indyfabz

A rider riding against traffic.

bargo68 

Leebo

It's a zen flow thing. It's also a good check for front wheel wobbles and rim issues. Headset issues too.

coffeesnob

when I was a kid I could ride my bike from my house to the city park about 2 miles away with no hands on the handlebars. Now I can't take them off for more than a few seconds.

one4smoke

They are great. I ride the greenways (what they're called in my area) about 75% of the time. Rode 127 miles one Sunday on one several weeks ago.

Lots of shade from the sun, no damn cars to worry about, and nice and scenic in a number of ways.

dkatz1

I see these sometimes...doesn't really bother me that much. I suppose it would if they didn't look in control). What bothers me much more is anyone riding with one hand, while with the other they're yakking on their cell. I have a secret desire to poke a stick through their spokes.

caloso

And it's fun. Remember fun? It's why we all started riding bikes in the first place.

fitcat

It really is about them crashing, particularly if like another fellow, said elbows out and head well braced.
More of a worry is the Tri athlete on tri bike, banging away up hill in big ring, riding for the first time in a bunch. Dodging their weaving is unsettling to the bunch and the only place for them is either way off the front, or well away from other climbers.

Maitreya

Good question though: Is riding this way illegal (if it is dangerous to anyone, including the rider himself, it should be).

JoeKahno

Personally, I regard operating in a manner that puts others at risk as d***head behavior. But I have never found a way to call somebody on it that doesn't seem like escalation. As my granddad used to say, "Before you get down in the mud to wrestle with a pig, remember, the pig lives there."

TheChief

The kids around here ride their 7/8/9 km to school every day regardless of the rain/snow/occasional sunshine/ and what have you. So many of them have their ear-buds attached and their hands - both hands - rapidly punching in whatever on their smartphones - I guess that is called texting? I do not have a smartphone just my classic/vintage Samsung flip phone so I really do not know what they are doing with that phone thing. For the most part they are totally oblivious to the world around them and I have had to occasionally, and loudly, make my presence on the bike road (fietspad) known. A few times I really woke up the hands-off rider and brought them back to the real world. There are also quite a few without the texting machine that thrive on riding with their hands behind their heads like they were relaxing on the beach somewhere. I, unfortunately, do not have the balance thing anymore to allow me to ride "hands-off". I have tried, but the old body just does not do this thing anymore.

Phil_gretz

I wouldn't want to live in a community that even takes the time to create local laws limiting stupid behavior like trick riding. Sheesh. Let nature take its course.

TheChief

I don't think these local laws are designed to limit stupid behaviors as much as they are designed to protect the innocents that too often are victims of the stupid behaviors. Your "Let nature take its course" is fine until it hurts the innocent.

indyfabz

livedarklions

I think the bigger question is whether you say something to someone riding pants-off.

Crapwonk

The responses seem a little entitled when complaining about someone using a MUP in a way that doesn't match the writer's expectation. These paths are wonderful resources where they are available, especially in congested areas. If a teen kid is out riding a bike instead of sitting in front of a TV, then I wouldn't complain that he is riding hands free if not causing other problems. The OP saw his behavior for what, 20 seconds?

Bill in VA

Bravo! Enough of nannyism! Besides, if the OP only noticed he was using no hands when he went by, OP was not watching on coming objects and riders enough.

Personally, I find cyclists blowing stop signs and red lights have more danger for me due to auto drivers resentment and blowback anger than a no hands rider that I can prepare to avoid.

sheddle

riding hands-off is literally an important skill to learn on a bike, if you ever need to take off or put on gloves during a group ride or something similar. it's about as "trick riding" as bunnyhopping a pothole.

these laws exist because a bunch of people complained to cops about them, because it "looks dangerous".

boilermaker1

The OP must really plotz when he sees somebody riding on the handlebars.

RohloffRoller

The last hands off cyclist that I saw crossed an intersection in front of me on a road when I was stopped at a light and he was texting at the time

Mike

Troul 

I'm hands-off to that subject...

Lightning Pilot

Listen here, you young whippersnapper! Some of us ARE "old people." We are experienced, devious, cunning, sneaky, underhanded, and sometimes quick to anger.

sumgy

I must have gotten past it when I turned 51.

mad max

My wife, age 63, rides no-handed quite a bit when we are out together. I usually point out what an inconvenience it would be should she fall, but in our 33 years riding together she rarely pays me heed. That's probably what I like about her. Hasn't fallen yet either.

Cyclist753

Hah! You 'fell' for her and she 'fell' for you!