Riding with no hands

[ninjamunky85]

Who here is good at it? I have been practicing since last year and haven't gotten much better at it. I watch racers on tv standing on the pegs pumping their fists in the air after a win and I wish I had could do that too.

This morning I was practicing on my mountain bike while riding around town. I was doing okay but not great if I wasn't pedaling but couldn't make it very long while pedaling. I just can't seem to figure out how to turn with no hands on the bars. I do okay in a straight line, but the bike always want to turn.

So my question is how do you ride with no hands? How do you steer the bike? On a motorcycle how do you maintain speed? Do you shift into neutral? Is it easier on some bikes than others?

I know this isn't a necessary skill to have but it's something I want to learn. BTW I don't have the best balance in the world which doesn't help... So any suggestions?

[psych0hans]

Honestly, unless you have a throttle stop something it's gonna be hard. A bike by its very virtue is a lot more stable at higher speeds than lower speeds. The moment you let go off that throttle, you're gonna reduce speed and become unstable. That's basically my experience. Also, turning is going to be pretty hard without using he bars, because body steering won't turn your bike nearly as much as you would need, it would also slow you down, thus making you unstable again... Hope it makes sense.

[kirk595x]

Ride with the balls of your feet on the pegs and grip the bike with your legs..thid is essential. People run throttle locks or crank up the idle to keep the bike in motion. I do not recommend turning up your idle and be careful if you get a throttle lock, they can get you into trouble if your not careful. I recommend just riding the bike and getting used to its dynamics. Slow speed riding in a parking can help your balance for sure.

[ChaoSS]

Originally Posted by ninjamunky85

Who here is good at it? I have been practicing since last year and haven't gotten much better at it. I watch racers on tv standing on the pegs pumping their fists in the air after a win and I wish I had could do that too.

This morning I was practicing on my mountain bike while riding around town. I was doing okay but not great if I wasn't pedaling but couldn't make it very long while pedaling. I just can't seem to figure out how to turn with no hands on the bars. I do okay in a straight line, but the bike always want to turn.

So my question is how do you ride with no hands? How do you steer the bike? On a motorcycle how do you maintain speed? Do you shift into neutral? Is it easier on some bikes than others?

I know this isn't a necessary skill to have but it's something I want to learn. BTW I don't have the best balance in the world which doesn't help... So any suggestions?

Maintaining speed isn't going to happen on a 250 without a throttle lock. It's easier on a big bike where the revs aren't that high, the engine braking is much less significant.

Steering can be done by shifting your body weight. You can put weight on the pedals, you can lean your body, whatever. On my BMW (an 800 lb bike) I can take it around curves on the freeway without hands, throttle maintained by the cruise control. I regularly take my hands off the bars if there is no traffic around, although when there are other cars in the area I prefer the control afforded by actually keeping my hands where they belong.


BTW, don't shift into neutral, not at any significant speeds. You will not be able to get it back into gear without slowing way down.

[ninjamunky85]

Thanks for the tips, I guess I'll just have to keep practicing.

I did notice the last time that I rode my buddies SS that it didn't slow down as quickly when you let off the throttle.

On the motorcycle I try it sometime when I'm coming to a stop on an empty street. Today though I was trying to ride down the street on my mountain bike with no hands and couldn't make it very far but I know it can be done.

[Jono]

It's hard to do on motorcycles for any extended period of time without a throttle lock or cruise control. You need to maintain speed of be speeding up for it to be stable.

Practice on your bicycle first. It is much safer and cheaper to crash on you mtn bike than a motorcycle. I am pretty good riding with no hands on my mtn bike. Just get at a decent speed and maintain it. And let go. Haha. You will figure it out. You can slightly steer the bike with your body but you need to use your hands to turn properly.

[choneofakind]

Link to original page on YouTube.

[Felipe the Ant]

Link to original page on YouTube.

embed sucks

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by ninjamunky85

.........On the motorcycle I try it sometime when I'm coming to a stop on an empty street. Today though I was trying to ride down the street on my mountain bike with no hands and couldn't make it very far but I know it can be done.

It is feasible in bicycles as long as the reached steering angle is small.
For too big inputs of upper body weight shift, the bike will over-steer, due to the dynamics of the front suspension.
The weight of the bike will make the steering bar go into full lock.

The heavier the bike, the less influential your body weight is: easier to do in a bicycle than in a Harley.

Your sense of balance is key.
Best way to practice is with the bike not rolling, just trying to keep your feet on the pegs as long as possible, just playing with upper-body little shifts and steer bar minute inputs.

I have found this interesting table about the three methods of steering:

http://www.promocycle.com/Tableau3-contrebraquage.html

This is Vulfy, a MotoGymkhana enthusiast from NY:

Link to original page on YouTube.

[choneofakind]

Also, riding a bicycle without hands is much easier at speed than slowly. The faster you go, the more stable it is. 15+ mph is the magic number for me.

[CycleCam303]

I was texting and updating Facebook while pedaling with no hands. @rojoracing53 has a video of me standing up on the ninjette throwing double birds.

I can't explain how I do it on the bicycle. I can stand up with no hands on the bicycle. That's kinda hard. You hold the seat with your legs.

The ninja has that stupid speed wobble, mine went away with the Rosso II up front. But I do no hands all the time. Speed up to like 45 throw the thing in 6th gear and sit in the center of the seat with your back straight. When you get better balance you won't have to stick your arms out to the side. As dumb as it looks it helps.

Standing up with no hands on the ninjette is a wee bit harder. When you stand up set your feet evenly apart. Putting your feet out farther on the peg will weight it and steer you in that direction. Anyway, squeeze the tank with your knees like your trying to walk and hold the gas tank lol and take your hands off and proceed to flip off your friends. Viola

[choneofakind]

^^ love it. I also text while biking (if I'm on a bicycle path vs the road) I can stand also. Just clench the front of the seat with your thighs

The decel wobble at 45-55-ish goes away completely (even with old tires) with tapered bearings. No, I'm not being hacked by old3, it actually works.

[dfox]

Learn on a bicycle first.

You want to be able to pedal and take reasonably sharp turns. It'll teach you the basics in a minimal consequence situation.

It's all about shifting your weight and applying pressure with the inside of your thighs to lean the bike..

Watch for potholes and other inconsistencies in the road that might send the wheel off course.

[ally99]

Bicycles are easy! To turn, just lean the bike up under you. I love turning no handed, but it takes practice. Find one or two wide turns and practice them over and over.

[csmith12]

Step 1, Up the idle speed of your bike, 2500/3000+ rpm will give you "some" stability.

Get up to reasonable speed, upshift one maybe even 2 gears. You will be able to ride without hands for an ok distance. At some point you will have to get back to the throttle.

Make sure you can see everything around you and be safe.

[ChaoSS]

Originally Posted by ninjamunky85

Who here is good at it? I have been practicing since last year and haven't gotten much better at it. I watch racers on tv standing on the pegs pumping their fists in the air after a win and I wish I had could do that too.

This morning I was practicing on my mountain bike while riding around town. I was doing okay but not great if I wasn't pedaling but couldn't make it very long while pedaling. I just can't seem to figure out how to turn with no hands on the bars. I do okay in a straight line, but the bike always want to turn.

So my question is how do you ride with no hands? How do you steer the bike? On a motorcycle how do you maintain speed? Do you shift into neutral? Is it easier on some bikes than others?

I know this isn't a necessary skill to have but it's something I want to learn. BTW I don't have the best balance in the world which doesn't help... So any suggestions?

Stupid question, but how much riding do you do? How much experience do you have? Are you one of these guys with 5000 miles on the clock, ever, and trying to do this?


The reason I ask is that you may just want to get out and ride more. As you ride more, you become more accustomed to the balance, you ride more often with only one hand, and you realize that you really aren't using that hand to balance the bike, just to maintain throttle. You steer with it, but not maintain balance, and at that point, you can take the hand off the bar with no issue.

On the other hand, maybe you have tons of experience and just suck at balance.

[ninjamunky85]

I'm far from an expert, but certainly not a newb either. For sure I've been riding long enough to have picked up this skill. Like I said I don't have the best balance, never have.

I remember trying to learn as a kid, but I think I just gave up cause I could never figure it out. I'm better at it than I used to be but not very good. If I just keep practicing I know I can do it. I'm also trying to learn wheelies on my dirt bike without much luck. Never was very good at those either.

[ChaoSS]

Originally Posted by ninjamunky85

I'm far from an expert, but certainly not a newb either. For sure I've been riding long enough to have picked up this skill. Like I said I don't have the best balance, never have.

I remember trying to learn as a kid, but I think I just gave up cause I could never figure it out. I'm better at it than I used to be but not very good. If I just keep practicing I know I can do it. I'm also trying to learn wheelies on my dirt bike without much luck. Never was very good at those either.

Fair enough, I have about 20,000 miles experience on a motorcycle, but years of experience on a bicycle, though I unfortunately haven't been on one in a long time. I seem to remember wanting to be able to ride with no hands when I was younger, and I could never get it, then when I was older, and I was riding a bike literally everywhere for transportation, it just seemed to come naturally.

That being said, I think that doing it on a motorcycle is easier. Just be careful, making mistakes on the motorcycle has worse consequences.

[choneofakind]

no hands on a bicycle comes really easy with time in the saddle. After you get used to the bike, you just... sit back in the saddle.

[ChaoSS]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

no hands on a bicycle comes really easy with time in the saddle. After you get used to the bike, you just... sit back in the saddle.

I think I had a hard time with it because I always rode a mountain bike with a more aggressive posture, and sitting up and balancing that way, along with the pedaling, made balance hard. It came in time though.

[aeroblade]

Its actually quite easy, I picked it up back when I was a little kid on my bicycle. Its the best way to learn since it more responsive to your movements. Just start off pedaling upto a comfortable speed, say just a tad faster than you can run (unless you weigh 300 pounds and your top speed is 1mph ) and then try letting go of the handlebars for second and then keep on increasing the time delay before you grab hold of it again. I'd recommend not pedaling at first while trying this. It helps you to concentrate more on the task at hand or er..without hands... and once you are comfortable letting go of the handlebars and rolling, then start pedaling. Its as easy as that. I do it all the time esp when my hands are too strained.

Goodluck...

Oh and you have to let your upper body lose,.. let the bike do its thang!!!

[ninjamunky85]

So I've been practicing a little here and there, and am getting pretty good at riding with no hands now. It's easy on the 300, don't know why it seems easier than it did on the 250.

I went on a little 25 mile bicycle ride on Sunday and was pedaling and riding with no hands for at least a few hundred feet. So I'm not an expert, but not doing bad.

[soggybottom]

I frequently forget to strap my helmet on, zip my jacket up, etc. often times I will be no handed while fixing these things. Sometimes at highway speeds. I know it isn't wise, but sometimes I just don't feel like stopping.

There is really nothing to it. If your bike is in good mechanical shape ( no wobbles or vibrations) it should want to stay up at any speed over 15mph, even with no rider.