# What's wrong with me. I can't ride with no hands!



## SteveD (Feb 18, 2004)

I don't get it. I feel like such a spaz because I can't ride no-handed.

Yesterday I was out for an easy recovery ride and overdressed a bit. On a very quiet side street I unstrapped my helmet to take off my hat. I hung the helmet on my brake hoods and stuffed the hat in my jacket pocket. All this was done with one hand on the bars while riding. When it came time to put the helmet back on my head and buckle the strap with both hands, I had to really concentrate to keep my line. Twice I had to dive back to the bars because I was veering all over the place. What am I doing wrong?

As background, I'm 6'3" and ride about 5000 miles a year. I can do a trackstand without problems, but can only ride no handed when going faster than 15 mph, and even then I lack confidence. This problem persists whether I'm riding my road bike, cross bike or fixed gear bike. 

Lately, after my rides I've been practising riding without hands as I ride through my neighborhood back to the house, but I'm deathly afraid I'll take a dive in front of my kids and their teenage friends ; -) I don't think I could ever live that down...


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## bimini (Jul 2, 2003)

*Could be your seat position*

I like a forward seat position and found that I have to get way back on the seat to ride no handed on my racing bike. If I'm forward of this "way back" position, the bike is iffy but once I'm back into the position things smooth out. If I'm on a bike with a more relaxed setup and seat position I have no problem riding no handed.



SteveD said:


> I don't get it. I feel like such a spaz because I can't ride no-handed.
> 
> Yesterday I was out for an easy recovery ride and overdressed a bit. On a very quiet side street I unstrapped my helmet to take off my hat. I hung the helmet on my brake hoods and stuffed the hat in my jacket pocket. All this was done with one hand on the bars while riding. When it came time to put the helmet back on my head and buckle the strap with both hands, I had to really concentrate to keep my line. Twice I had to dive back to the bars because I was veering all over the place. What am I doing wrong?
> 
> ...


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## Trekkie (Dec 31, 2004)

SteveD said:


> I don't get it. I feel like such a spaz because I can't ride no-handed.
> 
> Yesterday I was out for an easy recovery ride and overdressed a bit. On a very quiet side street I unstrapped my helmet to take off my hat. I hung the helmet on my brake hoods and stuffed the hat in my jacket pocket. All this was done with one hand on the bars while riding. When it came time to put the helmet back on my head and buckle the strap with both hands, I had to really concentrate to keep my line. Twice I had to dive back to the bars because I was veering all over the place. What am I doing wrong?
> 
> ...


I've been struggling a bit with that too on my new road bike. I think, based on personal experience and observation, it's difficult for anyone to go no handed under 15. part of what allows you to do it is your forward momentum, and you only ever see the pros doing it going at a liesurely (ha) 25 or so. They even climb at or above 15 sometimes.

As for substantive advice, try these. Make sure you keep pedaling. Even if you're going slowly, try not to spin. That just throws your balance off. Try using a higher cog and make yourself push. Another thing you may try is getting your pedals on an even plane and hugging he top tube with your knees, but this generally works better at higher speeds. Also, try going no handed down hills (preferably w/o turns, if you know what I mean) and gradually decrease the slope of the hill you choose (which will in turn decrease your speed so you can get more honed in) until you get down to flat road. Otherwise, strap that puppy to a trainer and go nuts.

As for your teenage kids and their friends, well, I'm a teenager and I'll tell you what. Even teenagers who ride (me and my friends) would laugh, so it's not a non-rider thing so much as we're just obnoxious pains in the arse, so don't feel bad.

Hope this helps, and may the schwartz be with you (this seems like a logical application)

Ben


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## biknben (Jan 28, 2004)

It is easier when going faster. The wheels and cranks (if spinning) are gyroscopes that keep the bike stable. The faster you go, the greater the effect. It is common to have problems riding without hands if you are going slow.

Other things: A large bike frame can be more difficult to control. Once it begins to lean in a given direction, it takes more body english to get it back on line. Conversely, a small frame will be very twitchy, wanting to go in every which way.

A strong core will help you in riding without hands. This would allow you to steer the bike by shifting your weight and making slight upper body movements. After I starting pounding the core exercises, I found this to be much easier.


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## biknben (Jan 28, 2004)

bimini said:


> I like a forward seat position and found that I have to get way back on the seat to ride no handed on my racing bike.


Reason...

As you lean backward you are unweighting the front of the bike. Therefore, your movements have less influence on steering. 

A good skills exercise is to take your hands off the bars but remain in a aero postion.


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

*Practice....*

Your positioning on the bike may provide the biggest obstacle in being able to ride "no-handed". Converse to bimini, I find that riding further back seems to take weight off of the front and makes the front end more.... instable, so often, when riding no handed for things like "helmet fastening" type activities is to lean <u>slightly</u> forward. To me, it seems that different bikes have different "sweet spots", its just a matter of finding yours.

Other than that, practice will make perfect, or well... practice will make you feel more comfortable in that you will start to notice the minute balance changes your bike makes as you pedal, shift in the saddle, move about. Once you start to notice, you will learn how to pedal or shift to straighten it out. 

Best of luck.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

I've found it's more the bike than the rider. I always had trouble on my old road bike, a Softride Solo. When I started riding my current bike, a Raleigh Professional, I had no problem. I didn't change but my bike and my bikes geometry changed. Slower speeds do make it more difficult but I have no problem at 15mph now, whereas I couldn't do it at almost any speed on the Solo.


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## SteveD (Feb 18, 2004)

Mel Erickson said:


> I've found it's more the bike than the rider. I I didn't change but my bike and my bikes geometry changed.



It seems that my bikes' geometry may be part of my problem then. All my bikes have pretty laid back seat angles. My Merckx has a 72 degree angle which puts my weight farther back, especially when I sit upright.

I'll try leaning slightly forward as The Funk has suggested and see how that works.


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

*Completely agree...*

To what Ben and Mel said. I believe the more laid back the seat tube, the harder it is, so you need to lean slightly forward. Of my more aggressive geometry, like my Fondriest and my old 2.8 and 3.0 Cannondales back in the day, I could ride no handed all day, but with my Lemond and Look, its a bit more difficult, but not impossible (unless its windy, and the wind buffets the aero rims and bladed spokes all over the place).


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

LIke this?


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

*Check your headset*

A slight misadjustment (tight or loose) makes no hands riding nearly impossible.


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## SteveD (Feb 18, 2004)

*Exactly!*



filtersweep said:


> LIke this?


I saw that photo in the thread below and had to laugh...

I can't even imagine that. No handlebars, and no brakes. YIKES.


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Check the Bike............*

Lot's of good advice here, but I had one bike that I couldn't ride no handed on to save my life, drove me nuts. Finally, I took it somewhere and put it on a frame jig.........alignment was off.

Some frames have tighter alignment standards that others.

Bikes with a lower BB also tend to be easier to ride no handed.

Len


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## Cerddwyr (Jul 26, 2004)

Trekkie said:


> I've been struggling a bit with that too on my new road bike. I think, based on personal experience and observation, it's difficult for anyone to go no handed under 15. part of what allows you to do it is your forward momentum, and you only ever see the pros doing it going at a liesurely (ha) 25 or so. They even climb at or above 15 sometimes.
> 
> As for substantive advice, try these. Make sure you keep pedaling. Even if you're going slowly, try not to spin. That just throws your balance off. Try using a higher cog and make yourself push. Another thing you may try is getting your pedals on an even plane and hugging he top tube with your knees, but this generally works better at higher speeds. Also, try going no handed down hills (preferably w/o turns, if you know what I mean) and gradually decrease the slope of the hill you choose (which will in turn decrease your speed so you can get more honed in) until you get down to flat road. Otherwise, strap that puppy to a trainer and go nuts.


I think the issue is the gearing. I can ride no hands at 10 miles an hour and slow myself down to under five on my fixie. The key is not the speed, but the amount of force going to the cranks. On my gearie I shift one or two gears higher to ride no hands, and drop my cadence below 80 rpms. To high a gear doesn't work either, but i think you want a gear a little bigger than your 'handed' riding gear for a given speed.

Gordon


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## eastcoastrider (Jun 22, 2004)

it could be a few things, most likely the seats too far foward (like everyone else said), this almost makes you lean foward when riding slower causing you to lose your balance, if you can, try standing, if its easier standing( while grabing the seat w. your legs) then thats probly your problem. another thing that makes riding w. out hands is the rake of the fork, the steeper the angle, the harder it is to balance the bike ( kind like riding a bmx bike with the handle bars backwards) so if you got a fork w. a really steep rake then that could also be part of the problem


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

*Trail*

I think it has a lot to do with the bike's trail, and of course the HTA is a major component in trail. Of my three road bikes I feel more secure no handed on the old 1980 touring style frame with laid back head tube.


Al


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Check the wheels*



Len J said:


> but I had one bike that I couldn't ride no handed on to save my life, drove me nuts. Finally, I took it somewhere and put it on a frame jig.........alignment was off.


Improperly dished wheels can have the same effect as a frame out of alignment.


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

Don't really know if this is your problem but a couple years ago I had the same problem on the custom bike I purchased and I couldn't ride without hands at any speed but it was only with that bike. I moved my saddle back, forward, up and down but didn't do anything. After a few hundred miles I noticed I was stretching a bit so I had my stem replaced with one 2 cm shorter. After that it all went away. I was glad cause I felt like a dufus not being able ride without hands and all these Italians (young and old) pass me going the other way riding with no hands.


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## Guest (Mar 22, 2005)

*another thing that you might have overlooked*

is the brake/shifter housing. if it is too long or too short, it can pull or push the h-bars to one side. make sure this is not the case.


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## AllUpHill (Jan 1, 2002)

I'll add one more to the grab-bag of theories. Wheel weight, specifically the rims and tires. Less rotational inertia means a weaker gyroscopic effect. 

What wheels are you riding? I can ride no-handed in my sleep with my porky training wheels and tires on. With my light clinchers, Bontrager Race-X-Lites, and light tires like veloflex paves, I can do it but it takes considerably more concentration and a higher speed. With my tubular carbon rims, this is magnified even more.


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## wookieontherun (Dec 16, 2002)

why not try riding no hands on rollers first. that way if you fall no big deal.


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## SteveD (Feb 18, 2004)

*No thanks.*



wookieontherun said:


> why not try riding no hands on rollers first. that way if you fall no big deal.


I heard of a guy who once drifted off his rollers and broke two things:
1. His collarbone, and
2. His TV

And I was afraid of living down a fall in front of my teenage sons and their friends


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## SteveD (Feb 18, 2004)

*Look Ma! No Hands!*

Thanks for all your responses. Yesterday after my ride I spent a good half hour riding through my neighborhood with no hands. Two things in partcular helped me.
1. I increased my gearing and pedalled at a slow cadence.
2. I rotated my hips forward a bit so that my weight was not so far back.

Wow, what a difference. I'm still not ready to ride down the Stelvio Pass playing an acordian, but I think I'll definately be able to fasten my helmet straps with confidence.


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## AlexCad5 (Jan 2, 2005)

*It's Geometery, rake and the resulting trail*



funknuggets said:


> To what Ben and Mel said. I believe the more laid back the seat tube, the harder it is, so you need to lean slightly forward. Of my more aggressive geometry, like my Fondriest and my old 2.8 and 3.0 Cannondales back in the day, I could ride no handed all day, but with my Lemond and Look, its a bit more difficult, but not impossible (unless its windy, and the wind buffets the aero rims and bladed spokes all over the place).


 Conversly I have always had difficulty on my Cannondale and not on the Look. But the Cannondale HAD a 45 degree rake and a long stem. I have gone to a 43 degree rake and a shorter stem and handling has stablized.


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## jxl (Jan 19, 2005)

SteveD said:


> I don't get it. I feel like such a spaz because I can't ride no-handed.
> 
> Yesterday I was out for an easy recovery ride and overdressed a bit. On a very quiet side street I unstrapped my helmet to take off my hat. I hung the helmet on my brake hoods and stuffed the hat in my jacket pocket. All this was done with one hand on the bars while riding. When it came time to put the helmet back on my head and buckle the strap with both hands, I had to really concentrate to keep my line. Twice I had to dive back to the bars because I was veering all over the place. What am I doing wrong?
> 
> ...


As a former BMX racer and part-time BMX freestyler I know your fear. 

If you're going to practice riding no-handed, start first with no hands while coasting at decent speed (15 mph or so) with the cranks parallel with the ground. Once you get comfortable doing that then add the peddling. 

Also you need to learn to steer the bike with your ass. This sounds stupid I know, but since your ass is going to be the only thing on the bike when riding no handed you have no other choice. You can accomplish this by clinching your butt cheeks together and bringing your thighs in tight near the seat-use this technique when practicing no hands while coasting. Then, once you start peddling you still have to clinch your butt cheeks. 

Hope this helps. 

P.S. Once you master this let me know and I'll tell you how to ride with no hands and no feet--while in mid-air about six feet off the ground. You'll go down a couple of times trying to master this, but the rush will be incredible if you ever complete it _sans_ crashing--also, you'll have to buy a BMX bike.


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## Hardy Cyclamens (Mar 21, 2005)

Bikes track a straight line because of "rocker" geometry in the fork/headset. The way this works is that steering the front wheel side to side actually raises the front of the bike slightly. So, weight over the front wheel pushes downward and the downward push causes the wheel to seek the lowest point in the "rocker" -- which is straight ahead. 

Automobiles use "rocker" in steering geometry, which is why when you let go of the steering wheel the tires align straight ahead. 

But racing bike geometry these days is more inclined toward sensitive response than a "comfortable rocker" -- forks are getting straighter, headsets are more steeply angled. This makes fast steering easier, but riding with no hands more difficult. 

Speed helps keep the wheel aligned forward. This is gyroscopic effect. Weight on the front wheel should help too -- push down on the "rocker" but frame geometry may conspire to unbalance and malign the bike if weight is moved radically forward. This is why the bike handles differently when you stand on the pedals to climb as compared to climbing seated. 

15 mph seems like about the right speed to ride no hands. Slower seems risky. You'll note that the pro's in the sprints raise their arms in a victory salute at the finish line -- Scares the snot out of me to watch, but they're doing some 40 mph or more and therefore very stable gyroscopically. 

And then too, they're pro's. 

I used to be able to ride rollers with no hands, back in the 1960's when we trained on rollers. But now I have a hard time zipping jerseys with both hands. I think being 57 has something to do with all that. Faster bikes, and I'm not as smooth as I used to be.


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