I'm right-handed, but I mount the bike from the left side and put my left foot down when stopping. I can do it the other way, but mounting the bike from the right side feels awkward to me. I've never fallen over while mounting, but if it ever happens, it will almost certainly be from an attempt at mounting from the right side. By mounting the bike from the left side, I start off with my right leg pedaling down at first and have more power that way.
There may be a reason that I do things backwards from other cyclists. I ran hurdles in college, and my left leg was my "lead leg" - I went over the hurdle with my left leg first, and my right leg provided the push-off power to do so. So it just seems natural to me for my right leg to provide the initial downstroke of the pedals. After the lead leg goes over the hurdle, the "trail leg" (with bent knee) comes up and across such that it is sort-of horizontal and at a 90 degree angle to your torso as you are crossing over the hurdle. This is approximately a similar motion that's required to mount a bike, especially a tall frame (64 cm, no compact geometry on my 2015 Surly LHT) like I ride. So this just makes it seem more natural for me to mount from the left side by swinging/hurdling my "trail leg" across the frame.
Or at least that's how I think it works for me. Hell, I probably don't have a clue how it actually works anymore as age has certainly impacted the motions I make to get on board. Somehow or another I manage to mount the beast, and usually do so from the left side.
I hold the paper with my left hand and write on it with my right one. That makes me right handed.
I put my left foot on the ground to hold my bike, and start peddling with my right one. In analogy, that makes me right footed.
The main activity that counts here is writing/pedalling.
Am I wrong?
I’m as right-handed as they come. There is virtually nothing I can do left handed other than scratch my left ear. But I’m left foot down and always mount the bike from the left. I also find that when I walk the bike, I have to be on the left side of the bike. I literally can not walk the bike while walking on the right side.
This could make for an interesting university study, Kelly!
That makes total sense to me. I’m left handed but I come down on my right foot and keep my left foot clipped and can start pedaling with my left foot.
Rich, I am not comfortable pushing my bike on the wrong side but I can manage if necessary.
Agree about the number of possible PhD theses that could arise!
It brings bad luck to put your right foot down and, indeed, to mount a bicycle from the right.
Why's that, Léo?
Because the chain is on the right.
Good point Léo. Not just bad luck, but ‘sinister’ for those interested in Latin word roots.
Were there ever left-sided chain bikes produced?
I’m also right footed and right handed.
I played basketball for many years and this helped develop left hand ability, but the left footedness didn’t respond as well to practice.
For the past few months I’ve had a right shoulder injury (rotator cuff/‘frozen’ shoulder) so I’ve been relying much more on my left arm. Thankfully it remembered it’s more capable than it seems when my right arm is working ok.
1 week ago