Re: Feet Position for Basic Riding

It depends what sort of unicycling your doing.

I would always go for the middle of the foot but then I am a trials
rider. Having the middle of your foot on the pedal means that your foot
is less likley to get strained when landing a big drop.

Iv'e never tried riding a unicycle with the balls of my feet even
though I ride that way on a bike.

--
caudy

watch my trials video! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXdNE2QB7o
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Hi there,

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

As I have previously mentioned on these forums, I never learned to ride
a bike, but if I did then I may feel more comfortable using the balls
of my feet.

However, as you have now all informed me that there is no need to
change my foot position, I can comfortably resume my practice without
any worries of doing something wrong!

Thanks to you all for helping me!

Many thanks

Mark Watson

--
markwatson

Magical Mark Watson - Christian magician, juggler, puppeteer, and
all-round entertainer!
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Use whatever feels best for you.

As several people have posted the center position is best for drops.

I read of a guy hear who tore his achilles tendon because he did a 4
foot drop on his MUni and forgot to move his feet from the balls to
having their center over the padal's axle.

--
skilewis74

Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Bob Burnquist on how to improve significantly.
'Trials Building'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64235)
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markwatson said:

However, as you have now all informed me that there is no need to change
my foot position, I can comfortably resume my practice without any
worries of doing something wrong!

Middle of the feet is fine for learning. All the world's top riders ride
on the balls of their feet except for certain situations as mentioned
above, big drops, hard climbing or tons of hopping. Or tons of idling,
like performers may do while juggling or doing other stuff on the uni.

Riding with the balls of your feet on the pedals is the "correct" way
for the same reason it is for bicycles, or anything else powered by
pedals, for that matter. That position most efficiently transfers power
from your leg/ankle/foot into the drive system. Any other foot position
and you are lowering your efficiency, hence your power. This is most
noticeable if you want to ride *fast.*

As efficiency is not important when you're just starting out, foot
position is a lot less important than learning to keep your weight off
your feet, and the other basics, like learning to turn and freemount.
Have fun learning, concentrate on the big milestones you want to reach,
and worry about the details later on. 🙂

--
johnfoss

John Foss
Email: "jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
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lately?"
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Wow... strange.

If i ride with the balls of my feet, (especially when it's wet) I find
they slipp off very easily as i have no room for error...

--
jamessd

Add me, but tel me who you are :p:
[email hidden]

Kieron said:

I tell u wat they would have to be a very commited pedo to learn to ride
a unicycle in order to mingle with us, steel one of us and rape us in a
bush.

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Left: ball of foot.

Right: whatever part of the foot happens to land on the pedal as I
mount. 🙁

--
blastoff99
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I ride with the centres of my feet over the pedals, i always imagine the
pedal axle being the centre of the arc prescribed by my arch. My foot
placement is so consistent that a groove has cut in the sole of my
boots where the pins are placed on my pedals. Maybe I should experiment
with going on the balls for road riding.

--
kington99

Dave

- what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
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I started learning with the middle of my feet .. then later learned with
pedal under the balls only for "road riding". For Muni I stick with
middle of my foot with one provision: when pedaling my foot is pointing
slightly downwards (not horizontal).

--
wobbling bear

One Wheel : bear necessity
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I ride on the balls of my feet, probably because I'm a bicyclist and
anything else feels "wrong". It's certainly more efficient in theory
to ride on the balls of your feet, but in some unicycling situations it
does hurt your ankles - I tend to move my feet slightly further forward
on the pedals (i.e. pedal more with the middle of my foot) for the more
rocky bits of trails and I can certainly see why trials riders or
people doing big drops would want to ride that way, but smoother xc and
road riding definitely feel better on the balls.

If we can somehow work rims, pumps and nipples into this discussion
we'd have a post Finbar Saunders himself would be proud of :p

Rob

--
rob.northcott
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