rec.sport.unicycling · Public discussion

Foot Position

capuni · 2007-08-20T02:39:27+00:00

Was wondering what type of foot position people prefer. I did a quick search of the forums and found that some suggest positioning the balls of your feet over the pedal, while others prefer positioning the arch over the pedal. I learned to ride with pressure on the balls of my feet, but now that I'm starting to get into some muni, I'm questioning if this is the best way to go. On really bumpy terrain, I sometimes find it difficult to keep my feet on the pedals. Thoughts? -- capuni ------------------------------------------------------------------------ capuni's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/15514 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/63608 Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services ---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY ** ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.usenet.com

Started by capuni · 20 August 2007 · Last activity 23 August 2007 · 39 posts · 467 views

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01 / Original postFoot Positioncapuni · 20 Aug 2007 02 / This pagePosts 1–20Page 1 of 2 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #39critter · 23 Aug 2007

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Original section: rec.sport.unicycling
Published: 20 August 2007
Last activity: 23 August 2007
Original author: capuni
Posts: 39
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 467
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Original post
capuni
Archived post

20 August 2007, 02:39 UTC #1

Was wondering what type of foot position people prefer. I did a quick
search of the forums and found that some suggest positioning the balls
of your feet over the pedal, while others prefer positioning the arch
over the pedal. I learned to ride with pressure on the balls of my
feet, but now that I'm starting to get into some muni, I'm questioning
if this is the best way to go. On really bumpy terrain, I sometimes
find it difficult to keep my feet on the pedals.
Thoughts?
--
capuni
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torkerdx
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20 August 2007, 03:21 UTC #2

balls are better for you (i think)
if you do drops, ride arches, because other wise you WILL roll your
ankles (over flex them on the landing)
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gordito8me said:
it's like running across the highway at rush hour. Dangerous, stupid,
but not really that fun.
Unicaw89 said:
Koxx rapes Torker hard!
skianduniaddict said:
never give 4 teenagers a camera... they go crazy
johnfoss said:
Yes, being old makes you stupid.

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puresyn
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20 August 2007, 03:24 UTC #3

torkerdx said:
balls are better for you (i think)
if you do drops, ride arches, because other wise you WILL roll your
ankles (over flex them on the landing)
Extremely good point. Are there any penalties to using the balls such
as shorter jumps or less mobility?
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torkerdx
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20 August 2007, 04:20 UTC #4

puresyn said:
Extremely good point. Are there any penalties to using the balls such as
shorter jumps or less mobility?
not really, that i know of. i am less agressive with balls on the
pedals because i know i will get hurt if i do onything big.
pretty much the only difference is comfort ( i find balls more
comfortable) and rate of injury
--
torkerdx
gordito8me said:
it's like running across the highway at rush hour. Dangerous, stupid,
but not really that fun.
Unicaw89 said:
Koxx rapes Torker hard!
skianduniaddict said:
never give 4 teenagers a camera... they go crazy
johnfoss said:
Yes, being old makes you stupid.

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Unicorn
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20 August 2007, 09:03 UTC #5

For MUni you have to ride arch over the pedal. Balls could be good if
you are doing a lot of FreeStyle. I never likes Balls positioning and
always found that I had much more power and control with Arch.
Unicorn
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jamessd
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20 August 2007, 10:47 UTC #6

I can imagine that using the balls of your feet would be advantageous if
you were doing flip tricks...
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yatsey
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20 August 2007, 12:43 UTC #7

Unicorn said:
I never likes Balls positioning and always found that I had much more
power and control with Arch.
That power statement isn't true at all, why do you think a proper
riding style on mountain and road cycling is to use the balls of your
feet. You get a much larger push force on the pedals when you need it.
I use the balls of my feet because using arch causes the pedals to
press into bones that are fairly flexible and weak...doing larger drops
could make you much more prone to injury.
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Unicorn
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20 August 2007, 12:56 UTC #8

I see my leg/foot as a lever. The shorter the lever the more power it is
going to have. You will be able to lift much more weight with your knee
than with your foot.
Unicorn
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yatsey
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20 August 2007, 13:00 UTC #9

Unicorn said:
I see my leg/foot as a lever. The shorter the lever the more power it is
going to have. You will be able to lift much more weight with your knee
than with your foot.
Unicorn
However at the same time this isn't a pure physics question, it's a
part of biology. Which muscles can apply the most force without
suffering in strength. What I said before tends to be common lore
within the biking community.
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critter
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20 August 2007, 20:15 UTC #10

I tink dat:
Taking big drops(about 2 feet) is all about compression on the
joints, not the spring in your step.
Don't take a big drop with your toes on the pedals unless you know wuz
sup.
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phlegm
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20 August 2007, 20:39 UTC #11

The best is to use all foot positions available whenever they're
appropriate. I'm always shifting my feet around when I do MUni. I
tend to be on the balls when I'm climbing and on the arches when I'm
descending.
As long as you're not hurting yourself because of your foot position, I
wouldn't worry too much about it. Just put your feet however they feel
best and adjust as needed.
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yatsey
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20 August 2007, 21:05 UTC #12

critter said:
I tink dat:
Taking big drops(about 2 feet) is all about compression on the
joints, not the spring in your step.
Don't take a big drop with your toes on the pedals unless you know wuz
sup.
But sureley if you put your arches on a big drop, that will impact much
more on your arches than it would on your toes. Think about it, you're
not compacting the toe joints like you would your ankles. You can use
your toe joints as a way of increasing the impulse across your ankle
and therefore reducing the impact of the force on the ankle.
--
yatsey
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johnfoss
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20 August 2007, 21:28 UTC #13

I use balls for *almost* everything. Always have, with no ill effects.
The *almost* is for hard cranking uphill, big drops and anything else
where you need power, or might risk hyperextending your ankle. For me
that equates to when I'm cranking up really steep hills (MUni). I don't
do that many big drops, though I can see the sense in using your arches
for that too.
For everything else, balls!
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maestro8
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20 August 2007, 21:35 UTC #14

I'm with phlegm *ahem* *cough* *ptooie* erm, Kevin. Don't worry about
foot position so much... just do what's comfortable.
If you're having problems keeping your feet on the pedals, there are a
few things you can do... get a pedal with longer pins, try a different
shoe, or pull on your handle more.
When things get bumpy and your butt flies out of the seat, if you're
not pulling on the handle, you'll have a much harder time keeping your
feet on the pedals.
yatsey said:
You can use your toe joints as a way of increasing the impulse across
your ankle and therefore reducing the impact of the force on the ankle.
Sounds like the writings of someone who's never injured their ankle on
a drop.
Think of the foot as a lever, and the ankle as the fulcrum. For a
constant force on the foot, the longer the lever, the more torque is
applied to the ankle.
Stay off them toes when you drop, kiddies! Sprained ankles take a
while to heal!
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yatsey
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20 August 2007, 21:54 UTC #15

maestro8 said:
Sounds like the writings of someone who's never injured their ankle on a
drop.
....surely that makes my point even more valid. Seeing as I do drops
like that and havn't had an injured ankle from doing it.
Anyway, it's personal preference at the end of the day. You pick up
more the more you ride.
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Jerrick
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20 August 2007, 22:04 UTC #16

For me, it depends. If im just cruising along, or doing drops under 2 or
so feet, its more on the balls of my feet. If I am doing trials, muni,
gapping sets, and big drops, 'I am on my arches'
(
).
Heres what happens when you do bi'g drops on your to'
(
)es. Just let the video load,
then skip to 5:59.
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tibluni
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20 August 2007, 22:05 UTC #17

WHat size drops are you doing? for drops even just over 3 ft., having
the balls of your feet on the pedal give the back of the foot no
support, and leads to the straining of the achilles. i did that onces
--
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torkerdx
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20 August 2007, 22:13 UTC #18

yatsey said:
....surely that makes my point even more valid. Seeing as I do drops
like that and havn't had an injured ankle from doing it.
Anyway, it's personal preference at the end of the day. You pick up
more the more you ride.
come ride with me. i know of a nice 9 set(nice and big) you can jump
that way. when you you break your ankles i wont be taking you to the
ER though.
their is a much better chance of messing up your ankles with your feet
o their balls as opposed to the arches.
--
torkerdx
gordito8me said:
it's like running across the highway at rush hour. Dangerous, stupid,
but not really that fun.
Unicaw89 said:
Koxx rapes Torker hard!
skianduniaddict said:
never give 4 teenagers a camera... they go crazy
johnfoss said:
Yes, being old makes you stupid.

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johnfoss
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20 August 2007, 23:44 UTC #19

yatsey said:
....surely that makes my point even more valid. Seeing as I do drops
like that and havn't had an injured ankle from doing it.
Wow, you must be an expert! Say, have you had any traumatic brain
injuries? If you don't wear a helmet and you haven't, I guess that
means we don't need to either! 🙄
More seriously, personal preference will get you so far. Advice that's
been collected from dozens or hundreds of people who've already been
there is a little more useful.
--
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John Foss
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weekends is an XC trail." -- Kris Holm, on XC from a North Shore point
of view
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CKCrowe
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20 August 2007, 23:55 UTC #20

yea all my weight it on the arches, it becomes natural over time I
think.
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