opinios

Look Ma, No Hands!

Returning a video to the video store tonight (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind starring Sam Rockwell, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, plus a host of cameos - surprisingly good!) I decided to try a little experiment.

I attempted to ride my bike all the way all the way to the video store without holding the handlebars.

I know, I know. This is dangerous. My mother always used to drop patronising comments hinting not-so-subtly that it was "just asking for trouble". Cars backing out at the last minute. Little kids. Old grannies. Stones on the road.

Pah, I say live a little. It is exhilirating to lean back and not have to worry about steering. Kinda like you're being chauffered. And yet you're getting exercise at the same time!

I've always done it ever since I was a kid, and haven't had a prang yet (not as a result of not holding onto the handle bars, anyway). There was this one time that I ploughed smack bang into the back of a parked car because it was really windy and I had my head down to try and form the most optimal aerodynamic shape possible, but that's another story...

In short, it is amazing what control you can have over your bicycle just by shifting your weight to the left and right.

Here are some more tips:
* choose a time for your record-setting when there is not much traffic about. This might sound obvious but in Japan this also includes people-traffic, as having a thick throng of commuters crowd your path will complicate matters.
* look ahead at the traffic lights and watch how they are changing. It helps to know the sequence along your path well, so that you can alter your route accordingly.
* try riding in a higher gear - it is not about speed, it is about pressure on the pedals.
* uphill is better than downhill, maybe surprisingly. Again, this is due to the increased control you have when you are motoring forward with your legs. As soon as you gain a bit of speed going downhill, you lose the torque on the pedals and with it your ability to swing the vehicle left and right.
* don't be scared by going up or down gutters, bumps in the road etc. Honestly, just keep those legs working and you will glide over them fine. If you are worried, just hover your hands above the bars during the hairy moments, so that you can grab them if there is any unexpected jiggling.
* if you start to go a bit fast, it is permissable to use your hands to shift gears, and as long as you don't apply any steadying to the handlebars with this change then I think it is acceptable to consider this a "no-touch maneuvre" and that you haven't "cheated".

Yes, that is the ultimate goal - getting from A to B with no hands. And I nearly did it tonight when returning the video! Except for the roadworks near Kanemecho station...

They have been doing work at this intersection every night for the entire two and a half years I have lived here, and they still haven't finished! As a result the gap between the flashing lights and the barriers was just too narrow.

Maybe next time.