Tip #15: Drink responsibly
Jul 12
2007
2007
Can you grab and replace your water bottle without looking down and taking your eyes off the road?
Practice until you can.
Comments
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so what really is the trick to riding with no hands? i’ve never really had the balls to try it but it seems so easy for those who can do it.
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I felt the same way. It’s easy. Roll your spine straight, starting with your hips, then keep your shoulders down and back.
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Road bikes, generally, are designed to be able to track gracefully forward without pressure on the head tube created by your hands and arms. It’s the reason why you don’t have the sensation of fighting your bike through every corner in a crit. Without sounding too Yoda, what I can tell you is to trust your bike. If you have to ask about whether or not you can do it after attempting it and failing, chances are you’ve got some equipment issues you might need to address…a loose or bad headset is the first place to look. A good opportunity to practice this skill is by winning a race. The one-arm salute looks acceptable in heavy traffic, and is perfectly justifiable, but it really doesn’t give the crowd the release they’re waiting for that the two-arm presentation provides. Your compulsion will be to gesture accordingly, and, voila! You’re riding with no hands!
Jul 12
2007
8:11 pm
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Yes! I saw the worst solo crash I’ve ever seen at Proctor for this very reason.
Along the same lines, practice riding your road bike off-road one-handed…and no-handed. You should be able to handle bumps and potholes without two hands on the handlebars.