what is the best position of your foot on the peg?

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Edited Date/Time 1/25/2012 9:09pm

Should i position the ball of my foot on the peg or should I position the mid portion of the boot on the peg?

I checked my boots and the rubber is eaten up near the mid portion of the boot.

My riding buddy is complaining about sore quads and I think it's because he rides on the balls of his feet.

When do you ride on the balls of your feet and when do you ride on the mid portion?

Please, responses only from professional or intermediate riders.





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... 9/4/2010 11:23pm
9/4/2010 11:23pm
I will also accept responses from Vet intermediates or experts.

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Old Mate
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Old Mate 9/5/2010 3:17am
9/5/2010 3:17am
Everts and Reed are the 2 best to watch and learn the feet from, Everts is on the ball nearly all the time and you can easily watch Chad in SX, if he is attacking a section he is on the balls and as the bike is in the air he will change to the arches of his feet if he is braking on a down ramp.
Motocross83 9/5/2010 8:14am
9/5/2010 8:14am Edited Date/Time 9/5/2010 8:17am
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with.

When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through the benefits of riding both on the heel (mid foot really) and the balls. He also states that you should be going back and forth, depending on a given track section, multiple times per lap i.e through ruts, big bumps and whoops you should switch to the balls etc. I even remember (I think it may have been Everts) saying one time that.. "anytime you aren't using the levers, you should be on the balls"! Which considering you have to shift and brake multiple times per lap sounds crazy.

But ok, whatever.

The problem I have grasping is that in reality, when your on the balls and charging 40 - 45 mph down a rough straight standing up on the pegs and heading into a rough corner, how the hell do you manage to slide (or lift) your feet foward from the balls to the heels so that you can access the shifter and brake?

It's not like foot pegs are slippery things with rollers. Unless I take the weight off by sitting down, my feet an't going anywhere. And considering your meant to be doing this all the time, it just sounds utterly impractical.
YZBooster
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YZBooster 9/5/2010 8:27am
9/5/2010 8:27am
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with. When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through...
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with.

When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through the benefits of riding both on the heel (mid foot really) and the balls. He also states that you should be going back and forth, depending on a given track section, multiple times per lap i.e through ruts, big bumps and whoops you should switch to the balls etc. I even remember (I think it may have been Everts) saying one time that.. "anytime you aren't using the levers, you should be on the balls"! Which considering you have to shift and brake multiple times per lap sounds crazy.

But ok, whatever.

The problem I have grasping is that in reality, when your on the balls and charging 40 - 45 mph down a rough straight standing up on the pegs and heading into a rough corner, how the hell do you manage to slide (or lift) your feet foward from the balls to the heels so that you can access the shifter and brake?

It's not like foot pegs are slippery things with rollers. Unless I take the weight off by sitting down, my feet an't going anywhere. And considering your meant to be doing this all the time, it just sounds utterly impractical.
Gary Semics = Good; the reality is that you are moving it according to the condition, the photos that were posted are a great example, How do you get fluid with these changes? Practice, practice, practice
JG2
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JG2 9/5/2010 8:28am
9/5/2010 8:28am
Great question. I have tried keeping the balls of my feet on the pegs rather than the arches but found it super difficult to lift my foot to move it forward to hit the rear brake too. Often wondered what most fast(er) guys do.
KAWboy14
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KAWboy14 9/5/2010 8:50am
9/5/2010 8:50am
yes sometimes i have my feet on the pegs......



mostly its what feels comfortable to you in certain situations!
Cook441
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Cook441 9/5/2010 9:04am
9/5/2010 9:04am
I think it depends on what section..you don't weight a peg with the balls of your feet- a great guy to watch is K-dub-
Cook441
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Cook441 9/5/2010 9:04am
9/5/2010 9:04am
I think it depends on what section..you don't weight a peg with the balls of your feet- a great guy to watch is K-dub-
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... 9/5/2010 9:32am
9/5/2010 9:32am
Thanks for all the feedback.

For each of the following scenarios, what is the correct footing on the peg? Assume the boot sole is parallel to the peg.

1. Starting Line-
2. First corner-
3. Whoops-
4. Jumps(take off)-
5. Jumps(landing)-
6. Berms-
7. Flat turns-
8. Uphills-
9. Downhills-
10. Off cambers-
11. Mud-
12.Sand-

I heard a bunch of PROS come to view vitalmx but none have chimmed in on this topic. I feel its the least they can do for us fans. This should be 1st grade math for them.

sozo
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sozo 7/30/2011 1:06pm
7/30/2011 1:06pm
Bump...!
level
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level 7/30/2011 1:24pm
7/30/2011 1:24pm
Depends. Do what feels natural. Sometimes your near the front of your toe, sometimes in the middle. Depends on if your on a jump, berm, straight away, sitting down, standing up. You get the idea.
croom mx
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croom mx 7/30/2011 1:31pm
7/30/2011 1:31pm Edited Date/Time 7/30/2011 1:32pm
It has always been the Ball of the foot! it you are crashing it does not matter.
Moto East Mag 7/30/2011 1:54pm
7/30/2011 1:54pm
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with. When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through...
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with.

When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through the benefits of riding both on the heel (mid foot really) and the balls. He also states that you should be going back and forth, depending on a given track section, multiple times per lap i.e through ruts, big bumps and whoops you should switch to the balls etc. I even remember (I think it may have been Everts) saying one time that.. "anytime you aren't using the levers, you should be on the balls"! Which considering you have to shift and brake multiple times per lap sounds crazy.

But ok, whatever.

The problem I have grasping is that in reality, when your on the balls and charging 40 - 45 mph down a rough straight standing up on the pegs and heading into a rough corner, how the hell do you manage to slide (or lift) your feet foward from the balls to the heels so that you can access the shifter and brake?

It's not like foot pegs are slippery things with rollers. Unless I take the weight off by sitting down, my feet an't going anywhere. And considering your meant to be doing this all the time, it just sounds utterly impractical.
I am just a Vet B guy, but I think you make that transition from the balls of your feet to mid-point when you sit down for the turn.
When you sit down going into the turn and transition- one leg will go out, to turn, while you can easily shift the other at that point.
Sherwood
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Sherwood 7/30/2011 2:00pm
7/30/2011 2:00pm
Motocross83 wrote:
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with. When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through...
I'm glad someone brought this up because it's something Iv'e never truely got to grips with.

When I watch my Gary Semics videos he goes through the benefits of riding both on the heel (mid foot really) and the balls. He also states that you should be going back and forth, depending on a given track section, multiple times per lap i.e through ruts, big bumps and whoops you should switch to the balls etc. I even remember (I think it may have been Everts) saying one time that.. "anytime you aren't using the levers, you should be on the balls"! Which considering you have to shift and brake multiple times per lap sounds crazy.

But ok, whatever.

The problem I have grasping is that in reality, when your on the balls and charging 40 - 45 mph down a rough straight standing up on the pegs and heading into a rough corner, how the hell do you manage to slide (or lift) your feet foward from the balls to the heels so that you can access the shifter and brake?

It's not like foot pegs are slippery things with rollers. Unless I take the weight off by sitting down, my feet an't going anywhere. And considering your meant to be doing this all the time, it just sounds utterly impractical.
Moto East Mag wrote:
I am just a Vet B guy, but I think you make that transition from the balls of your feet to mid-point when you sit down...
I am just a Vet B guy, but I think you make that transition from the balls of your feet to mid-point when you sit down for the turn.
When you sit down going into the turn and transition- one leg will go out, to turn, while you can easily shift the other at that point.
X2

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