I have never learned to drink from those cups. Even the "pinch into a spout" method doesn't work for me. I wear my Amphipod belt and use the bottles when I go out for anything longer than 1/2 hour. I even used it in my last tri. It worked great for me. Before I got the Amphipod, I used the fanny pack style Camelbak. I had a clip that I used to put the hose up on my shoulder so I could get to it more easily. That was the best. The only reason I don't use that now is because it would be too slow to get on during the bike-to-run transition in races and I want to train as I race.