# One armed cycling/Hand signals



## Chris S (31 Jul 2010)

Is their some trick to doing this? Whenever I try it I loose control of the bike and lurch violently to one side. I've even come off a couple of times.


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## Norm (31 Jul 2010)

Practice, and lots, at slow speed in a large empty space, such as that available outside most office buildings over the weekend. 

IMO, not being able to cycle with only one hand on the bars, whether for signalling, drinking, swatting flies or waving to fellow cyclists is a safety issue.


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## Arch (31 Jul 2010)

Practice, probably.

Go somewhere quiet, where you can ride round easily - a very quiet residential area, or a big empty carpark or something.

Start small. Take one hand off the bars, just a little bit, for a second. Then for longer. Build up to being able to ride one handed, then practice moving the hand away and up to signal - do it gently and slowly, so as to keep your balance. Concentrate on keeping the arm you still have on the bars nice and steady to stop you wobbling, and look ahead, not at your raised hand.

Repeat with the other hand, of course.

Once you can ride along with either hand out, you've cracked it, but it might still be worth practising turning with one arms out, braking one handed and so on. Also, when you're doing it out on the road, keep a good eye on the road surface so you don't hit an unexpected pothole while one handed.

It'll come.


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## doog (31 Jul 2010)

Chris S said:


> Is their some trick to doing this? Whenever I try it I loose control of the bike and lurch violently to one side. I've even come off a couple of times.



sometimes its impossible, i often end up using hand signals with my hands still on the bars by pointing, usually when negotiating roundabouts at speed and trying to make eye contact with motorists waiting to enter the roundabout.

When leaving a main road onto a minor road at a sharpish junction you can only signal well in advance as there becomes a point where you have to grab the bars and this can confuse motorists waiting to get onto the road who havent seen your signal...but what can you do?

Having discussed this point at length on another forum a few years ago people will pop up and state they have the ability to negotiate a 90 degree left turn at speed with left arm out and right hand on the bars


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## Arch (31 Jul 2010)

doog said:


> Having discussed this point at length on another forum a few years ago people will pop up and state they have the ability to negotiate a 90 degree left turn at speed with left arm out and right hand on the bars



Well, some can, just as some can ride no handed and roll a fag at the same time... Not me, I hasten to add.

Another thing I thought of, if the bike allows, try to sit up a bit more when you indicate - it takes a little of the weight off the bars, so that it's less unbalanced with one hand.

There are situations where it's hard or impossible to indicate fully and clearly. I have a regular turn which is left and then immediately right. To give proper notice, you'd be swapping arms simultaneously, or you'd have to stop for the right turn - and there are often cars turning in behind you which makes stopping dangerous. I compromise with a lot of slowing down, and as much signal as I can manage, if there's someone who needs to know. If it's clear, I don't do the right turn signal, but keep both hands on the bars.

There's also the point that indicating left can lead the following car to overtake you too closely or left hook you. But by and large, it's better to indicate, I think. You develop an instinct about stuff like that.


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## HLaB (31 Jul 2010)

Chris, I could only really recommend practice and confidence, sometimes there is just a mental block. Good Luck !


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## on the road (1 Aug 2010)

Chris S said:


> Is their some trick to doing this? Whenever I try it I loose control of the bike and lurch violently to one side. I've even come off a couple of times.


I would suspect that you're still signaling when actually turning. You don't need to keep signaling until you've completed the turn, just enough so motorists behind you or coming towards you know that you're going to turn. You want to have both hands on the bars when actually turning.


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## summerdays (1 Aug 2010)

I agree with lots of the stuff above - such as looking ahead and not signalling as you are actually turning, and practise etc.

I would add that try to sit up straight and relax - quite often people who are nervous at signalling are gripping the other side of the handlebar tightly and leaning forward putting more weight onto the bars. 

If you feel you can't do a long signal then 2 short signals will work just as well.


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## Klaus (1 Aug 2010)

[QUOTE 1147693"]
I'd worry more about your position on the road, get your position right (position, speed, look) and you very rarely need to give a signal.
[/quote]

Quite agree - make sure you are positive on the road, including hand signals, eye contact, positioning - practice practice practice!!!


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## Fab Foodie (1 Aug 2010)

Do you have too much weight on the bars? It might be hard to control the bike one handed if you're leaning on the bars. Normally you should be positioned so you could control the bike with just your finger-tips resting on the bars, perfectly balanced, like a pianist sat at the piano.

Properly balanced, riding one handed should not be difficult. As above, practice somewhere safe and learn to be assetive (Read Cycle-craft by Franklin).

Oh, btw almost never need to indicate a left turn into a side street unless you have another cyclist up yopur chuff. cars don't need to know!


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## Chris S (8 Aug 2010)

If anybody is still interested I've found its a lot easier to give hand signals when freewheeling rather than pedaling.

I didn't realise it but when I push down with my foot I also push down on the handle bar with my opposite arm to maintain balance.


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## summerdays (8 Aug 2010)

Chris S said:


> If anybody is still interested I've found its a lot easier to give hand signals when freewheeling rather than pedaling.
> 
> I didn't realise it but when I push down with my foot I also push down on the handle bar with my opposite arm to maintain balance.



Well done that you are persevering. What sort style of pedalling do you have? Is there a possibility that you pedal in quite a high gear normally?


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## Chris S (8 Aug 2010)

>> What sort style of pedalling do you have? Is there a possibility that you pedal in quite a high gear normally?

I'm not sure how pedalling styles are classified. However I'm learning to ride on a Raleigh with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub. By all accounts these are ridiculously over-geared. 

I've also raised the handlebars so there is less weight on them and more on the seat. It seems to have helped straight line stability in general.


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## summerdays (8 Aug 2010)

Generally people fall into two camps (with the spectrum in between) of either grinders or spinners... 

Spinning - you pedal frequently and lightly and make less progress per revolution of the pedals but its meant to be easier on the knees
Grinding - you pedal much slower but with more effort per revolution of the pedals. 

Try signalling in all 3 gears and see if it makes any difference.


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## birder56 (9 Aug 2010)

Can I just add that practice will eventually give you the confidence for one or even no hand riding. I speak as a cyclist who lost an arm over 40 years ago and thought it would be difficult, dangerous or impossible to ride again. Not true! 
I took up cycling in April this year and for the first week could not even turn a corner in our quiet little close. It took more than a month to have the confidence to hold a tight line and then cycle more than a few miles on local trails. It gave me immense satisfaction when I finally mastered 'no hands' about a month ago and can now do that on reasonable surfaces for minutes at a time. You have no idea how pleased a bunny that made me when I succeeded!
This came about when I finally realised that the 'trick' was to relax mentally in order to create that automatic balance that is so essential. 
If I can do it, you can do it! You know you will succeed!


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## Arch (10 Aug 2010)

Fab Foodie said:


> Oh, btw almost never need to indicate a left turn into a side street unless you have another cyclist up yopur chuff. cars don't need to know!



On the other hand, it's nice to let a driver know you're planning to turn in, if they are waiting to turn out, and waiting for you to pass. Knowing that you are turning in might just give them the little gap they need to pull out (and of course, it works for other cyclists too). Give them a signal and a nod/smile, and they might just remember the courtesy next time they pass a cyclist.

Also handy to be able to warn that rare thing, a pedestrian who actually looks round before stepping out to cross a side road you are wanting to turn into.


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## Norm (10 Aug 2010)

Arch said:


> Also handy to be able to warn that rare thing, a pedestrian who actually looks round before stepping out to cross a side road you are wanting to turn into.


Bearing in mind, of course, that you need to give way to any pedestrians already crossing the road you are turning into.


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## summerdays (10 Aug 2010)

birder56 said:


> It gave me immense satisfaction when I finally mastered 'no hands' about a month ago and can now do that on reasonable surfaces for minutes at a time. You have no idea how pleased a bunny that made me when I succeeded!
> This came about when I finally realised that the 'trick' was to relax mentally in order to create that automatic balance that is so essential.



Wow - that's better than I can...


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## Arch (10 Aug 2010)

Norm said:


> Bearing in mind, of course, that you need to give way to any pedestrians already crossing the road you are turning into.



Of course, but there are always those who are going to cross but not there yet. Occasionally, one of them who isn't me looks before they get there and step out...


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