Riding a bike with no hands isn’t just a cool trick. If you’ve ever watched a professional cycling race, you’ve probably seen just how useful it can be for performing tasks on the bike like eating or zipping up a vest without having to stop. With a little practice, you too can learn how to ride with no hands so you can shed layers and rummage through jersey pockets like a pro.
Below are drills for practicing how to ride with one hand on the handlebar, then drills for progressing to riding with no hands. We recommend finding a quiet parking lot or road (preferably flat) to practice on.
[Want to fly up hills? Climb! gives you the workouts and mental strategies to conquer your nearest peak.]
More From Bicycling
Start With One Hand
Before learning how to ride with no hands, you should first know how to ride with just one. (Plus, it’s a good skill on its own.) Below are two basic drills to practice, plus techniques for accomplishing certain tasks on the bike.
Drill 1: One On, One Off
Build confidence riding with one hand so you can use the other to eat, drink, and signal. Here’s how: Start by holding the handlebar with just your right hand on top of the handlebar near the stem (or on the grip on a flat bar). Pedal in a straight line for 10 to 50 feet. Switch hands and repeat. Practice the same amount with each hand, not just your dominant side.
When removing a hand, focus on engaging your core muscles to maintain balance and keeping your shoulders pointed straight ahead to avoid swerving.
Drill 2: Line Up, Look Back
Learn to glance behind you with ease. Get into the same starting position as in the drill above. Let your left arm hang by your side. Shift your weight slightly into your right hand. Keeping your core engaged and your belly button pointing straight ahead, rotate at the waist, twist just your shoulders to the left, to look back over your left shoulder. Keep your hips, knees, and front wheel facing forward. Move your left arm slightly behind you until your wrist rests on your tailbone. Do the sequence up to 10 times, pedaling in a straight line. Repeat on the right side.
Perform these drills a few times a week until the motions feel easy, then use them as building blocks for the one-handed riding scenarios below.
Grab Your Bottle: It’s easier (and safer) to reach to the same place every time. If you have two bottles, empty the one in the front cage first, then swap in the backup. Stop riding if you need to.
Check Traffic Behind You: Deploy the Line Up, Look Back drill. It’s important here to relax your elbow to avoid yanking your handlebar.
Find Stuff in Your Jersey Pockets: Fill them strategically. Put your phone and food in side pockets. Tools go in the middle—you won’t use them while pedaling. Always load pockets the same way to avoid fumbling.
Signal a Stop or Turn: To signal directions, use hand signals to make your intentions clear and predictable to drivers.
Ride With No Hands
So, you’ve perfected the art of riding with one hand. Now it’s time to try riding with no hands. Practice these drills below.
Drill 1: The Hand Hover
Start by riding in a straight line. You can try it while coasting, but pedaling to keep your momentum up will make it easier to maintain balance. Start by shifting your weight over your center of gravity by sitting as upright as possible. Roll pelvis back onto sits bones to weight your saddle, and engage your core. Then hover your hands over the handlebar. This will give you a feel for riding no-handed while enabling you to quickly recover control of the bike if you need to.
If you choose to pedal through this drill, it’s important to use your core to keep your torso stable while just moving your legs.
As you feel more comfortable, practice sitting further upright and back, keeping your hands off for as long as you can. With enough practice, you should be able to ride with your hands at your sides, sitting straight up. For more of a challenge, practice taking things out of your jersey pockets and putting them back in, or donning a vest or jacket and then taking it off—this will ultimately be useful during rides.
Drill 2: Hip Steering
It may surprise you to learn that you can lightly steer your bike without keeping your hands on the handlebar. In fact, proper bike steering in general comes more from your hips, shifting your weight, and leaning the bike than from turning the front wheel.
As you ride along with no hands, practice trying to steer your bike in one direction and then the other, by shifting your weight ever so slightly and pointing your hips in the direction you want to go.
To make it as easy as possible, keep your gaze up and look ahead. This will help with balance, plus you’ll want to see if there are any potholes or debris coming up in the road.
Remember to stay calm and relax. Sudden movements will throw your balance off. And make sure to keep your weight back and off the front wheel. If your front wheel is weighted too much, it’s likely to wander.
When she’s not out riding her mountain bike, Jessica is an editor for Popular Mechanics. She was previously an editor for Bicycling magazine.
