Riding hands-free without losing skin
The Lead Out
Being a bit ‘unco’ I’ve always found riding ‘no hands’ a bit of challenge. However, as I’ve been doing pilates and yoga for my bad back, I’ve found it a lot easier. Core strength seems to have other benefits. Here’s list of other practice exercises that I’ve read about that are supposed to help you
The Breakaway
Basically it’s about practice and confidence. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel. Soon you’ll be able to ‘look at me Mom, no hands’ without this happening.
http://youtu.be/WAFs_IuG22Y – more proof that GoPro encourages young men of all ages to do stupid things 🙂
Also you really want to avoid doing this at the finish of a race -> http://youtu.be/yGcTCJxnQuI
The Peloton
So here’s the exercise:
- Ride in a gear that allows you to keep a steady cadence and a static upper body. In real-world situations, you’ll want to keep pedalling. To build balance skills, practice while coasting down a slight grade, with plenty of space around you.
- Sit upright with your pedals level and your hands on the top of the bar.
- Shift your weight onto your feet. Keep your butt light and remove all weight from your hands. Let your palms barely rest on the bar, as if they aren’t there.
- Steer and balance by subtly moving your hips from side to side. Keep your hands touching the bar for security, but resist the urge to use it for control.
- When you feel more confident, take your hands off the bar. Lift them further away and for longer periods, and experiment with sitting up and pedalling. Soon your balance will improve, and you’ll be sitting up, hands free and able to change clothes, unwrap an energy bar or do that victory salute!
But remember its really important to keep count of the laps when doing your salute 🙂 -> http://youtu.be/Sci6Y4COzCI, lest you look like a dill.