Getting used to signaling and taking hands off bike

[bikecanada]

Hi. I'm new here and new to biking. I just got back into cycling (last time I rode a bike was probably 10 years ago). I find that now, I'm a lot more nervous and hesitant to take my hands off the bars to signal a turn. I've been practising in a parking lot, but it seems different when I'm on the road (because I'm going at a higher speed). How can I get better at it? I feel that I'm more twitchy

[melissad]

Hi, I'm new here too and just started riding about 2 months ago. I definitely felt like you in the beginning especially because I was going from riding a mountain bike (about 10 years ago) to a road bike. I just found that being on the bike for a few rides helped me immensely. And not gripping the handlebars really tightly. I keep practicing riding in a straight line and find that when I keep my elbows loose, I can ride straight no problem.

Of course, I'm a total newbie so feel free to ignore me!

[Tuckervill]

Yep, don't over steer. At speed, you can probably take BOTH hands off for a few feet and not fall over.

You're reminding me of my 14 yo who is learning to drive. The first few times he white-knuckled the steering wheel, and the ride was just a little jerky! He was fighting the subtle changes in the wheel, trying to keep the car in a straight line. I had him take off in a straight line with only his fingertips on the wheel, and he could see that the road wouldn't rip it out of his hands.

Try it with your bike, on a flat or slight downhill, with smooth pavement. Get up to speed, then put only your fingertips on the bars. See how far you can go just going with the flow. Your steering is mostly in your hips anyway (when you're going fast). The more you ride, the better you'll get.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Just practice touching your helmet or your shoulder with either hand frequently while you ride.
When i was trying to learn how to drink from my downtube water bottle while riding, at first I just practiced reaching down to touch the bottle a lot.

[mupedalpusher]

Just keep practicing. Don't forget to practice scanning also. In my Road 1 courses we spend quite a bit of time on these two skills. Just keep practicing, you'll get better quickly. A nice quiet parking lot is a great place to practice.

[bikecanada]

Thanks for your input! I'll definitely keep practicing in a parking lot. I think I just tense up more on the road, especially if it's not even, and that probably makes it worse to balance.