It’s hard to keep up with mountain bike technology. Almost every week we see something new that’s an improvement or completely fresh. So many brands, so many products, so many brains working on making stuff lighter, better, stronger. Interestingly though, hydration packs have been around almost since the beginning and have recently made a return. Why have they returned, who should be using them and which are SA’s most popular brands?
By Sean Badenhorst
As someone that’s been riding and racing mountain bikes for a long time, I have experienced all of mountain biking’s trends. As the discipline has evolved and segmented; and as bicycle and component design has improved ,we have seen the arrival and departure of rigid forks, narrow bars, bar-ends, long stems, adjustable stems, steep headtube angles, rim/cable brakes, triple (and double) chainrings, front derailleurs, tubes in tyres, toe-clip pedals, sleeveless jerseys, short socks, thick socks, compressed polystyrene helmets, mesh/fingerless gloves, frame-pumps, slim-lens eyewear and more…
Since the invention of Camelbak’s first pack in the early 1990s, there’s been a logical connection between mountain biking and hydration packs. Obviously not necessary for XCO and Downhill, hydration packs were an ideal solution for endurance riding and racing in the early days of mountain biking.
They didn’t only hold liquid though, they had storage space for all sorts, including tools, spares, clothing layers to be added (or removed), car keys, cash, snacks and more. Back then, bicycles were vulnerable and we would have to stop regularly to repair punctures, re-seat derailed chains, repair chains and ,more often than we’d like, deal with damaged rims, derailleurs, or derailleur hangers. Frames were also smaller and weren’t always able to carry two bottle cages. And let’s not even talk about how weak bottle cages were back then…
It simply made sense to carry all your katunda with you in a pack if you were heading out for a long ride or race.
As events became more refined, water points every 15-20km made it possible to race with a bottle, or two and just refill at water points. And bicycle and component materials and design improved to the point where mechanicals were the exception, not the norm. So, riders began to forgo the pack and carry spares in a jersey pocket or, more recently, inside the frame of certain bikes; and carry liquid in bottles – hence the strong focus on bikes that can accommodate two bottles inside the main frame.
While there have been some that have always opted to ride with a hydration pack, they were always in the minority, certainly for the past 15 years or so. In the last 3-4 years though, the following led to a behaviour change of South African mountain bikers:
- The Covid-19 restrictions
- The increasing volume of singletrack in marathons and stage races
- The advent of Gravel racing
- The growth of Enduro racing
With events banned by the government in reaction to the Covid-19 virus for most of 2020 and 2021, mountain bikers did long rides which obviously had no water points. So, being self-sufficient was important and led to the purchasing of hydration packs, which in their modern form, are lighter, more comfortable and more practical.
Many marathons and stage races have been increasing the volume of singletrack each year. SA Marathon Champs in the past three years (Paarl in 2021 and 2023 and Karkloof in 2022) were predominantly singletrack!
For many mountain bikers, taking a hand off the bars to grab a drink from a bottle leads to a reduction in momentum, loss of control and the risk of crashing. Bonking is avoidable if you can keep your energy and phosphate levels consistent and hydration packs make this possible with gulps of liquid just a bite valve on the shoulder (or chest) away.
And the addition – and growth – of Gravel and Enduro disciplines in South Africa in the past couple of years has also helped lead to the revival of the hydration pack. Riders in both disciplines can benefit from carrying liquid nourishment. Enduro riders normally need a range of spares to make in-race repairs and carry snacks and liquid for a few hours of racing, while Gravel racers find themselves on stony, sandy, or corrugated surfaces in bunches that make a hydration pack a sensible gear choice.
Packs aren’t for everyone, but they’re definitely back in a big way. In our 2022 South African Mountain Biking Survey, presented by Garmin, we added a question asking: ‘if you use a hydration pack, which brand do you use?’ Here’s the response.
| Camelbak | 47.86% |
| USWE | 19.31% |
| First Ascent | 6.64% |
| Thule | 2.74% |
| Maxed | 2.59% |
| Osprey | 2.29% |
| K-Way | 1.52% |
| Leatt | 1.45% |
| Cape Storm | 1.37% |
| Decathlon | 0.99% |
| Salomon | 0.83% |
| Evoc | 0.76% |
| Other | 11.60% |
Of the 3000 that took the survey, a total of 1310 (43.66%) answered this question. There was a total of 36 brands mentioned. We have listed those that were named at least 10 times.
Did you miss our 2022 SA Mountain Bike Survey reveals? Here they are:
Part 1 – You and your riding
Part 2 – SA’s top MTB, Gravel and eBike brands
Part 3 – Performance devices favoured by SA MTBers
Part 4 – SA’s most popular MTB gear brands
