Drinking on the bike?

uphillbothways · June 2007

I've been riding for about a month and I just can't get the hang of eating and drinking whilst in motion. Is there some knack to it, or do I just need practice? I'm a keen, fit runner and so am doing rides of 80-100km so my inability to hydrate without stopping is really holding me back.

This may be related - I have an inkling that my stem may be too long. I understand that your arms are supposed to bear a fair proportion of your weight and that the riding position is supposed to be long with as flat a back as possible but my arms are consistently knackered after a ride. Should I try a shorter stem, or hang fire to see if it's just a matter of building up my underdeveloped upper body?

Unknown · June 2007

Try one of the hydration systems such as a Camelback.

lardarse rider · June 2007

It is just about getting comfortable on the bike. Keep trying. Stick the bottle in the side of your mouth and squeeze so you can still see where you are going. Only drink on straight, easy sections of road at first and you will soon get the hang of it.

Please be upstanding for the Mayor of Simpleton

Unknown · June 2007

i find when climbing, i use my arms more than i think i would and they end up feeling tired - i did 10 under the Ben at the weekend ( mountain biking ) and my shoulders are really sore from pulling on the handle bars for 10 hours

As for eating / drinking. Unless your in a race, then backoff the effort when you want to take a drink/eat. I find i simply cant breathe / work as hard as normal when drinking or chewing, so there is no point trying to do both at the same time.

For a drink, i'll normally stop pedalling ( or pedal slower ) and let the bike coast whilst i conenctrate on grabbing the bottle from the holder ( cause its a nightmare if you drop it ) and also do the same when putting the bottle back into the holder . I'll return to pedalling inbetween. Pull the stop out with your teeth and hold the bottle to the side of your face and point it into your mouth at the side. That way you can tilt the bottle upwards without it blocking your view or you needing to lift your head too much. Squeeze the bottle and take the drink. Sometimes i'll drink it, sometimes i'll just swish it around, swallow a bit of it and spit it back out. Its not pretty, you do dribble some when drinking, but who cares.

Food wise - i just eat little bits at a time. I normally would carry flapjacks cut into squares about 1.5" sq. These normally require 2 bites to eat. That way, i'm not faffing over a huge thing in my hand and if i drop it, too bad, i've not dropped loads. Its the chewing thats the hard work so again I back off the effort for a short while, but still cycle along as though i'm touring rather than pushing along.

If your doing it as part of a race, then maybe practice backing off the effort until your comfortable with it all, and then upping the effort back up.

MTB eijit

clarinetist · June 2007

If I were you, I would take myself and bike to a proper bike shop and ask them to look at yourself seated on the bike.You should not be streching to reach the bars.It does take a while to get used to drinking and eating on the bike but its a skill worth practicing.
Pick a nice bit of road and place one hand near the stem and reach down and get the bottle with the orther ,take a drink and place bottle back .Do this lots of times so you do it without thinking.

domtyler · June 2007

I think it sounds like you are still finding your true balance on the bike. Can you ride comfortably with only one hand on the bars for several minutes at a time? Can you ride no handed? If not then this is your starting point. The bike will always go in a straight line so don't worry about that, even if you go through a pothole or over a bump it will self correct (well 99% of the time anyway [;)]) due to your forward momentum. Get used to this first, then you will be able to relax more and eating/drinking will be much easier will still going fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Arizona Dispensaries

Ste_S · June 2007

As a seperate issue to the bike fit problems raised, if you're not racing why not stop for a drink or bite to eat ?

domtyler · June 2007

It's not just racing Ste_S when you might not want to stop, you could be out for a full on training ride or riding in a large group on a club run for example. Fair enough if you are only out for a pootle around the park then you can stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
Toyota Mark X History

IBezz · June 2007

Why not restrict your eating & drinking to enforced breaks such as at T junctions / traffic lights / regrouping at the tops of climbs etc. Unless you're intending to race, eating / drinking on the move is a skill you don't need to master. I haven't.

BigBren · June 2007

I'm with domtyler on this one - I recently remastered the skill of riding with no hands, and it's made eating and drinking on the move a much more straightforward affair. I never quite felt comfortable doing it before, but now I can cruise along at a fair old lick whilst unwrapping and munching on a kendal mint cake or taking on fluid. Also, despite really being too old for such antics, it's still terrific fun to ride no-handed!

Bren

Archcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BigLee

Try one of the hydration systems such as a Camelback.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

And if you don't fancy wearing a rucksack, you can get a tube system to adapt a bottle (available from various internet suppliers, and I think, Halfords...)

http://www.bluedesert.co.il/

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Unknown · June 2007

Or you could try this:-)

http://www.drinkstuff.com/products/product.asp?ID=3

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

JWSurrey · June 2007

Yeah - I hear you! In the same boat, having come back to it after many years off - No way I want to let go of the bars on my carbon special just yet! Especially with all the "replace everything if you bang it" carbon scare stories!

I read in a great "1000 top tips" book from Books ETC that, as stated above, cut your food up - crack open your bananas.

Drink when not expending effort, as you'll absorb it better i.e. Not on climbs until you've crested it.

If riding one-handed, I hold my bars close to the stem - that way I won't veer off-line on undulations.

Most home brew shops sell food grade tubing for Heath-Robinson bottle mods.
There are aero bottles available for use with tri-bars, but riding with these is an entirely different ball game!

stevec205gti · June 2007

Whilst some people may be able to drink at the top of a climb, I can't - i find that once you've giving it your all to make it over the top of a climb your body is doing it's best to inhale as much oxygen as possible. Try drinking at this point and you run the risk of coughing and spluttering all over the shop. I'd try making sure you're very relaxed when you take the drink, not trying to recover from a big effort, squeeze the bottle to squirt the drink instead of sucking the bottle, then swallow it after you've got a mouthful.

Burning brake blocks - the smell of fear

Ste_S · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

It's not just racing Ste_S when you might not want to stop, you could be out for a full on training ride or riding in a large group on a club run for example. Fair enough if you are only out for a pootle around the park then you can stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Unless you're chain ganging, there's normally plenty of opportunities to drink while stopped on the club runs I've been on. Waiting at traffic lights, re-forming at the top of climbs etc

Anyhoo, if you must drink on the move it's probably just a case of a bit of practice. I can't ride no-handed and probably not the best bike handler in the world, but can manage to get a drink from the cage or a bite to eat from my jersey pocket.

uphillbothways · June 2007

Wow, thanks everyone for the response. I intend to at the very least start doing club runs once I'm a bit steadier on the bike, but I just don't like stopping when I'm out. Domtyler:- I shall practice one- and no-handed riding; I am slightly wobbly when signalling so I reckon you're right. Thanks to all those who suggested alternative drinking systems, but I shan't (for the moment at least) go out and buy something if I can sort it with a bit of practice.

ANDYEcp · June 2007

You will find that a beer tankard with a handle is a lot easier to hold than a straight pint glass whislt riding so I would recomment that. Also shandy goes down better that neat lager!

el_presidente · June 2007

DON'T DROP THE BOTTLE

scariest moment I've had recently, mate I was drafting dropped his bottle, I had to jink round it v.v. quickly, not ideal as we were being closely followed by a low-loader carrying a steam roller.

I asked him to not do that to me again please.

Aidocp · June 2007

I don't know if you still get them. I got a halfrauds voucher for my b'day a few years back and picked up a bottle with spring cap and a pop up straw. On the move I find this less fidgety and prefer it over my other bottles. Unfortunately, nearly 2 years later the clip for the cap has worn out, I might pick up another if they still sell them.

If I had a baby elephant, who would take it for walks?

philip99a · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ANDYE

You will find that a beer tankard with a handle is a lot easier to hold than a straight pint glass whislt riding so I would recomment that. Also shandy goes down better that neat lager!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

About to say something similar. Get the bar staff to put you a half in a pint glass. Really helps the spillage problem. Of course a plastic "glass" is much better news if they have one when you throw your empty onto the roadside. S*d the environment I say.[:)]

Campag Super Nova; faster than a cannon ball

vernonlevy · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by philip99a

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ANDYE

You will find that a beer tankard with a handle is a lot easier to hold than a straight pint glass whislt riding so I would recomment that. Also shandy goes down better that neat lager!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

About to say something similar. Get the bar staff to put you a half in a pint glass. Really helps the spillage problem. Of course a plastic "glass" is much better news if they have one when you throw your empty onto the roadside. S*d the environment I say.[:)]

Campag Super Nova; faster than a cannon ball
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why not install your bike and a turbo in the local bar? [:p]

philip99a · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by vernonlevy

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by philip99a

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ANDYE

You will find that a beer tankard with a handle is a lot easier to hold than a straight pint glass whislt riding so I would recomment that. Also shandy goes down better that neat lager!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

About to say something similar. Get the bar staff to put you a half in a pint glass. Really helps the spillage problem. Of course a plastic "glass" is much better news if they have one when you throw your empty onto the roadside. S*d the environment I say.[:)]

Campag Super Nova; faster than a cannon ball
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why not install your bike and a turbo in the local bar? [:p]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Nonsense. No hills, no freewheeling, no mother nature. But yes better service (if you're lucky)

Campag Super Nova; faster than a cannon ball

Mark Alexander · June 2007

my preference is HB. bitter is less gassy [;)] I'm not sure how the camelback will fair though[:D]

my baby elephant has more memory than my PC

Brightsparkcp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by el_presidente

DON'T DROP THE BOTTLE

scariest moment I've had recently, mate I was drafting dropped his bottle, I had to jink round it v.v. quickly, not ideal as we were being closely followed by a low-loader carrying a steam roller.

I asked him to not do that to me again please.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Moral of the story is to
1 Only take a drink when you are at the back of a bunch (unless the ba****rds won't come through and take a turn)
2. If the bloke up front has to take a drink and you don't want to run the risk of a dropped bottle, or getting a face full of their drink when they wash their mouth out...then do your turn at the front.[:)]

Drinking on the bike?

Comments

Categories