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Grabbing a water bottle on a bike
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 2010-02-05 11:29 AM |
Veteran  513 |  Subject: Grabbing a water bottle on a bikeNoob question here, and go ahead and laugh, because with this I find myself laughing. How do you reach your water bottles during a ride without falling over. I ride uphill on my way home from work (mile and a quarter straight uphill without stopping) and every time I try to reach for my water bottle I begin to swerve or feel turn my bike. I can do it pretty good on my rollers, but the fork is clamped down on the front. My balance is fairly decent on my bike, but I always seems to swerve, like I said earlier, and drop my bottle trying to put it back in its holder. |
| 2010-02-05 11:31 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
Extreme Veteran 502 Washington | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Don't use the clamp/fork stand when using your rollers and your balance will improve immensely! Although I wouldn't start trying to drink while adjusting to the rollers. I had a couple wrecks yesterday on mine trying to towel off some sweat. Edited by ionlylooklazy 2010-02-05 11:32 AM |
| 2010-02-05 11:33 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
Pro 6767    the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Practice. But I don't think I would be trying to learn on an uphill - or a downhill for that matter. If there is a flat area, try there. Maybe go to a parking lot early in the morning - kind of like when most people first learn to drive. Eventually you learn how to compensate for the swerve. |
| 2010-02-05 11:37 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
Extreme Veteran 767 Rockville, MD | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Try shifting more weight to your rear end and less on your arms. I find during long rides I begin to lean on my handlebars a little mre than I shuold and this throws my balance off a little as well. When all of the weight is on just one arm, that arm tends to push the handlebars to one side. Putting your weight on your rear should eliminate that. Not a pro tip by any means but its what works for me. |
| 2010-02-05 11:37 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
Iron Donkey 38643 , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike I never had a problem with taking the waterbottle out of the cage on the downtube or seat cage, nor putting the waterbottle back in either, but, I don't do that while riding uphill since the work it takes to stay balanced and such while trying to ride uphill. |
| 2010-02-05 11:41 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
| 1072 | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike The simple answer is don't try to grab a water bottle and drink during the hill climb. Get your drink before and/or after the cimb is over. The problem is the bike is more stable at higher speed. You are going so slow up the hill that the bike is less stable. The best thing is to practice getting the water bottle out, drinking from it and putting it back on level ground where you are going a little higher speed so you become second nature and you can do it with out the bike. I also found it helped if put the hand you are not using to grab the bottle with on top of the handlebars toward the center of the bar before grabbing the bottle. It helps if you don't have to look to put your bottle back. If you can keep you eyes looking straght ahead it makes it easier to go straight. |
| 2010-02-05 12:05 PM in reply to: #2657150 |
New user 130 | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike hahaha I have the same problem! I was doing a tri with really bad hills and decided to take the safe route and wear my camelback. I also considered getting the water bottle cage that goes inbetween aerobars that I've seen before. All in all though, it's really just a cop out for me not practicing enough, which I'm going to start doing. |
| 2010-02-05 12:12 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike x2 - practice. Most people experience the same issues when starting out. Stick with it, and it'll get better. |
| 2010-02-05 12:14 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
| Member 30 Long Island | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike x3 practice...and always use the same hand...just like always clicking in with the same foot first... |
| 2010-02-05 12:19 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
| Regular 198 WI | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike I always have an easier time grabbing/replacing the one on my down tube than the one on my seat tube, so if I'm only carrying one water bottle, it's always on my down tube. |
| 2010-02-05 12:20 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Expert 1342 Apex, NC | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike I had one of my worst wrecks ever reaching for a water bottle. One minute I was cruising along at 23mph, the next I was lying in the middle of the road watching my bike skid to the curb and my bottles roll away...on a 55mph road. Root cause I think was the bottle came out quicker than I expected, I lost balance trying to catch it, and down I went. On my tri bike, I primarily reach behind to the seat-mounted carrier. I practice that on the trainer over and over, and it's not only second-nature now, it's first-nature. I can find it, use it, and put it back without missing a pedal stroke. |
| 2010-02-05 12:26 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Extreme Veteran 574 Southwestern Ontario | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike To the OP, why do you need to drink during 1 1/4 mile ride? Have a drink before and after. Just a thought...  Edited by dermoski 2010-02-05 12:26 PM |
| 2010-02-05 12:37 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
| Extreme Veteran 494 Morris County, NJ | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike LOL--I had the same problem. I started to suspect it might be easier to train myself to ride 50 miles w/o water than to reach that darned bottle! It will come. Some of the advice already given here helped me. Keeping the non-reaching hand near the stem helped my steering. It helped for me to sit up a bit and engage my core before reaching. I would often practice this even when I didn't intend to go for the water just to improve my balance. Also, I often practiced keeping my eyes forward while reaching down without actually grabbing the bottle. You'll get it. |
| 2010-02-05 12:40 PM in reply to: #2657263 |
Champion 10019 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike This has more to do with core strength than you'd think, although I agree that grabbing while riding up hill is challenging. You shouldn't be putting a lot of your weight on your handlebars. If you let go with one hand, you shouldn't have an appreciable shift. |
| 2010-02-05 12:57 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
| 42 | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike best advice I have is BE COOL. Take it slow and easy. also I don't know about you guys but I damn sure love my bottle on a big hill, nothing helps like that squirt down the back. When you are on a multi mile climb a little water helps. |
| 2010-02-05 1:57 PM in reply to: #2657243 |
| Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike dermoski - 2010-02-05 8:26 AM To the OP, why do you need to drink during 1 1/4 mile ride? Have a drink before and after. Just a thought... x2. Drink before the hill, and drink after. If your hill is 3 miles long...that's a different story. 1.25 miles is a 10 minute climb at most. |
| 2010-02-05 2:00 PM in reply to: #2657126 |
Member 276 San Diego | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike gearboy - 2010-02-05 9:33 AM Practice. But I don't think I would be trying to learn on an uphill - or a downhill for that matter. If there is a flat area, try there. Maybe go to a parking lot early in the morning - kind of like when most people first learn to drive. Eventually you learn how to compensate for the swerve. yep, good advice, after a while you'll think to yourself, how was this ever hard? it will be second nature with time. |
| 2010-02-05 2:02 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Don't look down. |
| 2010-02-05 2:22 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
| Master 1963 | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Practice will make perfect, but if you get an aerodrink that would also help Ditch the fork mount on the rollers, tooEdited by merlin2375 2010-02-05 2:22 PM |
| 2010-02-05 2:35 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Expert 1456 Central New Jersey | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike Practice - but no one has told you HOW Step 1 - reach down and touch the water bottle WITHOUT swerving Step 2 - Lift water bottle up but not out of cage and replace Step 3 - remove water bottle Step 4 - STOP and replace until you feel comfortable with the first 3 steps then attempt to put it back I have taught more than one rider this and it can usually be mastered in a few rides, but try it on a flat as was suggested |
| 2010-02-05 2:38 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Elite 3091 Spokane, WA | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike I bought an old bike with downtube shifters as a commuter. My bike handling skills improved quicky because you're reaching down all the time to shift. I'm not suggesting you go out and buy one, just sharing an experience. Maybe you have an old bike sitting around or have access to one. |
| 2010-02-05 3:46 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Veteran 513 | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike The reason why I am drinking on a 11/4 mile ride home is that I just started biking after Xmas when I got my bike. I am trying to build up my aerobic base and starting to ride more and more. THe other reason it is so short, is that I live close to my school where I teach, and do not have access to a shower before and after school so I go straight home to do that. |
| 2010-02-05 4:52 PM in reply to: #2657119 |
Master 1690 Metro NY Area | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike I like the water bottles that have the little plastic loop grip on top that makes it easy to pull from the cage. It doesn't help any going back in but is way easier coming out. This is a Polar Insulated Water Bottle. Edited by losta 2010-02-05 4:54 PM (31PJq6bgIlL._SS500_.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 31PJq6bgIlL._SS500_.jpg (14KB - 15 downloads) |
| 2010-02-06 10:33 AM in reply to: #2657119 |
Extreme Veteran 398 Denver | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike get an aero drink... |
| 2010-02-06 11:28 AM in reply to: #2657529 |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Grabbing a water bottle on a bike wwlani - 2010-02-05 3:35 PM Practice - but no one has told you HOW Step 1 - reach down and touch the water bottle WITHOUT swerving Step 2 - Lift water bottle up but not out of cage and replace Step 3 - remove water bottle Step 4 - STOP and replace until you feel comfortable with the first 3 steps then attempt to put it back I have taught more than one rider this and it can usually be mastered in a few rides, but try it on a flat as was suggested Excellent advice! |
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