No hands tracking

[BSLeVan]

I've never had much luck riding with no hands. I've always thought it was an issue of poor balance. I watch pros and other recreational riders do it all the time. But alas, it has eluded me... until now. With my latest build (the Habanero Ti Team Issue) I discovered that the bike tracks as straight as an arrow with no hands. What a nice surprise. In talking with my brother on the phone he says this is because for the first time in my life I must have adjusted the headset properly. (Nothing like family to brighten up your day.) So, is he on to something? I've thought about it, and it does seem logical that proper fit, weight distribution, and even headset adjustment could have a big impact on how well a bike tracks 'no hands'. What say you?

[Terrierman]

The headset on that Schwinn Stingray must have been adjusted perfectly back in '63. I've never had a bike that I could not ride no hands.

[TurboTurtle]

Bikes that I have had that wouldn't track straight, without leaning to compensate, were either bent frames or had off center wheel dishing. - TF

[John E]

No-hands tracking requires both a properly built and adjusted bike (as cited above, wheel dishing, headset bearings condition, and fork alignment are crucial) and a rider with decent physical coordination. I qualify in the first area, but fall short in the second.

[donheff]

I've noticed that any time I am on a new bike, riding no-hands is difficult at first. It seems like you need to learn how to pressure the frame with your hips or something. After a few careful, short tries it seems to lock right in.

[Rick@OCRR]

Yes, headset adjustment is critical (as are the other things mentioned)! I didn't face the headtube surfaces on my Mercian Vincitore after it was repainted and that simple thing kept me from being able to adjust the headset properly. Riding no-hands was impossible.

Remove headset, face with Campag. tool, reinstall headset, adjust headset, now I can ride hands-free no problem!

Also note that I only ride hands-free for minimun lengths of time whilst putting on sunglasses, taking off jacket, unwrapping energy bar, turning over route sheet, etc.

A friend of mine hit the ground hard when a sudden gust of wind hit him broadside as he was riding hands free zipping up his vest. Just sayin . . . be careful!

Rick / OCRR

[WHOOOSSHHH...]

I can never ride with no hands either. Many of my friends have told me, "that somethings wrong with you". Maybe they are right!!:D

[cranky old dude]

As I become accustomed to each new mount the ability to
travel no handed increases. That being said, I may never be
able to ride no-hands on my LWB recumbent. I tried taking
my second hand off the bars for an instant just to try to get
a feel for how it might track no handed, and I almost broke
my ankle. I'll wait untill the end of the season before trying that
again. :eek:

[stapfam]

Except when I was a youngster- I have never been able to ride no-handed. Then out on Boreas shortly after I got it and the balance is there on the bike- The TCR is the same- but the OCR----No- way.


Riding no handed is a skill that is dangerous to use in the wrong place- My Tandem pilot often rides with no hands- but I did draw the line at night riding- offroad and no hands. I would scream at him to stop it- but Never seem to find the courage as any sudden movement might mean another bush or sheep run over.

[Road Fan]

Being able to ride no-hands is also a result of headset condition: if the headset has sticky or rough motion, it can try ot settle in an off-center position that you can't lean your way out of.

This stickyness can be a result of too-tight adjustment (friction), worn races that are notched or Brinelled, dirty chunky grease, or misaligned installation (HS not installed in a well-faced frame), or dirt in the bearing.

Road Fan

[Creakyknees]

Cables can also mess with it. If your runs / bends are of differing lengths to an extreme degree, modern super-stiff housings can pull the bars just enough.

[wmodavis]

The bike geometry affects it as well and likely more than you realize. There is a geometric factor inherant in the frame and fork design called RAKE and TRAIL. Here's what the late Mr Brown says about TRAIL:
"Trail

Trail is the distance from the contact point of the front wheel with the riding surface to the intersection of the steering axis (head tube) with the surface. The trail is a function of the head angle (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_an-z.html#angle), the fork rake (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ra-e.html#rake), and the tire diameter. Trail has a major effect on the handling of a bicycle. More trail increases the bicycle's tendency to steer straight ahead. A bicycle with a largish trail dimension will be very stable, and easy to ride "no hands". A bicycle with a smaller trail dimension will be more manuverable and responsive. Joshua Putnam has a good discussion of trail and Bicycle Steering Geometry (http://www.phred.org/~josh/bike/trail.html) in general on his Web site. "

Maybe you can blame it on other than yourself.

[John E]

The bike geometry affects it as well and likely more than you realize. There is a geometric factor inherant in the frame and fork design called RAKE and TRAIL. ... Maybe you can blame it on other than yourself. According to various formulas I have seen, my Capo should be extremely stable and forgiving, and even my Bianchi should not be particularly twitchy. I think I can blame myself. :)

[waldowales]

I can ride my old Schwinns all day no hands, my 2006 Trek 1000 nearly as well. My 1985 Trek 600 won't make it ten feet. It has the least trail of any of them.

[genec]

I've never had much luck riding with no hands. I've always thought it was an issue of poor balance. I watch pros and other recreational riders do it all the time. But alas, it has eluded me... until now. With my latest build (the Habanero Ti Team Issue) I discovered that the bike tracks as straight as an arrow with no hands. What a nice surprise. In talking with my brother on the phone he says this is because for the first time in my life I must have adjusted the headset properly. (Nothing like family to brighten up your day.) So, is he on to something? I've thought about it, and it does seem logical that proper fit, weight distribution, and even headset adjustment could have a big impact on how well a bike tracks 'no hands'. What say you?

Very much so... in fact just a slight misalignment of the rear wheel will really through you off.

My light road bike, an older Italian bike, would not track straight hands free... and after ensuring everything was just right, I traced it to the bearings in the headset. Got a new headset and viola, hands free.

BTW a longer wheel base or more relaxed frame will tend to track easier.

[cyclinfool]

I use to ride no hands when I was a kid, I can ride no hands on my mtn bike but don't anymore. I have taken a few falls - not due to "no hands" riding. I am just nervous. I keep a death grip on the bars at all times

[CW Spook]

I had a Schwinn Corvette when I was a kid and could ride that bike up and down hills and across two sets of railroad tracks without ever touching the handlebars. I don't know if it's age or the bike (probably a combination of the two), but I know I can't do that on my 'bent.

[buelito]

I can ride all my bikes with no hands. I have aero bars on my rad bike and they seem to adversely affect the tracking, so I really have to concentrate to ride that bike no-hands. I also couldn't ride the fixie no handed until I worked on it--since you can't coast, it is hard to compensate, but I have found it is the easiest bike to ride no hands on now that I have mastered it.

I still remember the story my Dad used to say--''Look Ma, no hands! Look Ma, no feedt! Look Ma... no teeth..." :)

train safe-

[RoMad]

I can ride my litespeed no hands around the turns at intersections (in my quiet neighborhood) with no problem. I have always been good at no hands, but my litespeed is the easiest bike I have ever tried it on. When I first got my Specialized I almost wrecked it a few times trying no hands. I couldn't do it at all and then one day when putting the front wheel on I noticed that the brake was a little off to one side and I had been putting the wheel on a little crooked to be centered on the brake pads. I adjusted the brake, put the wheel on and now it tracks nearly as good as my litespeed. By the trail principle, which I agree with, my litespeed should be twitcy as it has a 41mm rake but I think it is just one well built bike.

[Hermes]

I can ride no hands on my Madone. I generally do it to zip up my vest / jersey or take off a vest and stuff it in my jersey pocket.

[Torque1st]

Back in the old days my friends and I rode all the way to school numerous times without hands just for fun. The route required a number of turns, avoiding traffic and other riders, even crossing some mean diagonal railroad tracks with no problems. Those bikes we rode were just an extension of ourselves. I don't recall any of us falling or having any difficulties.

Nowadays I can't even ride a bike because of balance problems from medications so I am looking for a trike to ride...

[Artkansas]

Yup, some bikes are easier to ride hands free than others. It's true. I love it when they do, but I've never trashed an otherwise great bike because of it.

My American Eagle/Nishiki is a dream, my Bacchetta Giro 20 is too twitchy, my Specialized Hard Rock can go straight but isn't too enthusiastic about it. my Giant Stiletto, fagettaboutit.

[freeranger]

Cannot ride my mtn bike with no hands, but the road bike is fine with no hands. My guess is that the mtn bike is no longer exactly aligned (nor would I expect it to be, given it's age, and abuse over the years!).