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Still the standard is 1st gear and right foot on the ground. Left foot up on the peg.
Really? I keep left foot on ground, right foot on rear brake. That leaves the throttle hand free from brake duty and ready for take off.
Really? I keep left foot on ground, right foot on rear brake. That leaves the throttle hand free from brake duty and ready for take off.
I got yelled at in a class for putting my right foot down when stopped. Teach said it should be on brake. It was a hard habit to break.
Another thing taught at the BRC: as you come to a stop, your left foot reaches down to the pavement. This teaches you to use both brakes as you stop. It also allows you to hold position on a steep uphill grade at a light, using your right foot on the rear brake.
Harry
something tells me there is no 100% better way to do any of this... much of what MSF teaches is based on lawyers and lawsuit prevention.... the fact is, if you're a good rider, you can take off and get out of harms way just as fast with the left foot down and with the right... and I'd argue the 1st gear ALWAYS answer is one of those "least common denominator" answers just to keep it simple for those on the margin of skill... truth is, I want to ride with people with the skill and intellect to use context and prior experience to determine what configuration their going to be in at varying intersections and stops.
It was explained to me in basically these words both times. Thus this is what I was taught, not the only right way in the universe, just what I was taught by some professionals
Left foot stays up, right foot goes down.
.........where does he stand as a safe cyclist?
He hasn't got a leg to stand on.
Most of the time I just keep it in gear, unless I'm at tied up in traffic (with everyone stopped behind me) at a big intersection with long light delays. Then neutral until my lane begins to move again.
I think that safety, like for pilots, is doing it the same way all the time, and following a checklist or procedure. Right foot on the rear brake, in gear, is in my opinion the best way to be prepared (with exit space in front).
Sure, if a car stops behind me, I might pop it in neutral and adjust my gear or tighten my helmet or whatever, but otherwise, 1st gear left foot down is the way to go.