Water Bottle Location

[Chile Pepper]

No one has mentioned hand position, so I'll throw it out there. If you feel unstable when you reach for your bottle, have you tried moving your left hand to the center (next to the stem) while you reach down with your right (or vice versa if you're left handed)? You are much more stable in that position than riding one-handed out on the hoods or in the drops.

[gingergin]

My water bottle is so far down and far away from me that I am certain I will end up on the ground with my bike on top of me if I get my hand anywhere near enough to even attempt to grab it

[quint41]

No one has mentioned hand position, so I'll throw it out there. If you feel unstable when you reach for your bottle, have you tried moving your left hand to the center (next to the stem) while you reach down with your right (or vice versa if you're left handed)? You are much more stable in that position than riding one-handed out on the hoods or in the drops.

Yes, Jen. That is what I do when I drink. I'm still don't feel stable, though. I'm not confident yet, that's what the problem is. I'm afraid I'm going to lose control. I'm getting a little better ... I move left hand close to the stem, remove the bottle (from in front of my handlebar -- cannot reach down at all), prop it on top of the handlebar for a moment so I know I'm stable, and drink. But it has to be flat, and I have to stop pedalling.

[wonderwoman]

I have used a handlebar bottle cage when touring, since my 47cm frame didn't have space for 2 bottle cages and a pump on the frame. Instead of bolting onto the h-bar (like I think the Minoura does), this one was a faceplate for the front of your stem. Got it from Supergo/Weyless. It also came with another faceplate with a "dashboard" mount to put lights, bells, etc., on. I use that one the most. The water bottle cage mount was very stable, but with two drawbacks -- occasionally Gatorade or water would leak out of my bottle and make my frame sticky, and once an aluminum cage broke at the welds probably due to excessive vibration or age. I replaced it with a nylon cage with no problems.

[Crankin]

This is the first year that I haven't used my Camelbak on all road rides. I can only drink with my left hand; for some reason I only feel stable with my right hand on the bar. I've progressed to being able to drink while riding at about 14-15 mph, but it does have to be flattish. And I do tend to wait until it's low traffic. I also try to drink at the beginning of a climb, when i am going a bit slower.
The Camelbak doesn't really bother me when I'm using it, but riding without it feels liberating! I use it mountain biking and probably for rides 50 miles and over, with no places to get more liquid. So far though, this year, my 50 mile rides have been in places where i stop and refill my bottles with Gatorade bought at a grocery store. And yes, the people who can eat, undress, and fly down a hill are amazing. My husband can take his jacket off, roll it up, put it in his pocket and fly down a hill drinking from his bottle.
Tasha, we have to get together and ride!!!

[Kimmyt]

Perhaps you could try this when reaching down to your bike bottle, it enables you to have more reach:

instead of pedalling regularly, kick whichever knee out on the side you will be grabbing the bottle from. That is, if you are grabbing with your left hand (I usually do this, since I'm right handed and feel like I have better control with that hand on the bars) keep your feet in the pedals and just move your knee outward, sort of how a racer takes a corner, this gives you a few more inches of reach without your knees getting in the way of your chest. Once you grab the bottle, usually I grab with my hand already in drinking position (or you can grab with palm on top of the nipple, then set it on your thigh to rearrange your hand) you can go ahead and drink while peddling. When I do this, usually my body is slightly twisted, to enable my mass to still be centered over the bike instead of off-balance. Then I do the whole thing in reverse to put it back. I do usually slow down for this whole process, I don't like to drink when I'm going top speed.

Good luck!

K.

[quint41]

Kimmyt, you'd be scraping me off the asphalt if I tried that!! LOL I'm getting better drinking from the bottle in front of my handlebar, but I'm definitely going to try the tube thingy.

I ride with a guy who can climb a hill, stand, stretch, remove clothing and drink all at the same time, I swear! It just amazes me.

[mimitabby]

i am under 5'4" and i wear a camelbak. it doesn't make it hard for me to reach my pockets. I have choked more than once trying to get some water from a waterbottle while riding. And feeling like an idiot!