Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
LAB's skills course comes highly recommended - I haven't taken it, but one of these days I'll devote the time. I wish it weren't twice as long as the motorcycle skills course... it makes it hard to find the time.
We actually teach this skill in the (3-hour) Group Riding Workshop, not in the (9-hour) Traffic Skills 101 ;-) That's the one set up to teach riders how to survive the huge, mass-start rides like the Houston MS-150 (or the Hotter 'n Hell 100), so not only do you learn to fish your bottle out of the cage, take a swig, and put it back -- you get to practice it riding shoulder-to-shoulder,3, 4, or more abreast! In a couple of the clinics I've done, we've practiced handing the bottle down the line, and back to the owner ;-)

The secret is to be confident with your balance on the bike. Ride along straight and steady. Use your left hand to handle the bottle (your right hand on the hood so's you have quick access to the rear brake should you suddenly need it).

Tom