The Chainlink

For the longest time I've always mounted my bicycle from the non drive side. Recently I've developed a bit of pain in my left hip and knee and found it might be necessary to carefully swing my left leg over from the drive side to even out the workload to my body instead.

It feels like I'm learning to ride all over again!

Just curious to see if there are more experienced ambidextrous riders out there and if they have any tips they can share. 

Thanks

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i remember a bike builder/designer/machinist in the 70s named Pino who built a left-hand drive side bike for the track. i think the idea was since the drive side pedal is farther off the centre line of the bike,  moving the drive to the left side allowed a couple of millimeters pedal clearance in the banking. The only picture i ever saw of it was in an old Bicycling magazine (IIRC) with one of Dale Stetina riding it. Pino made a lot of oddball stuff. i have to wonder how he worked the pedal threads... (Normally pedals are threaded to unscrew themselves from the crank in case the bearings seize up so the rider doesn't tear up their ankle.)

This looks like a pursuit machine. Left-hand drive doesn't make a lot of sense mainly because one generally doesn't ride up the banking in a pursuit race.

That Felt bike was used by Team USA for Women's team pursuit at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It also has an asymmetrical frame design. It was designed as left-drive side for aero reasons, something to do with the left turns and yaw related to indoor velodromes. 

Did it make a difference, i wonder?

From either side for me. 

Really enjoying the feedback and perspectives. Thanks. I've some new things to play with in order to break up my monotony.

I mount from the NDS, and put down my left foot at stops. My wife is left-handed, and she does the opposite. She gets chain grease on her calf; I don't.

Ahh! So that's why I just stuck with my NDS for more than 40 years. I've forgotten in my age ;)

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