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Finally! I'm ambipedal, for the most part.

2539 Views 10 Replies 9 Participants Last post by DirtOnTheBrain, Jun 23, 2009

nepbug

Discussion Starter · Jun 22, 2009

After a good 1.5 years of consciously forcing myself to descend with my right foot forward (though my natural tendency has been the left) I finally feel comfortable that way.

This weekend I had the epiphany 2 hours into my ride that "hey, I've got my right foot forward and I didn't even have to think about it." It was almost like I preferred to have the right foot forward over the left. The real test for me was going over the tree drop in Waterton Canyon, right foot forward, no problems/awkward feelings. Sweet!

I just had to share, it was a nice little perk on the ride. Anyone else been working on becoming ambipedal?

BTW, I only seem to to be ambipedal on the bike, I still can't kick a ball with my opposite foot, and I'm guessing snowboarding switch will still feel awkward.

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baker

· #2 · Jun 22, 2009

Do you think it really matters? I've thought about it and even concentrated on it a bit in the past, but not sure it makes a difference. I still have a very dominant front foot for riding.

BTW, I'm pretty ambidextrous, too (soccer, batting, etc).

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joelalamo45

· #3 · Jun 22, 2009

baker said:
Do you think it really matters? I've thought about it and even concentrated on it a bit in the past, but not sure it makes a difference. I still have a very dominant front foot for riding.

BTW, I'm pretty ambidextrous, too (soccer, batting, etc).

Sure it matters. It helps for cornering. Plus it helps if you slip a pedal before an obstacle and you have to go over/around/through it with a different foot forward. The fact that it gets this guy pumped makes it worth it.

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zzsean

· #4 · Jun 22, 2009

Like Joe says, it makes an incredible difference cornering. I can turn fast, flat corners that go left (where my dominant foot, the right foot, is on the outside) much better than I can turn the same sort of corner going right.

Luckily for me both Angel Fire and Crested Butte had more left turners than right. :thumbsup: But I had it reinforced this past weekend at the CB race that I need to start working on riding with either foot ahead instead of just my left foot ahead like I do now.

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nepbug

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 22, 2009

I think it also matters in endurance races, when I have my left foot forward for descents on long rides I can feel my left hamstring and left glute being a lot more tired/susceptible to cramping than my right, this way I can spread it out more evenly.

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mountains

· #6 · Jun 22, 2009

Nice man, that's definitely something to be stoked about. I started working on getting my right foot forward this season and it still feels absolutely facking unnatural

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baker

· #7 · Jun 22, 2009

joelalamo45 said:
Sure it matters. It helps for cornering. Plus it helps if you slip a pedal before an obstacle and you have to go over/around/through it with a different foot forward. The fact that it gets this guy pumped makes it worth it.

I hope my comment didn't across as a snide remark (it wasn't meant that way at all)...

I just remember working on it a long time ago and then forgetting about the task. Actually, maybe that time spent has enabled me to handle the situations you described, and I'm just not even thinking about anymore. Now, I'm sure I'll be back to obsessing over it...

;-)

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ibelieveinsasquatch

· #8 · Jun 22, 2009

Soth Paw (hoof)

I definitely think it matters and yes, I have been focusing on it for the last 2 seasons. Cornering becomes faster, stronger and more controlled. Additionally I have found it to be beneficial when hitting hip jumps and doing tricks. I have also learning to pump the [email protected]# out of everything. A friend of mine gave me Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, the Lee McCormack book last summer and it has really helped to consciously think about my habits, good or bad and what I can do to become a stonger descender. As for the uphill, I am still really slow....

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Crit Rat

· #9 · Jun 22, 2009

Another advocate of being ambipedstrous

It really helps overall descending stability and allows the rider to always be set up perfectly for whatever the turning direction is.

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zorro

· #10 · Jun 22, 2009

mountains said:
Nice man, that's definitely something to be stoked about. I started working on getting my right foot forward this season and it still feels absolutely facking unnatural

I also tried here and there to put my nondominant foot forward, and it feels weird as hell. I can see how it can be beneficial though so I may keep trying it on the less technical rides. I feel more confident going switch on my board than becoming bipedal.

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DirtOnTheBrain

· #11 · Jun 23, 2009

I too have been working on keeping the right foot forward, for about the past year. It's finally starting to feel natural.

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