Nice video, a few years ago I remember Ryan Hughes calling his boots “Dancing” shoes. He flipped his boots over and there were peg “teeth” marks all over is boot showing he is “dancing” on the pegs. The marks were mostly in arches and balls but there were marks all over. Then he said to flip your boots over and see were the marks are on your boot all they all over or in one spot. Keep up the great work!
I'm glad you have covered this off, Shane Watts pretty much has been saying the same thing for years, most of the techniques being taught are mainly for motocross..
Using both is one of the things that propelled me from a mid pack C rider to a podium B rider at enduros. I was loosing a lot of time on the straighter sections when I was standing crooked covering the rear brake and not being able to use my ankles to really charge down a straighter section of trail.
I use both techniques. When the speed is up, balls of feet and knees locked on. The more technical it gets the more likely I'll be to be on my arches and unlock the knees to let the bike move under me.
Heels down, too. It helps with balancing your body when the front end drops or bumps that slow the front end. It takes weight off your hands. If your heels are high/level, the only thing that can hold your body back is your arms which will fade quickly. In the videos it looks like you ride with your heels low. 2:58 to 3:02 looks great.
Thank you for this realistic explanation, because a lot of MX instructors just say that we should all ride on the forefoot and then one obviously wonders "how can I use foot operated levers?". Since 2024 I've started riding an electric dirtbike with all the controls at the handlebar and therefore I always ride on the forefoot, but I use both techniques with gas bikes; unfortunately, I have a hard time using the forefoot in that case and so I mostly ride on the middle part of the sole.
My thoughts coming from a wanna be vet with many years of riding. I find that riding in the arch is less tiring than riding on the toes as you're not fatiguing those additional muscles. Then as you stated I don't have to worry about being able to cover that rear brake, the only downside to it is that if you're not careful you can easily ride that rear brake and overheat it so you have to be mindful of that. I spent a lot of time trying to retrain myself on this and tried switching to the balls but I just found it took too much energy and I was never comfortable with it so I don't worry about doing that anymore. I guess another thought with riding in the arch, gotta focus on keeping the toes pointed in more so you don't hook rocks and branches and stuff....
All of those points are valid and accurate. When I first started to really focus on riding on the balls of my feet, it was really taxing on my calf muscles, but is something you ultimately get used to. Thanks for watching and your comment!
Very good explained. I also use both positions. Wich when? A skilled Rider once told me, you always have to ride very " light". Means your body has to move constantly to give the bike the best traction/balance. With that in mind one will change the foot position to achieve this "light" feeling.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was that the front of your peg becomes horizontal when the bike is vertical. Rolling your foot onto front of the peg is another way to transition from the arch to the ball of the foot on steep climbs and splats. Next time you flip the bike on a climb try again while standing on the front of the peg.
I always rode motorcycles since I was about five, and then in highschool I started riding mountain bikes and learned a lot of skills from that, and with bicycles it's really common to have the balls of your foot centered on the pedal, but for downhill specific, which I feel crosses over to dirtbikes better, you want to slide you foot forward a little bit, so the pedal is a little bit behind the ball of your foot making it more natural to drop your heels a little bit. That's kinda what I've adopted for riding dirtbikes, the peg is kinda between the arch and the ball. And then when I am braking or have a long downhill I will just put most of my weight on the left foot and have my right heel on the peg as a pivot point to have control on the rear brake.
I ride mostly on my toes and cover the rear brake when it’s fast and twisty, downhill, or techy. Most often I’m on the toes in other scenarios. Thanks for the video!
@ I move my foot from my toes to the arch of my foot to cover the rear brake when I’m in those tighter conditions and naturally move it back to the toes when things open up
Thanks for the video! Always appreciate what you guys do. I'm surprised you didn't mention to get in the habit of keeping your toes in (whether you're riding on your arches or toes). I've noticed that the general tendency is for folks, especially if they are tired, to let their toes point out. That can lead to your foot getting scraped off the peg by terrain, so it's best to practice keeping your toes in all the time.
There will never be a shortage of things we can do to get better at riding! Keeping your toes in is definitely a solid practice for both safety and better grip of the bike.
you can mention too the proprioceptors which are in the ankle, that's why you have more balance infos for your brain when on feet balls . great job as usual, clear talking ! keep the good work :)
The terrain will dictate your foot position. But the gear your using/running has a major impact on this. The type of boots you wear, combined with the size of the bikes footpegs. Can vary drastically from one rider to the next. A 20 year old kid on a groomed track in relatively soft soled boots. Is going to feel comfortable riding those conditions. Take that same kid. Put him in the Rocky Mountains on a completely different setup bike. With enduro boots that hardly flex at all. And the situation calls for different techniques, because its 2 different worlds. If you think you can ride on the balls of you feet for more than a few minutes at a time. Good luck trying to maintain control of the bike at warp speed over rough terrain for very long. I don't ride on tracks. Flat bottomed soft soled boots have no place in my riding gear.
Basically my left foot is always on the ball aside from the few milliseconds it takes to shift then back on the ball. My right foot default is ball also but if the terrain needs frequent braking I will keep it on the arch until I can go back to ball. My background is from DH Mtb so riding on the balls of my feet and standing up is what feels most natural to me.
Great video! In trials riding with som masters of the sport (Jerry and Ryan Young) I learned early that everyone would ride on the balls of the feet, and just move your foot if you needed the brake. Another thing often the shifter was made or modified a little so you could upshift with the heel of your boot...downshift with toe upshift with heel. Now riding a KTM enduro I just shift that normally with my toe :)
Nice video,My level is Nowhere near as good as you.I experimented a lot +I have very big feet. I do not sit "in the arches" or "on toes"unless its very slow stuff. I find just in front of the arch but not exactly on balls of feet works very well for most situations for most riders except racers or hi level stuff. You have access to the rear brake pedal and gear lever immediately. You don't get your feet knocked off the foot pegs easily. You don't transmit the impact into the arches of your foot. For most riders wanting to improve their average speed times and control of the bike this will be enough. If you are aiming at racing at a high level I think you need every small advantage you can get.
I own a 250 2stroke and a 450 4 stroke. I kinda ignore the back brake while riding the 450. (Engine braking) The 2 stroke gets the back brake used way more.
I've considered cutting and welding the rear brake closer to my foot peg so I can use it from the toe position without making such an exaggerated move, has anyone else done this?
I’ve been wondering about this as well. I was thinking of just buying a shorter lever and trying that. What would the drawback be? I assume there’s plenty of leverage for stopping power but maybe less modulation?
Привет! Все проще, парень! На песке и мягком грунте езжай больше на подушках. На твердом грунте, при приземлении с длинных и высоких прыжков и в поворотах держи ступню "под каблук". Много раз видел переломы при приземления на подушки.
Yes, Keeping your toes tucked inward toward the bike increases the power you have to squeeze with your legs and knees. This allows you to use your lower body muscles, specifically your leg muscles more. It also decreases the fatigue that occurs on your arms.
I,m an aussie and unlike Wattsys i think both position have there place i,m a trials rider enduro rider and hard enduro before it was a thing haha and the one thing that's not been mentioned is bike capacity i ride 125 s 200 s and a 380 and 500 and on the small bore your changing gear way more often and flicking thru the turns way more aggressively so moving feet back and forth is slow were as on the big bangers gear changes are fewer i do use the balls of my feet to jump and to jump obstacles like up a wall or big logs that need a rear wheel lift i will say wheelies on the balls of your feet are just dangerous just be smart and only ride on the balls when you can see your not going to need th shift or brake . 👍✌
Awesome video but this would’ve been useful a few months ago, foot position has been something I’ve been struggling with, and in a race in October I hit a huge rain rut, I got bucked off and broke my wrist on the landing, I’m still recovering and still can’t ride for another 2 weeks
I think anyone who is good enough to benefit from riding on the balls of there feet, are not looking at you tube for tips. The rest of us are better to just stand on the arch of our foot. Shane Watts on his "Dirt Wise" channel made a video, "Why balls of your feet is ridiculous" . I think he sums it up well. Cheers
Nice video, a few years ago I remember Ryan Hughes calling his boots “Dancing” shoes. He flipped his boots over and there were peg “teeth” marks all over is boot showing he is “dancing” on the pegs. The marks were mostly in arches and balls but there were marks all over. Then he said to flip your boots over and see were the marks are on your boot all they all over or in one spot. Keep up the great work!
"Dancing" on the pegs is a great way to put it hahaha. Both have their use cases and pros/cons. Thanks for watching!
I'm glad you have covered this off, Shane Watts pretty much has been saying the same thing for years, most of the techniques being taught are mainly for motocross..
It's a technique that applies to many different disciplines and styles of riding!
Using both is one of the things that propelled me from a mid pack C rider to a podium B rider at enduros. I was loosing a lot of time on the straighter sections when I was standing crooked covering the rear brake and not being able to use my ankles to really charge down a straighter section of trail.
I use both techniques. When the speed is up, balls of feet and knees locked on. The more technical it gets the more likely I'll be to be on my arches and unlock the knees to let the bike move under me.
Yup, adapt to the situation
Heels down, too. It helps with balancing your body when the front end drops or bumps that slow the front end. It takes weight off your hands. If your heels are high/level, the only thing that can hold your body back is your arms which will fade quickly. In the videos it looks like you ride with your heels low. 2:58 to 3:02 looks great.
Thank you for this realistic explanation, because a lot of MX instructors just say that we should all ride on the forefoot and then one obviously wonders "how can I use foot operated levers?".
Since 2024 I've started riding an electric dirtbike with all the controls at the handlebar and therefore I always ride on the forefoot, but I use both techniques with gas bikes; unfortunately, I have a hard time using the forefoot in that case and so I mostly ride on the middle part of the sole.
My thoughts coming from a wanna be vet with many years of riding. I find that riding in the arch is less tiring than riding on the toes as you're not fatiguing those additional muscles. Then as you stated I don't have to worry about being able to cover that rear brake, the only downside to it is that if you're not careful you can easily ride that rear brake and overheat it so you have to be mindful of that.
I spent a lot of time trying to retrain myself on this and tried switching to the balls but I just found it took too much energy and I was never comfortable with it so I don't worry about doing that anymore. I guess another thought with riding in the arch, gotta focus on keeping the toes pointed in more so you don't hook rocks and branches and stuff....
All of those points are valid and accurate. When I first started to really focus on riding on the balls of my feet, it was really taxing on my calf muscles, but is something you ultimately get used to. Thanks for watching and your comment!
As an older vet rider I’m with you. Tore my calf trying to ride on the balls of my feet.
Very good explained. I also use both positions. Wich when? A skilled Rider once told me, you always have to ride very " light". Means your body has to move constantly to give the bike the best traction/balance. With that in mind one will change the foot position to achieve this "light" feeling.
Finally you have clarified this. Great info as always 💪
Appreciate it!
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was that the front of your peg becomes horizontal when the bike is vertical. Rolling your foot onto front of the peg is another way to transition from the arch to the ball of the foot on steep climbs and splats.
Next time you flip the bike on a climb try again while standing on the front of the peg.
That is a super interesting point. I notice Josep Garcia utilizing the front of the pegs a lot to help his sit to stand transition
I always rode motorcycles since I was about five, and then in highschool I started riding mountain bikes and learned a lot of skills from that, and with bicycles it's really common to have the balls of your foot centered on the pedal, but for downhill specific, which I feel crosses over to dirtbikes better, you want to slide you foot forward a little bit, so the pedal is a little bit behind the ball of your foot making it more natural to drop your heels a little bit. That's kinda what I've adopted for riding dirtbikes, the peg is kinda between the arch and the ball. And then when I am braking or have a long downhill I will just put most of my weight on the left foot and have my right heel on the peg as a pivot point to have control on the rear brake.
It sounds like you've really found what works for you. It's cool to see people take what they've learned in one discipline and adapt it to another.
Thank You Very Much For Sharing 👍
clear and concise!! excellent vid!thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I use both!!!!
Breaking it down! Great video.
Heel dropping really seems to help control direction on my adventure bike, KTM 1290.
Thank you!!
Great explanation of foot position snd technique. I think some of the best logic I've heard on this topic. Thanks!
Glad the explanation helped!
I ride mostly on my toes and cover the rear brake when it’s fast and twisty, downhill, or techy. Most often I’m on the toes in other scenarios. Thanks for the video!
How do you ride on your toes AND cover the rear brake at the same time?
@ I move my foot from my toes to the arch of my foot to cover the rear brake when I’m in those tighter conditions and naturally move it back to the toes when things open up
Thanks for the video! Always appreciate what you guys do. I'm surprised you didn't mention to get in the habit of keeping your toes in (whether you're riding on your arches or toes). I've noticed that the general tendency is for folks, especially if they are tired, to let their toes point out. That can lead to your foot getting scraped off the peg by terrain, so it's best to practice keeping your toes in all the time.
There will never be a shortage of things we can do to get better at riding! Keeping your toes in is definitely a solid practice for both safety and better grip of the bike.
I crushed my foot like that when I was young. Riding in the left "lane" of an atv trail in tall grass that hid a stump
Very good explanation.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic! Dissecting the basics and the principles behind makes life so easy, instead of simply forcing a technique without explaining it why..
I’m glad you’re finding the breakdowns helpful!
you can mention too the proprioceptors which are in the ankle, that's why you have more balance infos for your brain when on feet balls . great job as usual, clear talking ! keep the good work :)
The terrain will dictate your foot position. But the gear your using/running has a major impact on this. The type of boots you wear, combined with the size of the bikes footpegs. Can vary drastically from one rider to the next.
A 20 year old kid on a groomed track in relatively soft soled boots. Is going to feel comfortable riding those conditions.
Take that same kid. Put him in the Rocky Mountains on a completely different setup bike. With enduro boots that hardly flex at all. And the situation calls for different techniques, because its 2 different worlds.
If you think you can ride on the balls of you feet for more than a few minutes at a time. Good luck trying to maintain control of the bike at warp speed over rough terrain for very long. I don't ride on tracks. Flat bottomed soft soled boots have no place in my riding gear.
Basically my left foot is always on the ball aside from the few milliseconds it takes to shift then back on the ball. My right foot default is ball also but if the terrain needs frequent braking I will keep it on the arch until I can go back to ball. My background is from DH Mtb so riding on the balls of my feet and standing up is what feels most natural to me.
I ride this way too. You end up "crossed up" in the hips and knees a little, but it makes it faster to get back to a good attack position when needed.
@alexrateliff4784 still much less crossed up than my natural biking position so all good lol
Great video! In trials riding with som masters of the sport (Jerry and Ryan Young) I learned early that everyone would ride on the balls of the feet, and just move your foot if you needed the brake. Another thing often the shifter was made or modified a little so you could upshift with the heel of your boot...downshift with toe upshift with heel. Now riding a KTM enduro I just shift that normally with my toe :)
That is awesome!
Thanks for the clarity.
Ive been wondering if pros cover the rear break in tighter faster techy stuff or if they go back and forth.
Now I know.
🙏👊
Glad to clear it up, you'll be surprised how much those little details make a difference
Nice video,My level is Nowhere near as good as you.I experimented a lot +I have very big feet.
I do not sit "in the arches" or "on toes"unless its very slow stuff.
I find just in front of the arch but not exactly on balls of feet works very well for most situations for most riders except racers or hi level stuff.
You have access to the rear brake pedal and gear lever immediately.
You don't get your feet knocked off the foot pegs easily.
You don't transmit the impact into the arches of your foot.
For most riders wanting to improve their average speed times and control of the bike this will be enough. If you are aiming at racing at a high level I think you need every small advantage you can get.
Lots of good information, covered foot positioning with braking, can you go more in detail with shifting? That is where I struggle.
good shit
Ox left handed rear brake helped me get in the correct position on the balls of my feet. Recluse clutch
I've never tried the Ox left handed rear brake, but I'll have to look into that!
I own a 250 2stroke and a 450 4 stroke. I kinda ignore the back brake while riding the 450. (Engine braking) The 2 stroke gets the back brake used way more.
Riding the ball-toe of my feet helps my knees to not hurt. Not hurting is priority #1.
I've considered cutting and welding the rear brake closer to my foot peg so I can use it from the toe position without making such an exaggerated move, has anyone else done this?
prob wouldnt have enough travel?
I’ve been wondering about this as well. I was thinking of just buying a shorter lever and trying that.
What would the drawback be? I assume there’s plenty of leverage for stopping power but maybe less modulation?
Привет! Все проще, парень! На песке и мягком грунте езжай больше на подушках. На твердом грунте, при приземлении с длинных и высоких прыжков и в поворотах держи ступню "под каблук". Много раз видел переломы при приземления на подушки.
In regards to riding on balls of feet, is it generally recommended the rider keeps toes tucked inward toward the bike?
Yes, Keeping your toes tucked inward toward the bike increases the power you have to squeeze with your legs and knees. This allows you to use your lower body muscles, specifically your leg muscles more. It also decreases the fatigue that occurs on your arms.
This is an excellent video thank you.
I recall a pro Rider elm Motocross in the last few years who tore his Achilles heel because he was on his toes
I,m an aussie and unlike Wattsys i think both position have there place i,m a trials rider enduro rider and hard enduro before it was a thing haha and the one thing that's not been mentioned is bike capacity i ride 125 s 200 s and a 380 and 500 and on the small bore your changing gear way more often and flicking thru the turns way more aggressively so moving feet back and forth is slow were as on the big bangers gear changes are fewer i do use the balls of my feet to jump and to jump obstacles like up a wall or big logs that need a rear wheel lift i will say wheelies on the balls of your feet are just dangerous just be smart and only ride on the balls when you can see your not going to need th shift or brake . 👍✌
You're absolutely right, bike size and riding style play a big role in foot positioning.
Awesome video but this would’ve been useful a few months ago, foot position has been something I’ve been struggling with, and in a race in October I hit a huge rain rut, I got bucked off and broke my wrist on the landing, I’m still recovering and still can’t ride for another 2 weeks
Bummer! Heal up 💪🏼
@ Thanks
Sorry to hear that Dusty. Wishing you a speedy recovery and happy holidays. Get healed up for Spring and thanks for watching!
@@ridewiththeknights Thanks a lot, your videos have helped me with a bunch of my problems when racing, and are ton of fun to watch some desert racing
I broke both legs because of bad foot position lol body position wasn’t the greatest either
The commands of the motorcycle should be on the hands.
👍
I think anyone who is good enough to benefit from riding on the balls of there feet, are not looking at you tube for tips. The rest of us are better to just stand on the arch of our foot. Shane Watts on his "Dirt Wise" channel made a video, "Why balls of your feet is ridiculous" . I think he sums it up well. Cheers
Thanks for the insight, I'll have to check out that video!
So many trees there in the bushy landscape! Have you ever, god forbid, bumped into a tree?
What nobody is telling you the difference about foot positioning between motocross (you show) and enduro riding which 90% do as offroad riding.
Hi. I ride an electric bike and I can ride on the balls of my feet constantly. 🤣
Just be very ready so you don’t do a Tomac
Top enduro riders don't ride on balls of your feet most of the time. Arch position is far more stable.
Your edits are horrible !