"Look Ma, no hands!"

[pooks]

As a kid, I rode a lot but NEVER was I able to ride "no hands." (I also was never able to turn a cartwheel or other stuff that probably relies on balance. I also can't dance.)

I still can't.

I'm not sure whether riding "no hands" is something I can "train" myself to do, or something that will come naturally as I become more experienced, or --

Whether some of us are just balance-impaired, and I shouldn't waste any time worrying about it.

What say y'all?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Don't forget that some bikes are easier to ride no-hands than others. ;)

[pooks]

I did wonder about that.

[mimitabby]

I'm with you Pooks, never did it. i can take my hands off t he handlebars for only an instant. but Lisa's right; some bikes are easier than others.

[Zen]

Yup.
I can easily ride single handed on my mountain bike (haven't tried hands free yet) but on the road bike, forget it.

Depends on the frame geometry, I suppose.

[Kimmyt]

I think you can definitely teach yourself! I never was able to ride without hands, and just recently found myself realizing that as I've put more and more hours in the saddle (particularly commuting, which gives me alot of bike handling skills) I've gotten more and more comfy on my bike. So the other day I just tried to ride without hands, and while I couldn't do crazy stuff, I found I could ride for short periods of time without hands. So now every day on my commute in at one particular part of the trail I try and ride a bit with no hands, figuring that with time it'll get easier and easier!

[rapid cycler]

I had always been in awe of the pro tour riders and their victory hand throws, so I wanted to see if I could do it. I did laps on a quiet block in my neighborhood and practiced. Each lap when I hit the slight decline (I still don't think I can do it while pedaling) I loosened my grip a bit more on the bars, then re-gripped them as usual to hit the incline. Soon I was able to feel secure enough hovering above but not touching the bars, then I began lifting them a little more each lap until I was able to lift them above my shoulders for a proper victory throw. It took me a while—about an hour—but I did get there. I'm still not comfortable throwing my arms completely in the air, but I did become much more comfortable sitting straight up in the saddle with my hands hovering just over the bars, which has become a valuable new stretching position for me.

[lauraelmore1033]

I could do it as a kid (along with wheelies, jumps and other fool headed acrobatic tricks), but the grown-up bike is too twitchy. I think it's all about the bike. I see people doing it occasionally, and I find myself wondering what the advantage is--other than looking confident and smug:p

[Eden]

having a strong core helps - you really steer the bike with your hips and abs (not by turning the handlebars!), so if you are strong there you can sit up and still steer pretty naturally. Going no handed very slowly is harder than if you are moving a bit faster.

[Velobambina]

Why would you want to ride "no hands?"

I think it's each to her own on this one. After having broken my clavical and my radius (separate times, thank goodoness), I play it safe in the saddle, since I'm loathe to lose any riding time due to a broken bone or other injury. That's just me.

I know that some folks feel very comfortable going hands free. I'm amazed at Veronica's ability to remove a bolero while riding, as I have problems taking mine off when I'm standing on solid ground. LOL. I cast no aspersions on those who can do it safely and with confidence. I don't like riding near them, but that's due to my own fear of a potential wipeout.

[spokewench]

Anyone can train themselves to ride no hands. It does take some work however. I ride no handed in order to stretch my back, to zip a jacket, to take something off or put a jacket on, so, no it is not just to look Smug! :D

Remember that no matter what bike you are riding, you do not steer with the handle bars, you steer with your weight shift and your body - so you turn comes from your hips not your hands. Once you have developed a smooth pedal, you should be able to ride no hands with absolutely no hands.

Yes, some bikes are easier, but I have yet to ride one that you can't ride no hands -

spoke

[Tuckervill]

A lot does depend on the bike. I've never ridden nice, spendy bikes until now. So, all the bikes I've ridden no hands on have been poorly maintained junkers or the '70s ten speeds that always got stolen. If something's out of whack on your bike, you'll know it as soon as you let go (if you're experienced at riding no-handed). Still, there's a point where you can balance even an out of whack bike and go no handed. It's about the hips and core and maybe being willing to sit cockeyed on the saddle! A perfectly balanced bike is a thing of beauty, though. I had a 10 speed in the '70s which was so sweetly balanced I could hook a finger behind the back of the saddle and push it down the sidewalk and it would just go perfectly straight.

There are plenty of reasons to ride without hands, and being smug is only one of them. :) I fixed my ponytail while sitting straight up, yesterday. It's a useful skill, but I don't think it's a requirement to be good cyclist. Don't hate me because I can.

Karen

[Deanna]

I could ride with no hands when I was a kid, but that was on a little heavy bike with thick wheels. Then my mom put a stop to it by singing:

Look ma - one hand!
Look ma - no hands!
Look ma - no teeth!
:p

[Zen]

Look ma - one hand!
Look ma - no hands!
Look ma - no teeth!
:p

Good point!
I may not be able to ride my road bike with no hands, but I've spent a LOT of money on dental work in the past year and my teeth look great.

I choose teeth:D

[Tuckervill]

I think that's kind of like saying "I choose not to get hit by a car, so I don't ride."

Risk vs. benefit. It's worth the risk to me to readjust my gloves, sit up and stretch my back, open my water bottle, etc., with no hands, based on my knowledge of my ability to do so.

Karen

[Zen]

Risk= $4000.00 in dental work

Benefit = much less.

[Kano]

There are plenty of reasons to ride without hands, and being smug is only one of them. :) I fixed my ponytail while sitting straight up, yesterday. It's a useful skill, but I don't think it's a requirement to be good cyclist. Don't hate me because I can.

Karen

Count me impressed!

I have a hard enough time fixing a ponytail without being on a bike (or doing anything else, for that matter) at the same time!

Karen in Boise

[hurleygirl]

Took me a little while to figure it out. I had it wrong because when I tried I would slow down to make it "safer". Turns out I was simply going too slow.

Once I get over 15mph I'm fine. Bike isn't so twitchy.

I'll take both hands off to stretch, remove arm warmers, fumble with a gel pack or bar that isn't cooperating, and fix a leaky water bottle lid.

[pooks]

I'm glad I asked.

It's not so much that I think I should be able to -- I wondered if I was dork not to be able to. Yes, those "victory flings" made me wonder!

Since a lot of us don't ride 'no hands' I won't worry about it. I just thought it might be a "skills" thing that good riders should develop. (Um, I can answer a cell phone while I'm riding -- if I'm going slow in my neighborhood and there's no traffic. I shouldn't have admitted that, should I?)

[Tuckervill]

Risk= $4000.00 in dental work

Benefit = much less.

The point is, your dental work is at risk just by being on the bike at all.

Karen

[Lise]

I love to sit up on a quiet stretch of street or path and cruise along no-handed. I've always done so, on every bike I can remember. It's tougher when I have panniers, but it just takes a bit more attention to balancing with my hips. It's a nice, restful feeling for me. I usually do it when riding home from work (or wherever), and I turn off the busy street onto my quiet street, sit up, look around, and slowly pedal that last two blocks. Nothing flashy or speedy. Just being happy on the bike. :D

[Torrilin]

I'm glad I asked.

It's not so much that I think I should be able to -- I wondered if I was dork not to be able to. Yes, those "victory flings" made me wonder!

Since a lot of us don't ride 'no hands' I won't worry about it. I just thought it might be a "skills" thing that good riders should develop. (Um, I can answer a cell phone while I'm riding -- if I'm going slow in my neighborhood and there's no traffic. I shouldn't have admitted that, should I?)

It's a pretty useful skill. Turn signals are kind of important, and they use the same physical skillset.

I can't really ride no hands right now, and turn signals are *hard*. When I am comfortable riding no hands, turn signals are a lot easier.

[Andrea]

I was watching the Tour a couple of days ago & saw footage of a sprinter crossing the finish line first while making runner's sprinting motions with his arms. It was pretty funny (and impressive).

The one time I've won, I only raised one hand :p
My training partner is trying to teach me how to go no hands- not for winning, but for stuff like clothing adjustments, eating, stretching, etc. that you may want to do while training/racing. So far I can only coast for a few seconds. I start to feel wobbly when I start pedaling, but I'm going to work my way up to it. He can actually make turns and go over bumps with no hands. I'm always tempted to push him over when he does it... but that would mean finding a new training buddy!

[lauraelmore1033]

remark about smugness retracted here. When I made it I was thinking of a particular incident when a rather large rider passed me on what my husband pointed out was a P.O.S. bike and then proceeded to disappear down the trail with his hands resting behind his head(after passing several other riders). His body language seemd to say, "look, I'm a big guy on a P.O.S. bike and I'm mopping the floor with all of you!" I was thinking "you GO, big guy!" at the time, so my asessment of smugness isn't necessarily a bad thing...

I'm glad to learn that there are also useful reasons why one would ride hands free.

[amymisk]

I can't ride hands off and admire all of you who do!

[Kimmyt]

My teeth don't meet in the center so I can't rip open a gel or snack bar with one hand and my teeth. I want to learn to ride no handed so I can open those suckers!!

[Grog]

Velogirl posted a great, great trick on how to teach yourself recently. She noted it takes "commitment", i.e. you have to sit straight, not hover over the bars.

She suggested starting by taking one hand off and putting it on your thigh, then the other hand, on your thigh as well. Moving the arms around etc. takes a lot more time, practice, effort, etc. But thanks to that trick I'm now consistently able to sit with no hands for up to a minute (under perfect conditions). I wouldn't do it going down a steep hill in traffic (seen downtown Vancouver), and I can't do it to perform some action yet because the movement makes me loose my balance, but I might get there.

I figure out it's a core-strength exercise.

[michelem]

My DH is the king of riding no hands. Last week on our tour was his first time ever riding a road bike (Bianchi Via Nirone 7)m he's always ridden a mountain bike or a bmx (as a kid). He took video from the bike, picked flowers from the side of the road while riding, etc. Scared me to death, but barely a wobble came from his bike. Me, I've never been able to ride no-handed. Not on my clunky wide-tired mountain bike, not on the many test-ride road bikes I've tried out, and certainly not on the Bianchi Dama She I rode on our tour last week. Toward the end of the week I got so I could ride one-handed though (using one hand to flip the map or wipe my nose). I still haven't mastered getting to my water bottle while on the bike though and also have trouble making turn signals. DH says he gained a lot of skills as a child when he had a paper route. He says, "Try cycling with 50 pounds of newspapers and having to throw them from the moving bike." I guess that would do it! :eek: I spied him doing that "smugness" move a few times as well, but I don't think he was being smug at all. He says it was because he was getting pain/soreness from the bent over position and this was his way of stretching out without having to get off the bike.

[pooks]

It's a pretty useful skill. Turn signals are kind of important, and they use the same physical skillset.

I can't really ride no hands right now, and turn signals are *hard*. When I am comfortable riding no hands, turn signals are a lot easier.

Well, there ya go. I assumed I was the only one who had trouble with them. I'm getting better, though. Sloooooowly.

[Zen]

The point is, your dental work is at risk just by being on the bike at all.

Karen

But much more so if I ride the bike WITH NO HANDS.
I'm not in that much of a hurry to get anywhere.
If i need to scratch, adjust, drink or whatever, i'll stop.

You take your risks, I'll take mine.

[Tuckervill]

You take your risks, I'll take mine.

Then we agree!

Karen