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left side mount

4K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  funetical 
#1 ·
us kiwis drive on the left side of the road.
A friend and I were wondering if Americans mount their bikes from the right side:D
As kids we were told to mount a horse from the left side the same side we mount a bike.
 
#2 ·
Never really thought about it but it seems I always hop on from the left (non drive) side. I'll have to try the right just to see how it feels.

Here in Sweden they used to drive on the left until 1967 when they switched over. I always wondered why there aren't many vintage pre change cars with right side steering but it seems they used left side steering and drove on the left too (dumb swedes!)
 
#3 ·
Mount from the left. It's more natural feeling for me to clip in the right cleat first then push off with the left foot. Dismount is aslo from the left.

Right hand drive autos travelling on the left side of the road are not for me....like driving dyslexia.
 
#5 ·
In my riding group we have 3 lefthanded people out of 12. They (lefties) all mount on the right side putting their dominant leg (left) over the bar first.

I think this is where the horse/bicycle left-side mount originated from. We like to lead with our good foot first and 85% of us are righthanded. (rightfooted)

All of this is a guess on my part I've never heard of this being proved or put forth before.
 
#6 ·
Thats good folks thanks for your responses.

My friend is a year younger than me at 59 and he cant cast his right leg over the bar so I suggested he mount from the right side of the bike:rolleyes:

He thought he would look odd

Yeah right he lays the bike over to get on it.

Another friend and I are building gas assisted bikes and we are planning racing off road for fun.

I have a younger lot lighter stand in rider :rolleyes:and a smaller motor

Its on the cards that I will be faster than the stand in if there is any straight down hill in it.

Our friend that has to lay his bike over bought a hub emotor and us gas guys supplied him the bike bit to build it up :rolleyes:now he wants a gas bike too.

Al the ebike guy has a lathe and other machines and we are getting better mounting hardware for our jackshafts made.

Thats us our country is to remote and too smaller local market :D So its all for fun

I need something for one of my PCs to tranfer pics off my phone

Walth is an issue :rolleyes:have a nice day:thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
I mount from the left side, I am right handed. My little brother mounts a bike from the right side, he is left handed. But he mounts a horse from the left side as it is what we were taught.

I read something the other day as to why we drive a left hand drive car and cars over the pond are right hand drive. Over the pond they have more history, they go way back to the chariot days for getting around. Most were right handed and they held their sword in the right hand. so they rode in the chariot on the right side so they could employ their sword unencumbered. We having a shorter history and no chariot fights in our history yet we took our driving style from a wagon. The wagons were built with the brake lever on the left side of the wagon. Therefore the wagon driver sits on the left side so they can operate the brakes. The vehicles just followed suit with how we rode wagons and chariots way back in history.
 
#9 ·
I mount from the left side, I am right handed. My little brother mounts a bike from the right side, he is left handed. But he mounts a horse from the left side as it is what we were taught.

I read something the other day as to why we drive a left hand drive car and cars over the pond are right hand drive. Over the pond they have more history, they go way back to the chariot days for getting around. Most were right handed and they held their sword in the right hand. so they rode in the chariot on the right side so they could employ their sword unencumbered. We having a shorter history and no chariot fights in our history yet we took our driving style from a wagon. The wagons were built with the brake lever on the left side of the wagon. Therefore the wagon driver sits on the left side so they can operate the brakes. The vehicles just followed suit with how we rode wagons and chariots way back in history.
The wagon brake, chariot thing is new to me and makes sense. But cars started in all places at about the same time. Germans may have had cars first followed by the rest of Europe and then the US. But this all happened inside of 20 years or so.

I always thought the driver of an auto was placed in a position to better see the actual passing of another vehicle in the most advantageous position. UK we ride on the left and stick the driver on the right to witness the distance needed to clear other head-on traffic more easily. US and most other places exact opposite side but same reason.

This is all a guess on my part. I happen to like Ape's sword theory. Every man should carry a sword.
 
#10 ·
I mount my bikes from the left side, since that helps avoid the chainring(s). I also mount my motorcycle from the left, since that's the side it leans to on the jiffy stand.

When I picked up my Kea camper in Auckland, I had no problem working the shifter with my left hand, and driving was much easier than I expected. Constantly being reminded to "Look right" was a big help.
 
#13 ·
Bikes were designed for the fact that people mount a horse from the left. The drivetrain was purposely located away from the rider as he or she mounted from the left, the same way they mounted horses. It's no coincidence; it's a deliberate part of bike design.
Doohickie, do you think righthandedness along with rightfootedness has anything to do with it? Good foot first? As with horse and then to bikes?

This makes the most sense to me although I'm getting a good sword soon.
 
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