So is there something I can do/practice so that I can pull the water bottle out and drink while riding without going down or do I just give up and buy a camelback?
Thanks to all for any advice.
Geana in Memphis
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So is there something I can do/practice so that I can pull the water bottle out and drink while riding without going down or do I just give up and buy a camelback?
Thanks to all for any advice.
Geana in Memphis
oph4887 - when I first started riding I could not get my water bottle out on the bike. To be honest I was too scared to even take one hand off. So I stopped for all my drinks. After I started going a little further I knew I would be out all day if I kept having to stop for all my drinks. So I found a huge carpark at the local uni and on an early Sunday morning when it was deserted I practised. It really helped and now I feel confident to grab a drink out on the road. Im still not perfect at it so I always take a drink when the road is clear and I have plenty of time to drink and get my bottle back in its cage. As my husband said if it gets hairy at anytime just throw the bottle. You can always go back and get it latter or buy another its better to be safe.Quote:
Originally Posted by oph4887
Some of the other more experienced girls here may have better tips for you but I hope this might help a little. :)
I still can't do it... well, I'm too afraid to try. But one thing I've noticed that does help is to make sure that the hand I'm holding the bars with is as close to the stem (the middle) as possible. I need to practice. :)
oph4887/Geana, do you ride a road bike (i.e. something with dropped handlebars) or a hybrid/mtn bike with wider straight bars?Quote:
Originally Posted by oph4887
I've been road cycling (touring) a long time, and way back when, with a little practice, it wasn't too hard to get used to retrieving and drinking from the bottle. On a road bike, the usual hand positions are so close to the center of the headset that steering with one hand isn't too difficult.
However, this past May I got my first wide-handlebarred bike (a hybrid). There is a LOT of play in the steering when I only have one hand on the bars. I'm way more comfortable using a camelback, when riding my hybrid. Since I sit a bit more vertically anyway on the hybrid, the weight of the camelbak isn't as bothersome as it might be on a road bike.
yep, if it's a road bike, definitely move your left hand (assuming you're right handed, otherwise do it the other way!) as close to the center of the bars as you can... then look down at your bottle and THEN reach down and grab it... look back up and drink... to put it back, same thing... look down and see the cage first THEN put it back... "spotting" where it's at before reaching helps... IF you drop the bottle continue forward and don't panic... just turn around and pick it up...
when I was trying to learn this skill I found a flat street and removed, took a drink and replaced the bottle about 10-15 times... I usually stopped pedaling briefly too, until I figured it out... but like most everything, practice makes perfect!
I still have to stop pedaling - otherwise, I run into my "tree trunk" thighs :rolleyes: (and no, mine aren't all muscle - there's quite a bit of padding around the muscle). :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerchick68
I have found that I prefer a camelbak - only because I drink more (no reason not to when it's right there) and I feel better and ride better well hydrated. :o
Is there anyway you can pop your bike on a stationary trainer? Or get someone to hold the bike still while you sit on it?
Then you could practice reaching down, drinking, and then reaching down again.
The other option if you are still feeling the bike is a bit squirrely when you try and drink, and you don't want to stop to drink, is (as CA suggests) is to get yourself a camelbak...
Check out this thread. It suggests that you use the hand you use for your FRONT brake to grab your bottle. This allow you to use your rear brake in an emergency. I don't use water bottles. I use my camelback for both road and mountain biking... so what do I know. But there seems to be some merit in this method.Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerchick68
Another thing to try doing is practice without actually removing the bottle. First just practice removing one hand from the handlebars while the other hand is closer to the stem; next try reaching down for the bottle but not removing it. That way you will get used to riding one-handed but not have a bottle in your hand if things go wrong.
I've used my right hand to reach for a bottle for the 10 years I've been riding. I've lately been trying to practice using my left hand more -- it's hard!
I like the suggestion to put the bike in a trainer or get someone to hold it for you while you practice. If neither of these is possible, you could always lean one hand on a wall/fence/railing/whatever and work on getting the other hand into the swing of getting the bottle in and out - try to do as much of it as you can without looking. Like, just take little glances at your bottle/cage so you know where your hand is going. It's much easier to ride in a straight line when you are looking where you are going! :)
Yeah, it's amazing that I have no trouble pulling out my water bottle when I'm riding the trainer. ;) But seriously, it has helped me to the point where I know where to reach to get the bottle so I don't have to look down much anymore. I'm sure I will when I try it on the road, but I feel confident that I CAN get the bottle out and back in without looking if I have to.Quote:
Originally Posted by tlkiwi
I still think a water hydration pack (like a Camelbak) is the best deal out there. There come in all sizes. Getting water is so much easier - takes little effort and I feel you drink more when wearing a Camelbak. I use them on both my road and mountain bikes. Plus no more lost water bottles that have bounce out of its cage! It's just safer.
On a road bike, this wouldn't work for me:Quote:
Originally Posted by Adventure Girl
I have tried using my left hand to pick up my bottle (my front brake is on the right side like most North Americans I guess) and realized that my left arm is way stronger than my right arm (even if I'm a rightie for writing), hence I feel much shakier holding the handlebars with my right arm only.
I also realized that, if I'm holding the bottle with my left hand, my right hand is on the top of the handlebar, near the stem, while my brakes are only accessible from the hoods or drops. So if I had to come to a sudden stop, I would have to move my hand from the tops to the hoods to brake. No way I could keep my balance through that move with one hand only. Best thing is to throw away the bottle and brake, period.
Still, I practice grabbing my bottle with my left arm when I'm riding on flat roads. It could come in handy someday...
I haven't figured it out either, but for long rides, the camelbaks hold much more water than my bottles anyhow. I keep two filled bottles just as reserves, but I just use recycled water bottles my roomies throw out, so they'd be a little more challenging to open while moving lol!
The more hours you log on your bike... the more comfortable you will feel with getting the water bottle.Quote:
Originally Posted by oph4887
But you know... I finally just got a Camelback. Problem solved. Now, even if I am drinking at a light... and it turns green... I can get on my bike and go with no issues.
Just don't do like the Gov. of Va. did...and pull out your water bottle the same time you're supposed to be crossing railroad tracks! Yikes! Believe he broke his wrist...silly man...Quote:
Originally Posted by KSH
A Camelback may solve the drinking problem, but there are other reasons you might want/need to remove a hand from the handlebars for- so it's probably better to work on your balance so you can ride comfortably with one hand for short periods. You might want to one day be able to unfasten your Camelback and sling it around the front of you to dig around in it for something, without stopping! :-)
Nanci
Grog,Quote:
Originally Posted by Grog
Your front brake is on the right, as you said. Your rear brake, of course, is on the left, so you should keep your left hand on the handlebar, and drink with your right hand. You are lucky in that this is actually easier for you. I am a rightie, and I am having a hard time learning to drink with my right hand because I've always done it the other way.
Everyone else,
Yes, it does get easier with practice. A year ago, a balance-challenged friend of mine always had to stop to drink. We teased her enough that she made herself learn to drink on the bike, and now she can grab her water bottle like a pro. I like the practice-in-the-empty-parking-lot idea. And learn to drink with your right hand from the beginning, so you don't have to re-learn it like me.
Ok now you have me confused. Isnt your rear brake on the right? (Unless of course you are in the UK or NZ/Aust) Mine is so you should keep this hand on the bars and drink with the one that you use to work the front brake. Dont want to go emergency braking with the front brake. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by profŕvélo
Sorry I got it wrong in my message.
My rear brake is on the right hand side, so theoretically I should be drinking with my left hand. But I still think it doesn't work.
My front brake is on the left hand side.
Sorry!
Hey Grog - no need to be sorry. It just doesnt take much for me to get confused and I was thinking hey have I got this all wrong even had to check on the bike just to make sure. :D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Grog
Oh well - the general principle is "keep your hand closest to the rear brake on the handlebar and use your other hand to do whatever"... but it really doesn't make sense for me anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trekhawk
I'll check out my more expert friends next time I get out and let you girls know... :confused:
When I first started riding I was scared to let go with one hand and find the bottle. But when I began doing longer rides, it just became imperative to hydrate more and it wasn't always convenient to stop. Everyone has given you good advice: It just takes practice, kind of like clipless pedals. One day in the spring we were riding a long bike trail (on road bikes), so there were no cars to worry about and minimal bike traffic. I picked that day to practice, practice, practice, grabbing my water bottle. After that, it got easier. Good luck! :)
I would like to retract my earlier posting and apologize profusely for my confusion. :eek: I swear I was only trying to help...Quote:
Originally Posted by profŕvélo
*profŕvélo bowing before the TE board*
right = rear
I got everything completely backwards, as y'all have pointed out. :( The only part I got correct is that I have been drinking with the wrong hand. (My only excuse is spending too much time at my computer and not enough on my bike.) On my ride yesterday, I thought of you all and made myself drink only with my LEFT hand. It was not easy.
If I promise not to post anything else mechanical or directional in nature, will y'all let me stay? :o
profavelo - LOL - Im so pleased they dont kick people off for saying silly things or I would have disappeared after about my second post. Im no technical guru after reading posts about braking I had to go and check on my bike (see no idea).Quote:
Originally Posted by profŕvélo
I was like you when I went for a ride yesterday and had a drink I kept thinking about all the girls from TE and their drinking tips. :)
I'm finding this whole thread about which hand to use very amusing. I'm picturing where on my road bike my hand on the handlebar is, while I'm holding the water bottle. It's somewhere near the middle of the flat part of the bar. It's no where near the brakes - front or rear. If I have to make a sudden stop, the bottle will probably get dropped as I'd prefer to brake with both hands and that is what my body is trained to do. Since the bottle in my right hand, it will end up on the side of the road, not in the middle of traffic.
If you are only using the rear brake, you only have about 30% of your normal braking power. If you brake hard with just the rear, you're probably going to skid into whatever it is you want to avoid. I think that if I really want to stop and can only have one brake, I'll take my chances with the front. Yes, I know I may endo, but I have twice as much braking power to play with.
I stand by the advice of don't drink if you think you're going to need to do any sort of emergency evasive action.
As far as balancing while you're reaching for the bottle. It gets easier with practice - just like everything else. :p And soon you'll find yourself not even thinking about it.
Have fun!
Veronica
When I'm on the road I tend to drink at the stoplights. :p It's not like there's a shortage of 'em here... :rolleyes: