Left Foot Forward Or Right?

[spode@thinkbikes]

I've never seen a link between left/right handed and feet position. Unlike left/right handed, were supposedly your brain is wired differently, which foot you have forward really comes down to which way feels more comfortable - almost by chance, and you just happen to learn that way. We are creatures of habit, and we repeat actions. Like try folding your arms the opposite way - feels weird.

This is simply not true weather you are right or left handed depends on which of your visual feilds is more developed, if you have a stronger left visual feild, you will be right handed, the same follows for which of your feet you find more natural. There is definitely a link however as you said we are creatures of habit and if you originally learn to use left foot forward you will feel more comfortable like that, similar to if you told a right handed child to always hold a pen in the left hand before teaching them to write.

Confusing I know, but there have been some great psychological studies into this.

I personally am stronger with all of my right side, compared to my left.

I've just read into this a little more, because it's an interesting topic and there is a hell[/b[ of a lot of research out there. There is a difference between left/right handed brains - through nurture/nature you can decide for yourself - most suggest it happens in the womb. So you could say they are "wired differently". To suggest the same process is how we choose left/right feet is not correct. Being left-handed is far more complex than being left-footed.

However, the most important point, which was the one I was trying to make (and found evidence to state so) - was that there was no strong link between left-handedness and left-sidedness. So finding right-footed left-handers is quite common.

A more important question is - just because the foot is at the front, does that really make it the dominant foot? The rear leg is doing all the hopping, the front leg is giving forward movement. That doesn't sound like a dominance to me, but rather them both working equally

Different portions of your brain activate when using left or right hand. Yet, I imagine riding left or right foot forward - the same areas are in use. It would be interesting area to investigate further.

[sstein]

I've just read into this a little more, because it's an interesting topic and there is a hell[/b[ of a lot of research out there. There is a difference between left/right handed brains - through nurture/nature you can decide for yourself - most suggest it happens in the womb. So you could say they are "wired differently". To suggest the same process is how we choose left/right feet is not correct. Being left-handed is far more complex than being left-footed.

However, the most important point, which was the one I was trying to make (and found evidence to state so) - was that there was no strong link between left-handedness and left-sidedness. So finding right-footed left-handers is quite common.

A more important question is - just because the foot is at the front, does that really make it the dominant foot? The rear leg is doing all the hopping, the front leg is giving forward movement. That doesn't sound like a dominance to me, but rather them both working equally

Different portions of your brain activate when using left or right hand. Yet, I imagine riding left or right foot forward - the same areas are in use. It would be interesting area to investigate further.

I concur. I was not trying to say that whether you are right handed has any effect on which of your legs are dominat, only that the dominat leg is not decidely ramdomly but similarly to the way we decide our dominant hand, i.e. the way our brain in wired. If you are interested look up 'Sperry's split brains' which is a psychological investigation about brain functions along these lines.

[spode@thinkbikes]

I concur. I was not trying to say that whether you are right handed has any effect on which of your legs are dominat, only that the dominat leg is not decidely ramdomly but similarly to the way we decide our dominant hand, i.e. the way our brain in wired. If you are interested look up 'Sperry's split brains' which is a psychological investigation about brain functions along these lines.

Well, I'm not that convinced dominant foot is pre-determined in the way your dominant hand is. When you watch a baby walking, do they have a dominant foot? Not yet - I think you develop it through chance, and looking at this poll indicates as such too - there is quite an even split between left and right footers - unlike left-handers which are fairly rare in comparison. Dominant foot is about comfort, not impaired ability.

[psycholist]

Try standing on your bike with your legs straight and preferred foot forward and move your ass back as far as you can away from the handlebars. Swap your feet around and try the same thing. It's almost certain you'll not be able to bend as far with the pedals swapped. This may mean that foot choice may initially be a flexibility issue (Or it could be that you start with equal flexibility and the more you cycle the more your flexibility improves with your feet the way you prefer)...

[spode@thinkbikes]

Try standing on your bike with your legs straight and preferred foot forward and move your ass back as far as you can away from the handlebars. Swap your feet around and try the same thing. It's almost certain you'll not be able to bend as far with the pedals swapped. This may mean that foot choice may initially be a flexibility issue (Or it could be that you start with equal flexibility and the more you cycle the more your flexibility improves with your feet the way you prefer)...

Yeah. I can't twist my body to the left anywhere near as easily as I can to the right (my spinning direction) and I imagine the same is as of what you suggest above. But I think that sort of stiffness comes from riding - there are plenty of other athletes that aren't so flexibility impaired

[basher]

This is the stupidest topic ever, which foot your are doesnt have any link to how good you are/could be. Its just nature by which foot you feel most comfortable with and which you always put forward when you learnt to ride when little. How on earth could it have any link anyway, bikes are symetrical to a point, and things such as sidehoping to mech side or disk side dont affect how good you are just how often you break your bike and the things are easily got around anyway.

[manuel]

werent people who rode right foot foward at an advantage due to the mech hanger thing ... ? I understand now it really doesnt matter - but previously it was a big thing. I kinda think thats why most of the pros are right footers right now ... but more and more it will even out ?

[JT!]

I'm right foot forward but i'm practicing with the left at the moment (not as i write this...obviously!). Just cos i think that when it comes down to it, you wanna be able to do tricks with either foot forward, also to either direction...no limits then.

I don't find any limmits with only using one foot. It's like learning to write left handed, pointless.

You might aswell practise and get better right foot forward.