Look, Ma, No Hands!

(Originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the Dec. 4 to 10, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines)

YOUR Self-Propelled mourns the untimely demise of one of the most respected citizens of Baguio City, Mrs. Leonora Paraan-San Agustin.

Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino perhaps said it best of Mrs. San Agustin, to quote: “(she) . . . was no softie, and she was not one to pamper us by assuring us that we were right and our persecutors wrong; she minced no words about what she thought about my arrogance and in sheer ineptitude at maintaining friendly relations with others; but I listened, harboring neither resentment nor concocting pretext because I knew she was wise, and do listen to her with attentiveness . . . she was a great teacher because of native gifts of intelligence and articulateness.”

-o0o-

PROFESSIONAL cyclists often raise their hands in victory crossing a finish line, but I’ve never had the occasion to do that.

Can you ride bike no-hands? Should you? Well, I believe it is a useful skill, even for us recreational cyclists.

Riding a bike without using your hands may be a pleasurable as well as an exciting obsession. But if proper practice is not done, it can be dangerous for you and to others.

Riding no-hands gives you the chance to do things without necessarily stopping or getting off the bike such as removing your arm warmers or vest, zipping-up your jacket, and cleaning your sunglasses. And while it probably only saves a minute, stopping interrupts your flow and pedaling momentum.

Riding no-hands takes a little technique and confidence to relinquish that control and once mastered, just becomes another practical tool in your skill set: TO USE ONLY AS NEEDED.

So, find a quiet road with no traffic or even an empty parking lot or at a nearby school campus during school breaks or a weekend. Make sure to wear your helmet and gloves in case you do take a tumble.

Pedal away at your normal pace. Don’t go slower as you need the momentum to keep the bike moving straight. Place both hands on top of the handlebar and sit square in the saddle. Now, simply push back evenly and sit up. Lift both hands at once. Don’t leave one hand on the bar as it will twist your body off center. Just sit back and keep your butt weighted in the saddle. Don’t lean forward or keep your hands hovering over the bar. Sit up straight, breathe, relax and have confidence. Remember to keep pedaling.

After a few tries, you’ll get the feel for it. Once you can get into the no-hands position easily, then you will be able to make the bike go where you want it to. Just use a minor hip/butt movement to control the bike and you can get around a rock or pothole in the road. During the execution, the bike is largely steered from your weight in the saddle and from your hips.

But if you find that you can’t keep a straight line, it may not be your technique. Your bike may be the problem. If your bike has not had regular or recent maintenance, something as simple as a wobbling (untrue) front wheel, or a misaligned fork or even a binding headset can make the bike feel squirrely.

DO NOT ride no-hands out in the open roads unless it is necessary and safe to do so.

This means waiting until the road is smooth and there’s not a lot of debris or gravel lying around that could put you into a skid. Make sure there are no gusty crosswinds, no traffic, no upcoming intersections, and nobody riding close to you. You don’t want to crash and you really don’t want to knock someone else down.

If in doubt, be safe and just stop.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP28)*