Learning to ride no-hands

DanS

Hello,
Embarrassingly enough, I've never learned to ride no-hands. Even my partner, who hasn't been on a bike in anger in 15 years can manage this....
So what's the secret? I'm basically looking to avoid future humiliation, and to be able to take off a gilet / armwarmers on the clubrun without coming to grief. If anyone has a step by step guide, I'd be glad to hear it!
Thanks,
Dan

NWLondoner

I like my teeth and face intact. I know if i ever tried that i'd be eating the tarmac faster than the time it takes you to read this :shock:

I admire the riders that can do it

Stewie Griffin

Slight push away from the handlebars and sit up. Just dont be going too slowly or in too high a gear for the speed you are going, both of those make it more likely that you will upset your balance. Practise on a quiet road with no possible spectators

To prove Im not being a flash harry, can someone please teach me how to bunny hop? I can not get the back wheel to go light over pot holes :oops: .

CHRISNOIR

I can't do it either. As a kid / teenager I could pretty much ride to the shops and back no-handed but when I started cycling again two / three years ago I found I've lost the knack.

Stewie Griffin

CHRISNOIR wrote:

I can't do it either. As a kid / teenager I could pretty much ride to the shops and back no-handed but when I started cycling again two / three years ago I found I've lost the knack.

I used to be able to bunny hop BMXs over ridiculous things when i was a teenager, but Im afraid that my current bike that is made out of milk bottle tops will fold underneath me if I get it off the floor :oops:

Aggieboy

Stewie Griffin wrote:

a) Slight push away from the handlebars and sit up. Just dont be going too slowly or in too high a gear for the speed you are going, both of those make it more likely that you will upset your balance. Practise on a quiet road with no possible spectators

b )To prove Im not being a flash harry, can someone please teach me how to bunny hop? I can not get the back wheel to go light over pot holes :oops: .

a) Def' do not go too slowly, this makes your balance harder to control and do not over compensate your steering if you start to lose balance. I find it easier to keep pedalling as well.

b) Once I've lifted the front wheel I simply pull my feet/pedals up a little while standing on them.

CHRISNOIR

Stewie Griffin wrote:

CHRISNOIR wrote:

I can't do it either. As a kid / teenager I could pretty much ride to the shops and back no-handed but when I started cycling again two / three years ago I found I've lost the knack.

I used to be able to bunny hop BMXs over ridiculous things when i was a teenager, but Im afraid that my current bike that is made out of milk bottle tops will fold underneath me if I get it off the floor :oops:

Maybe it's not really a case of 'losing the knack; more like 'becoming more aware of your own mortality...'

hammerite

Whilst I can ride no handed I have no idea how I do it. But I agree with don't go too slow.

As for taking clothes off/putting on still be a bit careful even if you can ride no handed. One of my club mates was doing this, sleeve of his jacket got caught in the wheel, then his sprockets and then he was flat on his face, bruised, not badly injured but very embarrassed. He was riding at the back of the group so didn't bring anyone else down!

spen666

Aggieboy wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

a) Slight push away from the handlebars and sit up. Just dont be going too slowly or in too high a gear for the speed you are going, both of those make it more likely that you will upset your balance. Practise on a quiet road with no possible spectators

b )To prove Im not being a flash harry, can someone please teach me how to bunny hop? I can not get the back wheel to go light over pot holes :oops: .

a) Def' do not go too slowly, this makes your balance harder to control and do not over compensate your steering if you start to lose balance. I find it easier to keep pedalling as well.

b) Once I've lifted the front wheel I simply pull my feet/pedals up a little while standing on them.

:oops: :oops: :oops: I misread your post and thought that answer b) was part of the method you use to ride no handed. I was about to call you an incredibly flash git to be able to lift front wheel whilst riding no handed

sudholz

Hello,

I would add to all the above that it is important to be relaxed when riding n/h. If you tense up, any movement by the bike will be overcompensated for by the rider (same as when descending). I realise that there is a chicken/egg scenario here but thought it was worth pointing out.

Also...if frame/forks are steel make sure they aren't bent out of alignment and make sure that your headset bearings run freely. Either of these conditions will prevent even the most relax-est and most experienced rider in the world from showing off n/h.

1st time for me was as a 12 yr old crossing the finish line of the London/Brighton. It wasn't pre-meditated...just happened before I had time to think about it. Haven't looked back.

hth.

S

ride_whenever

it is very hard to bunnyhop a road bike properly because they're so long that lofting the front wheel over obstacles is difficult. But basically lift the front end over the obstacle then fling your weight forwards to bring the rear up and over. So you kindof swing back then spring forward.

Or if you're clipped in, just crouch down and spring up and take the whole bike off the ground at once!

APIII

Steer from the hips! There's no need to stick your arms out to balance like a motorcycle display team, just small adjustments at the hips to correct your balance. And as previous posters have said, the faster you go the easier it is.

teagar

I leant by cycling just with one hand, then with only one finger, and go from there.

Just make sure you're going some before you do it.

Side winds don't help!

markos1963

Definatly don't do it at too slow a speed and I find that when I was relearning how to do it gripping the top tube with my knees helped me from overcorrecting

bobtbuilder

Make sure that you are sat fairly well back in the saddle.

sherer

this is something I need to learn too, I find i end up drifting to the right as I am right handed and my right leg is stronger. Need to get some cheap kit to practice in as don't want a high speed crash and ruin my best kit.

Still not fully sure how you steer with the hips just need to practice a bit i guess

celbianchi

When I was young and rode a bmx we used to do 2 types of bunnyhop.

1) We called the American bunnyhop which was lift front wheel, as if about to do a wheelie, then flick your weight forwards causing the back end to hop also.

2) We called the English bunny hop which was lifting both wheels off the ground at the same time.

On a roadbike I only ever do method 2.

Hold bars by hoods, lift weight off saddle, bend knees and kind of jump up lifting the bars as you go. Much easier to do than describe!

Smokin Joe

To practice riding hands off, find a gentle incline where you will be putting slight pressure on the pedals. Then sit upright with a straight back (leaning forward and hovering over the bars will unbalance you). Keep your arms by your side and DO NOT look down at the bars, focus on the road in the distance. Steering hands off is exactly the same as when holding the bars - look where you want to go and you will go where you're looking.

CHRISNOIR

Right, I'm going to have a proper crack at this tonight. I'll report back tomorrow - broken neck notwithstanding...

Stewie Griffin

CHRISNOIR wrote:

Right, I'm going to have a proper crack at this tonight. I'll report back tomorrow - broken neck notwithstanding...

Im going to try some bunny hops too, or at least making the back wheel go a bit lighter so there isnt that disheartening crash when my back wheel dives into an unexpected hole.

Harry B

I can do it on my MTB (on the road only though) but seem to start to wobble very quickly if I try it on the road bike.

I love to see the guys on the Pro Tour putting gilets on and off. It would be so cool to be able to do that but I suspect I'd hit the deck pretty quickly with arms entangled in the gilet if I tried it :oops:

DanS

thanks - all sounds fine in theory
So what's the optimum speed, and is it best learning to do it by increments, or doing it cleanly and confidently, falling off an hoping it's better the next time.
I seem to remember, vaguely, an article in Cycling Plus last year about this. Does anyone remember which issue?
Determined to nail this, and not die trying....

andrewjoseph

I want to ride no handed for putting on/off gilets etc. What I do at the moment though, is get out one arm at a time.

Take my right arm out of gilet and stuff loose end of gilet in jersey pocket (so not flapping about near my rear wheel). Take out other arm and tuck rest of gilet into jersey pocket.

I'd use this method on busy roads even if I could ride no hands.

On several occasions I've managed to tuck both sides of gilet into different pockets, looks odd but at least it wasn't wrapped around the wheel!

COVEC

DanS wrote:

thanks - all sounds fine in theory
So what's the optimum speed, and is it best learning to do it by increments, or doing it cleanly and confidently, falling off an hoping it's better the next time.
I seem to remember, vaguely, an article in Cycling Plus last year about this. Does anyone remember which issue?
Determined to nail this, and not die trying....

The best speed is one that you can maintain smoothly, generally, the faster the better (easier) to begin with, as you progress you can slow down, the key is smooth pedal cadence.

Forget the theory, let you natural balance take control. Just give it a go and you will gain confidence very quickly.

COVEC