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What exactly does "flat-footing" mean?

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I have a 29" inseam and I ride an RT. What's all this complaining about?

I think it boils down to mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
 
DnWin said:
AS for parking which made me laugh was because.. I tend to try to "duck walk" back in.. Sometimes it takes forever... For the first time today. I hopped off and pushed it.. god dang why did it take me so long to do this???
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Sometimes I'll kick-push like I'm riding a skateboard backwards. Doesn't always work well, apparently one of my short legs can't really push around 375 lbs. Fine, I'll walk the fucking bike back now :rofl
 
yellowrasta said:
Sometimes I'll kick-push like I'm riding a skateboard backwards. Doesn't always work well, apparently one of my short legs can't really push around 375 lbs. Fine, I'll walk the fucking bike back now :rofl
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Yeah, it's futile, just hop off and push unless you want to be made a spectacle. BTDT.. dropped the bike..
 
I'm 5'6 and can barely tippy toe my KLR, and I do fine all over SF in every kind of traffic on every kind of hill. I never use both feet at the same time.

If you've ever met Doc Wong he's about 4'8 and rides a big GS like nobodys business. (I kid about Doc's height, but that dude is super short)

Once you have some experience it's all in your head.
 
simi510 said:
what a badass :cool

what does he do a stoplight though lol
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I did think about that.

Saddle height has zero importance when riding, but if you have angle your bike way over to reach the ground, it is harder to keep it upright because your leg has to support more weight.
 
sanjuro said:
I did think about that.

Saddle height has zero importance when riding, but if you have angle your bike way over to reach the ground, it is harder to keep it upright because your leg has to support more weight.
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Shift your ass..the bike does not have to be angled over farther.

No farther angled over= no additional weight.
 
Years ago, up at the Wall (when there was still a Wall), a friend and I were hanging out chit-chatting, and a guy rides up on an R6. He's really short... maybe 5' 2"? Anyways, he doesn't realize that the ground slopes... pulls up, comes to a stop, and goes to slip off to the right side a little bit.. but that's the downhill side, and there was no road where he was expecting it. Had to leap up and actually catch the bike. Felt bad for the guy- he was totally embarrassed about almost dropping his bike... and apparently having a girl catch it didn't help... :laughing

Personally, I don't think anyone needs to be able to flat-foot a bike to ride it... but I DO think you should be able to get at least ONE foot on the ground without having to move your ass off the seat.
 
Oh Lordy, do we actually have to make rules for the most incompetent?
So no matter what they don't do, they will still function?

Sheesh..There are other options that involve paying attention to conditions, and figuring out how to cope with them.

Any rider that can't do the simple stuff, doesn't stand a chance when the harder stuff arrives.

I know, it's too much for too many...And we read their horrid fatality reports way too often.
 
I personally would not ride a bike I couldn't comfortable put my feet down. I'm tall with long legs and when I'm geared up I need to stretch slightly to put my feed down 100% flat in the higher seat position, but can easily put both balls of my feet down easily.
 
yellowrasta said:
Better hope it's not windy. Gusts of 20+ mph....good luck
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Been there and do that. It's a challenge, but you just need to get the right angle. The real fun is when the wind stops suddenly or shifts.
I'm going to think that in high winds its challenging even for the flat footed.



Back to normal conditions:
One thing about just putting one foot down is that you are not holding all the weight of the bike to keep it upright. It's mostly balanced so you only hold a little of the overall weight.
 
Cabrito said:
Been there and do that. It's a challenge, but you just need to get the right angle. The real fun is when the wind stops suddenly or shifts.
I'm going to think that in high winds its challenging even for the flat footed.



Back to normal conditions:
One thing about just putting one foot down is that you are not holding all the weight of the bike to keep it upright. It's mostly balanced so you only hold a little of the overall weight.
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Last time I rode in to work (maybe 4 years ago), I was coming home on Vasco, wind was unbelievable... I was in the left part of the lane (wind was coming from my right)... got to this one section where the hills close in, and then there's a gap, before another hill... hit that section where the gap was, and the winds were doing some sort of weird circling thing I guess, because at the gap it was coming from the opposite side... blew me across the entire lane, which was scary as hell, and then the winds were coming back from my right side again, pushing me back across the lane. I tucked in, with my heart beating outside my chest at that point! The rest of the ride was uneventful, but that little section sucked...

And agreed on the balance... I rarely use both feet at an intersection. The tip of my left foot is usually all I need.
 
Gixxergirl1000 said:
Last time I rode in to work (maybe 4 years ago), I was coming home on Vasco, wind was unbelievable... I was in the left part of the lane (wind was coming from my right)... got to this one section where the hills close in, and then there's a gap, before another hill... hit that section where the gap was, and the winds were doing some sort of weird circling thing I guess, because at the gap it was coming from the opposite side... blew me across the entire lane, which was scary as hell, and then the winds were coming back from my right side again, pushing me back across the lane. I tucked in, with my heart beating outside my chest at that point! The rest of the ride was uneventful, but that little section sucked...

And agreed on the balance... I rarely use both feet at an intersection. The tip of my left foot is usually all I need.
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Pucker moment x10!!! I've been pushed lane to lane and it sucks big time. I know the feeling when your fighting the wind and positioning yourself on the opposite side of the lane to allow for the wind to move you. Is that one of those times when you wheelie for safety?
 
^^^ Naw, It would be the only time Ya don't. :thumbup

But..the move up wind between gusts to give max road width to get pushed over, in the max gust. Is Gold.

What makes it all work out though, is the getting the experience, out in the open, somewhere. So what is experienced later in a place like the congested bay area, is...not such a big deal.

That's the beauty of doing extreme things, and piling on the experience's...
Ya start to know you have handled worse, at some other time.
 
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