Originally Posted by
FrankBattle
Still don't understand why you have to teach someone how to drink<...CUT...>But on normal pavement, it really should be instinctive. Reach down, grab, drink, return.
That OP feels he/she might fall is not something you can fix by reading tips on a forum.
If it's that serious, wear heavy pads, find an empty stretch of road and practice the motion without looking.
That last bit is a tip that might work, actually.
But not everyone is a 'natural' cyclist. And, if you're coming into it late, or with bad balance, or whatever myriad of problems people take with them when they jump on a bike, coordinating pedals, handlebars, steering, speed, and a water bottle can be tricky.
Obviously if this is a problem you shouldn't be going on group rides and wobbling into other people, but simply purchasing a road bike doesn't grant previously missing coordination. Some of us will be a little remedial for a while in some areas, and the only way to sort it out is to ride.
I, personally, practiced on a grass field so if I did end up falling over I wouldn't have to worry about me or my bike.