Riding no hands. Who does it and why?

[brigada]

I think the one mistake people do while learning to ride no hands is just removing their hands off the handlebars slightly and then panicking upon losing control. The thing is, in that position your back is arched and it's super difficult to maintain balance that way.

However, if you move away enough to sit upright and straighten your back, you will realise how much easier it suddenly becomes! It sounds daunting, I know, but it becomes so much easier to control your bike and remain in balance that way. It also helps, imo, to keep pedaling at a steady pace, maintaining a nice speed of, say, 15 km/h.

It is perfectly natural to be scared at first and for learning to be a gradual process, so go somewhere where the pavement is smooth and the road is straight and traffic free. Don't start by removing one hand off the bars and then the other because you will throw yourself off balance like that. Just keep pedaling at a steady pace and get comfortable doing so.

When you end up letting go of the handlebars, try to sit up straight, even if just for a brief moment before you plant your hands on the handlebars again. When you get there, just keep doing so until you overcome the initial fear of letting go.

Of course, don't overdo it. This step can take days, but I find it goes quite fast once you achieve this and it comes down to pedaling steadily and maintaining that momentum from there onwards. It takes effort and may seem impossible at first, but it's worth sticking through it. It's a bit like learning to ride the bike - once you get the hang of it, you just keep getting better.

So keep at it, and do let me know if you decide to give this technique a try! I really hope it will help those of you who want to learn