How do you push your bike?

[matticus]

I favour the right hand on top of the stem method myself.

Me too. It's obviously safest. Like this:

 

[Dadam]

I can't actually imagine that happening. Nowadays I don't have panniers anyhow, but when I did used to commute with panniers, they were never anywhere near heavy enough to have that sort of effect.

I doubt many modern racks would take the weight of panniers that would cause that.

Happens very easily, and it bit me several times when I was new to commuting. Just an ordinary hybrid bike, a standard Tortec rack and a single pannier containing a small laptop, a change of clothes and a pair of shoes. It made me adopt the one hand on the saddle, other on the bars method.

 

[DogmaStu]

Ahhhh, so this is why the British refer to bicycles as 'push-bikes'! I did think it a silly name.

Try riding them, much more fun!

 

[roley poley]

By the saddle on the left side so i dont catch the mucky chain on my pants leg

 

[Alex321]

Most modern racks are rated for 25kg loads. Plenty enough for the tail to wag to dog

I would have thought it would need a lot more than that to cause the bike to pivot backwards if the front wheel hit a bit of a bump. I was thinking of exactly that 25Kg limit on most modern racks when I made my comment.

The Centre of gravity of the panniers should be almost exactly above the rear axle, and it is only going to cause that type of pivoting if it is noticeably rearward of that, even with 25Kg in there.

It just seems a really odd way for the bike to behave, to me.

 

[matticus]

Happens very easily, and it bit me several times when I was new to commuting. Just an ordinary hybrid bike, a standard Tortec rack and a single pannier containing a small laptop, a change of clothes and a pair of shoes. It made me adopt the one hand on the saddle, other on the bars method.

Yup, I've known it too. In your case sounds like the "mono-pannier" arrangement maybe contributed?

This is another advantage of the Kool Kidz methods i.e. my picture above, or just walking, holding the bike by the saddle. Leaving your left-hand free for a ciggie.

 

[Alex321]

Yup, I've known it too. In your case sounds like the "mono-pannier" arrangement maybe contributed?

Thinking about it, I can see how a single pannier could cause that effect, yes.

 

[Bristolian]

Most of the time, I use my right hand on the back of the saddle whilst walking on the left next to the rear wheel.

This is a technique I perfected as a young person as it was the only way to get my bike out of the alleyway between my parent's house and garage. I still use it when moving my current bike from the garage through into the back garden for cleaning, although I now have to walk behind the bike as the doorway is a bit narrower (and I'm a bit wider ).

 

[fossyant]

I don't really think about it. Saddle or stem usually, or holding on to the bars for my 'life' when pushing the MTB up a wet slippery slope.

 

[numbnuts]

My trike is hard to push, so if I have to move it I pick it up by the rear wheel and pull it

 

[Oldhippy]

By the saddle.

 

[Gwylan]

Just blow the referee whistle louder and slow cycle push behind the Deliveroo chaps.

I'm lucky to have a belt drive so no chain tracks on the legs.
If I have to walk, because I'm left handed, left hand on the stem, mostly.
Or right hand on right handlebar and left hand on saddle
But if there is a crowd then I use the foldy handle bar gizzmo and grab the stem. That way the bike makes an excellent battering ram.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Generally I have my hands where I do to ride it
with me walking on the left of the bike and the bike learning a bit towards me so I am less likely to catch my legs on the pedals

I used to do the "one hand on the saddle" thing but this bike seems less stable than my previous ones and tends to wander more easily
That method also means that you cannot quickly change direction when some idiot tried to walk into you
and pedestrians seem to find the front empty half of bike more intimidating for some reason

I have never even considered not pushing it that way in crowded places - such as the high street - just seems normal

 

[presta]

I can't actually imagine that happening. Nowadays I don't have panniers anyhow, but when I did used to commute with panniers, they were never anywhere near heavy enough to have that sort of effect.

I doubt many modern racks would take the weight of panniers that would cause that.

37kg minus 14kg for the bike, 3kg of water, 1-2kg for clothes, that leaves 18-20kg for the panniers if they're full, but most of the bike weight is supported on the wheel and my hand, so I can't see it needing much weight at all to overbalance it. The pannier CofG is ~0.5m from the axis of rotation, so they exert plenty of torque once they start to go.

Most modern racks are rated for 25kg loads. Plenty enough for the tail to wag to dog

My original pannier lasted for 36800 miles, 10500 of which were fully laden for touring.

I would have thought it would need a lot more than that to cause the bike to pivot backwards if the front wheel hit a bit of a bump. I was thinking of exactly that 25Kg limit on most modern racks when I made my comment.

The Centre of gravity of the panniers should be almost exactly above the rear axle, and it is only going to cause that type of pivoting if it is noticeably rearward of that, even with 25Kg in there.

The bike isn't doing a wheelie, it's toppling, with panniers going to one side, and the front wheel coming out sideways from under the opposite side:

the weight of the panniers causes the whole bike to rotate around an axis drawn from the point where I'm holding the stem to the point where the rear wheel contacts the road

Like this:

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Almost exclusively by the saddle unless in a crowded area when it’s by the stem.