Newbie question... unclipping, stopping, horses

[Bluetree]

Hi gals

I saw a thread about equestrians and I it made me think about my form and how it has been affected by riding horses. I'm still new to cycling and I don't know if I am stopping and starting correctly. I don't want to start any bad habits that will be hard to change later, so here goes...

I'm right-dominant. Right now, unclip my right foot while I'm slowing down, then I put my left pedal down at 6 'oclock. As I come to a stop, I place my right foot on the ground. I spin my left around and unclip. When the light turns green, I shift my weight to my left leg (still on the ground), spin the right pedal up, and push down with my dominant right leg to get going.

When I think about it, I know it seems more efficient to unclip on my left, put my left foot on the ground and keep my right clipped in. Simple to take off, more efficient. However, I tried this and it just plain feels WRONG. It feels like I am about to dismount a horse on the wrong side. I can't help feel like my pedals are "stirrups" and trying to get off on the "wrong" side makes me feel unbalanced and insecure.

For the more experienced gals.. is this a hangup I should just try and get over... or is there a better way?

[kelownagirl]

I don't know what the official "correct" answer is but.. I think you should do whatever feels most comfortable - you're proably less likely to fall? I always unclip left first. Dh always unclips right first. I sometimes wish I preferred to unclip right first so when I stop at intersections, I could have one foot on the curb, but it just doesn't feel right...

[LBTC]

I like to unclip on the right, especially on roads, as I am very short and really appreciate putting my foot high on a curb!

I do think that anything goes, really, with unclipping, stopping and starting, to the point that you feel comfortable. As a mountain biker, too, though, I realize that it's important to be able to stop and start with either foot, as the terrain dictates. An example is that when you're getting going on a sidehill, you always want to mount from the uphill side....

That said, maybe it would be good to practice alternating the foot you start with. Starting doesn't have to be about the more powerful and dominant foot, it could be just about what works in that situation.

Keep riding, girl!
~T~

[roshelleuop]

Bluetree,

I have ridden horses since I was 8 (hunter/jumper) and it was neat hearing how you felt uncomfortable unclipping the left foot first becuase you felt like you would be dismounting from the wrong side. I never thought of it this way but can definitely understand why it would feel unnatural.

For some reason it does not feel unnatural to me and I am most comfortable unclipping my left foot first, then keeping my right foot clipped in. I rarely unclip my right foot. The only time I do is when I see a sticky situation coming up (usually an idiot driver talking on their cell phone, smoking a cigarette, eating a cheeseburger, and paying no attention to me) and I usually unclip them both at the same time and set my feet on the pedals, but don't clip back in. This way, I can put either foot down or both, and focus on the traffic in front of me instead of clipping out.

Just my two cents!

Hurray for fellow equestrians!!!!
Roshelle

[bonnie526]

I was encouraged by both dh and a friend to learn to clip/unclip from both sides. Since I'm just now learning, they thought it was best if I tried this from the start instead of waiting until I'm into a habit. I understand their point, however, there's NO WAY I can unclip from my right foot and start with my left foot. It just feels sooo wrong. I usually don't unclip my right foot at all during my ride unless I'm actually getting off the bike. I think I'll just stick with what feels comfortable for now. I don't need anymore accidents.

[kiwi girl]

I have riden a horse once in my whole life, and that was more than 20 years ago so what feels comfortable to me may not feel right to you... but this is what I do.

I'd consider myself right dominant (in that do virtually everything right handed and kick much better right footed at soccer). For me this means I want to push off with my right foot. I always unclip my left foot and put my left foot down. At interestions etc I'll leave my right foot cliped in and as the intersection clears or the lights change I'll move my right foot to the top of the stroke to push off.

Entering a potentially sticky situation I'll unclip my left foot, but leave it on top of the pedal, clipping back in once the situation clears.

I'd normally go many rides in a row without unclipping my right foot during the course of the ride.

[Bluetree]

Thanks for all the tips and support.
I e-mailed a friend about this question (USA Triathlon Level 1 Certified Coach/USA Cycling Expert Level Certified Coach) and thought I might share his advice with you...

********

"If you are right dominant, then your first pedal stroke would be with the LEFT foot ... not the right. This way you can learn to get cliped in with the foot that you're most comfortable with.
Leave the left foot in the clip when you come to a stop, put the right foot down. With the left foot at 3 o'clock, push down to begin the stroke and as you're rolling get the right foot cliped in."

[Dr. Liz]

I'm not an equestrian person, but the DH rode for many years, and did 3-day eventing until a broken neck (as well as an adamant surgeon and a nervous soon-to-be-wife (me!)) put an end to that. (The neck has been repaired, and no major limb paralysis, BTW. Although the x-rays are a thing to behold.) He ALWAYS unclips on the ride side. When you posed your question, I asked him if it was a horse-related thing, and his response was: probably.

Yeah. Gotta love that definity!

Anyway, his thought was that he probably feels more comfortable clipping out on the ride side because of the horse thing, as he rode horses long before he rode bicycles. But, his follow-up thought was that as long as you are clipping out comfortably, there is no need to change. He will tell you that being able to clip out on both sides is a good skill, there is nothing wrong (or unnatural) with having one side feeling better than the other.

So, go with what feels good, and don't get too stressed about it. So says DH (who has been known to pontificate on occasion! )

[run it, ride it]

I've been mounting my horse from the 'wrong' side for years due to a knee injury. At first I'd try to mount from the left, not even thinking until I felt pain. I still dismounted to the left, and mounted bareback from the left.

The knee is more or less okay now, but I still mount from the right and dismount to the left. Any time someone new sees me hop up on a horse I get the strangest look!

It may be easier for me to switch sides as us lefties are forced to use our less-dominant sides in this right-handed world.

On a bicycle I make a point of it to build balance by pushing off with the 'wrong' foot, coasting with the wrong foot forward, going one-hand with my less balanced side.

When running, I leap up onto cement barriers with the wrong foot and land on the wrong foot as much as possible (it was the dominant landing leg that got me the aforementioned knee injury in the first place).

Don't go past any safety boundaries, especially with clipless pedals, but do challenge your comfort zones whenever possible. With a little practice you can train your less dominant side.

[Luci]

Dr. Liz, that is scary. Hope hope hope that never happens to me. I have given up starting the greenie TB's though.

Interesting question for the horsie types. I'm still in my ancient cages on my ancient GT, but I'm going to have to pay attention to how I start and stop, even with the old school easy cages. When I run my labs with my bike I definitely keep my left foot free since I may need to put it down if they do something unexpected. They stay on my left the same as without bike. Curbs or a rock on trails usually get a right foot out. Sigh, some day when I actually have a new bike . . . I'll graduate from the cages.

Since I've been having right seat bone issues in my dressage work (always have to watch or I'll sit too much on the right) I've been purposefully doing downhills with my left foot in front and lots of things with my left on my bike. I'm hoping it will help even me out more.

[bigredbike]

It appears that Kiwi Girl and I work the clips exactly alike. I'm now on my 4th clipped in ride and I found out the hard way that even though I'm right foot dominant my left foot needs to be unclipped. I posted about my first trip around the neighborhood in my new clips in another thread. Here's the abbreviated version: Came to the a stop sign in my quiet little neighborhood, unclipped my right foot no problem (yay, I thought!), went to put my left foot down and ended up in a pile on the pavement.

My bike is very large, a 63 so, going down was a real experience...

Since then I've riden three times and have been unclipping left only, taking off with right only and it feels really natural. I'll be doing a 40 mile organized ride this weekend it'll be left down for me. Seems to be working so that's my story and I'm sticking to it

[tygab]

This was my first unclipping experience, in a parking lot with no cars in it.

1. slow my roll
2. unclip right foot
3. lean to left foot
4. fall

I am right handed and right footed, so I thought this was the logical thing to do. seems though, that my body prefers that right leg be ready to give me a push off and wanted the left foot to go to the pavement. Never would have thought about it beforehand. My LBS guy says always stop with the same foot, and now I do - my left foot goes down. I too wish it were the right sometimes, to take advantage of curbs, but it is what it is and I'm not going to fight it.

BTW this was back in April when I first got my bike. It's second nature now.

[aicabsolut]

I see what you're saying, but to get off a horse, you'd step into that left stirrup as you kick the right leg free. This is how you fall over to the left. This is still how i will dismount a stationary bike or a bike on a trainer, though..but I'll also clip in there with left pedal first and stand on it like a stirrup.

I rode horses MUCH more than bikes (20 years riding horses now), but my comfort zone from day 1 on a bike was push off with right foot, put left foot down first. My natural coasting position is right foot in back stroke, so I'm learning to change how I coast so I can unclip left. I am right handed but half the time left-footed (I kick better right, but I'm a leftie for track and field and kickboxing, usually). I don't know if this makes a difference.

I start with my right leg because my left, more stable leg, can push off from the ground better. My balance is pretty poor on the right side for a variety of reasons.

Do whatever makes you feel comfortable and keeps you upright.

[bikerHen]

Thanks for all the tips and support.
I e-mailed a friend about this question (USA Triathlon Level 1 Certified Coach/USA Cycling Expert Level Certified Coach) and thought I might share his advice with you...

"If you are right dominant, then your first pedal stroke would be with the LEFT foot ... not the right. This way you can learn to get cliped in with the foot that you're most comfortable with.
Leave the left foot in the clip when you come to a stop, put the right foot down. With the left foot at 3 o'clock, push down to begin the stroke and as you're rolling get the right foot cliped in."

WOW, that's just exactly how I work my clipping and unclipping! This means I'm doing something right! bikerHen

[Dogmama]

"If you are right dominant, then your first pedal stroke would be with the LEFT foot ... not the right. This way you can learn to get cliped in with the foot that you're most comfortable with.
Leave the left foot in the clip when you come to a stop, put the right foot down. With the left foot at 3 o'clock, push down to begin the stroke and as you're rolling get the right foot cliped in."

I'm right dominant & I unclip my left foot. Go figure.

I read that the reason to unclip left is so you do not fall into traffic.