Bike Drills/Goofing off

Once a week for part of one ride I spend some time doing drills( goofing off) in an empty carpark at the local college. Its a huge carpark and because its the one furthest from the actual buildings it never has any cars in it.

Its great fun and I can really see some improvement. I have been doing one leg pedal drills, lets see how slow I can go without falling off (Im sure that one has a better name), cornering and last but not least riding with no hands.

Today I was so pleased I rode with no hands for about 300 metres.
Now this is not something Im ever likely to do on the road (yep the carpark is super smooth) but its just such good fun. It reminds me of when I was a kid and just loved goofing off on my bike. Now all I have to do is remember not to tell DH hmm apparently riding no hands on my new bike is not allowed.:D

Does anyone else love to just goof off on their bike sometimes??

That's great!

I will sometimes ride around a parking lot trying to do the no hands thing while I am waiting for people to show up for a ride. I also do some drills with people I am working with if we're going to do an event that has a potential for close contact riding or bumping. That really improves pack rding skills as well. (For those drills you need another person, a grassy area and sneakers...)

Another fun thing to do (if it is safe and no cars coming) while you're waiting for someone on the road is make as tight circles as you can in the road without stepping down. You could do that at your car park, too, but on the road you can't cheat at all if your circle's not tight enough!

At the end of many mountain bike rides Bubba and I will slow race each other.

Tight circles requiring ratcheting - frequently - managed to nearly take out the right hip of the turn around person at one of our time trials last year because he wasn't expecting someone to turn so tightly.

I used to do one-legged stuff more when I was helping friends get used to clips. Teaching them that it doesn't take two legs to get up some momentum.

I play around with the no hands thing too. I'm horrible at it. Some days on my mountain bike I can nail it and some days I suck. I actually managed to use both hands to unzip a jersey last winter but never managed to do it again. I suppose I could practice more . . . . . we should goof off more.

You know, I've never tried the pick up the bottle from the ground manuever, but I can butt floss!:p

DH and DSIL can both ride with no hands, effortlessly. I hate them.

Add Mr. LeeBob to your list.

What.

Ever.

Loser.

no hands, in my dreams only. I really would like to be able to do that. I will try it once in a while, but no, can't do it:( ....

I "goof off" at the school track behind my apartment. It's great!

I'm working on the no-hands thing... just playing around. It really depends (for me) how my saddle's tipped. I think it might be somewhat easier for men because men are generally more comfortable with saddle tipped upward. I like saddle tipped down, but when I'm going hands-free, I feel like I slide forward on the saddle.

I manage to be incredibly ungainly sometimes trying to jump things. I get the front over just fine. Then the rear wheel hits and no matter how I try to unweight it or jump or whatever, somehow I always hit either the top tube or the stem. I mean OW. GEEZ already! :eek: Anyone have this problem?

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Originally Posted by Kitsune06

I'm working on the no-hands thing... just playing around. It really depends (for me) how my saddle's tipped. I think it might be somewhat easier for men because men are generally more comfortable with saddle tipped upward. I like saddle tipped down, but when I'm going hands-free, I feel like I slide forward on the saddle.

I manage to be incredibly ungainly sometimes trying to jump things. I get the front over just fine. Then the rear wheel hits and no matter how I try to unweight it or jump or whatever, somehow I always hit either the top tube or the stem. I mean OW. GEEZ already! :eek: Anyone have this problem?

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I'm just the opposite - if I try to bunny hop I can get the rear wheel up fine, but I'm not strong enough in the upper body to get the front wheel high enough. If you can't get the rear wheel up high enough you may not be using your legs enough (I'm assuming you have toe clips or clipless pedals - since I'm not sure how its done without - but you must be able to do it since I've see those with trials bikes doing it seemingly not clipped in... massive upper body strength maybe?)

As for riding without hands - no problem I can ride forever, over bumps, steer - as long as the corner isn't too tight or fast. I don't really like taking off or putting on my jacket, though I can do it, mainly because it often acts like a sail and can jerk me left or right. When I was doing the weekday women's rides I would circle the parking lot no handed just to kill time since I was usually early. -- I do have good balance to start with, one of the core exercises my coach has me do is balance kneeling (not sitting on heels, but knees on ball, thighs vertical) on an exercise ball and I've worked up to a point where I can do it for over 5min at a time now - I tried juggling while on the ball, just to amuse the husband who tells me to run off and join the circus, but my juggling skills are poor...

You can bet I'll start out with more of this type of stuff when I get back on the bike.... Right now I can't even get my bike shoes on, let alone ride no handed!

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Originally Posted by Kitsune06

I'm working on the no-hands thing... just playing around. It really depends (for me) how my saddle's tipped. I think it might be somewhat easier for men because men are generally more comfortable with saddle tipped upward. I like saddle tipped down, but when I'm going hands-free, I feel like I slide forward on the saddle.

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I rode no-handed all the time growing up but almost went down the first time I tried it on my road bike. When I sit up and unweight the front wheel the handling and control fall apart. I will probably try it again now that I'm much more used to this bike.

If your front wheel really wobbles around when you are no handed check your headset - it may be loose or the bearings may need replacing.

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Originally Posted by Eden

If your front wheel really wobbles around when you are no handed check your headset - it may be loose or the bearings may need replacing.

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I bought it new in September and it only has about 400 road miles on it so too loose seems much more likely than worn out. I'll have my LBS check it out when I bring it in for its tuneup.

Thanks

Yeah, no clips. I can get the rear wheel to leave the ground by jumping and pulling the bike up with me (just a little) and using forearm and wrist to move it forward a bit, but I need a lot more practice on that b/c I lose balance a lot on landing. Trials riders just blow me away. I think I read somewhere that trials riders use pressure back against the pedals to grip (hence 'shinburger' pedals) because you don't want to do real trials clipped in (you'd eat it in fantastic ways if you couldn't bail right)

Kit - intreresting comment on the "how the seat is tilted" affecting your no hands ability. My riding partner says it's all about how your pelvis and lower abs are positioned/tilted/whatever. She's better at it than I am and tried to get me to practice at the end of our 85 mile ride (during which I pretty much bonked). Not likely!

But it's all got to be connected - weight, balance, abs, pelvis.

Yes, riding no-hands is all in the hip flexors--the front and outside ones. It's subtle and takes finesse, and just thinking about it I can feel those flexors twitching. Sometimes a little glute squeeze, a knee moved in or out. Never like balancing a book on your head, with your hands out. Your head and arms follow the hips, the hips counterbalance the bike.

I've ridden for miles with no hands (not all at once!). When I first started riding again 3 years ago, I never thought I'd get back to the point where I could ride no-hands like that again. But...it's like riding a bike. You never forget. :)

Karen

I haven't been able to lift my hands off my bike for more than a few seconds. I remember riding my ten speed all the way to school (1.5 miles) with no hands, carrying my uitar over one shoulder. The tricky part was timing it right when I got to the busy road so I didn't have to stop.

I didn't think I'd be able to learn to ride no hands again. You are giving me hope. Another goal for 2007!

Do it! :)

Pick a flat spot of road that you know is pretty smooth. Get up some good speed. Don't look down at the handlebars (do check the road for any obstacles first). Stop pedaling, level your feet. Lift your shoulders, straighten your arms, and put your fingertips on the bar. See if you can keep it steady with the fingertips for a few feet, then...lift off and see how it goes.

I've found that the ultimate position I use depends a LOT upon the bike. Some bikes I have to stop pedaling, and then keep my feet level. Some I can only do it with one leg down. The bike I had in the '70s was so fine I could pedal or not or level my feet or one leg up--it didn't matter. Sometimes the terrain determines the position, too.

But then, you know all this, because you rode your bike to school with your guitar on your back! It will come back. Check that your wheels are true--that can make a difference. You can do it! :)

Karen

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Originally Posted by HipGnosis6

You can bet I'll start out with more of this type of stuff when I get back on the bike.... Right now I can't even get my bike shoes on, let alone ride no handed!

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The shoes I've got down, the no handed? Not even close!

I do best pedaling Miz Cakes. The 'seat tilt' thing actually comes in partially b/c of the slipperiness of my brooks... :o

You are women who have wisely decided not to leave childhood all the way behind! If this stuff isn't fun, then why do it?

I was reminded of one summer day, when I wasn't allowed to drive or date, my sweetheart (Parisian exchange student) and I went secretly cruising on our bikes all around the back roads so as not to get caught, and making out while riding no handed until we were startled by the horn of an on-coming car. Never stopped to think we were flirting with danger. Aah..take me back to those effortless joys of immortal adolescence.

I can't ride no-hands like that anymore, but I think she's still in me somewhere. When this snow clears, I think I'll try no-handed again. Then add in the making-out stuff ;) when I get really good.

Julie

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Originally Posted by Julibird

You are women who have wisely decided not to leave childhood all the way behind! If this stuff isn't fun, then why do it?

I was reminded of one summer day, when I wasn't allowed to drive or date, my sweetheart (Parisian exchange student) and I went secretly cruising on our bikes all around the back roads so as not to get caught, and making out while riding no handed until we were startled by the horn of an on-coming car. Never stopped to think we were flirting with danger. Aah..take me back to those effortless joys of immortal adolescence.

I can't ride no-hands like that anymore, but I think she's still in me somewhere. When this snow clears, I think I'll try no-handed again. Then add in the making-out stuff ;) when I get really good.

Julie

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LOL - good luck Julie!!! Let us know how you make out......umm I mean get on with the no hands riding hee hee.:D

Riding no hands was okay till one day...

I crashed at a century fun ride when i took my hand off the bars so I could sit straight up and enjoy the scenery. Broke my collar bone. So I don't know if its a good thing or not. These days I only take my hands off when I need to adjust the zipper on my jersey or something is stuck in my pocket like half eaten banana that I want to finish off...

And for riding hands free, I think it depends a lot on the bike you are riding. Some are far more stable and less responsive. These bikes are easier to ride hands free.

More important things are to be able to make emergency tight turns, and jumping, getting your bike to lift off the ground completely to jump over debris on the road.

One legged pedalling exercise is really good. (I hate it though)

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Track stand.

I can do it if I'm not consciously thinking about it. :confused:
Let me explain, if I'm stuck at a red light with a riding partner and we start talking, I can do a track stand. But if I'm not distracted by talking with a friend, I can only last about 10 seconds before I have to pop out of my cleats or I go over the side.

Maybe its the self-conscious thing. Don't know

We've been doing some bike handling drills with our riding group this spring. I loved the waterbottle pickup and set-down. It's great because at first you're like, no way can I get down that low! and then soon you're doing it. I also loved practicing cornering and trying not to use the brakes.

Today we practiced taking off from a stop and clipping in without looking at our feet, bumping upper bodies while riding close to each other, and touching wheels. That was a hard one, but I didn't crash, just had to clip out a couple times.

I can't wait for the next session-- obstacle avoidance.:)

Oh, and I realized last weekend that I can ride no-handed for as long as I want on the bike path. On the road I think there are too many hazards to do it for too long, but I was able to put on my jacket and zip it up.