Riding no hands?

[fastpedaller]

I was told a couple of years ago that there is an hour record for no-hands riding (on the track of course). I wonder if it's one long overdue to be broken?

[The utility cyclist]

I think you either get the no handed thing or you don't, many a time when I've been back to my city of birth where there are a lot of shift workers who go by bike (yup no lights, three abreast and still it's not those types that get killed/injured) and see a youngish guy on a bike with a phone crooked under the neck and a rizla + baccy rolling them up. Funnily enough these types rarely if ever seem to crash either.

I rarely have the need to go no handed but it's nice to stretch out sometimes whilst on the move or sit up and take a swig/munch of something, I used to be quite adept at steering with no hands and the furthest I cycled sans hands on bars was something around 6-7 miles as a teen on the quiet roads of the East Riding towards the coast. probably not many situations now where I could get away with doing that even if I could.

[Mick F]

I remember cycling to work in the mid 70s in the winter with cold hands.
I would put them in my pockets and ride no hands for the last mile or so.

That bike was easy to ride no hands.

[Thornyone]

So it seems that I should have learnt this trick about 50 years ago. I must say that I was almost tempted to try it yesterday on a flat, smooth bit of empty cycle track. But it was a canal towpath, not far from where I took an involuntary “dip” a few years ago (that was a “tramlining” accident, not sheer stupidity ). Sense prevailed.

[thirdcrank]

So it seems that I should have learnt this trick about 50 years ago. I must say that I was almost tempted to try it yesterday on a flat, smooth bit of empty cycle track. But it was a canal towpath, not far from where I took an involuntary “dip” a few years ago (that was a “tramlining” accident, not sheer stupidity ). Sense prevailed.

I think it's as much about confidence as anything. I fancy that being all tensed up won't make it any easier. If you are keen to do it but cautious about trying, you need that rare setting - a quiet, smooth surface where there's no question of the legality of riding a bike hands on or off. Having found an ideal spot, just ride off, relax and sit up. It really is as easy as that.

[JakobW]

Just don't try it on a Long John/Bakfiets-type cargo bike (voice of experience - thankfully it was at low speed, so no harm done...); Brompton's don't much like it either.

My tourer is much happier riding no hands than my Dutch town bike, which is convenient, as I'm more likely to want to sit up and stretch/peel a banana/open a flapjack when riding long distances.

[thirdcrank]

I think the test of the bike might be to try to wheel it in a straight line holding only the saddle. If the steering flops about, that might be a danger sign. Also, riding no hands you can steer round a corner just by leaning and I think the same would apply to wheeling it holding the saddle, although I don't remember trying.