Quote Originally Posted by FreshNewbie
Hello everybody ! So happy to join this great forum, and read so many great posts. Decided to address my own problem , and hope to receive some great information from you girls.
I just started biking, I am 22 and last time I biked was when I was about 15-16 years old. Don't have much experience, however decided to join my boyfriend to have fun together. I have on big problem, I don't know how to relax my upper body so that I don't grab on the handlebars so tight. This causes one major problem for me - which is I lose the balance on the bike because I am so tight in my upper body. Please, share your experiences and tell me what would be the best way to improve this.

Best regards, Marina
I didn't read all the responses, so forgive me if I repeat what someone else has said.

Honestly, you are going to have to remind yourself to losen your grip. Just like, if you have clipless pedals, you have to think about releasing your foot before you stop.

I know when I first started riding a motorcycle, I was so scared, my whole body was TENSE the entire time I was on it. I would get off exhausted, because of it. I didn't think about relaxing, but as I got more comfortable and confident on my motorcycle, I relaxed even more. It finally got to the point that I would sit Indian style on my seat and cruise! HA!

So... try to think about relaxing.... and maybe with time (and miles), as you get more confident riding you will losen up!