Left or Right?

[velogirl]

Okay, Sadie Kate made me think of this in the chainring tattoo thread. Wish I knew how to set up a poll. Oh well.

In my experience, about 65-70% of riders unclip with their left foot. The others (including me) unclip with the right.

Does it matter? Well, when you're lined up at the start of a race it does (I feel like the left-handed eater at the table). Besides that? Nah. I guess I like that I "lean" to the right when I'm unclipped which is good in traffic (in the US), and I can prop my right foot up on the curb when I'm stopped, as is the fact that my bike will naturally trail to the right when I start.

I have no idea why I learned that way -- probably because the person who taught me to ride clipless pedals did it that way.

So, are you a left unclipper or a right unclipper? Do you know why you learned that way?

[Trekhawk]

Hmm not sure really why I unclip my left foot it just feels natural for me to do it this way. I taught myself how to clip in and out and as I said it was just the natural choice for me to do the left foot. When I MTB I unclip either side depending on terrain but road riding its always the left.

[SadieKate]

Should we specify this is for riding on the road and just assume we're all ambifootrous on the dirt?

[velogirl]

Should we specify this is for riding on the road and just assume we're all ambifootrous on the dirt?

I'd prefer if we focus our answers on our primary road choice.

Most of us who mtn bike do both. Some of us can do both on the road but are predominant with one side.

[maillotpois]

For some reason I like to start off pushing with my left foot. I guess I am left footed. So it's more natural for me to put my right foot down.

[SadieKate]

Good poll.

As said, on the road it keeps my right leg in a position away from the chain, means my cleated foot is put down on the high side of a crowned and debris-strewn road (I've seen too many slips and I'm never that close to a curb because a car will cut me off), and when you ride a tandem you need to instinctively always unclip with the same foot as your partner (and Bubba unclips with his left for the same reasons as I).

Saw a tandem pilot dump his partner over lane divider curb because his right foot slipped. She could have broken her back. I ain't going there. I live in a town with nice wide bike lanes (I'm spoiled) so if I ride close to a curb cars that are turning right have to go to my left. I ain't going there either.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Unclip right. Left leg is stronger. And yes I get chain tattoos.

[im4smiley]

I am fairly new to being clipped in, only have had them for a couple of months and Ok maybe I am weird, but I like to unclip with my right but then I also like to start off clipped in my right. so I think I need to work on this cause I end up totally unclipped at stops.

[sydney_b]

i go either way. When I learned, it seemed the most reasonable thing to do. I wanted both sides to be capable and automatic in response to whatever the situation demanded.

/s

[Deanna]

I unclip with my right, but as I'm having some problems with my right knee I'm trying to learn to unclip with my left also (at stops I only unclip one leg, so the right get's used more). This habit proving surprisingly difficult to change.

[AuntieK]

I unclip with my left leg. Used to unclip the right because it seems more natural, but it occurred to me that since my right leg is the stronger leg, I should push off with it.

[uforgot]

I unclip with the right, but I've taught dance for years so here is a different slant. I've always done left cartwheels, preferred to high kick with the left leg, yet I'm right handed. All of the others in my classes growing up did them right, so of course I had to conform...When my dance girls tumble, there is usually a couple that want to do their cartwheels left. About 2 out of every 10, and they are right handed, so I guess some of us are just right-handed and left-legged.

[velogirl]

I unclip with the right, but I've taught dance for years so here is a different slant. I've always done left cartwheels, preferred to high kick with the left leg, yet I'm right handed. All of the others in my classes growing up did them right, so of course I had to conform...When my dance girls tumble, there is usually a couple that want to do their cartwheels left. About 2 out of every 10, and they are right handed, so I guess some of us are just right-handed and left-legged.

So funny that you mention cart-wheels.

I'm right-handed (although I'm convinced that I was born left-handed and my parents trained me to be right-handed). CONSPIRACY!!!

However, I do left-handed cartwheels. If you throw a ball at me, I'll instinctively catch it with my left hand. And my left side (arm and leg) are stronger. But, my right side is more flexible.

[SadieKate]

I'm right-handed (although I'm convinced that I was born left-handed and my parents trained me to be right-handed). CONSPIRACY!!!

Too funny. It wasn't a conspiracy by my parents, they just openly encouraged it. Told me they always handed items to me so it was more convenient to use my right hand. Mom is a leftie and hates it because our world makes everything for righties.

[DebW]

I'm left handed for fine motor skills, right handed for gross motor skills. Not sure about my legs, since I don't do alot of fine motor skills with either foot. I think my right leg is stronger (at least my right foot is larger). I unclip right and always have.