balance issues- what is the deal?

I know how to ride a bike, I learned as a kid, so I am well past the riding in parking lot phase. And I ride a pretty good amount, and ride for 20+ miles on weekends at a slow but not horrible pace. So I have a decent amount of time in the saddle. But I see other riders putting on jackets, grabbing their drinks, waving, scratching their heads, etc, while riding. And I can't even lift my hands from the bars without losing my balance. On buggy days I sure would like to swat at pesky biting flies, but I can't do that, either. Is this something others experience? I keep thinking time will take care of it, but does this mean years and years? Is there something wrong with me, or perhaps my bike doesn't fit well (it isn't a perfect fit, for which reason I definitely need a new Rivendell;), but it isn't that bad, either). Anyone?

maybe your bike isn't set up right to fit you?

You feel like you can't get your hands up, that means too much weight is on them.

Part of riding balance is the distribution of your weight between the saddle, handlebars, and (not so much) pedals, the three places where you contact the bike. If you have too much weight on your hands you may not feel comfortable letting go of the bar at all. Beyond that, the geometry of the bike will help determine how well it tracks when the bars are unweighted as also will the tightness of the headset.

I can ride with either hand and grab my water bottle or stuff from my pockets, I can lean forward far or sit up almost straight, barely touching the bars, and all is well. As soon as I remove both hands from the bars the bike feels out of control. I used to be able to ride no-handed as a kid, so I think it has something to do with this bike.

I agree that bike fit has something to do with it. But, so does conditioning and experience...

When I first started riding, I had major balance issues. Drinking from the water bottle only happened at intersections and there was no way I could even wipe my upper lip without veering half off the road.

The first improvement I saw was when I got a new bike that fit me. My first one was way too big and I felt very unstable. Secondly, my second bike was also better suited to my riding style as it was less 'twitchy' because it wasn't as aggressive. It rode a bit more stable.

Then as I worked on core strength, I also built up stability on the bike.

Lastly, time and experience has helped. It's been 2 years (next week, actually!) and I can drink, adjust things on my bike/person, swat at bugs, zip and unzip my jackets, turn to look behind me, etc...all without swerving. I still cannot go 'no hands', but since I don't plan on winning any races, I don't really need too! :p

So I would suggest 1) check bike fit 2) improve core strength and 3) give it time. :)

Core strength is a *big* part of it. Most rides I conciously try to support my torso with my torso muscles rather than my arms. The more core strength I develop, the longer I can do that. (and the better I can do turn signals, and grab my waterbottle, and fiddle with my headlight...)

I think it's really misleading to say once you learn how to ride a bike you never forget... cause there's a lot of physical strength and skill needed that you *do* forget.

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Originally Posted by wiseowl

Is this something others experience? I keep thinking time will take care of it, but does this mean years and years? Is there something wrong with me, or perhaps my bike doesn't fit well (it isn't a perfect fit, for which reason I definitely need a new Rivendell;), but it isn't that bad, either). Anyone?

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I think time will take care of it. I started riding in February and just surpassed 1,000 a few weeks ago. Around the 1,000 mile mark, I finally figured out how to use my water bottles while riding and graduated from my Camelbak. I can use both arms to signal turns now, and I can remove one hand from the handlebars for swatting bugs, scratching itches, pulling down the back of my jersey, etc. There is no way I could remove both hands or do complicated things like putting on a jacket, but I figure that might come with time as well. I am very surprised it's taken me this long to be able to do things like drink from my water bottles...I didn't expect the balance issue to be such a big deal. Just hang in there...I think you'll get the hang of it!

When I was a kid, it was easy... but I am not the same size and my bike is not the same.

Then I was about 8-9 stone at my heaviest as a teenager, and I rode a chunky Raleigh 20 pre-teen, and for my 13th birthday got a "ten-speed" though what make I have no idea... but it wasn't much lighter than my Raleigh.

Now I am just under 100kgs, my road bike weighs very little, my seat is as high as possible and my handle bars are not only a different shape but also much lower. My whole being is different on this bike, my centre of gravity is higher.

I just don't go there with taking both hands off the bike, although I am comfortable taking one off to drink, eat, shift my sunnies or stretch my back.

I think a lot of it has to do with how good of a bike rider you were as a kid and how much of a risk taker you are. I got my first bike when I was about 4 and rode a bike all the time up to when I went off to college. As a kid I could ride a wheelie for, no kidding, about an 1/8 of a mile and could ride no handed probably by age 7. I used to ride a bike to school in 7th grade and it was about 5 miles one way. I didn't have a backpack, didn't carry them back then, so I had to carry my books with me on the bike. I could ride almost all the way to school with no hands, including cornering. When I started riding again, after a layoff of over 20 years, I was a bit shaky for the first day or two. But was able to ride no handed again within the week. I remember riding in one of my first tours with some friends and we were going down a fairly good hill. I was having so much fun I took my hands off the bar and did a on the bow of the Titanic move (look ma', I'm flying)...nobody was around me so I wasn't endangering anyone. At the bottom of the hill I was surprised when my friends said something about how they wished they could do that. It took me a second to realize they meant ride with no hands. I guess I just thought everyone could do that. I've also gone climbing and done some repelling...so I'm not the kind that minds taking a few risks. But I do think time will take care of it.

your body weight distribution does have an effect. Additional things are

head tube angle, the amount of rake in your fork, the wheel base length. A recreational bicycles are set up to be more stable, softer to ride/more comfortable. They are not meant to make sharp fast turns. Bikes made for crits have shorter wheelbase and smaller rake and steeper head tube angle (I think not 100% sure). The overall effect of crit bike tends to be "squirrly".

Old Binachi was squirrly I could only ride maybe 20 feet before I had to grab the handle.
Old Panasonic DS-6000 (model name?) was really stable and i could ride for really long distances if I wanted.
Litespeed Tachyon was a relaxed tri bike. also ride for really long distances.
Orbea Dama Race '05 a little more squirrly than Litespeed or the Panasonic.
Guru Chrono'alu a full blown serious tri bike for TT use (I just tried don't own) squrirrly.

So it may not be you ability or lack thereof, it may be that you have a racing bike instead of recreational cruiser.

smilingcat

I'm so glad you posted this. I'm 50+ and returned to cycling in March. I'm pretty much at your level of riding, 20+ miles on weekends, about 10 miles a few nights of the week. I just can't seem to get rid of the "wobblies" even with both hands on the bar. Removing one hand guarantees a swerve in one direction or the other.

I'm glad to know that more practice and strengthening my core will help. I ride a hybrid so I ride more upright, but still.... :o

Even after riding for 6 months and over 1500 miles I still was not able to grab my water bottle and drink from it while riding.
Now after a year and about 3500 miles riding, I can just grab my water bottle and drink while riding one handed, scratch my head, adjust my clothes, even ride no handed for a "little ways" now. ;) It will come. When we are older we learn new things a bit more slowly I think- especially physical skills. And yes, some bikes are easier to balance on than others, but I think your balance will definitely improve a great deal no matter.

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Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.

Even after riding for 6 months and over 1500 miles I still was not able to grab my water bottle and drink from it while riding.
Now after a year and about 3500 miles riding, I can just grab my water bottle and drink while riding one handed, scratch my head, adjust my clothes, even ride no handed for a "little ways" now. ;) It will come. When we are older we learn new things a bit more slowly I think- especially physical skills. And yes, some bikes are easier to balance on than others, but I think your balance will definitely improve a great deal no matter.

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This pretty much describes my experience. Lisa's right, balance comes in time. I started out nervous and unable to swat bugs and a year and a month later, I can drink at 20+ mph without swerving, try that scary-looking super-aero position I saw Linus Gerdemann (sp?) do on the downhills on his winning stage (sitting on the toptube, handlebars cutting into your throat) (of course I didn't try this downhill or going fast, just on a section of flat road with NO traffic), and now, finally, do the no-handed victory salute (and am learning to steer no-handed...). And find and put on lip balm, grab things out of my pockets, etc., at speed.

And my bike's on the squirrely side, handlebars quite a bit lower than the saddle. So, give it time.

And you know, you can practice taking one hand off at a time, when you don't have to wipe your nose or whatever. Just ride around the block and try it. Go at a pretty good clip, because that will help you stay in balance. (It takes real skill to go slow with no hands.)

I think it's important not to look at your bars or in the distance, but keep your line of vision out ahead of your wheel when you practice. At least, that's what happens to me when I get wobbly. I usually only get wobbly when I'm checking back behind me and lift my hand for some reason. The action to recover seems to have me looking ahead of the wheel, and it seems to be key in getting my balance back. My hands and body correct react, and my eyes aim ahead of the wheel for a second.

Hope that helps.

Karen