How do you get on and off ?

[lutonloony]

Over the tube, not over the saddle ... I hadn't thought of doing it that way!

I think it would probably make my hip ache more though and there would be the danger of falling over if my foot caught the tube. I'll stick to 'over the saddle'.

maybe I shouldn't answer these threads at 2ish in the AM. Swing over saddle is indeed what I do

 

[vickster]

From left side, right handed. Also exercise bikes
Unclip left foot

 

[Drago]

Always from the near side. If for any reason it goes wrong and I fall I don't risk a chain set in me love plums. Always push a bike from the near side for the same reason.

Right handed.

 

[Spiderweb]

Left handed and mount/ dismount the bike from the left.

 

[steve50]

Yep , left side mount and dismount, if I have to walk with the bike for any reason it will always be from the left side , I am right handed.

 

[Venod]

Mount and dismount from left side, leg over saddle, left foot down first, I am right handed.

I use a footbridge with steps, it has channels running running up and down the steps to aid getting the bike over, I use them when they are on the right, but going the other way when they are on the left I carry the bike, as I find pushing from the right of the bike awkward.

 

[summerdays]

I can quite happily get on and off from both sides, and walk with it on both sides (though that is sometimes influenced by how much stuff is in the pannier and which side the pannier is on).

 

[davidphilips]

can and like to get on and off bike from either side but have been known to dismount over the handlebars.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Always left, nearside, pavement side if facing in direction of traffic. Have often wondered if I'd be same where one drives on the right. Difficult recently when R hip replaced - had to sort out high step to get leg-over to get on turbo, and now I'm back on the road seek out high kerbs to make mounting/dismountingeasier. Just cannot get into mounting bike from right, case of old dog/new tricks maybe?

 

[DaveReading]

Always mount and dismount from the left, so it's my right leg that goes over.

I'm a lefthander, but I doubt that's relevant.

Football-wise, I kick with my right foot - I'd be interested to see what the correlation is, if any, between bike mounting and footednes.

 

[raleighnut]

Always left, nearside, pavement side if facing in direction of traffic. Have often wondered if I'd be same where one drives on the right. Difficult recently when R hip replaced - had to sort out high step to get leg-over to get on turbo, and now I'm back on the road seek out high kerbs to make mounting/dismountingeasier. Just cannot get into mounting bike from right, case of old dog/new tricks maybe?

Similar here after the bust femur, it's very difficult swinging my leg high enough to clear the saddle. One method I've discovered is that if there is no convenient kerb is laying the bike flat, stepping my right leg over the crossbar then lifting the bike up.

 

[ianrauk]

Right handed and footed, mount and dismount from the right.

 

[John the Monkey]

From the right, swinging left leg over. Leading with the left foot when pedalling.

I only noticed that on reading Paul Fournel's "Need for the Bike";

"A little while ago I noticed that for thirty years I had been happily mounting my bike by raising my right leg and passing it over the saddle.

Since then I do it the right leg over, then the left."

I was inspired enough to try this, but just couldn't make it work.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I get off on whichever side the higher level is. If there is no higher level, I change which side dependent on where the traffic is in relation to me (right side down first if I'm filtering / turning right. Left foot down if I'm in normal position/ turning left.

 

[Oldfentiger]

I set off at a run, leap on side saddle, a la TT racers of old.
To dismount, I pull the ripcord. The parachute deploys and plucks me rearwards off the saddle and deposits me on my arse in the road.