innocent question here, doesnt this make riding without hands impossible? Just seems kinda weird to have something interfering with the steering slightly.
Not on my bike, not all bikes or riders can ride hands free. I have several bikes that cannot be ridden hands free due to the geometry. I also have an older slack angle road bike that I can ride hands free for miles. My brother can't ride anything hands free, he loses his balance, I have actually seen him fall off of a stationary exercise bike

His normal "bike" is a recumbent trike.
Aaron