Look Ma, no hands...I wish...

[featuretile]

I have a women's bike that only has room for one water bottle and you cannot reach it while you are riding. When I am riding with slower people, I always stop and wait for them so there is no problem getting a drink. When I am riding with faster people, I can't stop for a drink (because they don't stop) and if I do, I lose them and can't catch up.

So a few weeks ago I bought a Camelback water bottle that is made of hard safe plastic with a bite valve. It comes with a loop hook on the top. When I asked my husband (engineer) why there is a loop sticking up, he said maybe it's for hanging the bottle somewhere. So, he made a wire hook and attached it to my bike stem and the bottle just hangs there right in front of me at a place where it is easy to get. I still wait till I am riding pretty straight and level, but now I can get a drink. Yeah!

[OakLeaf]

When I asked my husband (engineer) why there is a loop sticking up, he said maybe it's for hanging the bottle somewhere. So, he made a wire hook and attached it to my bike stem and the bottle just hangs there right in front of me at a place where it is easy to get. I still wait till I am riding pretty straight and level, but now I can get a drink. Yeah!

That's an ingenious solution! (I'd worry a little about it flying off on bumpy roads, though?)

You can hang the bottle from a backpack using a carabiner (too heavy for me). You can carry it with a finger. You can hang it from the purse hook in airport restrooms and not have to try to juggle it while you pee and risk dropping on the floor! Yay!

[zia]

Is is in a spot where it can get into your front wheel and flip you? I was riding next to someone who had that happen with her U-Lock once. Not a pretty crash...

[MommyBird]

I have some of those same CB bottles. We use them for hiking and my boys will take them rowing. We each have two in our family color code system. Hubby is green, Drew is blue, Nick is orange and I, of course, am pink.
Ours are too big for the bikes but we like them a lot for other applications.

There are some good alternatives for standard frame bottle cages out there. You can get a one or two bottle system that attaches to your seat. That homemade hook system sounds a bit scary to me. No picture and a minimal description leaves a lot to the imagination.

My bike is a 54 so there is plenty of room for two cages and extraction.

[shootingstar]

I haven't gotten around to training myself to take water bottle from cage and drink from it, while riding.

While cycling, I can easily reach down to pull up a ankle sock, or scratch my ankle or adjust an ankle elastic.

But I can only do it with my left-hand, while hanging onto handlebar with right. Haven't gotten around to make myself more ambidextrous.

[redrhodie]

I can ride no hands, but have always felt my alu bike was twitchy when I did so. Well, I followed Velogirl's advice to look at the horizon, and suddenly, the bike's not twitchy anymore. Thanks Velogirl! I was too focused on the road.

[drdwin]

MommyBird,

I am having similar issues also. Along with my clipless issues I'm also having one-handed issues as well. I did it all the time on my MTB - no hands too - but the road bike is sooooo different. I can take off one hand to wave, unzip my jacket a bit or scratch an itch but I find myself death gripping with the opposite hand - if I really concentrate on lightening up my grip and making sure my posture is correct I can do it - grabbing a water bottle however will require that I actually move my upper body a bit more than just from the elbow down and that freaks me out. I've also been practicing changing my hand positions frequently going in and out of the drops and this seems to be helping me feel more comfortable. I'm also keep my head straight and focus on the road ahead because turning my head while riding one handed really messes me up. Good thing I don't do group rides yet!!!!!

[owlice]

Lorri, thanks! I'm on the opposite coast, and though I've LOVE a nice vacation to northern CA (or anywhere!), such a thing is unlikely while my spawn is in college.

I'll look locally; thanks!

(Or maybe you need to travel east... be a guest instructor out here! )

[MommyBird]

I am making small improvements.
I feel comfortable doing small things like toggling through my computer, checking time, and making small adjustments.
Still have not attempted to remove my bottle or sit back and remove both hands.
I would love to take a class.
No certified instructors in my area but Atlanta has some listed.
A class would be a nice Christmas present.
Balancing on the ball is still quite difficult for me but not for hubbie. Go figure?
We are going to Pittsburgh for Thanks Giving. Weather will be cold and rainy.
We are not taking bikes but we will take our erg.
I'll be free to concentrate on some core work as well. Pilates mat work.
Thanks again to all who have contributed their knowledge and experience.