Improving your balance for cycling and riding
When you are riding a bike, you have probably found that you are better at making corners in one direction than the other. This is particularly obvious when riding a mountain bike or cycling on terrain that isn’t flat tarmac.
If you are better at left turns, it will be because your right leg is stronger – so when you unclip at a red light, it will be your left foot that descends to give your right leg the power position. When you begin pedalling again, that strong leg powers the bike until you can get the other foot, attached to the lazy leg, back onto the pedal.
If you want to improve your balance and power, intentionally lower "the other" foot when you stop for any reason. If you learn to alternate the foot you lower, you will be giving both legs a chance to develop equally – not only will the weaker foot become stronger in the push off, but the stronger foot will gain the speed that the weaker foot currently has to get back to the pedal in good time.
You can work on this with your hands too – most of us use the stronger hand to hold the bike while we drink or adjust our gear, by swapping hands regularly you can improve your overall balance and coordination and strengthen your weaker arm.
Finally, ensure you can look over both shoulders when checking behind you – most of us look over our right shoulder, meaning that the muscles on that side of the neck and spine are more flexible. When you’re not riding competitively, practice looking over the left shoulder to ensure you don’t get muscle locking on that side as you ride.
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