tips on drinking from water bottle during a ride

[lenox]

Hi... I haven't yet mastered getting the water bottle out of the cage, drinking, and then getting it back into the cage. So instead I often have to stop to drink. Not convenient when I should be drinking ever 20mins or so. Any tips/tricks on how to get better? Thanks!

[indysteel]

Hi... I haven't yet mastered getting the water bottle out of the cage, drinking, and then getting it back into the cage. So instead I often have to stop to drink. Not convenient when I should be drinking ever 20mins or so. Any tips/tricks on how to get better? Thanks!

Just keep practicing and try using a 20 ounce bottle. They're easier to retrieve in my opinion. Practice reaching down without looking down to at least touch the top of the bottle, then go from there. If you have to glance down to put it back into the cage, it's not the end of the world.

I had trouble with it at first, too. Then I started suffering from dehydration so i forced myself to do it. It was akin to necessity being the mother of invention.

[Nokomis]

Practice with both hands - and be aware of how much your weight shifts if you have to pull to get the water bottle out of the cage, and work on holding your line.

Be aware which hand and brake are available while you're drinking. I like to try to keep my hand on my rear brake, rather than the front - so I'm using the left hand to drink.

The only thing for it is practice, practice, practice. Learn to feel the top of the cage with the bottom of the bottle, so you don't have to look when returning it. Also keep the bottle exterior & cage clean so it's not gritty and sticky when removing the bottle.

[velogirl]

on either a drop bar or a straight bar, place one hand as close to the center/stem as possible. this is the most stable position if you're taking one hand off the bar. you can put a lot of movement into the bar from that position and still be able to hold your line.

to grab the bar, let your hand follow the down-tube down to the bottle.

[effy]

I also had this question. I have found myself growing more and more thirsty while I ride just because I didn't want to stop to drink water. I am very new to riding and my balance is questionable even when I have both hands on the bars. (Squirrelly is not even close to what I am) My husband gave me the tip about looking at the tip of the bottle and just grab it. I finally did it but then I would have to give him the bottle because there was no way I would be able to out it back without stopping or crashing. Lucky me, my hubby surprised me with a Camel Back hydration pack and I love it.

[crazycanuck]

I don't know it this would work for you but try visualizing or memorizing where your water bottle is on your bike. Once you've memorized where your bidon is, cycle down a quiet street and think about how you're going to reach for it.

Give it a shot & work your way around the wobbles etc.

[lenox]

thanks for all of the helpful suggestions. i do have a camelback as well... but as i am doing longer rides (60-80 miles) i also have two bottles of sports drinks in addition to water in the camelback.
i think part of the problem is that i have a pretty compact frame so not a lot of room for error down there.
thanks again

[amy]

I have to say I didn't get comfortable with it until I went for a ride with my sister. And she gave me feedback.. "no, a little lower, to the left, no... a little lower" until suddenly I found the darn thing. She did the same when I had to put it back. It only took a couple times and I had it. Obviously, we were not riding down the street when we did this, but on an open bike path.

Now, blowing my nose while riding... I can't imagine that one. Aly makes it look so easy.

[crazycanuck]

Ummm i might be a bad influence but you can do a couple of things..

Wipe the nose drip on your cycling gloves or sleeve..just remember to wash your cycling clothing when you get home!

Just snort out & hope it doesn't land on your glasses :o

Thoughts from the crazy side..

[aly]

Amy, if you had my stupid allergies your whole life, you would be a pro at blowing your nose, too!

I'm pretty sure I was able to blow my nose on the bike way before I felt comfortable drinking. Using my sleeve or blowing rockets just won't work for me...not because I'm too "ladylike" or anything, I just have way too much snot. It could get dangerous (and really, really gross). I feel like an idiot using my little tissues, but the minute I start riding, my nose turns into a faucet.

It's funny how difficult it used to be to drink on the bike, but then it just seemed to click. Now I don't really even notice when I'm doing it. I'm pretty sure this is true for a lot of people.

[AnnieBikes]

Don't worry about feeling "wobbly". Everything I did when I started riding a road bike felt unnatural. I swore to my DH that I would never learn to shift, to clip in and out, or to shift the gears. Drinking water was the LEAST of my worries!!! LOL. Then I started riding more, practicing on a bike path in the daytime, or early in the AM on weekends when not alot of people were around. Little by little, I learned to do the things I NEVER thought I would learn, getting the water bottle out, for one! It will become natural for you, just like learning to clip out. If you were learning a new sport, you would have to practice. It all takes time.

Wahoo, now I can get the bottle out without looking! ....but I have dropped it a few times!!!! Don't give up. Practice on every ride even if you feel funny about doing it. You will one day realize that you did not even look down, and the ah ha moment will be there..."oh, I DID learn how to do it!"

Good luck and keep practicing. Even Lance had to learn this important move!!

www.grahamcam.com/annesbicyclejournal

[tulip]

of course, you all know this, but getting the hang of hydrating while riding is really important! Even if you have to stop to drink from your water bottle often--do it. It's very easy to get dehydrated.

[hpdvs2]

To reduce the number of times you stop, you could also use the water bottles to refill the camelback so you only have to stop once or twice for it, instead of everytime you want to take a drink.

Also, Try walking the bike, where you are still sitting on it, but tap the ground with your toes to keep moving forward. at any point you need to, your foot can go all the way down and you stop.

You can use this time to try taking the water bottle out and putting it back.

Instead of stopping entirely on your trip, use that technique, you never come to a stop, and it will help gain your balance until your ready with out it.

[Fujichants]

You know, I was worried about this as well, until I went riding on a really hot day and I was forced to just grab the water bottle, drink, and put it back. It was either that, or dehydration and feeling dizzy. What helps for the first few times is if you slow down a bit (stop pedaling, or pedal slowly) to reach down with your hand and grab the bottle. Oh and also make sure the road isn't too bumpy. :)

It gets easier over time!

Next thing I want to try is pedaling without holding on to the handle bars. But I think that won't happen anytime soon!

[aicabsolut]

Practice just having one hand off the bars doing anything: reaching in a jersey pocket, resting on the top of the bottle in the cage, cleaning your front tire while rolling (GLOVED hand necessary). You need to be relaxed yet have some core control. This may also highlight any issues you have with your bike fit--you shouldn't need your hands for support, but it doesn't mean you need to be a master at riding no-handed either.

The thing that help me get the hang of drinking and fiddling with bottles the most was to start out practicing on flat ground. Downhill, and you may need the bars. Uphill, and the effort may cause more swaying. It also means that you can coast for a second if you need room to get around your leg with the bottle, and you won't slow so much that you'll get wobbly. Shift a cog or two harder than how you normally cruise, especially if you hold a fast cadence. This allows you to get some stability from your legs and the resistance on the pedals. Second, try to retrieve and replace the bottle while pedaling. Keep everything normal and just glance down if you have a problem. Because you've already tried taking your hand off the bars and doing stuff with it (including messing with sunglasses, helmet, or anything that requires your hand to be up), you shouldn't have a problem taking a drink. If you do, try to grab the bottle as if it's a baby bottle so that you can get the bottle turned enough to drink without leaning your head around. Keep pedaling and looking ahead to replace. Shift back to cruising gears. Practice, practice.

[Trigress]

I must say that I'm really relieved to see that more people than I struggle to reach the water bottle...

I used to only be able to drink going downhill as then I wouldn't have to spin, but now I manage to both moving the pedals around, picking up the water bottle, spilling it all over me, choking and drinking at the same time. My boyfriend always laughs his head off whenever I do my drinking/choking/spilling routine, but then always encourages me when I don't fall off.

I have an acquaintance who had her road bike debut on Oslo Triathlon (Norwegian championship in triathlon), and she had to race with a camelbak. And won! Apparently the following conversations took place between her boyfriend and my boyfriend:

My boyfriend: Did she have speed trial bike then?
Her boyfriend: Are you mad? She didn't even dare to use the lower position on her handle bar! She raced with a Camelbak, because she was worried she'd fall off is she reached for the bottle! :)