Problem with Side Hops

[Air_Force_Trials]

So everyone has a good side and a bad side when handling the bike. Now I was told that your good side is the side that is opposite to your choco foot, right? Well I can't seem to get that. I feel more comfortable going to the left, (I'm left foot forward). When I whip the tail around I can move it to the left better than to the right. Whenever I try to go to the right my right foot comes off of the pedal. Going to the left is so much easier because my right foot moves into the and therefore moves the bike. This also goes with side hops. I can side hop to the left but not to the right.
Can anyone please explain to me what I am doing wrong? :nuts:

[AgrAde]

you're doing it right. i think most people sidehop to the same side as their chocolate foot. some people are the other way, and go the opposite side. it doesn't matter, learn on whatever side you're more comfortable on.

however, if you're starting to get good then it is a good idea to learn to sidehop to both sides, you may need to do it one day. carrying on from that, if you're perfecting your technique then it's easier to tuck the bike up at the peak of your hop when you're sidehopping to your opposite. that's why all the super awesome riders tend to sidehop away from their choco foot.
don't worry yourself about that yet though, best thing to do is learn on your preferred side then start practicing it the other side once you're comfortable. whenever that may be, i still suck at opposite sidehops.

[beastoftheeast]

im left foot forward and i like to pivot and side hop to the left... do you go to school at air force?

[KeepRollin]

You're doing just fine, and are like almost everybody else I know. When you learn sidehops it is always easier to go to the same side as your choco foot for the reasons you mentioned. However, almost everyone who tries to get themselvees to sidehop the other way eventually find that they can sidehop higher and better to the opposite side than their choco foot . It has to do with how you can tuck the bike from one side to the other and pedal clearance with the obstacle. Put your handle bar up against a wall and try to tuck putting your ass to the left vs. the right side of the bike and I bet you'll find putting it on the same side as your choco foot will be more comfortable.

Now making yourself learn to go sidehop in the oposite direction is hard. My two suggestions are to turn the handlebars slightly in the direction you are trying to sidehop and to really lean to that side when you preload the sidehop. It takes a lot of effort to force yourself to go that way, but eventually it'll be second nature.

[marshalllaw18]

I started out the same way, and I still am to some extent. I'm left foot forward and could always and still pretty much do everything better to the left. Tall sidehops are the exception now. If I go to do a tall sidehop up something I'm better to my right (non-choco foot) because I don't have the pedal in the way to hit on the obstacle as I'm jumping up.

As people have said before, just practice both sides and you'll get it.

[Meteor]

It's true that sidehopping to your non-choco foot is better, because you won't hit your pedal so fast, and if you don't make it you will catch the pedal instead of falling down quite hard.
I sidehop to my choco foot tho :ugh2:
I can sidehop bar height to my choco foot, but can't even get up a curb (seriously) to the other side
Neil tunnicliffe also sidehops to his choco foot and he goes quite big on them, so it doesn't really matter that much

[marshalllaw18]

Like anything in trials it just takes practice and you can do anything, well almost anything.

It doesn't matter if you're doing something the "right" or "wrong" way. All that matters is if you're having fun doing it. That and girls they matter too.

[Nathan]

Did my first decent side hop yesterday... 18inches or something.
Was to my Choco side...

[decline]

try and work on all side hop moves when possible. you can usually do this riding urban. ill do a move from back on my left and then my right. my left is usually higher. then ill try going from two wheels which i am usually strong on my right side. just work everything all the time and try and say the same strength on both sides. in my mind it is better to be consistant on both sides. i would rather be riding smaller stuff but much smoother in either direction. if that makes sense. instead of just maxing out all the time on one side.

[marshalllaw18]

try and work on all side hop moves when possible. you can usually do this riding urban. ill do a move from back on my left and then my right. my left is usually higher. then ill try going from two wheels which i am usually strong on my right side. just work everything all the time and try and say the same strength on both sides. in my mind it is better to be consistant on both sides. i would rather be riding smaller stuff but much smoother in either direction. if that makes sense. instead of just maxing out all the time on one side.

I agree with this. I always try and do stuff from both sides. When I find I keep doing something to my left, I try and throw in a few to the right to balance it out. I don't ever want to say "I can't hit that, it's on my bad side"

[Air_Force_Trials]

Hey thanks guys for all the replies. No I am not in school for the Air Force, I am in the Active Duty Air Force in Washington.
Anyways I hear you on trying to go to the opposite side. I mean I barely have to practice to go to my choco side but when I try to go the other way my bike barely moves to the right let alone up anything. I wonder if I am emphasizing too much on trying to go side ways. Maybe I should try and go straight up more and then push the bike to the right? Usually my right foot comes off of the pedal in that instant.

[johnglazer]

...really lean to that side when you preload the sidehop.

I just learned how much this helps this past weekend. (going to choco side or non choco side) I always had trouble with staying on something after I sidehopped to it, because I would land with my weight off the side. If you preload to the side you want to hop to, you naturally bring the bike under you, and you don't have to concentrate as hard on pulling/pushing the bike to the side.

[KeepRollin]

I just learned how much this helps this past weekend. (going to choco side or non choco side) I always had trouble with staying on something after I sidehopped to it, because I would land with my weight off the side. If you preload to the side you want to hop to, you naturally bring the bike under you, and you don't have to concentrate as hard on pulling/pushing the bike to the side.

You should only do it to learn. Once you start sidehopping higher you really want to preload straight down and learn how to move the bike in the air. If you start leaning in too much you'll start clipping pedals on the way up and it gets ugly.