Cleat release-which direction do you?

[Kalidurga]

I have always been a freak.

Oh, now I can't wait for our next TE-DC brunch

[ny biker]

DH makes it look so effortless I want to slap him though. We roll up to a light with a curb on the right, unclip right. We are turning left and there is a median, unclip left. Doesn't even look like he has to think about it which is probably why he thinks I shouldn't have to only unclip left to stay upright.

I must unclip right and put my right foot down first. If I ever try to unclip first with my left foot, I will fall over to the right.

[OakLeaf]

Didn't we have a poll last year about which side we unclip? I thought left was the majority.

I'm a rightie. Which is kind of odd since you always put your left foot down first on a motorcycle. But then, I rode bicis for years before I got a moto, and I guess when I picked it back up that was still in my muscle memory.

[emily_in_nc]

I must unclip right and put my right foot down first. If I ever try to unclip first with my left foot, I will fall over to the right.

Me too!

[Crankin]

I think for me, it is muscle memory. I could retrain myself, but like Aggie, anything that smacks of mechanical or a combination of mechanical and eye-hand is really hard for me. That's why I have always done well in "individual" sports, as team sports seem to require coordination I don't have.
I am right handed, but, I am definitely stronger on my left side. I always hold my coffee cup in my left hand, kick with my left foot. In yoga, I am always the one who wants to start the pose on my left side... so I pay close attention, to make sure I am in synch with the rest of the class.
As I have said before, if my former gym teachers could see me now, they would not believe it. Getting certified to teach aerobics was probably the biggest confidence builder in my life... more than any "professional" achievement, getting my master's degree. Same thing for leading bike rides. I might not be the fastest, but I have skills that I can teach others. OK, totally getting off topic here.
Actually, I had very little trouble learning to use clipless pedals.

[Cataboo]

Hrm. I might have to check which foot I actually disconnect with, because me disconnecting with my left sounds odd 'cause that's the ankle I always sprain and I usually make my other foot do everything for fear of spraining it.

Shoe tying was probably around 6 or 7, as well, I think. Telling left & right... I always wore bracelets on my left hand to make myself remember which way was left. I still will grab my left wrist to try to figure it out. I can generally tell left from right, but I always have to think about it. So if someone says turn left, there's usually a good probability I'll go right until I think about it.

Muscle memory - I am much better at doing something and getting it naturally. Someone that tries to break down what I'm doing into little steps or tells me to concentrate on one thing will usually end up "breaking" my ability to do something until I somehow manage to make it happen naturally.

I might be somewhat retarded.

[tantrumbean]

I unclip left, because even before going clipless I was told to always put my left foot down first as that means I'm leaning away from traffic, so it became a habit. Before that, my right foot always went down first. However, now leaning to the right to unclip right when necessary always instills panic in me. The clipping out is easy, but leaning to the right has become really difficult!!!

[Zen]

Didn't we have a poll last year about which side we unclip? I thought left was the majority.
.

Well...the original question was about heel direction.
The thread took a turn. As usual.

[VeloVT]

I unclip left, because even before going clipless I was told to always put my left foot down first as that means I'm leaning away from traffic, so it became a habit. Before that, my right foot always went down first. However, now leaning to the right to unclip right when necessary always instills panic in me. The clipping out is easy, but leaning to the right has become really difficult!!!

I'm assuming you're in the US -- maybe that's a bad assumption.

But... if you are... unclipping left means you are leaning into traffic, not away from it, right?

(That said, I unclip left 99% of the time because I"m right-footed and like to start with my dominant foot clipped in, although I can unclip right-first if I need to).

[Kuota Rider]

I have seen people do it both ways. I think it depends on which is more comfortable for you. I know some riders that find it difficult to twist their ankle to the outside far enough to unclip so they unclip to the inside. Personally, I go to the outside. I don't seem to have enough room to the inside to get unclipped. Maybe it has something to do with the size of my foot as they are not petite.

[Kuota Rider]

I'm assuming you're in the US -- maybe that's a bad assumption.

But... if you are... unclipping left means you are leaning into traffic, not away from it, right?

(That said, I unclip left 99% of the time because I"m right-footed and like to start with my dominant foot clipped in, although I can unclip right-first if I need to).

I did this, but only once....I unclipped right, but somehow I was leaning left...yeah it was ugly. I ended up on my back with my feet in the air with my bike still attached to one cleat. I took one on the knee and the shoulder. Anything to not scratch the bike...

[sgtiger]

I've always unclipped heal out. I'm naturally a bit duck footed and if I got lazy about how my toes were pointed on a previous cleat system, I'd accidentally pop my foot out. My frogs don't let me do that.

[Cataboo]

BF was saying that it's safer to unclip heel out - because if you unclip heel in with your pedal towards the back, you're putting your foot into your chain stays or chain, if you have the pedal towards the front, you're unclipping by putting your heel into the frame.... and depending how the bike is in motion during something like that, it could end up bad... Of course, he's a guy and has bigger feet.

[Zen]

I'm assuming you're in the US -- maybe that's a bad assumption.

You are correct, it's a bad assumption. Click on the link for her charity ride
(I wondered too)

[Crankin]

There's another Kuota rider here???
I have never met anyone else who has a Kuota, except people who have tri bikes.