Left or Right?

[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.

[Bike Goddess]

Now if you ever rode horses, you always mount the horse from the left. So, I also get on my bike from the left as well as clip out on my left foot.

(Just another trivia to add to the collection).

I'm left handed (most of the time). Left is right for me!

[E2theD]

I used to unclip on the right becuase of the traffic/curb thing but then I fractured my right ankle and had to switch to the left. Over the past year and a half becuase of various tendon problems in both ankles stemming from the fracture I've switched back and forth a few times. So I guess I can go both ways.

I'm ride goofy snowboarding if that matters...

Erin

[Crankin]

I unclip on the left and only unclip on that side when stopping at signs and lights. But, I just realized, when I first start, I clip in with my right foot and push off with my left. I have speedplays, which are very easy to unclip, but when I fist used clipless and I had spds, which seemed to have an "easier" left side. I don't know, maybe I should change, because I am definitely stronger on my left side, even though I am right handed, my laterality is very mixed. I can barely take my right hand off the bike to signal, while extending my left is very natural. I have a lot of issues taking off from stops that are at a slight incline, even when I am in an easy gear. This has turned into an irrational fear of going down in traffic, so i will often take an alternate route. Maybe if I was pushing off with my left foot, it would be easier. It just seems unnatural to unclip on the right now.

[CR400]

I unclip left. Not that I can't go the other way if I have to, like if for some reason the left doesn't want to come out fast enough.

Everyone else on my team unclips right so I feel like an oddball at stops. The funny thing is my left leg is bigger, stronger, and generates 4% more of my power in lab testing. Yet it feels strange to have that leg clipped in when I go to take off. I still think I get a better start pushing off with the right foot clipped in. When I tuck on decents it is usually left foreward but occasionally the other way. Oh, yeah I'm right handed too, that makes it stranger.

Even right I only get the tatoo, If I haven't cleaned the chain in more then a week. I know that's bad, it doesn't happen often though.

[Geonz]

No unclipping yet, because I still have clips!

But I un-toe-clip right side; that's the foot I like to put down.

The three people I took "Road I: Effective Cycling with" *all* leaned to the left. Supposedly leaning to the right at stop lights is a little better, since if something takes you out, you'll fall to the curb instead of into traffic, but basically changing one's wiring is harder than it looks.

[btchance]

Now if you ever rode horses, you always mount the horse from the left. So, I also get on my bike from the left as well as clip out on my left foot.

(Just another trivia to add to the collection).

I'm left handed (most of the time). Left is right for me!

Oh my goodness, I agree with the horse thing. I absolutely can't get on the bike from any side other than the left, even if it's a spinning bike. I also can't walk anywhere w/ my bike unless I'm on the left. It's completely ingrained in me to do it that way. However, I unclip right as it just feels natural to me. Plus my left leg is stronger (maybe from all that eq riding when we only had to work on the rail to the left and I cheated with my right leg ) and you always put your right foot in the stirrup last and take it out first, so maybe that has something do do with it. Who knows?

[Lise]

I also have a very hard time delivering a baby from the right side (that's my right side, not the mom's)...although I believe this qualifies as "thread drift"!

I would have a heck of a time getting on a bike from the right side (ie: left leg swung over).

[tulip]

Right. I think I would fall over if I unclipped on the left.

[Tater]

Another leftie here! I don't know why, maybe because as Bike Goddess mentioned, one gets on a horse on the left. I grew up on horses and now it just seems natural.

[Dianyla]

I've unclipped/put down the left foot since forever. I also grew up riding horses, and I always "mount" the bicycle from the left side.

My ManFriend unclips his right foot, and he's left-handed/left-legged. I agree with whoever said earlier that lefties are hot.

[Joy]

I taught myself to unclip on the right. Now I wish that I would have chosen the left side because of some problems I have had with my right foot and calf that are related to clicking in and out of the pedal so much on that side (I need foot surgery on that side but keep putting it off). I may try to retrain myself. I just felt more confident with the right side.