Teach yourself how to ride no-handed, and practice the skill often! You've seen every bike racer do it as they cross the finish line first. Hands completely off the handlebars, outstretched arms and an ear-to-ear smile as big as last month's cresent moon. The "look Mom-No Hands!" bike finish celebration is as ubiquitous as energy bars and lycra at every amateur and professional bike race in the world.
Columbia-HTC rider Andre Greipel from Germany reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the last stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race over 110 kilometers (68 miles) with start in Rivas-Vaciamadrid and finish in Madrid, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
However, cyclists learn this skill primarily because it's a drag to always have to pull over to a complete stop whenever you need to make a wardrobe adjustment or get that last gel packet from a sticky jersey pocket.
If you're like most amateur cyclists, and you don't race bikes, you likely haven't ridden no-handed since you were in junior high school, when you wanted to impress your friends and prove you could do it, and now you can't think of a reason why you'd need to.
However, teaching yourself to safely and efficiently ride no-handed is an important skill for any amateur bike rider--especially as fall approaches, so that you can safely accomplish essential tasks while riding on easy terrain! Here's how:
First, remember to always use common sense when riding with or without hands. Riding without hands is more dangerous than riding with both hands firmly on the bars. You will need to be more alert of road hazards, and you will only want to ride this way for short periods of time. It's your body, your bike, and your responsibility to decide whether or not you want to ride without hands, and you need to be smart about trying it. It's never smart to ride downhill without both hands on the bars, and it's never smart to ride without both hands on the bars when you're in traffic, or in the midst of an unpredictable pace line. You also should never ride no-handed on technical trails, or while test riding your buddy's brand new all-carbon Pinarello!
Second, riding no-handed can be easy if you remember to incorporate a few simple truths:
1.) Never make cell phone calls while riding your bike--it's stupidly dangerous and illegal in many areas; 2.) Slight uphill grade on open, trafficless pavement (maximum of 4%) is the easiest terrain to ride without hands, because your pedal stroke keeps the chain taut, the riding surface is consistent, and the bike will naturally want to maintain a straighter line; 3.) Look alertly ahead, not down at the front wheel or top tube; 4.) Pedal the bike for greater balance, stability and control; 5.) Take your hands completely off the bars, and sit up straight, letting your pedaling control the bike--it's very difficult to ride no handed with your chest and arms close to the top tube; and 6.) After you've quickly put on the jacket, eaten your energy bar, or stretched a bit, get your hands back on those bars!
Notice in the photo below how Alejandro Valverde's perfect no-handed technique (Alert eyes up and forward; sitting up straight; pedaling on slight uphill/flat pavement; without a lot of other racers around him; for a brief amount of time) facilitates his need to eat and zip his jacket while on the bike. He's perfectly efficient, as he continues toward his first place finish in the September 2009 Tour of Spain bike race, which concluded yesterday.
Caisse d'Epargne rider Alejandro Valverde from Spain wearing his overall leader yellow jersey rides during the ninteenth stage of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race over 179 kilometers with A start in Avila and finish in La Granja, Spain, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
[Of course, no bike ride, and no fall from a bike is ever 100% safe, and you should not attempt riding a bike or falling from a bike, unless you can do so safely. Also, neither the Examiner, nor this author are responsible in any way, shape, or form, for your individual choices and actions. REMEMBER TO BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR BODY AND YOUR BIKE!]
[Be sure to read Part 2 of this article at: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-20082-SF-Cycling-Examiner~y2009m9d22-First-Day-of-Fall-2009-Part-2--Fall-back-in-love-with-cycling-this-fall]
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