I have been practicing riding no-hands.
No, I'm not going to start doing stupid stunts. I really don't care to crash, into a car or onto the pavement.
But I am interested in improving my balance . . . and learning to bike no-hands sure does seem to help.
Here's a dirty little secret about aging: unless you work at it, your sense of balance deteriorates. It's part of your sense of proprioception. Having a good sense of balance is essential, and we oftentimes don't appreciate it until we've lost it.
In my late couch potato days, I noticed a definite decline in my balance. When I started biking again, I was sometimes a little ungainly. OK, I still am, sometimes; we all are when the ol' foot won't come out of the pedal clip.
But I have noticed my sense of balance improving in the last year or two. I think it's my cycling, as well as the work I've been doing with my core back and ab muscles for the last year, post-surgery.* For example, when I come to a stoplight, I'm often able to balance for a bit, if it looks like the light is about to turn green. I couldn't really do that 3 - 4 years ago.
I have been trying the no-hands thing now, intermittently, for about 2 - 3 weeks. At first, I just lifted my hands about an inch from the handlebars for a few pedal-turns. Then, I'd pull them away a little more, and I'd try it while coasting, too.
Two things about no-hands balance:
- The further back your weight is on the bike, the more stable you are, and the less the front wheel wobbles. So, lean back, rather than forward.
- Balancing no-hands really requires you to use your core muscles. A lot.
I did about 26 miles this morning. I did a few no-hands intervals (on smooth, flat roads with NO traffic). I felt confident enough, for the first time, to put my hands at my sides. It's getting easier, every time I practice.
Not bad for an old lady.
I don't think I'm going to be able to juggle water bottles, a musette, and a rain jacket like the Tour boys do . . . but an ever-improving sense of balance on the bike can't help but be a benefit.
*Microdiscectomy, L4 (or was it L5?), 5/4/04. Recovery: 100%.
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