Admission:- I can't ride no hands !

[Jody]

I replaced the 90mm stem it came with for a 110mm, it's a mountain bike, but I very rarely go off road, I made it more suitable for road riding, and was pleasantly surprised when I lifted my hands off the bars that I could steer hands free like I used to:

Stem length has no relevance to riding no hands

 

[Salty seadog]

Always been able to do it, putting on gloves or or a pocket jacket etc, last year I tried a first for me though, on a downhill so no need to pedal I stood up on the pedals no handed. Chuffed.

 

[BoldonLad]

I used to be able to when I was young.................
.

Oh dear.... that is so true, of so many things

 

[Brandane]

Would you say the same thing about jumping a Red light?

Actually; yes I would as long as it is done with a touch of common sense ... But at the risk of bringing the thread down even further, there are certain freedoms afforded to cyclists which are not enjoyed by vehicle drivers, in recognition of the fact that the chances are we are only going to hurt ourselves if/when things go pear shaped. For instance we can ride a bike after a visit to the pub and as long as we're not stupidly drunk then it is legal. Do we really want to be legislated to the same degree as motorists? A very dangerous road to go down IMHO... Long live the freedom of the bicycle rider; it is one of the main attractions for me!

 

[Maenchi]

Stem length has no relevance to riding no hands

yeah sure never really said it did , just that I found that with a longer stem I could. this is where someone on here will get all scientific on it with geometry ect;
(i'm not suggesting it)

 

[Globalti]

The simple answer is that you are trying to ride no-hands too slowly. The bike needs to be going fast so that gyroscopic force keeps the front wheel stable.

 

[Tim Hall]

The simple answer is that you are trying to ride no-hands too slowly. The bike needs to be going fast so that gyroscopic force keeps the front wheel stable.

Gyroscopic forces don't play much, if any part, in keeping a bike upright, as I understand it. It's more to do with balance and moving the bike around underneath you. There was an experiment on a frozen lake using a bike with contrarotating wheels to balance out gyroscopic forces, although I can't find a link right now.

 

[pjd57]

When I was 10 I could do everything but stop , no hands.
Corners , circles , downhill, uphill no bother.

Now I wouldn't even try.

 

[Jenkins]

So long as there's no traffic or cross winds to upset the balance, it's easy.

Wheelies on the other hand...

 

[Sharky]

What's that old joke I heard when I was a kid ...

Child riding round the block.
- First time - "Look Dad - No hands"
- Second time - "Look Dad - No feet"
- Third time -

"Look Dad - No teeth"

 

[raleighnut]

I used to be able to ride 'no handed' but somehow lost the ability probably at around 40 (a long while ago anyway) and this was on the same bike I've owned since 1980 (and been riding since 1976) Funnily enough I saw my cousin Graham, who's bike it is really, last weekend and he was asking about it. It'll be the Carltons 50th birthday in 2018.

 

[DanZac]

I find the bike makes a big difference. My touring set up I can happily ride no handed complete with bar bags, panniers and all the other junk.
My road bike on the other hand tends to start to shimmy at about 16-17 mph which seems to be about the best speed for balancing it. It's still possible but I need to rest a knee on the top tube which stops the shimmy, obviously you can't then peddle so it' only possible down hill. What's that all about?

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

And I've never actually figured out what bunny hops are.

 

[Ajax Bay]

so that gyroscopic force keeps the front wheel stable.

Gyroscopic forces don't play much, if any part, in keeping a bike upright

Tim - can't you recognise a G-i wind up when you read it?

 

[SuperHans123]

Occasionally when I am on a cycle track and need to do a button up or something.