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...

[HoosierGiant]

As for removing a water bottle to drink while still pedaling, are you moving the hand that's remaining on the bars to a position closer to the stem rather than keeping it on the hood? Seems like a simple thing, but the physics behind it make for a much more stable ride.

[MommyBird]

Eden-
Thank you for the helpful advice.

Even hubby had a Giant MB that he could not take both hands off of.
I am pretty sure my bike is stable. My skill is just lacking.

As for removing a water bottle to drink while still pedaling, are you moving the hand that's remaining on the bars to a position closer to the stem rather than keeping it on the hood? Seems like a simple thing, but the physics behind it make for a much more stable ride.

I keep my left hand on the hood. Can't get too far from the brake! I know, braking with one hand can lead to disaster (been there on my MT) but it's a mental crutch. I will ask hubby what he does.

Did I mention I sometimes steer slightly towards where I am looking...another major newbie problem that I am working on. Should I start another thread?

Hubby is keeping me safe on our 8 mile park loop and one lightly traveled "real road" until I graduate.

Thanks to all for the support!

[staceysue]

LOL that's how I crashed my bike. I was trying to take a drink and just went right off the road into the grass, really slow. It was embarassing.

[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

[Kalidurga]

Did I mention I sometimes steer slightly towards where I am looking...another major newbie problem that I am working on.

As I understand it, that's exactly what you're supposed to do. The trick is making sure that you're looking towards where you want to steer. That's how you avoid obstacles-- Notice the obstacle, then look for a line around it and focus on that. Your wheels will follow where you look. Perhaps noticing where your eyes are going would also help when you try to take a hand off the bar to reach for your water bottle or tug your arm warmers.

And, contrary to that, practicing keeping the bike straight while looking behind you could also help with figuring out the right place to put one hand on the bar and how to shift your weight.

[pfunk12]

I don't have any advice for you other than - maybe with time it will get easier?? I started riding a bike less than 2 years ago (after not riding for 17 years). I remember my first time out. I was going up a hill and a guy went to pass me on the left. I went to reach for my water bottle and I swerved into him but I didn't hit him. I apologized and told him that it was my first ride in 17 years! Balance was a HUGE issue for me early on. I also remember riding with some random guy and I tried to blow my nose and I swerved into him, too! I can't remember how or when it got easy for me. It just did with time. I also marvel at cyclists who can take clothes off while riding with no hands. I am so jealous.

[Grits]

It took a while for me to develop that skill.

Practice in safe places - on nice, flat, straight stretches maybe in a neighborhood as opposed to the road so less traffic. Try riding one handed for stretches of time to develop the strength and steering capability of that arm. Don't try to get your water bottle while riding until you feel comfortable riding one handed for a little while.

Do it in steps.

Glance down quickly, see exactly where your hand needs to go. Look back up!

Reach down while still looking ahead and get your water bottle. Hold it, make sure you are balanced.

Take a drink. Make sure you are balanced.

Glance down, see where it needs to go. Look back up.

Reach down and put it in the holder.

I ride with one friend who has been riding a little less than a year and only drinks when we stop, so you are certainly not the only one! It will be second nature before you know it.

[lph]

I would add - practice thinking it before doing it. Try thinking of riding with one hand, steering with one hand, and just relaxing the other, or removing it briefly from the bars without doing anything with it. Just feel what it feels like, you may feel that you have to use your core more to stay in balance.

Once you have a feeling for how you actually ride your bike with only one hand without veering or wobbling you can start thinking about what you want to do with that spare hand

Try isolating the leaning forward movement too, try practicing it while riding without actually touching the bottle or removing your hands. It helps if your body recognizes part of the movement pattern from before.

[Owlie]

I have a death grip on the handle bars because I don't have the core strength yet (working on it!) to keep my weight off my arms. BF's advice was to start by releasing the grip and just rest my palms somewhere on the bars so I could grab the brakes if need be, then start moving my hands around to other spots. I'm finally okay with adjusting my glasses or brushing wayward strands of hair out of my face, but I still can't grab the water bottles out of their cages. I'm thinking of investing in a Camelbak for the time being.