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I have been riding with Foot Anchors^TM since August of 2013 in order to test them for functionality and safety. My riding spanned across multiple sessions, many hours of riding, and many months. It included both street and track riding. I was able to take the same familiar to me turns at speeds 10% - 25% faster. The improvement was especially noticeable in fast turns. The more extreme the lean angle of the bike, the more noticeable was the positive effect. I weigh about 200 lbs with all the gear, maybe a bit more, and feel that rider's weight helps to amplify the positive effect. 

I felt more confident, more relaxed, less tired, and enjoyed riding to a degree I haven't experienced in the past.

There is a learning curve in getting used to foot anchors. For some, it may be as quick as one riding session, for others it may take a few riding sessions. The key is to develop new riding reflexes related to your leg and foot work, as well as to train some of the leg muscles which were not used before. However, the benefits of foot anchors become obvious even during the initial use. After about 5-7 sessions, my foot work became precise and almost effortless, so I had to spend very little attention on it.

Once utilizing foot anchors properly, the most striking impressions are how strongly the bike pulls to the inside of every turn. Not hitting the inside curb may be a problem at first, which is an amazing problem to have. I immediately noticed how planted and confident I started feeling in turns. I was laughing in my helmet after almost hitting the inside curb a couple of times. The only way to avoid this was to either increase the speed, or to reduce the lean angle. You can guess what I opted for.  It felt as if I was riding on the road with significant positive camber, or on the banking of a racetrack.

I was specifically testing S-turn transitions multiple times in order to see how I would be able to utilize foot anchors in quick succession. I had no trouble at all. Muscle memory "remembers" where I have to move my feet in the same way when I need to use the shift lever quickly.

A very striking impression is how I can throw my body to the inside of a turn - either at the entry, or during S-turn transitions in order to quicken my turn-in rate or quicken a S-turn transition respectfully. I am not afraid to do so because I know and feel that there is no way I can fall off the bike if I move my body to the inside of a turn too quickly.

I purposefully rode in the wet on tar snakes in order to evaluate stability of the bike in turns. It was simply amazing. Shakes and minor slides would immediately subside - in big part, because my body was solidly anchored to the bike, and wasn't moving around during shakes/slides contributing to the problem. As a result, I could stay relaxed and not be concerned with how to hold on to the bike.

During my first two sessions, I confused the left foot anchor with the shifter a couple of times. This was due to the fact that my left foot and left leg muscle memory hasn't adjusted yet. Taking a right hand turn, the left foot is anchored under the left foot anchor utilizing the same muscles needed to upshift (for street shifting pattern: 1 - down, 6 - up). Later on, I had no issues with that, and could quickly transition my left foot under the shifter. For those few riders who utilize GP shift pattern (1 - up, 6 - down), this will work really nicely because being in the right hand turn, the left foot is placed under the left foot anchor while at the same time being exactly above the shift lever. In order to upshift, all the rider needs to do is to click it down.

When exiting a turn, I can accelerate harder because the bike is more upright with my upper body shifted way to the inside. I can also pull my upper body back on the seat a lot easier because my outside leg is solidly anchored to the bike, and therefore I don't need to use my arms and hands in order to pull myself back on the seat or even when I need to swing over the seat to another side in case of S-turn transitions. Unwanted steering input is significantly reduced during such transitions compared to the bike without foot anchors. For those riders who utilize standard shift pattern (1 - down, 6 - up), this will work really nicely when taking a right hand turn. As the rider slows down and completes the downshifts, the left foot is already under the foot anchor. Pressing the left foot upward against the foot anchor is all that's needed. This allows a rider to aggressively move his upper body to the inside of the turn in order to quicken the turn-in rate and get the bike leaned quicker. A rider cannot fall to the inside of the turn because the rider's left foot is reliably anchored under the left foot anchor.

Some racers were asking how to control the rear wheel spin when exiting a turn? They are used to applying slight pressure on the outside footpeg in order to control the spin. While I am not proficient enough to spin the rear tire at will and therefore didn't have a chance to test it, I'd like to point out that slightly reducing the upward pressure on the outer foot anchor produces exactly the same input as the application of a slight downward pressure on the outer footpeg does. Keep in mind, when utilizing foot anchors you are likely to spin the rear tire less often on corner exits because the bike will be more upright. A probably better alternative is to gently push the bike away from you with your outside arm - by mere 1/2" might be enough, which will straighten the bike just a little bit and will put a tad more weight on the rear tire. Such action is easy to accomplish - precisely and effortlessly - and without any unwanted inputs.

When I am standing with both feet on the ground (like at the traffic light, or at the starting grid of a racetrack), foot anchors may be touching my lower legs. It felt unusual at first, but after a few times  I got used to it. Also, when I start moving and need to bring my feet up on the footpegs, I have to move them up and around foot anchors. Again, this felt unusual at first, but after a few times I've gotten used to it. Now, I do all of that automatically and without much thought, but for a first timer this is something to expect. You will be able to adjust the length of foot anchors for your individual preference.

Foot anchors require precise foot work. For example, if I am about to downshift (for street shifting pattern, 1 - down, 6 - up), I need to slide my left foot forward between the shift lever and the left foot anchor. Keep in mind that there is about 1/4" of wiggle room for your boot when it is placed between the shift lever and the foot anchor, so there is no danger of accidental unwanted shifting occurring.  Prior to the installation of foot anchors, I could move my left foot any way I wanted to without being concerned of hitting something. Same considerations apply to the right side of the bike. As I mentioned earlier, once feet movement became automatic, I had no problem positioning my feet properly every time I needed to.

When I am about to go into a turn and intend to utilize foot anchors, I need to perform the same precise movement in order to position my outside foot under the respective foot anchor. As my body slides to the inside of a turn, my outside foot is held by the foot anchor which prevents it from going up. At that point, my entire outside leg is solidly anchored to the bike and is not moving anywhere. I might as well shift my body as aggressively as I want to and to the inside of the turn, and I know 100% that I am not going to fall off the bike because the outside foot anchor is holding my leg. I usually time such an aggressive move with my steering input in order to achieve an effective and fluid motion without provoking any unwanted inputs to the bike. This significantly quickens the turn-in rate. Foot Anchors are really easy to utilize as illustrated in How To Use animation as well as in Riding with Foot Anchors Video.

I had to build up my trust in foot anchors. Purely psychologically, I had to be convinced that my outside foot was not going to slip causing me to fall off the bike. Also, for the sake of testing, I was trying to break the threshold of safety. So, on multiple occasions I tried to purposefully slip the outside foot away from the bike while in turn, risking to fall off, but at least being prepared to react. I couldn't force my foot to slip, not even once. As long as I had an upward pressure on the foot anchor, it was impossible to force my foot to slip away from the bike. However, once I am out of a turn, and stop exerting any upward pressure on the foot anchor, I was able to easily slip my foot from under the foot anchor and place it back on the footpeg. Without any upward pressure, I am able to move my foot in any direction, and particularly easily in forward-back direction. Note that there should be about 1/4" of free play for your foot when it is positioned between the left foot anchor and the shift lever so that your foot is free to move without exerting any pressure on either the shift lever or the foot anchor. The same consideration applies to the right side of the bike.

Once I was past the learning curve, the presence of foot anchors was barely noticeable. In other words, I didn't have to spend my attention on them. This is similar to how a new rider spends a lot of attention on how to use the shift lever, but once the skill is acquired, the use of the shift lever becomes automatic. 

If I don't want to utilize foot anchors for a given ride, or even for a given turn - I don't have to. They are not in the way. I still have to be precise with my feet movements when placing them above the shift lever or above the rear brake pedal, but since such movements became automatic this does not require an extra effort on my part. Alternatively, foot anchors can be easily removed in seconds and stashed away if a rider doesn't want to utilize them for a period of time. In such case, the mounting plates are left in place.

A few times, I had to tighten my line unexpectedly. All I had to do was to move my head along with my upper body slightly to the inside of a turn. On a bike not equipped with foot anchors, such movement is limited - I would be risking falling off the bike. However, since the foot anchor holds my outside leg in place, I can move my head and upper body farther to the inside and away from the bike and as quickly as I want to, thus tightening the line very effectively.

Once, I encountered stopped traffic at the end of a fast turn, and had no more than 5-7 seconds to stop. I immediately moved my upper body as far to the inside of a turn as I could, while at the same time pushing the bike away from me. This caused the bike to straighten a little, which allowed me to apply more braking. As the bike was straightening and slowing down, I was applying even more braking effort. I stopped in time, with 5 ft to spare. I feel that if not for foot anchors, I would be in trouble as I've never seen the traffic stopped in that part of the road, and wasn't expecting it.

After many months of testing were behind, I removed foot anchors from my bike. On my first ride without them, I immediately felt uncomfortable and unsafe. I felt that I lost a significant part of my ability to control the bike in turns. I was afraid I would fall off the bike. I couldn't move my upper body as far to the inside of a turn as I wanted to. I was getting tense and concerned in every turn. Only at that moment I realized how much control and confidence I gained when riding with foot anchors. I re-installed them, and continued riding with them all the time. At this point, I don't know and don't want to know how I was riding without foot anchors.

I've been asked what if your foot gets stuck with the foot anchor? I was trying to find a position of my foot, or any other circumstance how I could purposefully make my foot to get stuck. I was riding in odd positions, later going around the bike, trying to place my riding boots differently. Scratching my head trying to find such a position, and I couldn't. When properly adjusted, the distance between a foot anchor and a footpeg is too small for a boot to get stuck in there. A for the possibility of a foot being stuck under a foot anchor, the bottom line is this: the foot anchor only holds your foot when your foot is under the foot anchor and you exert an upward pressure. Anything else, and your foot is free to move. Indentation on the foot anchor surface is designed to prevent foot movement in the lateral direction (away from the bike) when the upward pressure is present. That's what prevents your foot from slipping while being in a turn. However, it does not prevent longitudinal movement (parallel to the bike - forward and back) even with some upward pressure. This means you can easily slide your foot out from under the foot anchor any time and with little effort. Relaxing your foot is all it takes for it to slide out from under a foot anchor.

I also want to point out that modern riding boot design allows for the front (toe) portion of your foot to move upward. For example, when a rider places the balls of the foot on a footpeg. Or when you kneel. However, modern riding boot practically does not allow for your toes to move downward - like when you want to stand on your toes to reach for something up high. This particular quality of modern riding boots makes it easier to use foot anchors. Once you place your foot under the foot anchor, it is really easy to maintain an upward pressure on it.

I noticed that some street riders wear shoes with laces while riding. Some shoe designs allow to hold laces in place with Velcro. Regardless of shoe design, it is a bad idea and is very dangerous to have anything with laces on a bike - not only when it comes to foot anchors, but for riding in general. There is always a chance that laces can get caught on a footpeg, or a foot anchor. After multiple uses, Velcro may fail, thus exposing shoe laces, and creating a potentially dangerous situation.

I was asked how foot anchors would behave in a crash? I didn't have an opportunity to test this particular scenario. However, what I know from my experience is this: the moment the rider relaxes his foot and leg muscles (which is inevitable during the initial part of a crash), the rider's foot will slide out from under the foot anchor at the slightest effort.

I was asked why the increase in speed thanks to foot anchors was given as a range and not a specific number? Well, having ridden with foot anchors for quite some time and in different conditions, I can tell you that it depends on a few factors which are unique for every rider. One factor has to do with physics. The more the rider shifts his or her weight to the inside of a turn, the more this reduces the lean angle of the bike, or the bike can travel faster through the same turn and with the same lean angle. Another factor is the weight of a rider. The heavier the rider, the more pronounced the effect will be. This is because a heavier rider would put more of the weight to the inside of a turn, thus shifting the CG of the bike-rider system farther to the inside.

When utilizing foot anchors, a rider would notice improved stability. As a result, this would allow a rider to go faster through the same turn where in the past such rider was not able to do so because of instability concerns. Use of foot anchors promotes a more relaxed body position, making a rider less tired, and reducing a chance of a mistake. Combined with improved stability, these factors inspire confidence. This makes a rider more comfortable going through the same turn faster because in the past a rider simply didn't have the confidence to do so. It is the added confidence factor resulting from the use of foot anchors which allows a rider to up the pace without even realizing it. 

For example, if you consider a top racer who has a light weight, whose confidence is high to begin with, and who is used to the bike being unstable, slipping and sliding quite often, such rider may experience an increase in corner speed within 3% - 6% range, which is still pretty good considering how extreme such riding is. On the other hand, if you consider a street rider who is heavier, gets uncomfortable at the first sign of instability, gets a little tense in turns, and is only moderately confident in turns, such rider has the potential to make a significant improvement in corner speed - anywhere within 20% - 30%.

Do foot anchors benefit track riders or street riders? Foot anchors benefit both categories of riders. Track riders want to go faster while preserving safety margin, being stable, and confident. They want to quicken their turn-in rate. They want to be able to tighten a line to pass someone, or to avoid getting off the track.  Street riders may choose to go a little faster through turns while at the same time having increased stability, improved safety margin, more relaxed body position, being less tired as a result, and having overall higher confidence in turns. They want to be able to quickly change direction or tighten a line in order to avoid an obstacle on the road, or in order to stay in their lane. In short, it is the same set of improvements, but optimized differently by different riders, and for different types of riding. I would say that no matter what level, every rider who starts utilizing foot anchors will experience significant and noticeable improvement in their riding.

Another question I am being asked, when I don't want to use foot anchors on a given ride, are foot anchors in the way of regular riding? Do I need to take them off? The answer is NO to both questions.  I've taken quite a few easy rides when I didn't feel like riding aggressively. I still needed to be precise with my foot work when using the shift lever or the rear brake - which by that time was automatic anyway. Other than that, foot anchors didn't obstruct any of my movements, and didn't cause any issues. However, it is so easy to take them off in a few seconds and stash away, making it another convenient option.

Would I recommend foot anchors to other riders? It all depends on an individual rider's expectations and attitude. Don't expect a miracle the moment you install foot anchors. Expect to take your time and learn how to ride with them. Expect to feel different and even uncomfortable at first. However, if going through turns faster, safer, with more stability and confidence is your goal, and you are willing to make an effort for the duration of a few rides to adapt, then I'd say go for it. Once you are past the learning curve, you will be amazed. Even during my very first ride with foot anchors, I kept saying to myself 'Holy Cow!' I couldn't believe how pronounced the improvement felt! But it still took me a few sessions to get completely comfortable.

As I look back, I remember doubting this whole thing about foot anchors. After all, over the years I already developed a certain style of riding which worked for me. So, why change something that's been working just fine? But I had this little voice in my head saying that if I didn't try I would miss on something significant. I am glad I listened.

Igor G. (Test Rider)

P.S. Here is something very interesting I wanted to add. As I kept riding with foot anchors, my body position in turns was evolving gradually. My upper body was farther away from the bike than before. My outside arm was resting on the tank comfortably. My face was right up against the mirror. I was more relaxed overall. This brings us to another topic - what would be the most optimal riding position when riding with foot anchors? Or for that matter, what would be the most optimal riding position, period? My impressions are already long, so please read this article: The New Body Position While Cornering.

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