Where do put your feet when you ride?

[SlowHand]

So all you lot who ride on the balls of your feet - you have to take your feet off the pegs to shift and brake?

Only cos im too lazy to stick my leg out when cornering tho. much less effort to shimmey feet about.

[Wolf]

I ride on my balls, any other way feels kinda weird,

May I suggest briefs, then. "Commando" doesn't seem to be working out for you and boxers offer no real support.

Personally I'd find riding on my balls bloody agonising and there'd always be the risk of falling off - wouldn't want to fall from that height.

[Edbear]

Think I'm gonna have to wait for my ribs to heal up before comin back to this thread! Owww!

[wraith]

Well on your footpegs obviously. I guess I mean how do you position your feet on your pegs?

I always ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs, which I think is a carry over from starting riding on trail bikes. I'm not sure if there is any advantage riding this way but I don't feel comfortable with my feet in any other position.

(It also keeps my toes away from the gear lever and by turning my feet in slightly I seem to grip the tank with my knees which in turn let's me loosen the grip on the bars.)

Just wondered how you guys get on.

Yes , thats the same for me. it feels more stable with your feet a little further back. Especially if i'm at a constant speed, such as on the motorways.

[Wolf]

The balls of feet thing is really only applicable to sprotsbikes. Where, when seated (or planked, as it should be termed) the lower leg is angled at about 45 degrees, and the foot is pointed downward . With arches on the peg the front of the foot sticks out well below the peg.And moving the foot back so the ball is on the peg is no more uncomfortable than having the arch on the peg.

But on an off road bike, or a tourer (admittedly, not many of those around now), the pegs are positioned so that when seated the lower leg is vertical.

Whether the ball is on the peg, or the arch, makes no difference to clearances. And moving the ball of the foot onto the peg forces the leg back inot an unnatural flexed position.

And, you just try standing up on bumpy ground with the ball of your foot on the pegs.And of course, on gravel quick access to the rear brake is essential.
Those who say they never use the rear brake must never ride on metal roads.

You're quite right - as usual.

I've noted that most of those who have written "balls of the feet" ride some sort of sprots boik, those who said "arches" tend to be riding road-trails, GNs, cruisers and older style tour bikes.

The given reasons also bear out your assertion - "keeping the foot clear of the road when cornering" - predominently sprots boiks - and "more comfortable that way" - from "both sides".

I began riding on the roads on an upright commuter bike and then rode a road-trail. Later I rode the old style tourers and even later, a small cruiser. I've only had brief experiences on sprots boiks. I've spent most of my life riding on bikes on which it is more comfortable and advantageous to rest my arches on the pegs.

[beyond]

You're quite right - as usual.

I've noted that most of those who have written "balls of the feet" ride some sort of sprots boik, those who said "arches" tend to be riding road-trails, GNs, cruisers and older style tour bikes.

The given reasons also bear out your assertion - "keeping the foot clear of the road when cornering" - predominently sprots boiks - and "more comfortable that way" - from "both sides".

I began riding on the roads on an upright commuter bike and then rode a road-trail. Later I rode the old style tourers and even later, a small cruiser. I've only had brief experiences on sprots boiks. I've spent most of my life riding on bikes on which it is more comfortable and advantageous to rest my arches on the pegs.

Yep, I agree. I do ride a sports tourer and as mentioned previously, have been riding on the balls of my feet lately. When I am seated normally, my feet are nearly horizontal and therefore ground clearance isn't an issue for my feet and yes, when riding on the arches all controls come naturally to your feet.

However, in my case, I ride the sports tourer more like a sports and I have to ride on the balls of my feet when in the tighter stuff or on fast sweepers.

I've noticed when pushing it hard in the corners, to minimise the pegs scratching hard, to stop my side stand foot and centre stand wearing slowly away, I hang off the bike in the hard stuff. Hanging off the bike with my arches on the pegs, has revealed that on a left hander, the position of your body and consequently your foot, means the gear lever gets knocked down a cog on a left hander and on a right hander the foot starts to interfere with the rear brake. In either case I can't place the foot under the levers as I kinda like to keep my foot on the end of the leg if you get my drift.

Both result in a very unstable cornering scenario. You are hard over, at or near the bikes limits and on a left hander you suddenly drop a gear when you are already in the right torque range. Doesn't do much for me ticker but gives the arse muscles a good workout. Same with the right hander. Rear brake on a hard out right hander is also very good exercise for the sphincter.


On the matter of shifting the foot forward for rear braking, I've learnt something else. Sure, the rear brake is a boon for gravel and sometimes in the wet, but in the dry and slowing hard for a sharp corner, I've found it actually better to brake just with the front brake. You can actaully stop quicker on a big heavy bike becuase when you brake hard the weight is thrown over the front wheel, with little weight left on the back. You are then inclined to lessen the front brake to try and balance it with the back brake as the back brake tends to skid to easily. The end result is longer braking distances.

I now find, better control and quicker braking when I concentrate on the front brake only and leave my right foot where it is. It's amazing how hard you can brake and how much quicker you can stop when you aren't trying to balance the braking with the rear as well.

I hope this is clear enough after being so long winded.

Works for me on my machine anyway.

[Wolf]

Doesn't do much for me ticker but gives the arse muscles a good workout. Same with the right hander. Rear brake on a hard out right hander is also very good exercise for the sphincter.

I obviously don't ride fast enough. My arse gets fat if I ride too much, yours gets a fucking workout!

Cheers for the detailed post, Beyond, totally different riding style to mine.

[beyond]

I obviously don't ride fast enough. My arse gets fat if I ride too much, yours gets a fucking workout!

Cheers for the detailed post, Beyond, totally different riding style to mine.

I'm sure my riding style is different. I've been told my many I shouldn't be riding my bike the way I do as it's not designed for it, but it works.

What do you ride? I'm sure it would be much sportier eh?

[Wolf]

What do you ride? I'm sure it would be much sportier eh?

I've ridden predominently ancient tourers - CBs and GTs mainly, a couple of sprots boiks for a short time, a small road-trail and a cruiser. My next bike will be another road-trail - hardly "sportier" than a GSX1400.

From the sounds of your riding style, I don't take corners at anywhere near the speed you do.

I'm more of a nana than Ixion, me.

[James Deuce]

Arches on the pegs may be technically correct, but size 13 feet mean my toes would always be resting on the gear and brake lever, meaning I'd have to move my left foot back and under the gear lever to change up, and I'd be replacing my rear brake pads every 500kms. Can't weight bear on my arches either. Bloody painful.

[ZeroIndex]

my feet jump around position on my pegs.. especially on my work bike (cause it's got one of those 'rocker' style gear levers.. so if i'm accelerating into corners etc, my feet are normally 'toes on the footpegs' like the motogp racers.. the rest of the time, i have the middle of my foot (you know the heel of the boot, as that goes up.. can't remember what that's called)

[Edbear]

I've been told my many I shouldn't be riding my bike the way I do as it's not designed for it

Ah, all bikes are designed for a specific type of riding, of course! But! They are all primarily for having fun on! Bet you have a lot of fun on the GSX!

[beyond]

Ah, all bikes are designed for a specific type of riding, of course! But! They are all primarily for having fun on! Bet you have a lot of fun on the GSX!

Yep. Every k of the 24,000kms I've done since buying her in January last year
have all been heaps of fun. Except for the couple of times I've been off road unintentionally.

[slimjim]

for a start, wear some boots,

[Wolf]

Yep. Every k of the 24,000kms I've done since buying her in January last year
have all been heaps of fun. Except for the couple of times I've been off road unintentionally.

Agreed. If you're not having fun, what's the point in having a bike? The whole idea of there being so many different types of bikes and so many mods and hybrids is because different people have different ideas of "fun".