I am too cautious
Monday, April 29, 2002 - 19:38

I've had my bike for eight years. For eight years I haven't been able to ride with no hands, because I always thought my bike was too wobbly. It's a mountain bike with knobby tires, and my previous bike was a ten-speed, a smooth, no-handed-friendly ten-speed.

This morning, as I was riding back home from the gym, I had to tighten my sweatshirt that was tied around my waste, and I needed two hands to do it. So I very quickly used both hands to tighten my sweatshirt, and I was surprised to find that I didn't fall and skid all over the pavement. My bike didn't really wobble at all. So I started wondering... is it my bike that can't go without hands, or is it me? So I tried it again. I took off my hands, and I didn't fall. I did it again, and still didn't fall.

I've been riding this bike with at least one hand on the handlebars for eight years just because I'm a scaredycat.