Look Ma, no hands...I wish...

[MommyBird]

Sorry for bringing up something that may have been thrashed over in a hundred other threads, but I just can't seem to find this and I need some help.

My husband can't seem to help me because this comes so naturally to him that he doesn't even think about how he does it.

Here's my dilemma:
I cannot even take a drink on my new road bike while I am moving.

Hubby can drink, eat, change clothes, stretch and any other maneuver you can think of while riding up-hill, down-hill or on the flats. He even offers to peddle over, remove my water and give me drink while we are rolling. I think he's crazy but he is serious.

As a kid I could ride w/o hands. Even now, on my mountain bike I can take a drink. I could roll and drink when I was on my road bike 20+ years ago.
On my current road bike I finally summoned the courage to itch my face on my 6th ride! I can't get beyond the reach down and practice tap my bottle maneuver.

The bike shop guy put really sleek looking cages on my bike. Completely different shape than the standard version I am used to. The removal process doesn't feel the same and they are tight. That does not help. Hubby stretched them out for me, which is an improvement.

I dream of someday being able to quench my thirst and pull up my arm warmers while rolling along. Is that too much to ask?

Any suggestions on how to develop or redevelop these skills?

[Biciclista]

I'm not here to teach you how to ignore your instinct for survival. i have the same instinct, and henceforth, cannot ignore it and let go of the handlebars (well, i can, one at a time)
You know, some bikes are less stable in the front and that MIGHT be why you can't let go.
One more not helpful piece of information; women are by nature more cautious than men.
Not helping? Ok, there is a thread somewhere telling you how to ride without holding on. It's not for me though; i figure I can always stop if i need both hands; i'm not in THAT much of a hurry.

[OakLeaf]

Yes, there are a lot of possibilities. Fit is another one - if you're putting excessive weight on your hands, it could be difficult for you to smoothly shift your weight back onto your butt.

Whether or not you ever achieve (or decide you want to achieve) riding with no hands, you definitely need to be able to let go with one hand so you can drink water, signal for turns, stops and obstacles, etc.

LAB's skills course comes highly recommended - I haven't taken it, but one of these days I'll devote the time. I wish it weren't twice as long as the motorcycle skills course... it makes it hard to find the time.

[MommyBird]

My hubby is definitely not wired the same as me. Last summer we camped in Moab and took our bikes to Red Rocks. Hubby purposely rode into one of the few puddles of sand just to fly over his handlebars and make us all laugh. He loves a good controlled fall here and there. I avoid falling like the plague. Even the thought of falling scares me.

[Biciclista]

a controlled fall? uh, no thanks. give yourself a pat on the back for being sensible. Maybe his lack of fear is pushing you in the other direction!

[Eden]

Riding without hands (and to a lesser extent one hand) take a few things

Core strength - you really don't steer a bike with your hands/handlebars, you steer it with your legs and core.

The ability to relax - if you let go with one hand and take a death grip on the handlebars with the other you will be very shaky. Relax your body, relax your arms, relax your hands. You will actually be in more control and it will be less tiring for your upper body.

No loose parts! - if your headset on your bike is loose or sloppy the front wheel will want to move around when you let go - not too conducive for riding no handed and sure to induce nerves.. Cable housing that are pulled a bit tight or too short could pull the handlebars to one side or the other too.

Correct bike geometry - some bikes have a twitchy front end. I can ride no handed no problem on my road bike, but not on my TT bike. It's just not the right geometry to do it on. I can however still let go with one hand and drink, signal, etc.

Remember your bike even without you on it really wants to stay upright as long as its moving forward. Keep moving forward and the tendency for your front wheel will be to stay upright and straight. You can test this out by grabbing your bike and walking it by only touching the saddle - like riding no handed without any chance of falling down...

[PscyclePath]

LAB's skills course comes highly recommended - I haven't taken it, but one of these days I'll devote the time. I wish it weren't twice as long as the motorcycle skills course... it makes it hard to find the time.

We actually teach this skill in the (3-hour) Group Riding Workshop, not in the (9-hour) Traffic Skills 101 ;-) That's the one set up to teach riders how to survive the huge, mass-start rides like the Houston MS-150 (or the Hotter 'n Hell 100), so not only do you learn to fish your bottle out of the cage, take a swig, and put it back -- you get to practice it riding shoulder-to-shoulder,3, 4, or more abreast! In a couple of the clinics I've done, we've practiced handing the bottle down the line, and back to the owner ;-)

The secret is to be confident with your balance on the bike. Ride along straight and steady. Use your left hand to handle the bottle (your right hand on the hood so's you have quick access to the rear brake should you suddenly need it).

Tom