Confession

ChrisLS

...I can't ride no-handed :oops:

...I was a nervous child and I never learnt all those years ago...and maybe too old now :?

DavidTQ

ChrisLS wrote:

...I can't ride no-handed :oops:

...I was a nervous child and I never learnt all those years ago...and maybe too old now :?

I havent tried since I started cycling again.

As a kid I was into my BMX's and such and no handed frame stands were no problem :shock: Not even tried normal no handed riding as an adult

I dont believe you're ever too old to learn. I have no doubt I could learn to do it now I just dont have a need to. When my oldest son wanted to know a bit about "bmx's" I showed him some youtube stuff and he didnt believe his bike could do it, so I took his mini bmx and showed him some tricks. I quickly realised I could do stuff now that I couldnt as a kid even, my balance and appreciation of physics is actually better now!

Greg T

HA!

I was thinking about starting a thread about this as I was skimming along cable st bike path this morning sittting tall in the saddle adjusting my sunnies with BOTH HANDS!

Non Handed is ace and all the big boys as school can do it so you've got to man up - find a spare bit of VERY quiet road and play around....

I never learned as a kid as my Dad said he'd kill me if he ever caught me doing it so I had to teach myself 5 or 6 years ago.

I started off just having less and less pressure on the bars - just fingertips then little bits of non finger tips and then the you "get it" and suddenly you are back in the saddle steering with your bum......

In my experience you have to get your weight back over the back wheel. Whilst you are forwards (looking for the safety of the bars) you are unbalanced and wobbly.

Ther must be interweb sites with full instructions.

DavidTQ

Greg T wrote:

HA!

I was thinking about starting a thread about this as I was skimming along cable st bike path this morning sittting tall in the saddle adjusting my sunnies with BOTH HANDS!

Non Handed is ace and all the big boys as school can do it so you've got to man up - find a spare bit of VERY quiet road and play around....

I never learned as a kid as my Dad said he'd kill me if he ever caught me doing it so I had to teach myself 5 or 6 years ago.

I started off just having less and less pressure on the bars - just fingertips then little bits of non finger tips and then the you "get it" and suddenly you are back in the saddle steering with your bum......

In my experience you have to get your weight back over the back wheel. Whilst you are forwards (looking for the safety of the bars) you are unbalanced and wobbly.

Ther must be interweb sites with full instructions.

That would be why I havent bothered trying, I havent done any leisure cycling, all commuting apart from one distance ride. Rush hour traffic isnt the place to start practising My commute is so busy that my attention is required on traffic full time, no need or desire to be relaxing no handed on the journey.

I really hope the doctors get me sorted soon so I can get back to my commuting I think I have more close shaves and scary moments sitting in the passenger seat of the car I get a lift to and from work in than I did whilst cycling :shock: The guy has no patience at all on the road... Still at least when Im in the car he gives cyclists PLENTY of space

ChrisLS

...I want to be like a Tour rider...riding along putting on a waterproof, arranging the contents of my jersy pocket adjusting my shades and generally looking cool...because I will own up...I am a poser 8)

Greg T

ChrisLS wrote:

...I want to be like a Tour rider...riding along putting on a waterproof, arranging the contents of my jersy pocket adjusting my shades and generally looking cool...because I will own up...I am a poser 8)

Ah...

Is anyone else listening.......no.......good

there's another thing.....

It was hot this morning, so well.....



I permitted myself to hang my lid off the centre of the bar's on the bike path......

as I cycled non handed

I appear to be a complete tart.

Liam-rooney

Your never to old to learn,
you can try it now but you have to be prepared to bail out, the reason i think you normally do it when yuor a kid is because you dont really think about what could go wrong if you balance wrong.

I can do no handed for very long distances and turn corners but then again, i am only 14 lol

Greg T

Liam-rooney wrote:

I can do no handed for very long distances and turn corners but then again, i am only 14 lol

You might be able to teach me how to use my bike computer....

I have reached the stage in life where consumer electronics defeat my ability to understand simple concepts and remember a sequence of three key strokes

If you're 14 you can help me with my bike computer - I can't use it you see.....



have I told you about my bike computer?

Clever Pun

if you're going to try to cycle no handed, might I recommend not practicing with a pannier on one side... it's just a little tricky not to fly off in one direction

Mr_Cellophane

I can ride no-handed down hill, it's pedalling at the same time that has me wobbling.

ride_whenever

for pedalling i find being in a slightly higher gear than normal helps as you're moving less fast, however if you're a masher then you might want to go a bit easier...

victor ludorum

ChrisLS wrote:

...I want to be like a Tour rider...riding along putting on a waterproof, arranging the contents of my jersy pocket adjusting my shades and generally looking cool...because I will own up...I am a poser 8)

(Horrified moment of realisation)

I... do... this... :oops:

I will have to take a long look at myself in the mirror (which, lets face it, I like doing) and then, in the fullness of time, decide to keep doing it because it does make me look cool and that's what counts.

I particularly enjoy pootling through Hyde Park (keeping a careful look out for pedestrians and other cyclists and immediately returning my hands to the bars if I'm going to pass anywhere near them) taking my helmet off and clipping it over my bars, running my mitted fingers through my hair and taking a sip from my bidon (never bottle). God, I'm such a tart and I'd never realised. (Honest)



The other thing that can affect learning to ride no-handed is the stability of the cockpit.
It doesn't seem to be related to the materials involved - I used to have a Marin hybrid which was really flighty at the front end. Carbon forks, alu stem and bars (can't remember the headset) and it was always trying to flip off straight. It made for a very responsive ride in traffic, but was almost impossible to ride without a hand on the tiller. Both of my road bikes have lightweight carbon fronts (one on a mostly aluminium frame, one on carbon) and they're both steady as you like.

Lif30057840

ChrisLS wrote:

...I can't ride no-handed :oops:

u dont need to..apart from the dubious reason of putting a jersey/waterproof on (erm stop the bike and do it) ur not missing nething except the pose factor.

Greg T

Lif30057840 wrote:

ChrisLS wrote:

...I can't ride no-handed :oops:

u dont need to..apart from the dubious reason of putting a jersey/waterproof on (erm stop the bike and do it) ur not missing nething except the pose factor.

There are needs and wants.... It's a spectrum....

I find that I cluster heavily towards the "need" end of the spectrum....

Shiny components
More and better hair
A DB9
Adulation and recognition by millions

down at the wants it's more limited - you know stuff you don't need

An end to poverty
World peace and all that.....

Wanting to pose is a nonesense. You NEED to pose.

It's as natural as laughing at a good friend falling off a small ladder

Coriander

A big blue coach was riding on my a*se up the Old Kent Road today in the bus lane. Really bugged me. So I rode no-handed just to p*ss him off. People who don't do it assume you must go slower with no hands.

Surf-Matt

Oddly we have four bikes - two of them are easyish to ride no handed but the two Stumpjumpers, with very twitchy geometry, just get me every time when riding no handed!

I'm hopeless at wheelies too, seem to have turned into a jump muppet (used to be able to get some decent air quite often) and am pretty hopeless on downhills - all after a nasty crash.

Only thing I can do well is climb fast and bunny hop really!

beverick

My road bike is too jittery to try riding no-handed for more than a few yards.

Personally I find a 'nose up' seat position quite important for riding no-handed.

Bob

Bassjunkieuk

I got called a "poser" by the announcer at the end of the Capital to Coast bike ride cos I came in no-handed :-) Not bad considering it was on grass with my road bike. Having said that I was just glad to be finishing having ridden just under 60 miles and feeling rather proud of myself (it's the longest single ride I've ever done (yet!)) I thought I might just savour the moment of crossing the line!

I think had to do grab a hold again to steer myself towards the correct table to de-register, as I didn't *really* want to fall this close to the end!

I do have to agree with Greg tho, the safest position to be in seems to be sitting upright, which is also helpful for getting some other muscles to work and relieving back ache! Not quite sure if I'm at the level of being able to put a gill on or feed myself, but I did manage to get some sweets out of the rear pocket of my bag on the C2C ride and put them back without loosing them whilst moving!

Greg T

beverick wrote:

My road bike is too jittery to try riding no-handed for more than a few yards.

Bob

My road bike was super wobbly when no handed....

I swapped onto stiff mavik wheels and am again a gliding genius....

Liam-rooney

hi again, what cycle comp is it and what cant you do?
I will see if i can help you with it,

Lif30057840

Greg T wrote:

Lif30057840 wrote:

ChrisLS wrote:

...I can't ride no-handed :oops:

u dont need to..apart from the dubious reason of putting a jersey/waterproof on (erm stop the bike and do it) ur not missing nething except the pose factor.

There are needs and wants.... It's a spectrum....

I find that I cluster heavily towards the "need" end of the spectrum....

Shiny components
More and better hair
A DB9
Adulation and recognition by millions

down at the wants it's more limited - you know stuff you don't need

An end to poverty
World peace and all that.....

Wanting to pose is a nonesense. You NEED to pose.

It's as natural as laughing at a good friend falling off a small ladder

WHOOSH!

redvee

Stood up, no handed, thighs gripping ther saddle. The sign of a balanced cyclist

boybiker

A guy on our last club run was riding no-handed down a hill which had me hanging on for dear life :shock: :shock:

victor ludorum

boybiker wrote:

A guy on our last club run was riding no-handed down a hill which had me hanging on for dear life :shock: :shock:

Its all fun and games, until someone loses an eye...

Of course, it does afford following road users the opportunity to play that old staple of the long car journeys of my childhood - guess what's under the bucket...

will3

The handsoffrideability is usually dictated by the caster of the front wheel. Ie how far behind the line of the steerer tube the contact point on the road is. Obviously the more distance the more stable the bike. This is why the head tube is raked.

The caster built in varies from bike to bike depending on how nippy or relaxed it's handling is meant to be.

There are other factors: A very unstiff front wheel is not helpfull - try removing half the spokes :oops:
A floppy frame doesn't help either.

Wooliferkins

Adrenalin and relief are a great balance thing.
http://www1.snapfish.co.uk/slideshow/AlbumID=236451302/PictureID=5487093641/a=135187529_135187529/t_=135187529