View Poll Results: When stopping, which foot do you unclip?
Right
48
44.04%
Left
46
42.20%
No preference / whatever suits the situation
15
13.76%
I don't, I do track stands
0
0%
Voters: 109. You may not vote on this poll
Which foot do you unclip when stopping?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Which foot do you unclip when stopping?
I always unclip my right foot. I figure if I'm going to fall over for some reason, it may as well be on the non-drive side.
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#3
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For a planned stop like a stoplight or dismount, I favor the right and it has become the habit. But I don't think it would hurt me to start switching it up. The few skinned knees and my broken wrist are on the left and results of not getting unclipped when I've had a situation when the left foot needed to be free.
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At a long light, I will unclip both and walk in place in my SPD's and flex my feet.
Seems to help with feet soreness.
Seems to help with feet soreness.
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#6
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I don't use clipless, when I come to a stop it's either left or right foot that comes off the pedal, sometimes even both left and right at the same time.
#7
Senior Member
Left in USA and right where they drive on the wrong side of the road
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#9
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I put my left foot down. Always have and I've no idea why. If that is wrong then this is my excuse...
Putting the left foot down and keeping the right clipped in keeps me from getting that mark on my calf from the chain ring. I suppose I could clean it more often though.
Putting the left foot down and keeping the right clipped in keeps me from getting that mark on my calf from the chain ring. I suppose I could clean it more often though.
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#12
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Winner, winner, chicken dinner. That is essentially the only reason to prefer one side over the other.
#13
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Being right handed, I figure my right leg (pure speculation) may just be a bit stronger than the left, so I unclip to the left so have more powa to start. Besides it’s a habit cultivated/curated/and hand-crafted over decades.
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Uh oh, are we talking about putting a foot down when seated at a stop? There’s a contingent around here who think doing that is abnormal, unsafe, and a bad habit!
II always put down the left, I’d guess the habit deriving from being right hand/leg dominant. I feel more comfortable having the right foot on the pedal, and that it gives me a faster, crisper jump off the line.
If I did get blown over by a gust of wind, I’d prefer to fall away from traffic!
II always put down the left, I’d guess the habit deriving from being right hand/leg dominant. I feel more comfortable having the right foot on the pedal, and that it gives me a faster, crisper jump off the line.
If I did get blown over by a gust of wind, I’d prefer to fall away from traffic!
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Very much like boarders dominant foot choice, are you regular or goofy foot?
I think also lefty or righty related.
https://www.gilisports.com/blogs/sup...footed-surfing
I think also lefty or righty related.
https://www.gilisports.com/blogs/sup...footed-surfing
#16
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I got used to using the right because I could put my foot on the curb at red lights without getting off the saddle. I later switched to my left for racing because I wanted to start with my dominant leg. I stopped racing and decided pulling into the gutter at red lights was probably increasing punctures, so I went random for a while. Then I started piloting a tandem for a blind rider who needed consistency, so I chose right. Now I'm back to random, but seem to favor right.
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#17
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It seems to me that, for effective tripod balance, you’d want your leg rather far off to the side of the bike (i.e. away from the chainrings), not in close where the bracing angle is shallow.
#18
I’m all sorts of messed up. I unclip with the left first. I actually have a hard time going right first. When it comes to hands, while I write and throw a ball with my right, I do almost everything else with my left. Tie my shoes, brush my hair and teeth, throw a Frisbee, use a knife, wipe my tush, play guitar, etc. I am also a goofy foot boarder.
#19
Senior Member
Roads around here are severely crowned with no shoulder. Putting the right foot down would be putting it into a ditch, unless you want to stop out in traffic.
#20
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Left foot always. This is what I was shown and is fully ingrained. A plus - my slippery cycling shoe always goes down onto the less sandy, dirty, muddy or otherwise slippery surface for a better push off when the light goes green. Road camber also is in my favor.
And so, I am always viewing my bikes from the (clean, no grease to be seen) non-drive side. Often build my wheels with labels to the left. The fascination with drive-side photos showing all the crap? I'll probably never get it. (Of course, no crap to be seen if a) you don't ride or b) you are OCD or c) have a mechanic on staff. )
And so, I am always viewing my bikes from the (clean, no grease to be seen) non-drive side. Often build my wheels with labels to the left. The fascination with drive-side photos showing all the crap? I'll probably never get it. (Of course, no crap to be seen if a) you don't ride or b) you are OCD or c) have a mechanic on staff. )
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I typically do it probably right side but honestly either side works fine if the situation calls for it. There is a right way to do it and a left way to do it but no wrong way to do it.
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Not a left foot right foot thing, but I tend to twist my heel in towards the bike. That hasn't always worked great depending on the position of the pedals. I've been consciously working on twisting my ankle out away from the bike, but it's hard to break an old habit.
#23
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#24
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I'm really curious how you started that habit in the first place.
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I always unclip my left foot, too. That's most natural for me as I always mount / dismount from the left. I cliip my right footin as I get on the bike, and it usually stays clipped until I dismonut.
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