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Pigeon toed or duck footed ?


OldFartRides

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Even before I started riding I was aware of people walking and standing duck footed. It was probably the yoga I used to do. Anyway, I probably focus too much on keeping my feet parallel / slightly pigeon toed when I ride / walk. I’ve read that walking duck footed can lead to back and hip issues. 
What say you? 

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On 20/7/2021 at 4:35, Planemo said:

Cuando me quedo quieto o camino de forma natural, los dedos de mis pies señalan, así es como me paro sobre el volante. Además, si mantengo mis pies paralelos a la rueda, parece que mis rodillas están golpeando, especialmente cuando tengo una buena flexión de rodilla y me veo como un idiota.:)

Sin embargo, he visto a otros ciclistas con una postura paralela y sus rodillas no apuntan hacia adentro en absoluto, por lo que claramente todos estamos construidos un poco diferentes.

 

I have the same stance, I dont feel parallel standing natural for me

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  • 1 month later...

Stand on the ground and see how your feet need to be oriented so that when bending at the knees, your knees move only forwards and not inwards or outwards. In my case, I have to orient my feet outwards (duck footed) in order for my knees to move forwards and not inwards.

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On 7/19/2021 at 9:56 AM, OldFartRides said:

Even before I started riding I was aware of people walking and standing duck footed. It was probably the yoga I used to do. Anyway, I probably focus too much on keeping my feet parallel / slightly pigeon toed when I ride / walk. I’ve read that walking duck footed can lead to back and hip issues. 
What say you? 

I had a mother who insisted on training me as a child. I know, weird right? She also made me stand up straight, stop dragging my heels and walk with my feet straight. Over time, thats just how I walk, tho I tend to slouch a bit. (at 6'3" you tend to duck a lot). I ride on my wheels pretty much the same as I stand, most times. SOmetimes I go duck foot if i grab with the ankles. I only go pidgeon when Im riding funky to stretch, same as tip toes and all kind of odd postures.

I recall a similar thread bout this recently but i couldnt find it. I di learn from the thread tho, not everyone walks straight. I assumed it was from piss poor upbringing, but thats just me being an ass. I think the reality is, it depends on how your legs are socketed into your hips. Trying to watch my wife walk straight, its obvious that her body mechanics just dont line up like that. I made fun of her for nearly 2 decades and tell her to quack more often. Turns out, I'm just an ass, and uber wide hips may lead to walking like a duck. One would think it would mess with how knees work, but honeslty, hers ar better than mine and we're both same age.

My guess is that whatever seems most comfy is probably how your body has adapted to work. For most comfort, I would suggest standing on the wheel in a similar fashion as you stand on the street. If your feet are used to being at a slight angle when you bend the knees to walk, perhaps this same angle applies when you realize legs = suspension.

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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21 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I think the reality is, it depends on how your legs are socketed into your hips. ... If your feet are used to being at a slight angle when you bend the knees to walk, perhaps this same angle applies when you realize legs = suspension.

Duck foot versus pigeon toed probably depends more on how your shins are socketed to your ankles, or if your shins are slightly twisted. As I posted earlier, I think a rider's feet should be oriented so that the knees bend directly forwards and not inwards or outwards. 

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20 minutes ago, rcgldr said:

Duck foot versus pigeon toed probably depends more on how your shins are socketed to your ankles, or if your shins are slightly twisted. As I posted earlier, I think a rider's feet should be oriented so that the knees bend directly forwards and not inwards or outwards. 

You could be right, I have little knowledge about human form. I do know its somewhat moot for my type of riding, as a LOT of the time one knee or the other is out/in and my footing varies wildly depending on current needs for excessive body postures. My sherman makes me ride with a slight duck as its wide enough Im more bowlegged in stance while atop it, vs typical stance. Its also of note that I have no thighs to get in the way when I stand.

In the end, I've lost my surety that there is a 'correct' way, as theres so many vaiables in the human form. For this reason, I no longer ask my wife to quack when she walks.:efef585a74:

Edited by ShanesPlanet
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12 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

My sherman makes me ride with a slight duck as its wide enough I'm more bowlegged in stance while atop it

Bowlegged might help you lean an EUC more, providing more clearance for lean on the inside calf | shin. It might take a bit more effort to keep the outside calf | shin against the pad on the EUC due to lean angle and bowlegged orientation of the feet. However, other than low speed turns, you normally don't lean an EUC that much, due to higher speeds normally translating into larger radius turns. I don't know if the Sherman needs to be leaned more than other EUCs to get the same turning radius though.

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I walk like a duck (toes out) but "seem" to ride pretty parallel—it feels parallel but might be slightly duck. I recently figured out that mounting pigeon toed makes for smoother mounts, I think that's because toes closer-to-the-shell means there's a little less leverage from the toes and I need to be a bit toe heavy to get going. I find I'm straighter as I get going, less veering off to the side. Pigeon toed also puts the top of my calf closer to the wheel, which helps control the wheel lean. Once I'm going though, I also tend to move my feet around all the time and rarely stay pigeon toed.

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2 hours ago, Tawpie said:

I recently figured out that mounting pigeon toed makes for smoother mounts ... toe heavy to get going

Pigeon toed will allow a rider to put more pressure on the upper pad with less effort, and that is what I did at first, but I ended up with the step on foot pointed outwards. I switched to duck footed for the glide foot, so when I step on, both feet are equally duck footed. The point here is to end up with your feet oriented so that your shins move straight forwards, not inward or outwards when you bend your legs at the ankles and knees. I was able to balance at low speed early on, later being able to look down just after mounting to adjust my feet if needed, but after a few sessions mounting duck footed, I find I don't have to adjust my feet much. In my case, I mount at what I guess is around 3 mph, adjust feet if needed, then lean forwards to get up to speed. One beginner method I've seen in videos is to start with the glide foot and EUC behind you, start the EUC moving forwards and step on while still leaned forwards a bit. Better riders need less speed, with the experts being able to mount while stopped.

I lean forwards or backwards for speed control, without paying attention to what pressure I'm applying with my toes or my heels. Technically, in order to lean forwards on the ground or on an EUC, a rider has to initially press with their heels then limit or stop the forwards lean by pressing with the toes, and vice versa to lean backwards, but it is not something a rider needs to be aware of.

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  • 1 month later...

I walk/run straight, but like to ride my EUC a bit duck footed. That stance feels better on the EUC. Interestingly I like one foot [right] more duck footed than the other....not sure why.

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