Drink & Ride Simultaneously?

[tulip]

Practice practice practice. I do not remember learning, but I suspect I got the hang of it while on my first bike tour when I was 15. That was a long time ago.

Start by just touching the waterbottle while on your bike. Do it by feel until you feel comfortable just with reaching down and learning where the bottle us by feel.I never look at my water bottle; my hands just know where it is.

I carry two water bottles-one on the seat tube and one on the down tube. I can use either one, although I find myself reaching for the one on the down tube more often.

Be patient. And if you drop it (I have), don't panic. Just slow down and go pick it up and try again.

[tangentgirl]

I was really hoping this thread was about a bicycle pub crawl.

Start by just touching the waterbottle while on your bike. Do it by feel until you feel comfortable just with reaching down and learning where the bottle us by feel.I never look at my water bottle; my hands just know where it is.

This was how I learned. I had a Camelbak for years, until the TNT folks gave me this tip. You don't have to grab the bottle and drink and seamlessly put it back on the first try. Or the fifth. Or the 25th.

[Owlie]

I was really hoping this thread was about a bicycle pub crawl.

Now that would be fun! How many miles do you have to ride to bike off a beer?

[Catrin]

I love my Camelbak - I have enough problem remembering to drink when it is so easy to use it - I KNOW I would never drink enough with a water bottle.

[Marquise]

Lots of good advice already. When I started riding last summer, I picked a straight, quiet stretch of street to learn. Didn't take long to master when I remembered to practice at least once or twice on each ride. (Rides were shorter then!) I'm right-handed and so I keep my right hand on the bars and grab the bottle with my left. Had to keep my hand close to the stem at first but now I have more "range. I don't think I could switch hands to do it but that would probably be a nice skill to have.

[Brandi]

I love my Camelbak - I have enough problem remembering to drink when it is so easy to use it - I KNOW I would never drink enough with a water bottle.

Me too! I keep an energy type drink in my cage and only drink that when I stop. I love my camelbak!!!Have 4 of them. small to large. One has a rainfly!