All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Speaking of, that post reminded me to buy a 4-pack of tubes and a valve core remover off Amazon. $28

 

Look into the Kona Honzos. Super fun frame geo and its been around for a little while so you can get them on the used market. The Honzo is the 29er variant and the Big Honzo is the 27.5+ version.

I'll keep that in mind. I'm secure enough in my sexuality to say that I'm pretty savvy with a needle and thread.

 

Long days: Regular Hydration Pack.
Medium Days: Dakine Hotlaps with a bottle in the frame.
Short Rides are just a bottle in the frame and a saddle bag.

 

I run a fanny with some snacks and 2 bottles, then 2 bottles in frame cages, and a Bedrock bags frame bag for tools and pumps. I can do an all day epic and carry just as much water as my camelback without "the monkey" clinging to me. I despise things being on me, so if I can mount it on the bike, I will.

 

The Dakine hip packs do suck when then loosen up and sag. Nothing like dropping the saddle and going to stand and being hooked onto the saddle. Need to modify like someone mentioned.

 

Let me try and explain this. I have had luck with buckling the hip pack under the buckle of my riding shorts. Effectively securing the pack to my waistband so it doesn't move up my back

 

I had a hot laps and never really liked it that much. Now I have an Osprey Savu, and I am in love with that thing. Perfect amount of space to fit all your snacks and stuff, but still feels pretty minimal. And the straps are perfect for me. Stay tight, nd the bag isn't tippy like a lot of them fully loaded. Hella cheap too! Only $55 which is a steal for Osprey gear.

 

It is nice to role with nothing sometimes. I use the osprey pck with a bladder for 1+ hour rides and a Dakine hot laps pack for shorter rides. Along with a bottle cage , tube strapped to the frame and a separate Dakine thing to hold my tools.

I’ve got a standard pack for big rides but I haven’t done one of those in a while.

 

You talking the version with the bladder or the smaller one?

 

I always ride with a hydration pack. Just got used to it from the beginning, and don't want to get unused to it by riding without. I really never do rides less than 10 miles, and typically 15 - 25 with lots of climbing, often in the heat, so there's really no getting around a bladder for me. I've got an Osprey Synchro 10 and a Synchro 12, and the webbing/suspension system it uses to keep the pack off the back really works wonders to mitigate a sweaty back. I never liked the concept of adding weight to the bike itself, but lately have been keeping a 21oz water bottle and spare tube attached to the bike. Water bottle because I keep Tailwind in the bladder for long rides, and use the bottle when I need a sip of something not sweet. I reverse the bottle/bladder contents for shorter rides.

 

The best bang for your buck will definitely be the second-hand market. Visit Pinkbike's "Buy/Sell" section and look for something in your price range. My personal suggestion would be any 29er hardtail with decent hubs, good brakes, and a 100-120mm suspension fork. Something like the following would be a perfect starter MTB:
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2499425/

You can then upgrade one component at a time as you use it and learn what you like or don't like about the setup. That's exactly what I did when I came back to the sport 12 years ago after a 10 year hiatus. I started it all off again with a 29er hardtail, as well.

 

No I think last weekend is in October sometime. If you want to meet up for a few laps, shoot me a PM.

Cool thanks for the info. Hopefully its not too bad.

 

I think the last day is oct 20th.

You'll be good. Just get ready for that arm pump lol. Bottom of a few runs I could barely let go of the bars.

 

Start here... https://www.pinkbike.com/news/10-mountain-bike-hip-packs-ridden-rated.html

I've been running a Camelback Palos, with a 3L bladder. It's enough water for 3-5 hours, space for tools and tubes, snack, even for a light raincoat. I have a Oneup pump w/EDC on the frame, and room for a bottle if I want more water, or need to redistribute weight if the hip pack gets too heavy.
That EVOC at the end looks awesome though...

 

It doesnt matter if my ride is 30 minutes or 3 hours. I ride with a Osprey Raptor with a 3L bladder with ice and water in it with 2 cans of beer in the bladder. I am out of shape and still drink a ton of water. I like that water to be cold. I also like beer a lot. It fits my needs. All my tools go in the pack or in my Oneup pump on my bottle cage. I have the tiny YT Jeffsy bottle with me too. I mainly use that to wash the sweat out of my hair on hot days and to cool off though.


Max capacity of a Osprey 3L bladder with sufficient ice and a little bit of water to drink is 5 beers FYI.

 

I drink from my hydration bladder enough while riding that I can’t imagine reaching down for a muddy or dusty or horse poop covered bottle and trying to put it back in the cage on singletrack. And I started riding mountain bikes in the eighties so I have lots of experience with the bottle thing. I also ALWAYS carry a full toolkit, snacks, windshell, first aid kit, phone, wallet keys bla bla bla so my Osprey Raptor 14 is pretty much always full. And my tube is strapped to the frame AND I have a little top tube bag with more crap in it. Ah, maybe that’s why I’m so slow ... Seriously, hydration bladder + tubeless + flat pedals + 1x drivetrain are the best things ever.

 

Did we just become best friends?