"Look Ma, no hands!"

[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?)

[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
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!!

[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.