kf5nd

This question is going to generate some heat! But, it needs to be pondered. We had a difference of opinion amongst LCI's yesterday during a class. We agreed to disagree. But, we need to settle the matter, officially, for the sake of the students.

Most said pick up the water bottle with the left hand, so if you have to apply the brake suddenly, it will be the rear brake, and you won't go over the handlebars.

I say, pick up the water bottle with the right hand, so if you have to apply the brake suddenly, it will be the front brake. The front brake is much better at stopping, and although you might go over the bars if you panic-squeeze it, it would be a lesser evil than hitting whatever object (car?) you are trying to avoid. Also, panic-squeezing the rear brakes will cause you to wildly fish-tail all over the place.

Comments?

flipped4bikes

I always pick up my water bottle with my right hand. Not for the reasons above but it's what is most comfortable. I'm also a righty, which doesn't explain why I play pool lefty...

I-Like-To-Bike

Panic stop for what? Traffic that materialized from nowhere? If there is the slightest possibility that brakes are going to be needed (example: approaching an intersection or nearby pedestrians) don't be grabbing a water bottle at all. The rest of the LCI debate is an academic exercise in counting dancing angels. Note: It is also US bike oriented with its assumptions about which hand operates which brake.

YoungerNow

I use my left hand for the water bottle, but since I have the brake levers reversed on all of my bikes (to match the reflexes I developed while motorcycling), I still have access to the front brake.

But in the situation you're describe, I think you'll be pretty limited in braking ability regardless of which brake you have available: With only one hand on the bars, the forward inertia of your body during hard braking is going to push the bars violently to one side, probably enough to cause you to wipe out anyways.

Keith99

Agree 100%. This puts it back to the poster that sais use the hand that is comfortable.

Dogbait

If you really need to use the brake, it's ok to drop the bottle.

kartoffel

Those water bottles can get expensive! Probably better to crash the bike and maybe pay a little more in medical bills.

Helmet Head

Plus, I can brake using my wrist while my bottle is in my hand.
Plus, in an extremely unlikely scenario (e.g., a tree falls into my path across the entire road) I know I can rely on my instincts to let go of the bottle and start braking long before I even realize what's going on.

skanking biker

My front brake lever is mounted on the right side--my strong side---so i drink water with the left hand

rando

this age-old question has puzzled the world's greatest thinkers for centuries.
persoanlly, I usually wait until I stop for a light. but in that case and otherwise, right hand.

bbunk

I read an article once, I think it was in Bicycling magazine, about police officers training to be bike cops. They were taught to use their left hand to get the water bottle in case they needed to make quick stop it was safer.
Me, I am so right handed I would starve if I broke my right arm so I drink with my right hand.

I-Like-To-Bike

That age old question was about grabbing something else. Now, the answer to that question is - whichever hand isn't being used on the keyboard or mouse.

catatonic

I found I can operate brakes just fine with a water botle in my hand, so this is irrelevant to me.

I guess it has to do with how you grip the bottle as well. I switch hands based on the bike I'm using.

I'm a leftie, so on bikes with a frame mount cage, I use my left hand. On my folding bike, where the bottle is on the right of the stem (Stem mounted cage, only place I coudl fit it), I use my right hand.

Either way, use the bottle when practical. This is just the same as grabbing the coke can from the cupholder when driving.

kalliergo 

On many of the streets I ride, drinking (from your water bottle) and driving (your bicycle) don't mix well.

For the more leisurely routes, I've installed thought-controlled brakes.

Ed Holland

Left, otherwise I'd have to put my cellphone away

Actually its usually my right hand, but not before I have a good clear stretch of road ahead, or there is a long wait at traffic lights.

Ed

N_C

Here's an idea let the person grab the water bottle with what ever hand they are most comfortable with. For me it is my right hand, I am right side dominate. Part of this is genetics & part is natural development when we were youngsters growing up. Nothing can be or SHOULD be done to change or correct this.

Case in point. When I had my road bike I would always put my right foot on the ground when I stopped. When I was being taught how to handle & control my recumbent the lbs guy told me to put my left foot down. That didn't work to well, so I switched to my right & it was like when I had my road bike. I would grab the water bottles with my right hand.

The drinking tube for my Camel Bak comes over my right shoulder, I use my right hand to put it in my mouth. My photo camera & Airzound are on the right side of my handlebars. Only my computer is on the left, but I usually do not need to mess with it. If I do I have trained myself to use my left hand.

If it is one thing I can not stand it is instructors, teachers, etc. telling people & in some cases trying to force people on what side, left or right, to use when over the course of their lives they have used what is natural to them because of genetics & natural development. It is not broken, don't fix it.

Teacher used to do this to young kids all the time. My sister was one of them. She is left handed & left side dominate. They tried to make her right handed, it didn't work.

My advice is to back off of telling a cyclist to grab the water bottle with a specific hand & let him or her do what comes natural to them.

Keep in mind a cyclist will typically not take a drink of water unless it is safe to do so. If I am in traffic, approaching a stop or think there will be a situation that will require immiediate & evasive methods I will not take a drink & keep both hands on the handle bars. Most of the time I take a drink when I stop at a red light.

San Rensho 

Right hand. I try to train myself to use only the front brake. The front has by far the most stopping power and what you do all the time is what you will do in a panic situation.

Only reason to use the rear is in a really slippery situation, wet metal, gravel, sand, grass etc. But on relatively dry pavement, the front is the go to brake.

I-Like-To-Bike

Doesn't it take too much drinking to make stilted language like "driving a bike" sound correct?

jfmckenna

I agree. The front brake is what stops you. And for those who suggested they can just throw the bottle well thats just not cool. You can easily take down another rider with a bottle bouncing and rolling all over the road.

sggoodri

My downtube and bar-end rear derailer shifters are on the right side of my bikes. This accustomed me to controlling the bike with my left hand for the most frequent shifts. The downtube shifter isn't far from where I grab the bottle.

Similarly, my cars' transmission, radio and environmental controls have always been on the right. The cup holder is also on the right. This trained me to steer my car with my left hand.

In general, I am right-handed for manipulation tasks, and left-handed for "hold stuff steady" tasks, which often happen in combination like when writing and cutting vegetables.

As a result, I've never reached for my water bottle with my left hand, but I never thought about it until now.

Brian Ratliff

My first thought was "LCI's were debating this???" Do whatever feels most comfortable and that will be safest. My experience is that there is no way to apply either brake hard without two hands on the handlebars.

I agree with ILTB. This is all about angles dancing on the head of a pin. As a teacher, I'd advise a student to be aware of their surroundings and only take a sip when it is relatively safe, but I'd never dictate to them which hand to use.

FWIW, I've always used my right hand, and never really given it a thought. It is only an issue on my fixed, where my waterbottle is in my backpack and I have to reach around to get it while pedaling. It's not an issue otherwise.

Brian Ratliff

1+

sbhikes

I use one of those cambelback bladders. You can clip the hose so that the bite valve is handy, and then you don't have to do much reaching or fumbling. You also won't drop it and thus leave litter that doesn't biodegrade.

I-Like-To-Bike

sggoodri

Back when I used a Camelbak regularly while bike commuting, on the one or two days a week that I drove my car, I would still find myself scratching at my shoulder looking for the bite valve.....