Riding "no hands"

[Waylander]

How???

And if your bike starts to drift to one side....mine does to the left... does it mean somethings out of alignment??

I think it has more to do with sitting position. I tend to sit to one side of the bike becouse it's uncomfortable sitting on my wallet for any amount of time on the bike. I take it out and put it in my inner jacket pocket for long rides but short blasts I don't bother.

[pyrocam]

you cant turn with no hands?

since ive been trying to notice. I dont think I steer normallt ever. I pretty much just do th countersteering technique on every corner. or on a push bike. just lean into it and the bike does th rest.

Im looking forward to releasing my arse from the 5mm of plastic I have on my seat. on the ride now that I know I can perform this majestic trick.

[Big Dave]

I used to like standing with one foot on the peg, one on the seat and doing Pete townshend power air guitar rolling down college hill.
Mr Plod isn't a big fan of the gig however.

[justsomeguy]

I think it has more to do with sitting position. I tend to sit to one side of the bike becouse it's uncomfortable sitting on my wallet for any amount of time on the bike. I take it out and put it in my inner jacket pocket for long rides but short blasts I don't bother.

Course I took that into consideration. And no it doesn't have anything to do with seating position as you can sit skewed but apply pressure on the opposite side to counter balance... harder but possible.

[Wonko]

I'm playing around more and more with no hands. I can do most of the route from St Helliers to town without hands, but they are never far away from the handles. Takes a bit of getting used to, but I need to place weight on the footpeg eailer in the courner than what expect. IE make the bike lean over before moving your body into the courner.

Standing up is good, with hands on handlebars, helps to make the leather pants sit properly at the knees.

[TwoSeven]

You can steer a bike no hands - I do it often. Its just a different technique.

[Waylander]

You can steer a bike no hands - I do it often. Its just a different technique.

Definatly possible but I don't see how the front tire doesn't just flip around on ya and throw you off the bike. Seen enough stunt vids to know it's possible though.

[Wolf]

OK, the vehicle is a Piagio Vespa, the location is a road winding down the mountainside in Tahiti - riding on right hand side of the road, right next to a steep drop onto the tops of coconut palms and other vegetation. Across the road to the left is a solid wall of rock, punctuated occasionally by steeply sloping driveways letting onto the road. The road, as previously inferred, is steep and winding.

Dramatis personae - or participants, as you may prefer - are Daniel, mine host and rider of said two-wheeled conveyance, and myself - new to Tahiti and very much enjoying my "holiday". As I'm on student exchange, we are actually on our way to school. The bike is winding its way down the hill and I'm looking about, right and left, shifting about on the seat, yabbering away to Daniel about gods-know-what and said something I expected a reply to. When none was forthcoming I repeated the question and peered around him to try and see if he had heard.

That was when I noticed that he was rather preoccupied with fastening his helmet strap - a task for which he was using both hands. His head was canted slightly to allow him to better reach the D-rings so he was only watching the road out of one eye as well.

So, effectively, he was navigating his scooter down a winding road with no hands and simultaneously compensating for a stupid tourist who was bouncing around on the back of the bike like a frog on a gridle.

Needless to say I returned to a rearward, immobile posture toute suite, as they say over there.

Despite the traumatic experience, I became a biker on returning to New Zealand - and vowed that I would not put up with any pillion as bad as I was.

[Waylander]

Damn Wolf. That man had guts!!

[John]

Well seeing as how A) it's from JAPAN!! and B) the last time I tried riding no hands was in the states. So going to the left is away from any ditch. And C) there arn't any ditches on the side of the road in Texas. We have this advanced bit of technolagy called gutters. helps keep water and loose rocks and stuff off the road.

Yea but it got american germs, and was colonised as a democracy with the helpfull hand of bush...

[Waylander]

Yea but it got american germs, and was colonised as a democracy with the helpfull hand of bush...

So are you tryin to imply something about me and my bike? Don't forget I'm older, bigger and prettier than you.

[John]

So are you tryin to imply something about me and my bike? Don't forget I'm older, bigger and prettier than you.

That your both sexy democrats?... nah.. (i will stop the highjacking now).
Dont forget, I actually have a twig and berries

Go wolf that rocked

[Waylander]

That your both sexy democrats?... nah.. (i will stop the highjacking now).

Go wolf that rocked

Actually I'm republican


I wonder where Crashe is. She should have been first in line on this thread.

[John]

Actually I'm republican


I wonder where Crashe is. She should have been first in line on this thread.

I edited the post, please read... Damn republicans get off my damn lawn.

[Wolf]

Damn Wolf. That man had guts!!

Or no fucking imagination. Regrettably, I have an exceptionally good - and lamentably graphic - imagination - hence the alacrity with which I learned to be a far better pillion.

Apparently fastening his helmet on the way down the road was par for the course for him - first and last time he had someone acting like an idiot on the back, tho'...