BMX riding stance can be a useful bit of knowledge to understand before you start to under go attempting some tricks. Although the foot stance you ride with is rarely thought about, especially outside BMX riding.
If you’re on a daily commute, your riding stance is of little importance to you. However for a BMX rider, riding stance can be important for racing and street tricks.
Knowing your riding stance, won’t really matter until you start attempting basic BMX tricks and more aggressive/creative riding styles.
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What Is My BMX Riding Stance?
Needing to know your riding stance is not essential, although later on in more advanced riding it does become more important. This is because it prioritises your comfort, especially when riding trails, dirt-jumps and performing tricks.
There are many methods of finding your preferred stance, if you struggle to find it while riding.
- Method One – Ride your bike down the street, stop pedaling and look at your feet. Which ever one is in front is your natural front foot.
- Method Two – If you can find a slippery wood or tile floor surface, run and simply slide. Your dominant foot will be your front foot.
- Method Three – Let someone push you gently and whatever foot you use to step backwards is your more dominant foot.
Difference Between a Regular & Goofy Riding Stance
The natural tendency is that a ‘regular‘ stance is primarily a right-foot forward trait. Where as a ‘goofy‘ stance is primarily a left-foot forward trait.
Typically, the rule is that you’ll air out whilst preforming a trick to the opposite site of your forward facing foot.
What Is Riding Switch?
Riding switch on a BMX means that if your right-foot is forward, you’ll air out to your left. Riding or performing a trick using your opposite than usual foot placement is called riding ‘switch’.
So you may hear terms such as a ‘switch 180’, which means you’ll perform a 180 spin, with your opposite foot placement.
Foot Position Whilst Riding BMX
Another issue that comes up again and again is the most suitable foot position on your pedal whilst riding BMX. This can be challenging, as you may have a position that is incorrect and difficult to change due to human nature and habitual reasons.
Correct Foot Position On BMX Pedal
- Firstly when you jump onto your pedals, ensure the right pedal is forward according to your stance.
- Then place the ball of your foot into the middle of the pedal.
- This means that the back of your foot shall be then hanging over the rear of the pedal.
- This will then mean the front of your foot should just be covering the rest of the pedal.
Once these areas are then covered, then you know you have perfected the corrected foot position on your BMX pedal for making riding easier. By riding with a better foot position on your pedal, it will ensure that your balance and shock absorption is massively improved.
This means that potential injuries will be greatly reduced as body position and posture is greatly improved. If you require further information regarding BMX pedals, check out the article here.
Conclusion
Ultimately, if you’re a newbie when it comes to BMX riding not knowing your riding stance isn’t the end of the world. However when you progress and start to want to pick up more advanced tricks, knowing your stance and correct foot placement does become important and useful.
As long as you follow this quick five minute guide on BMX riding stance, you should be on your way to having the correct position and stance that is most suitable for you! This in return will make your riding much more easier and comfortable for the years of riding to come, so the earlier you nail these, the better!
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