Who can ride with no hands?
01-20-06, 03:40 PM
#51
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I think as long as you have the guts to try, your pedal stroke is reasonably smooth, and your upper body is relaxed, it will automatically come to you in just 1 try.
If you are constantly worried about whether you can grab the bars again if you go out of control, then you are twitchy, and that makes it harder.
It's like skiing. You are capable of a lot more than you know. Only fear keeps you from doing what you already can.
If you are constantly worried about whether you can grab the bars again if you go out of control, then you are twitchy, and that makes it harder.
It's like skiing. You are capable of a lot more than you know. Only fear keeps you from doing what you already can.
01-20-06, 03:58 PM
#52
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I'm with 2Roadies on the BMX background; I too raced when I was a kid and though some of my roadie buddies are in better shape than me, notta one can out handle me! Here's one, I can sit on my handlebars and ride backwards no-handed-and clipped in!...
01-20-06, 05:36 PM
#53
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It is a breeze on my 76 Mondia. I have tried it on my Lemond, Not so easy. Darn near went down. I will leave that trick for when I am riding the vintage bike. Bob
01-20-06, 05:45 PM
#54
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I like your two last sentences chuck- is that a quote or can I quote you?
01-20-06, 06:04 PM
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i can do it for a long time. I do know how you feel when I was younger my cousin and her friends would ride down the road with no hands and i would just sit there and try then fall down. Now i can do it and she doesnt even ride a bike.
01-20-06, 06:16 PM
#56
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When I first started back riding a few years ago, I had a hard time going more than a few yards "no handed" now I can go for miles. And beleive it or not I'm working on starting from a start "no handed". I can start very rarely in a very low gear ratio. Keep trying, it will soon come back to you.
01-20-06, 06:36 PM
#58
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I'm glad someone brought this up. I've been practicing more at it lately, it was nearly impossible at first, which was a huge shock, because much like OP stated, I could ride endlessly no handed as a kid, it's gotta be the bike geometry...
But check this out, this summer at the opening night of our local criterium series in Lafayette Park, during the Cat 1 race the guy in first place after the first couple of laps had a lead of several lengths, he rode past the huge crowd at the start/ finish line and turned completely sideways from the waste up and was motioning to the crowd for cheers and support by waving his arms in an upward motion, kind of like flapping them like a bird but with his palms up. He was a tall broad shouldered guy and was HEAVING his arms up in the air again and again just grinning. Now, that would have been no big deal while sitting in a chair, but he was flying down the course sideways on a bike doing 30! My jaw just dropped! The whole place just went crazy! I think that was the coolest part of the races.
But check this out, this summer at the opening night of our local criterium series in Lafayette Park, during the Cat 1 race the guy in first place after the first couple of laps had a lead of several lengths, he rode past the huge crowd at the start/ finish line and turned completely sideways from the waste up and was motioning to the crowd for cheers and support by waving his arms in an upward motion, kind of like flapping them like a bird but with his palms up. He was a tall broad shouldered guy and was HEAVING his arms up in the air again and again just grinning. Now, that would have been no big deal while sitting in a chair, but he was flying down the course sideways on a bike doing 30! My jaw just dropped! The whole place just went crazy! I think that was the coolest part of the races.
01-20-06, 06:37 PM
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I have a 63.5 cm cyclocross frame and I can't ride with my hands off the bars and sit up straight on the seat.
I have a 63 cm Litespeed Ultimate and I can take my hands off the bars and sit up straight.
I believe the difference is caused by trail.
I have a 63 cm Litespeed Ultimate and I can take my hands off the bars and sit up straight.
I believe the difference is caused by trail.
01-20-06, 06:39 PM
#60
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i'm a professional.
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01-20-06, 06:42 PM
#61
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Originally Posted by Warblade
i can ride forever without my hands, even up hills (some of then that is).
I ride no handed on my rollers to take drink breaks. That freaks the wife out real bad.
01-20-06, 06:48 PM
#62
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I can ride no hands all I want on my road bicycle, no problem. On my MTB, can't do it anymore after a fall. Must have bent the fork or something. BTW, I'm 54.
01-20-06, 07:11 PM
#63
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I dont understand why people cant ride with no hands. I've been doing ever since i was about 5 years old and can do it for miles. I can steer with no hands and ride no handed wheelies on my MTB. It realy comes down to your balance and how comfortable you are on the bike.
01-20-06, 07:17 PM
#64
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How about standing up (knees straight, pedal arms parallel with the ground) with no hands? I did this a lot on a BMX bike. I can still do it on the road bike, but not as well.
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01-20-06, 07:21 PM
#65
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<<<Mountain Bike with Slicks No Handed Master.
Since I was like, six.
I've recently started working on road bikes.
Since I was like, six.
I've recently started working on road bikes.
01-20-06, 07:22 PM
#66
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Originally Posted by dog hair
i'm a professional.
01-20-06, 07:30 PM
#67
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depends on the bike.
On my serotta I can ride no hands on the road, on rollers and have been
working on turning my shoulders (to stretch my back). On my de Reus
not easily, that bike likes to remind me to pay attention or it will dump
me uncerimoniously on my butt.
When I was first trying to ride no handed I was watching a girl in
front of me at ride for the roses, she just sat up, no hesitation.
It was like a light going on, just sit up and pedal.
marty
On my serotta I can ride no hands on the road, on rollers and have been
working on turning my shoulders (to stretch my back). On my de Reus
not easily, that bike likes to remind me to pay attention or it will dump
me uncerimoniously on my butt.
When I was first trying to ride no handed I was watching a girl in
front of me at ride for the roses, she just sat up, no hesitation.
It was like a light going on, just sit up and pedal.
marty
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01-20-06, 09:10 PM
#68
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Great advice everyone. I have been inspired to try it. I'll start slowly, maybe just for a few seconds on my trainer.
01-20-06, 09:19 PM
#69
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Originally Posted by daytonian
+1
I ride no handed on my rollers to take drink breaks. That freaks the wife out real bad.
I ride no handed on my rollers to take drink breaks. That freaks the wife out real bad.
01-21-06, 02:38 AM
#70
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I ride ountain bikes...
But anyhow I didn't have a car- or a job- for awhile and had to just ride everywhere. So I learned to do everything with no hands. I can ride for as long as I want, turn corners, go off curbs, and even ride off road with no hands. I can do all this stuff, too:
-Eat a burge, fries, and shake
-Take a sweatshirt out of my backback and put it on
-Tie my shoe
-Light a cigarrette and keep the wind off of it
-Clean my glasses
-Tracstand for just a few seconds
-Stand up and stretch
-Change the cd and even batteries in my CD player
-Read a magazine
I know that probably sounds outlandish, but I just kind of did it out of neccessity. I spent about a year just waking up, getting on my bike, and then coming home and going to sleep. So doing all that stuff just came natural. I think that's also why I have a pretty good spin now, too.
But anyhow I didn't have a car- or a job- for awhile and had to just ride everywhere. So I learned to do everything with no hands. I can ride for as long as I want, turn corners, go off curbs, and even ride off road with no hands. I can do all this stuff, too:
-Eat a burge, fries, and shake
-Take a sweatshirt out of my backback and put it on
-Tie my shoe
-Light a cigarrette and keep the wind off of it
-Clean my glasses
-Tracstand for just a few seconds
-Stand up and stretch
-Change the cd and even batteries in my CD player
-Read a magazine
I know that probably sounds outlandish, but I just kind of did it out of neccessity. I spent about a year just waking up, getting on my bike, and then coming home and going to sleep. So doing all that stuff just came natural. I think that's also why I have a pretty good spin now, too.
01-21-06, 03:07 AM
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Originally Posted by C4Byke
I like your two last sentences chuck- is that a quote or can I quote you?
01-21-06, 05:28 AM
#72
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I heard somewhere that, simply put, the greater the angle of the fork, the greater the control one has in a "hands off" mode. It this true?
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01-21-06, 05:33 AM
#73
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You know I can only ride with no hands for significant portions of time on my road bike. I cannot do teh same on my mtn bike. For me, I used my butt to follow the front, but it really hard to do with the mtn bike.
01-21-06, 05:41 AM
#74
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Originally Posted by The Fixer
Oh that's a piece of cake......(on a fixie... 
)
)
01-21-06, 05:47 AM
#75
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Not a professional...
Can do it on BMX, MTB, road bike. It's a nice thing to sit up and give your back/shoulders a stretch every once in a while.
Can do it on BMX, MTB, road bike. It's a nice thing to sit up and give your back/shoulders a stretch every once in a while.