Klein

So 20 years ago I had an old Raleigh steel bike in college. I could ride it all day, no matter what the road surface, with no hands. 3 months ago I get into riding again with an aluminum bike and a feeling that there is noway I can do this no hands thing. So I'm watching COT and they are doing it at 28 mph while eating a snack. So during my ride yesterday, I relaxed sat back got comfy with no hands. Pedaling is another issue. My sit bone is in a different position since I'm upright and it wobbles on the seat.

Anyways, is it just me or was riding with no hands easier back in the day of steel bikes?

bdcheung

RIding with no hands is easier on bikes with relaxed geometry because the overall wheelbase is longer, meaning more stability, and your weight is distributed more rearward.

DiabloScott

It's easier with the laid back touring kind of steering geometry your old bike probably had. Also easier with heavier wheels. Key is to get your weight off the front wheel as you noticed.

3MTA3

it's also easier when you ride all the time.

Road Fan

I find I can no-hand any bike I have that is aligned and the headset is good. I really don't think geometry comes into it. Control can become a bit more touchy if the amount of trail is low (50mm compared to 60mm). I've taken two of my bikes that I could not no-hand, had them aligned, and found newly perfect no-handing capability. One had 50 mm trail (a '80s Trek) and one had 60mm trail (a US classic Masi).

I agree with sitting back. You might want to angle your saddle for better support when sitting up, and if you feel teetery on the saddle, it might be too narrow.

I tried both a 130 mm and a 143 mm Alias. On the 130 my sit bones felt like both were at teh edges of the saddle. By comparison the 143 gave me a nice platform with no tendency to tip off it.

You might need to adjust or widen your saddle.

caloso

I find it extremely easy to ride my FG handsless but I'm not sure if that's because I'm constantly pedaling or because it might have a slightly slacker geometry.

yogi13

A couple of years ago I passed George Hincapie on a local bike path. No, I'm not that fast, he was noodling along on what looked like a recovery ride, riding no hands pulling off a windshirt, stowing it in a jersey pocket...while going around some fairly tight curves on a much better line than I could do steering. They're pros not only because they can ride fast.

Surferbruce

i find different saddles effect my no hands comfort a lot.

stapfam

On that Geometry. First road bike was an OCR- relaxed geometry bike. No way can I ride that no hands. Next was race geometry and I can do it. I have an idea that it is weight distribution. Getting back in the saddle (And I have tried it on the OCR and still can't do it) and getting weight off the front wheel seems to work for me.

Another point is that the OCR is a smaller frame- so perhaps I just have too much weight too far forward on the smaller frame.

Barese Rider

Im with the OP 25 years later I have a more difficult time riding no hands, now to the point that I dont trust it.

rooftest

I've found that the more I ride, my balance just gets better on its own.

At the TOC yesterday, I saw a guy on the final laps in the back of a three man group (they were off the back) taking his wind-vest off at full speed. That was pretty cool.

SKYLAB

It has helped me a lot in riding handless to look up the road at some distant object. Get my mind off the bike underneath me and let my legs do the "thinking".

grahny

+1 to different saddles helping. Saddles directly affect control of the bike, like handlebars. Also, the more you ride, the better your overall handling gets, the easier riding sans hands becomes.

That being said, taking a vest off/putting one on while riding isn't that hard... it's easier if you're going faster too. There's technique in everything (such as putting it on correctly to prevent it from getting sucked into your rear wheel).

caloso

Last year my team did a clinic for Cat 4 and 5 riders. One of the drills was just riding around and putting on and taking off our vests or jackets. Like anything, it's a skill that you have to practice.

Cdy291

I am pretty good, not great with doing things with both hands off the bars. But what really gets me is how pro sprinters can sprint wide open to the line, sit at just the right time and raise both hands in the air, and still win. Any time I sprint that hard my head is to googly to be that coordinated.

bikeybikebike

there's your problem -->

Klein

Thank you!

I don't think these people know what a steel bike is!!

Klein

Yes... a Cat whatever needs to know. I'm just a dip that used ride no hands down a railroad track.

BarryJo

As long as I have a good speed and cadance going, I have no problems riding hands free (on any of my bikes) to use both hands to gesture to the jerk drivers that either cut me off, or lean on their horn and try and ride me off the side of the road not understanding the concept of sharing the roads with bikes.

edit: but I still can't ride hands free to remove a water bottle for a drink..... It must be an adrenaline thing.

the beef

Steer with your crotch and the pedals. It's not too hard, really. You also should focus on not putting too much weight on your handlebars - some people have a deathgrip on the bars which makes it difficult to go no-handed.

Me, I learned how to ride no-handed on a $50 steel Magna with a totally misaligned headset (it constantly veered right). When I get on a bike that's properly set up it's a breeze.

DannoXYZ 

I steer by bending my hips to one side or the other. You feel more pressure on one sit-bone than the other. Kinda like hitting the left/right buttons on a Playstation controller.

fogrider

yeah, try not to steer with your hands...turn by leaning the bike and not turning the handlebars. once you get the feel of that...hands free should be easy.

X-LinkedRider

It took me a couple days to get back into no hands pedaling. Try it on tour with lots of unbalanced weight... Lots of fun. Makes doing it with nothing a snap.

unterhausen

I'm still riding the same bike I was 28 years ago. It definitely is something that comes with practice. Which was something I knew 30 years ago. I stopped riding much for 10 years and riding no hands was pretty much impossible when I restarted.

racin jasin

same here,but i am just more fearful now of crashing!