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Do you have stronger and weaker turn directions?

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Do you have stronger and weaker turn directions?

Old 12-16-20, 02:51 PM
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Do you have stronger and weaker turn directions?

I did a quick search and could not find this question in another thread. Sorry if it's been brought up before.


In about every sport that I've participated, I've always been more comfortable and stronger on a left turn over a right turn. That's been the case for me in ski racing, motorcycling, biking, etc - just about anything that involves turning. For example, I can do a left u-turn on a motorcycle easily inside of one lane but it takes me almost two lanes to going to the right. I could do the ol' pick-up-the-hot-girl's-notebook-from-the-ground maneuver ala "Breaking Away" while leaning off the left side of my road bike but no way on the right. Don't know if it's because I'm right handed or have somehow been conditioned by driving left hand drive vehicles all my life. Just curious and nothing profound here (and I hope this doesn't drift political), but does anyone else have a strong and weak side turn?

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Old 12-16-20, 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by majmt
I did a quick search and could not find this question in another thread. Sorry if it's been brought up before.


In about every sport that I've participated, I've always been more comfortable and stronger on a left turn over a right turn. That's been the case for me in ski racing, motorcycling, biking, etc - just about anything that involves turning. For example, I can do a left u-turn on a motorcycle easily inside of one lane but it takes me almost two lanes to going to the right. I could do the ol' pick-up-the-hot-girl's-notebook-from-the-ground maneuver ala "Breaking Away" while leaning off the left side of my road bike but no way on the right. Don't know if it's because I'm right handed or have somehow been conditioned by driving left hand drive vehicles all my life. Just curious and nothing profound here (and I hope this doesn't drift political), but does anyone else have a strong and weak side turn?

Yep. Same as yours.
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Old 12-16-20, 03:03 PM
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I feel that bit more confident going into rights than lefts - and I thought I was the only one with this issue

DD
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Old 12-16-20, 03:41 PM
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My spouse has trouble with left turns. She's right-handed. Same problem skiing, though we have only skied a few times.

I don't have any such problem. I guess I'm fairly symmetrical in my strength and flexibility.
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Old 12-16-20, 03:50 PM
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Maybe this?
https://www.physlink.com/education/a...n%20that%20way.
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Old 12-16-20, 04:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Drillium Dude
I feel that bit more confident going into rights than lefts - and I thought I was the only one with this issue

DD
Me too, and me too.
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Old 12-16-20, 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by bikingshearer
Me too, and me too.
I think a good test of this is to see which way you turn in a small space to change direction.
I'm talking about out of traffic with a clear free choice of turning to your left or right.
It may be that people riding on the right hand shoulder of the road have all their practice turning left, thus a preference.
This seems to be the preference for myself, but I am right handed.
I'm currently riding solo on a route where I have a spot to practice this to make my own comparison.

I'm very curious to hear from the MTB riders.
Road riders will likely be surprised.

Good question.
Thanks

Last edited by bironi; 12-16-20 at 04:46 PM. Reason: a slight change of wording
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Old 12-16-20, 04:49 PM
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I ran into this issue this summer. I was riding with a new friend who grew up in England, and had been in the states maybe 10 years.

We had to do a U turn at some point, and he was a bit slow and uncertain while making the turn. He commented that he had spent decades making U turns in the opposite direction (because England drives on the left), and hadn't gotten comfortable with the U turns here.

I haven't tried making any U turns of the English type, but I can see that it might be rather awkward. It seems very likely that we are better at the maneuvers that we make frequently, and would tend to prefer them, thus reinforcing that preference.

Steve in Peoria
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Old 12-16-20, 04:55 PM
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Skiing is different, 'cause I'm not an expert.
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Old 12-16-20, 04:59 PM
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I'm pretty sure I read something years ago about Valentino Rossi slightly preferring one turn direction compare to the other, so you are in good company.
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Old 12-16-20, 05:28 PM
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Rolling up steep driveways and pulling a U-turn--think of it as a VERY tame (partial) "half pipe" that skateboarders employ--in one direction or another is a great way to tell which side one prefers. I know that I prefer to not do a U-turn on such an incline, in any direction. Uncomfortable with either, but if I had to, turning left is easier. I've thought about this sort of thing for a while, and wondered as well if it's a side-of-the-road driving thing, or if it is, as a right-handed guy, more related to having the left hand/arm be the 'shield' hand/arm while the right hand wields the sword. Lead/sacrifice with the left, 'execute' with the right (coming over the top).

I may have had too much time to think about this....
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Old 12-16-20, 07:08 PM
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Left comfy for me. Maybe because I'm a lefty?
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Old 12-16-20, 07:44 PM
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I try not to turn. Takes too much energy.
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Old 12-16-20, 07:47 PM
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I find it weird and funny that I'm more comfortable with right turns but comfortable turning back to look over my left shoulder.
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Old 12-16-20, 08:11 PM
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I am much stronger turning down, than i am turning up.
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Old 12-16-20, 08:19 PM
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Old 12-16-20, 08:25 PM
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Zoolander Syndrome.
Look it up.
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Old 12-16-20, 08:33 PM
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Sure. Depends on a lot of factors.

Our equilibrium can be affected by congestion and inflammation in the sinuses and ears; by our vision, particularly astigmatism; distortions in eyeglasses -- common with no-line bifocals, cheap sunglasses and even good quality wraparound lenses -- and in transparent windscreens on motorcycle windscreens and automobile windshields.

Our balance and ability to change directions can be influenced by uneven arm and leg length (more common than most folks realize), injuries, joint degradation, etc.

Recently I felt some oddities in my '89 Centurion Ironman. I noticed the headset kept loosening. Rather than fixing it properly -- disassembling, inspecting, repairing/replacing -- I just snugged it down and cranked on the lock ring. Now it has a very notchy feel, so it definitely needs an overhaul. While it wasn't ridden much before I bought it in 2017, it wasn't stored very well so I'm sure the headset needs work.

A poor bike fit or makeshift changes to suit comfort without regard to balance can affect how our bikes handle. Due to pretty serious neck and back injuries from being struck by a car almost 20 years ago, I had a really hard time adapting to any bicycle back in 2015 when I resumed riding. For the next three years I made changes to my bikes to suit comfort first, including shorter stems and higher handlebars.

Then I was hit by another car a couple of years ago, re-injuring the neck, shoulder and hip. Once again, I had to resume PT and it's a daily thing now just to keep the body limber.

As my fitness improved and I got faster, those compromises made the bikes feel twitchy, especially on fast curves and rippled pavement. So I worked on physical therapy to improve my strength and flexibility. I switched my bikes to longer stem and modified the overall fit, so they feel more stable now, although there's still some cost to comfort.

Cable/housing can affect bike handling too. The effort to improve aerodynamics and cosmetics led to some cable/housing routing that can affect bike handling, especially on slow, tight turns. While my hybrid with swept bars and bar end shifters is a pretty good compromise between comfort and responsiveness, the long swept bars and shifters can knock against my knees on slow, tight turns, which makes that bike tricky on some group rides with inexperienced or careless cyclists on some trails.
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Old 12-16-20, 11:45 PM
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On the motorcycle I'm more comfortable turning right, though it's not a big difference. But I'm more comfortable hanging off on the left.

On the bicycle I don't notice any difference.

U-turns are always to the left. I don't think that I've ever made one to the right.
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Old 12-17-20, 04:46 AM
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I'm sure there's a lot of reasons why but I feel more comfortable making left turns.
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Old 12-17-20, 05:34 AM
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I've mentioned this before: during my 60th winter I decided to learn to track stand using my derailleur bikes. As we drive on the right with the road crown on the left I chose to learn with the front wheel turned left. Over hours of indoor cycling in my work shop that winter, I did learn. A nice parlor trick, but it vastly improved my low speed balance. My track stands are all aimed left. So my u turns are all to the left. I cannot remember what they were before that winter. I'm not aware of any sided preferences at speed.

I dismount much better to the left than to the right. Therefore I'm much smoother picking up the left pedal cage than the right.
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Old 12-17-20, 06:19 AM
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In the northern hemisphere I feel more confident in left turns.
In the Southern Hemisphere I feel more confident in right turns.


Just say'n....
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Old 12-17-20, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by bironi
I think a good test of this is to see which way you turn in a small space to change direction.
I'm talking about out of traffic with a clear free choice of turning to your left or right.
It may be that people riding on the right hand shoulder of the road have all their practice turning left, thus a preference.
This seems to be the preference for myself, but I am right handed.
I'm currently riding solo on a route where I have a spot to practice this to make my own comparison.

I'm very curious to hear from the MTB riders.
Road riders will likely be surprised.

Good question.
Thanks
Originally Posted by Prowler
I've mentioned this before: during my 60th winter I decided to learn to track stand using my derailleur bikes. As we drive on the right with the road crown on the left I chose to learn with the front wheel turned left. Over hours of indoor cycling in my work shop that winter, I did learn. A nice parlor trick, but it vastly improved my low speed balance. My track stands are all aimed left. So my u turns are all to the left. I cannot remember what they were before that winter. I'm not aware of any sided preferences at speed.

I dismount much better to the left than to the right. Therefore I'm much smoother picking up the left pedal cage than the right.
This makes sense to me. Also being right handed, it makes it eaiser to put my right foot in the hook of the handlebar for no handed track stands.
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Old 12-17-20, 07:24 AM
  #24  
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I'm a Lefty and turning left is easier then right for me too. I do wonder if it has to do with the fact that we ride on the right in the US so left u-turns are more plentiful then right u-turns.
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Old 12-17-20, 07:37 AM
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Mostly ride in a bike friendly community with 5-8' bike lanes so my rides can have a dozen(s) of right turns and as few left as possible. The reason is not crossing lanes greatly reduces the chance of drama with traffic which greatly improves my rides. Today's ride with a new saddle being tried out will have 15 rights and 5 lefts, in just over 24 miles.
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