AndyK 

I've always held onto the top of the bar with my left hand while reaching for the water bottle with my right. When I figured out recently that I may need to STOP QUICKLY while drinking water, it dawned on me that holding the tops of the bars is not the safest way to go.

Problem is, when I try holding one hand on the left hood while drinking, I get a front wheel shimmy that isn't there when one hand is on the top of the bar.

Is that normal? How do most riders ride with one hand and drink with the other AND use the brakes?

urbanknight

Something isn't balanced with your fit if you get a shimmy while riding one handed. Make sure your weight is balanced and supported by the saddle. Also, you should be able to switch your hand from the top to the hood without the aid of your other hand. How much no-handed riding have you done?

Tulex

I can't imagine what is going to happen when you hit the brake with one hand on.

MDcatV

... with your mouth open

Camilo

Don't put yourself in the position of having to stop quickly when you're drinking.

Phantoj

I don't think it's possible to brake hard with only one hand on the bars... try it.

Tulex

kudude

uh. 1) don't ride near me 2) if you actually need to stop, throw the bottle.

fauxto nick

I swear to god some of these post really scare me.

Tulex

Even better

AndyK 

I recently changed the bars and saddle - maybe something is slightly off fit-wise. And I wasn't talking about slamming on the brakes while drinking, but there have been several times I wanted to slow down a bit while drinking.

If it's normal to be on the hood one-handed without a slight shimmy, what should I look for as the cause of the shimmy (at slow speeds)?

Machka 

A story ...

A friend of mine was cycling along one day. He reached down and got his waterbottle to take a drink, took the drink and was about to return the bottle to the cage. His other hand was on the hood so he could reach the brakes.

Just then a vehicle shot across the road in front of him. Still holding the waterbottle with one hand (now sort of pointing forward), he applied the brakes with the other ... but in so doing he also squeezed the waterbottle. Water shot from the bottle straight into the passenger window of the vehicle shooting across in front of him. The passenger gasped!

My friend slowed, swerved and just managed to miss the rear bumper of the vehicle ... all while still holding his bottle.

JeffS

How scared?

What should I do if I get scared when I'm riding my bike? Should I pull out my phone to call my wife for support or fake a mechanical and try to collect my nerves.

I heard competitive cyclists is selling a new anti-anxiety device for your bike. It's only $399.99, weighs less than two ounces and sends lullaby vibrations through your carbon frame.

AngryScientist 

its your balance on the bike. you should be able to fairly confidently pedal with one or no hands on the bike, and be free to drink or do whatever.

you should make sure your position on the bike allows you to use your core muscles to hold your body while supported by the saddle. it doesnt come easy, but thats what you need to work on, after you have improved your comfort level on the bike and your balance skills ( which i think comes down to overall balance and core fitness mainly) you will have no time confidently drinking or eating a power bar or whatever while scrubbing some speed with your other hand

AndyK 

THAT's what I'm talkin about!

urbanknight

How much weight you normally put on your hands. My guess is you put too much weight on your hands, so when you take one hand off, the weight pushing on the remaining hand tries to steer you and the shimmy is your constant corrections to that.


lol

urbanknight

Too bad it wasn't full of energy drink instead.

Brian Ratliff

1+ on all accounts.

You should not be in any need of stopping with the bottle in your hand. If you need to stop and it's not a bottle throwing emergency, then just hold the bottle with your teeth and use both hands to control the bike. Otherwise, stow the bottle before attempting to stop.

Incidentally, this is probably why mtn bikers favor camelbacks.

kudude

in that case hold the bottle with your teeth and calmly grab the brakes with one of your hands. braking one-handed on the hoods requires some practice, but if you're just scrubbing some speed and still shimmy-ing, the bit about too much weight on your hands may be correct

coasting 

wonder why roadies don't use camelbacks

AndyK 

I'll check my saddle level, I might need the nose up a tick or two. That would level me more and take some weight off my hands - thanks.

I ride early in the morning, and when I least expect it, an animal might dart out, or a fallen tree branch might be right in my path. Instead of throwing the water bottle at every squirrell sighting, a light squeeze of the left brake from the hood would do the trick - as long as I'm not shimmying all over the place!

kudude

that, and I don't like sucking on dirt on the nozzle that accumulates when you ride on unpaved surfaces

Machka 

Shoulder pain.

coasting 

good point. i've never ridden for hours with a back pack

Machka 

About 80% of the way through a long ride, I actually ended up with a really nasty pain across the left side of my chest, across the left side of my back, and up and over my shoulder ... and then my left arm went numb.

I was a bit worried .............. but all the pain and numbness went away when I took the camelbak off.