Why are left hand switchbacks, up or down, so much easier than right hand turns?

[Soundguy]

I can wall ride left side no problems...right side I can't even look at.

Fully agree.

 

[Juggernaut]

Just curious, I'm right handed, if that it what makes the difference.
Left hand turns are way easier for me, is there a reason?
If I skateboarded,(which I have not done in forever), my left foot would be forward

So why don’t you just ride them in the opposite direction?

 

[Paul H]

So why don’t you just ride them in the opposite direction?

Wouldn't that mean he would be climbing instead of going down?

 

[Juggernaut]

Wouldn't that mean he would be climbing instead of going down?

Ok... first, it’s a switch back.... (they go both ways)

Second, isn’t going up the main reason to have a switchback?

Third.....

 

[Dingo]

Right handed, left foot foward. I'm better at left turns, and more comfortable when a fall line is on my right. All my bikes the tires wear quicker on the left edge.... Always wondered about that!

 

[Delish]

Every major cycling related scar I have is on the left side of my body so I must crash better that way.

 

[Pearl]

this should be a spin off thread with a poll btw

 

[Carson]

I'm a righty. I think my brain is split pretty straight down the middle which I why I'm mechanical and artistic?

Isn't that called a lobotomy?

 

[02camaro]

NASCAR uses left turns, there for left turns are more American, you should be proud.

 

[jmanic]

Every major cycling related scar I have is on the left side of my body so I must crash better that way.

Totally with you on this.

 

[Patrick]

it has to do with which eye is dominate.

ok, i made that up, but i'd bet is had more to do with which side you don't want to fall on.
and it may be subconscious.

see above

 

[roc]

it has to do with which eye is dominate.

ok, i made that up, but i'd bet is had more to do with which side you don't want to fall on.
and it may be subconscious.

see above

I don’t like falling on either side!
When I ice skate, I can crossover with confidence going around the rink to the left. I can do it the other way, but every push/step feels a little sketchy. Hockey stop much better to the left.

 

[Patrick]

I don’t like falling on either side!
When I ice skate, I can crossover with confidence going around the rink to the left. I can do it the other way, but every push/step feels a little sketchy. Hockey stop much better to the left.

on the snowboard, i feel better with my face down in turns - doesn't matter which foot is forward cause i ride duck.
but hooking up for a backside carve is magical. until ......

sounds like it is all about practice and familiarity???

 

[roc]

sounds like it is all about practice and familiarity???[/QUOTE]
Yup, just like everything else in life.
What the hell is riding duck? Or a backside carve. You knuckledraggers have the best names.

 

[Patrick]

sounds like it is all about practice and familiarity???
Yup, just like everything else in life.
What the hell is riding duck? Or a backside carve. You knuckledraggers have the best names.

duck stance: Toes out on both feet.

this helps with riding switch, (non-dominate direction). for me this worked out great, because bending the knees (drive them out and apart)
and keeping the back straight ,really engaged the snow, and backwards day (ride switch the whole day) was anytime we were out with
someone new/slower. it helped tremendously.

Compare this to the alpine stance @trailhead uses - he rides a carving board, which is directional. These are the riders who have
their hand on the snow as they roll their carve from side to side. but their stance keeps them facing forward.

Backside carve. Face to the sky, heal edge locked into the snow - because of the duck stance, i'm not driving my
back knee into the front. just lowering my ass, back straight, and aligned over the heals.

-----

oh, here is the decode for grabs - lingo overload. i'm lucky if i can get a hand on the board. never in the air long enough!

i've only gotten 1 or 2 days/year for the last 8 or so years after a couple decades of 20+ days with a couple of trips when no-kids.
oh, the good ol' days! the lingo has probably changed given how far away i am from it........skiing always seemed about speed,
which would just eat up the local mountains. snowboarding was more style and tricks. which made top-to-bottom seem longer.

 

[Tim]

Hmm. I don't seem to have a preference on the bike until I'm going faster and need to drop the outside foot and get separation from the bike. Then I make right turns much more proficiently. I'm right handed and ride right foot forward.

I'm going to need some snow to see how this affects skiing but I am pretty sure I prefer left turns on skis.

 

[tonyride]

I think in Australia it's the other way around.

 

[jdog]

Now your talking my language.

 

[stb222]

duck stance: Toes out on both feet.

View attachment 82955

this helps with riding switch, (non-dominate direction). for me this worked out great, because bending the knees (drive them out and apart)
and keeping the back straight ,really engaged the snow, and backwards day (ride switch the whole day) was anytime we were out with
someone new/slower. it helped tremendously.

Compare this to the alpine stance @trailhead uses - he rides a carving board, which is directional. These are the riders who have
their hand on the snow as they roll their carve from side to side. but their stance keeps them facing forward.

View attachment 82956

Backside carve. Face to the sky, heal edge locked into the snow - because of the duck stance, i'm not driving my
back knee into the front. just lowering my ass, back straight, and aligned over the heals.

-----

oh, here is the decode for grabs - lingo overload. i'm lucky if i can get a hand on the board. never in the air long enough!

View attachment 82958

i've only gotten 1 or 2 days/year for the last 8 or so years after a couple decades of 20+ days with a couple of trips when no-kids.
oh, the good ol' days! the lingo has probably changed given how far away i am from it........skiing always seemed about speed,
which would just eat up the local mountains. snowboarding was more style and tricks. which made top-to-bottom seem longer.

I feel like this is an @Mountain Bike Mike style level mind F post. I ride duck, but never once thought about any of the other shit you said.

Also, we have been over this before, left hand / right handed has nothing to do with regular/ goofy. I am right handed, ride everything regular. Son is right handed, rides goofy. The good thing about my son, he isnt really aware what stance he is and I will often see him ride left foot forward because of following me, but when he is doing stuff himself, I notice he is goofy. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT.

 

[Patrick]

I feel like this is an @Mountain Bike Mike style level mind F post. I ride duck, but never once thought about any of the other shit you said.

Also, we have been over this before, left hand / right handed has nothing to do with regular/ goofy. I am right handed, ride everything regular. Son is right handed, rides goofy. The good thing about my son, he isnt really aware what stance he is and I will often see him ride left foot forward because of following me, but when he is doing stuff himself, I notice he is goofy. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT.

you have more body awareness/feel - i had to do drills with an instructor to get the heal side working, break it down, and build it up.

got this funny habit when initiating a turn. i roll my lead hand thumb-up or down to start the sequence. perhaps the minimalist version of
pointing the hand/arm and looking where you want the board to go (day 1, lesson 2 after how to stand up?)