[downhillzeypher]

Is anyone better at turning in one direction than the other? Does it have to do with which foot you put forward when you coast? I tried doing "slalom" down my street just trying to balance my turning out, but I'm not sure it's working... right turns just feel really alien, like I just can't control my form the way I can with left turns.

Is there a way to correct this?

 

[Rik]

I usually change my foot placement coming in to corners, and weight either the outside foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke (outside pedal at 6 o'clock), so doing a street slalom like you're talking about would involve half pedal strokes when changing direction.

 

[kidwoo]

I used to when I first started riding DH. I'm sure I had the same bad habits riding xc for years prior, but I first noticed it when I started riding northstar a few years ago, mostly because the traction there sucks. I was better turning left, and used to always stand regular footed (right foot back). I started switching stances pedaling and backpedaling depending on the turn and that seemed to help.

 

[dw]

I used to when I first started riding DH. I started switching stances pedaling and backpedaling depending on the turn and that seemed to help.

Me too man, I consciously made myself ride regular (im usually rt foot forward) and I had it licked in a weekend. Now it doesnt matter to me.

 

[bikenweed]

Lee from www.leelikesbikes.com has all kinds of stuff about that in his new book. I used to have a really hard time turning left, then I just did a bunch of simple turning exercises and now left sometimes seems easier than right. Oh yeah, the foot you prefer having in front does have quite a bit to do with which way you turn. For example, if you coast with your right foot forwards, it usually means you'll turn counterclockwise in 360's, and will have an easier time turning left. Left foot forward people, like myself, have an easier time spinning clockwise (to the right), and turning right. Goofy footed riders do exist, like Ryan Nyquist and Allistair Whitton, but 90% of people don't ride like that naturally. Have fun.

 

[zedro]

yeah i think right turns feel more 'natural' for me...like toe-side turns with regular footing on a board.

 

[DHracer1067]

i ride left foot forward but turning left is alot easier to me. when turning right it just seems like i cant lean the bike any or slide out the rear tire. it annoys the hell out of me.

 

[kidwoo]

yeah i think right turns feel more 'natural' for me...like toe-side turns with regular footing on a board.

Wait, that's opposite of what I said, now I can't remember. I think you're right though....right foot back, harder right turns

Yeah that's right, like doing a motowhip in the air......I could slide my wheel around better whenever it mimicked a motowhip.

I'm so good now it's hard to remember what it was like when I ever had trouble with anything.

 

[zedro]

Wait, that's opposite of what I said, now I can't remember. I think you're right though....right foot back, harder right turns

Yeah that's right, like doing a motowhip in the air......I could slide my wheel around better whenever it mimicked a motowhip.

I'm so good now it's hard to remember what it was like when I ever had trouble with anything.

well it may be the opposite, i seem to have a mix of different sides. Like i golf, bat and uhh, play hockey left, but i'm right handed, board/skate regular, have an easier time with backside spins, mainly only use my left eye....

 

[kidwoo]

So here's the fun part. After I started making a conscious effort to switch my stance, I of course wanted to start bunny hopping opposite footed. That was some comedic adventure for a while. I could hop but I couldn't keep the bike straight. I tried jumping sets of doubles opposite footed too..............downright scary. I still can't do it.

 

[jon-boy]

I'm left handed, kick a soccer ball with my left, use a right handed golf club, eat the regular way, but use a spoon in my left hand... use a mouse in my left hand... yeah I'm messed up.
When it comes to riding though, I'm better at cornering left. I think I ride right foot forward as when I whip the bike the tail goes to the right. I table the bike with bars to the left and prefer left hand hips.
I think I prefer left foot back as on techy stuff that leg takes a bit more weight and I always feel it's the stronger leg.
Thinking about it now I should really look at my cornering and get ambi-cornerous.

 

[Kornphlake]

I can't slam dunk because I jump off of my right foot and shoot with my right hand, I'd stretch my body more and get more vertical height if I were to jump from my left foot or shoot from my left hand. I suck though so I can't. I shoot arrows from a bow left handed and I shoot slingshots left handed but I do everything else primarily with my right side.

I noticed that I ride left foot forward, but I never noticed any turning bias because of it. Great now I'm going to be paranoid when I ride.

 

[DHCorky]

I have always felt more comfortable turning to the left. I am left foot forward. I know hip jumps I can only do to the left. This is the same case for me on skis??? When I rode trials pivoting on the rear wheel felt almost natural to the left. Riding trials I practiced riding with my right foot forward and did not have much improvement. For DH I know I switch up which foot I have in front for corners. I just feel I can alwasy push harder into left corners

 

[Acadian]

I can't turn either way...

Straight line baby!!

 

[toodles]

I can't turn either way...

Straight line baby!!

then hucking is the discipline for you....

 

[MikeD]

(sniff) I can't turn left. I'm not an ambi-turner...

MD

 

[Jm_]

(sniff) I can't turn left. I'm not an ambi-turner...

MD

damn you, I was going to say that!


I find my riding to be fairly nuetral as far as right or left.

When I was ski-racing though, I found that turns to the right came much more natural than turns to the left (where I was mostly on my right foot).

 

[zedro]

(sniff) I can't turn left. I'm not an ambi-turner...

MD

thank gawd statiscally 67% of all turns are righties...

 

[MikeD]

thank gawd statiscally 67% of all turns are righties...

I think it's more like 69.5%, bucko.

MD

 

[rpk1988]

Um when I'm going super fast and hitting jumps getting like 3 feet of air... I tend to just jump every obstacle in my way, so I never turn. Buildings, rocks, mountains....I just jump them....

 

[downhillzeypher]

Um when I'm going super fast and hitting jumps getting like 3 feet of air... I tend to just jump every obstacle in my way, so I never turn. Buildings, rocks, mountains....I just jump them....

Must be nice... :angry: :mumble: :eviltongu

 

[rpk1988]

Yea my bunny hop my be at least 2 inches off the ground. So nothing stands a chance.

 

[mobius]

I find i am not as confident laying the bike to the left as i ride regular footed. (left forward) Also with tabletops and whips for some reason i do my tables to the side with the foot to the back and from what i've noticed everyone does tables to the side with their front foot. I guess i should do what kidwoo and dw did and ride with my feet the other way.

 

[DH biker]

I turn much better to the left.

 

[ChrisRobin]

I think I have a hard time right and left.

 

[kidwoo]

I find i am not as confident laying the bike to the left as i ride regular footed. (left forward) Also with tabletops and whips for some reason i do my tables to the side with the foot to the back and from what i've noticed everyone does tables to the side with their front foot. I guess i should do what kidwoo and dw did and ride with my feet the other way.

I'm regular footed and do tables the same way. Look at lopes sometime if you want to feel okay about the system. In my opinion spangler is the only one I've seen do them well with the bike to the side of his front foot.

Little trick hacksaw taught me..........tuck your knee under your hand/handlebar as you start to get it flat........it will go much flatter.

 

[Metal]

Since I am a coaster and prefer not to ever pedal, I just leave my left foot forward in all circumstances. I fell mike my left turn is more powerful, but my right turn doesn't seem to be holding me back at all. I think I just use a different technique going different directions.

 

[dhtahoe]

then hucking is the discipline for you....

To old and fragile!!!

LIKE ME!!!

Stick to bench racing huh LUC.

 

[OGRipper]

I ride left foot forward and for the longest time I felt more comfortable turning left. I think it was a remnant of doing coaster brake slides from when I was like 12...but since I got rid of the coaster brake I've been working on turning right too.

Now I tend to switch it up for turns (outside pedal down or back) but stick with left foot forward for everything else.

And it's funny Kidwoo, the first few times I rode Northstar it seemed like I never really thought about turning before...that place really makes you pay attention to the fundamentals and I love it for that.

PS, Great post Korn, people are talking about writing and stuff and you pull out the bow & arrow and slingshot...