going into 180 right handers clipped in, you get thrown a little off because the pedal doesn't drop down to vertical and give your right pedal that extra clearance to skirt on off camber or tight turns.

If I'm riding on flats, I have to consciously throw a tripod foot out to get that extra bite and weight the outside pedal.

Left hand turns are a piece of cake as your foot is always back and down.

I've raced DH's that follow a fall line to the right and gotten owned bad because of it.

Yeah right. I had a friend riding behind me and at the end of the run he's just like so i guess you can't turn right. it was like i would gain a bunch of ground through all the left handers and off cambers with my left foot on the inside then i would completely lose it on anything that was a hard right hand turn.

So i ride left foot forward and i can turn left really well but I suck at turning right. I don't really know why but I feel like i can completely hang it out turning left but im just uncomfortable taking my right foot off the pedal and loading the left pedal and leaning it over to the right. its just really frustrating because i just can't figure out how to get over the whole not being able to carve right hand turns really hard like i can do lefties... I figure i just need to get out to a gravel parking lot and start riding right foot forward and practice letting loose on right handers.

 

[slowmtb]

My left foot is my "chocolate" foot. Always left foot on the BMX gate but can easily switch ( and do ) when taking on switchbacks