Quote Originally Posted by Adventure Girl
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.
On a road bike, this wouldn't work for me:

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...