Left vs. Right?

[Knightiev]

No, this is not about politics… Sorry, folks. :)

It seems that this sort of thing happens to the other riders as well (I hope)… in my case, I can make turns in my bike to the left easier than I can to the right.

A friend of mine was telling something about the Coriolis effect (which makes a tropical storm or water going down the sink rotate clockwise in the Northern hemisphere, counter-clockwise in the Sourthern hemisphere). This doesn’t make any sense to me, for if this Coriolis stuff were strong enough, it would make my bike do the opposite: right turns easier in the US… besides, I am from Brazil and my right turns are also difficult down there…

I prefer to believe that it has something to do with the throttle being on the right side… when turning to the right, the throttle changes the angle of my right wrist/hand, making it more uncomfortable and difficult to control.

Is my assumption correct?

Or am I really the only ‘leftist’ out there? :mad

[tzrider]

Most people have a favorite side. Mine is the right. Over time I reduced the bias by practicing on my weak side. Found that my body position wasn't the same on both sides; I was doing a better job anchoring myself on rights than lefts. About a month ago, I noticed my anchor points are better for lefts than rights now.

[Monkey_Boy]

Most riders are "leftists" :laughing

So, you're not alone. Most believe the bias is caused mainly from having to control the throttle. No one seems to know for sure, could be psychological? All I know is a right turn has never felt as natural as a left, even after thousands and thousands of laps on the track.

Bottom line is, most of us suffer from this, especially newer track riders. The key is practicing good body position and working through it.

[bertocci]

I'm a "lefty" as well. The best tip I received was to change my wrist/arm position on the throttle. Try having a higher or lower wrist angle, see if that helps. Lower seems to work better for me, but higher was also effective. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but once I got used to it, it was fine.

[Vane]

its not throttle, it happens to me on my bicycle, maybe left is just.. .better.:confused

[Knightiev]

A big thanks to TZRider, Phil MonkeyBoy, Bertocci and Vane!

Vane is right! This 'leftist' thing also happens when I ride my bicycle!

I will start by observing my body position during left and right turns in my bike... it is very possible I will find out that there is a (slight but important) difference... and I'll also try different wrist/arm positions...

...or maybe I should also start putting my right foot first when dressing my jeans... I usually put my left first... :)

Thanks again for your tips!

Be safe, ride large!

[ArcFox]

A lot of it has to do with crowned roads. If you're in a country where you ride on the right side of the road, left turns on a road with a high crown will put you off-camber and make it more difficult to turn tightly. Personally, I like left turns better because you can usually see through them with fewer obstructions.

[Daredevil]

go to t-hill

you'll do great if you're a lefty :D

[DaveToo]

Originally posted by Daredevil F3
go to t-hill

you'll do great if you're a lefty :D

Unless they run backwards.

Ask Wendy.

:)

[JAS510]

i bang out right hand corners! I have a hard time pulling the bars on a left turn. This will be fixed!