tips on drinking from water bottle during a ride

During a ride a couple years ago, I was in front of our group (1/2 dozen recumbents) took out my bottle and drank, reached down to put it back and missed the cage, yelled "bottle" as it hit the ground and watched my mirror as everyone scattered left and right, but my DH was at the back and didn't hear me, and hit the bottle square on. Dragged it a little ways then it went under his front wheel and took him down. Tore up his bodysoc, a little road rash on his knee, ankle and elbow, but he was fine. And I think he took great delight from telling anyone who asked about his road rash, that "my wife threw her water bottle at me and knocked me off my bike".

So just remember it's still easy to have problems with your water bottle even after years of practice. It's the only time I've dropped a bottle, but if DH sees me reaching for it, he still rides way left or right of me, or slows way down behind me and watches until I've put it back. And just smiles :D

Lots of good advice from everyone - just takes practice and you'll get the hang of it.

Edna

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Originally Posted by MM_QFC!

also, if you keep your handlebar-holding hand closer to the center/stem part of the bar, it keeps it steadier while you're reaching.
Good idea to practice in a parking lot or quiet stretch of road, so that you can keep yourself/bike steady and moving forward, with eyes looking ahead on road (not right in front of you), while you hold on and reach down toward your bottle. It won't take long for you to be able to do all without looking at the bottle as you remove it or replace it...

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Exactly!!!

Edna! I have a visual of that happening to Dave (Slug!). Hope to see y'all somewhere this spring--how about Pendleton????

Susan

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

Hmmm,... don't practice this with red Crystal Light in your white-carpeted living room....:o

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I guess I should have added that. :) I practiced with a water bottle in my car while stuck in traffic...I go a lot of weird looks...but I did remember to close the top on the bottle!!!

I keep my bottle valve open when I ride. Makes it easier. I've never had trouble with leaking/spraying while riding/drinking.

I can't imagine the reverse grab described above (pinky towards top of bottle) but I'm sure it works for someone.

My only advice is just keep doing it. I was a nervous wreck when I first started riding and I had a hard time lifting one hand from the bars for 30 seconds to swat a mosquito. Now (2 years later) I can ride with no hands, I can get stuff out of my jersey pockets at 20+mph. I can look behind me without swerving and give traffic signals at 30mph riding down hill in town in traffic.

First I had to stop to drink. Then I would wait for long, straight stretches with wide shoulders and low traffic, and I'd slow down/stop pedaling/sit up with one hand on top of the bar to drink. Gradually it just got easier and more comfortable. Now I don't have to slow down or even really think about it. I can drink without swerving or slowing down when pulling my bf at 25 mph up small rollers in the drops. (Strangely, grabbing closer to the center of the bars doesn't necessarily make it easier for me...).

Somebody on this board -- Veronica, I think -- has a quote from Eddy Mercx (I probably spelled that wrong). It says, "ride lots." I believe he said that in response to a question about how one becomes a world champion, or a tour de france winner, or something like that. But basically that's the answer to getting comfortable drinking while riding too :cool:. There are still lots of things I'm bad at or afraid to do, but gradually I'm attacking them just by getting out there and riding.

(My next cycling goal is to learn how to do a track stand! Only I don't ever go out JUST to practice it, and usually while I'm at a stoplight I'm not too inclined to push my limits too hard, because it sure would be embarrassing if I fell :eek:. Slowly I'm getting closer as I sit/stand longer and longer on my bike at low/no speed before clipping out, but eventually I'm going to have to really try it).

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Originally Posted by Aint Doody

Edna! I have a visual of that happening to Dave (Slug!). Hope to see y'all somewhere this spring--how about Pendleton????

Susan

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Hi Susan,
I know I can't make your ride this year - Memorial weekend is always our Human Power Challenge at PIR ( http://ohpv.org/HPC/ )- and I am on the race committee so I kinda hafta be there - but Dave keeps going back and forth - hasn't decided if he'll stay here for PIR or go to Pendleton for your ride.

Yes, hope to see you somewhere too :-)
Edna

Went for a short ride today. Took a sip of water and, as I was putting my water bottle back in the cage, I got to thinking about this thread. I swear, I had the hardest time getting the bottle back in! I guess I started thinking about it too much. :p

(My bike has some funky geometry...I might have to get that side-entry cage. I think it'd work a lot better for me.)

Maybe I have read this thread too quickly, but did anyone mention the bottles you can attach to your stems? Where some of you keep your bento boxes...

Perhaps that might be an option?