BMX - Stance

Okay my freind is a high ranked racer in the aba, and he always is on my case for riding right foot forward. i am right handed but see no problem with right foot forward. IF theres somthin wrong with this id appreciate info.

First, understand the terminology passed down from surfing to skating that trickled through boardsports and now is seeing limited use with relation to bikes:

Regular foot: left foot forward
Goofy foot: right foot forward

The natural tendency (but in no way is this a hard fast rule) is that regular foot is primarily a right-handed trait and goofy is primarily a left-handed trait. The REVERSE is usually true of bikes...people who ride a snowboard or a skateboard or a surfboard goofy foot will actually favor REGULAR stance on a bike. Additionally the tendency is for goofy-footed bikers to favor spinning to the right and regulars to prefer left (hence why some people run pegs on the right and LHD). Incidentally this is what a skater or a snowboarder would call a backside spin as opposed to a frontside spin. I don't know if BMXers use this term or whether they've adopted the term skiers use which would be 'natural' and 'unnatural' spins, maybe Beerman or queensrider can shed some light there.

In any case, exceptions abound and natural preferences get muddled up by environmental factors. For example, I'm naturally left-handed but I was taught to write and throw right-handed. The result is a sort of lopsided ambidexterity. So, some people ride the same way whether they're on a board or a bike, some people predominantly spin frontside, lefties might have right-handed traits and vice versa.

What's all this crap mean? It means you are you and you should ride whatever stance you're confortable riding, f*ck what some racer who doesn't know dick about kinesiology told you. I do this sort of stuff for a living between November and May as a professional snowboard instructor...people come to me with all these misconceptions and rules about stance and movement and it really boils down to me tweaking each student's individual stance and riding based on what's effective and comfortable for each one.

Most everyone rides ride-foot forward and airs to the left. Goofy-footed is with the left in front and airing to the right, and b*tch-footing is airing the opposite way than is normal for your foot placement.

Most everyone rides ride-foot forward and airs to the left. Goofy-footed is with the left in front and airing to the right, and b*tch-footing is airing the opposite way than is normal for your foot placement.

Is that the official word? Because it *is* the reverse of the old standard passed down through surfing to EVERY modern board sport. I do know leading with my left and spinning right is supposed to be a goofy-footed trait (which I am, and do possess) but goofy on a board means RIGHT foot forward.

Yeah, but you have to keep in mind that your strong foot is in the back on a board, whereas it's in front on a bike.

Well yeah, I knew most people rode opposite stance on a bike as opposed to a board, I just wasn't aware the *terms* 'goofy' and 'regular' had been switched for bikes as well.

i ride right foot forward on a snowboard....right foot forward on a bike....but i turn to the left on a bike....what am i???? goofy>???

i ride right foot forward on a snowboard....right foot forward on a bike....but i turn to the left on a bike....what am i???? goofy>???

If you bothered to read my first reply, I said there were plenty of exceptions. I know people who skate regular and snowboard goofy, so what you're describing isn't that unique, it's just not the norm.

I alternate left/right forward, as quickly as possible...