WATCHA PACKIN'?
Andrew's Mixed-Day Early Spring Outlay
Backpacks Strike Back?!?
Most folks would argue that the predominance of the backpack, and by extension the hydration pack, has long past for mountain biking. Hip packs or no-packs dominate the exurban trail networks we us use to play bicycles in the woods, with backpacks pulled out only for the most epic loops. Even then, frame bags and various rack setups are carving into what was once a safe space for shoulder straps.
I've tried everything down to porting stashed tools and a small frame bag on my bike and adding a hip pack for more rain gear and snacks, and I've come full circle to wearing a pack on every ride. Anecdotally, I'm not the only one. I feel like I'm seeing more backpacks out on the trails than even a year ago, though it's still a minority of riders.
My years old first-generation, weatherproof, Mission/Acre Hauser was a gift from my wife. US Made and then repaired by HMPL Design here in Vancouver, BC. It's faded and compared to other backpacks it's heavy & hot, but I love it.
I ride with a pair of bottles on my bike, having swapped the bladder for a back protector, which keeps me separated from the contents of my pack in a roll over. The added weight is also more comfortable than having nothing.
I'm headed off riding for a few days and the forecast is promising cool temperatures and plenty of rain, or maybe not. The rides will be all day, or maybe not. The pace will be brisk, or maybe not. Basically, I need to roll out of my accommodations every morning prepared for anything.
I'm not saying this can't be done with a hip pack, or frame bag, and stashed tools - I've done it before - but I've come around to the fact that a pack is the best, simplest, solution for me. I wear it every ride now, so I'm used to it anyway. At any rate, we haven't put together any WATCHA PACKIN'? pieces for a while, so I figured this would be a good chance to check in.
I'm planning to wear my Leatt Windblock 2.0 gloves the whole trip with a pair of 100% Briskers deep in my pack as a backup. I'll also bring a couple pairs of lighter weight gloves in case the sun comes out.
On Chin Bars
I won't dwell on this but I imagine that, as with most rides I go on, I'll be the only rider on my trip sporting a chin bar, removable or otherwise. Admittedly I'll be riding tamer trails than I normally do but at this point it's my normal. I mention it because I believe at least some folks don't wear them out of a certain machismo and I like to take any opportunity to normalize the practice.
Fixed chin bar trail lids like my Kali Invader 2.0 or the Troy Lee Designs Stage breathe well, and have great acoustics, so I don't see it as a big trade off to wear one. There is also a plethora of rad lightweight removable chin bar helmets like the Leatt DBX 3.0 and Bell Super Air that will do the job for riders who would prefer to climb with their faces uncovered.
I love this lid. Kali Invader 2.0 with a medium pad set. I hope that companies keep developing these maximumly breathable fixed chin bar full face options.
Tools & Stuff
I can't say that my bike doesn't have any stashed tools at all, my rear quick release lever is a Wolf Tooth Axle Handle that doubles as a quick access tool for minor adjustments. But these days the rest of my tools from the EDC Leatherman Skeletool to my 8-Bit tool system, all live in a tool roll in my pack.
The only thing I'm planning to update this year is my pump. My SKS Airboy has served me very well for almost a decade but after a few rebuilds and with some decently deep disintegration of the anodized shaft surface I've decided to retire it to that great big tool box in the sky.
The roll. It's super quick to access even if I'm rushing for some tire bacons.
My spork, my SKS Airboy pump, and my 8-Bit tool system. The 8-Bit system is my multi-tool, chain link pliers, chain breaker, bacon plus, main tire lever, and rotor straightener all in one.
The little bottle of chain lube and loaner headset spacer are for my fellow travelers. Other people's squeaky chains drive me insane. The space blanket and Tylenol are both past due for replacement, so this was a good reminder.
More tire levers? When my hands are shot through with wet and cold and I'm far from somewhere I'll take all the help I can get - they weigh almost nothing. Lighter, tick-puller, water purification tables.
My trusty Leatherman Skeletool has been with me on many adventures, not to mention living in my pocket every day, everywhere I go. I use it all the time around my home and out in the world.
Also in the outer pocket of my pack are a pair of Stroop waffles. I buy them in bulk at the grocery store and, as crumbly as these look, they never last very long in my pack. YUM.
One-Upping Enduro Potatoes
Is that a f#cking potato? No, but it's my new favourite trail snack - Lemon Garlic Dijon Roasted ENDURO Potato & Carrot salad with chewy bacon strips. The beauty of a backpack is that a plastic lunch container fits perfectly and the beauty of a plastic lunch container is that it can contain many mouthfuls of delicious real food.
I'd also like to shout out my badly abused camera setup. I bought this Olympus OM-D Micro 4/3 camera used at my local camera shop years back on Dave Smith's Min-Max recommendation. I don't pretend to be a professional photographer but it's served me very well as the apparatus behind most of my photos on NSMB.
For product shots and purposeful photography missions I use a 12-40 Pro lens, but for most rides I use this pancake lens - complete with two-foot manual zoom.
Photos don't do justice to the deliciousness of my Lemon Garlic Dijon Roasted ENDURO Potato & Carrot salad with chewy bacon strips.
My Emotional Support PLUS jacket weighs double an ESJ, and takes up twice the space, but has a much wider range of usability. It's a Giro Cascade Stow.
I need to some fresh summer-weight gloves this year but I've been limping along these Velcro-free 100% gloves for a few seasons. I can't even remember the model but they've held up wonderfully.
Deep, deep in my pack in a sealed freezer bag lives my backup 100% Brisker gloves and Pearl Izumi ESJ. I haven't used either recently, but I take comfort in having them.
Emotional Support Plus
My de-sleeved 7Mesh Guardian turned weatherproof vest is on it's very last legs and the closest any brand has come to making a purpose-built replacement is Patagonia making fun of the concept for April Fools Day. I was at the point of buying a jacket I like and actually having the sleeves chopped from new, but for the last few weeks I've been playing with a different gear combination.
I've basically been living in this Giro Cascade Insulated Vest - available in Men's and Women's sizing, in black, grey, and orange - to the extent that my daughter has reminded me a couple of times now that I should wash it. It has a PFC-free DWR treatment but I wouldn't call it weatherproof by any stretch. But even when wet-wet-wet the Polartec insulation does a good job of keeping me comfortable as long as I'm working.
In conjunction with the ves,t I've been using what I refer to as an Emotional Support PLUS Jacket (ESJ+), also made by Giro. The Cascade Stash jacket is twice as heavy (234 grams) and twice as bulky as my other ESJ options but it's actually lovely to use and significantly more breathable and weather resistant. It actually may have my perfect mix of weatherproofing and breathability for most every ride where I'd actually wear a jacket. It also comes in men's and women's sizing. I'm working on reviews for both products.
On the bike, off the bike, I've been wearing this Giro Cascade Insulated Vest almost every day. It has exactly the right mix of warmth and breathability and I combine it with a shell as needed. I wear a long sleeve merino-T in the rain, and a short sleeve for more mild days.
I love reading about the various ways mountain bikers sort and port their gear needs to the forest and home again, so I hope this piece kicks off a fresh run of WHATCHA PACKIN'? pieces from NSMB contributors.
Also, I know folks personal kit ranges from the kitchen sink to not even carrying a multi-tool, regardless of ride length, and I'm always curious to check out the comments for tips, tricks, and recommendations. If you went away from a backpack and have found yourself back to shoulder straps, whether it's some or all of your rides, I'd be curious to hear the story.
Comments
lookseasyfromhere
1 year, 9 months ago
My younger brother always wears a backpack, so I start in as many layers as are comfortable, then gradually remove and unload them on him.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Hahahaha. I always say that the second child is like the rear wheel on the bike, as long as it follows the first it’s all good (my younger brother, CTK, loves this sentiment).
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Vik Banerjee
1 year, 9 months ago
My go to setup ^^ for most rides.
Lower bag holds tools/tube/plugs/pump/etc.. for very occasional access in the event of a mechanical. The upper bag is the frequent access bag that has food/vest/phone in it. Most of the year I can ride ~4hrs with a single bottle. I have bottles from 600ml to 1L that will fit that cage. If needed I can usually attach another 1 or 2 bottles to the frame with a few minutes spent in the garage. With water sources on most bigger summer rides I can refill as I go.
I have a bigger upper top tube bag I can use if needed, but I use it so rarely it mostly just gathers dust.
I like having everything pre-packed on the bike. That way I can just grab it and go.
I mostly use a backpack on my bike riding around town doing errands. It's easy to go grocery shopping or pick up a parcel at the post office that way.
I ride trails with folks that are packless, use backpacks or hip packs. It doesn't matter to me whether folks strap gear/water to their bodies or their bikes.
I hope there is some resurgence in pack wearing. I dug out a couple older hydration packs and I'm going to put them up for sale since they are not going to see any further use.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
With the pre-packing, a conversation that came up this weekend, do you do that prep right when you get home from a ride or at some random point between rides?
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Skooks
1 year, 9 months ago
Backpack in winter, Fanny pack in summer. I have multiple bikes and wouldn't want to transfer gear from bike to bike. Having a single pack that is always ready to go makes the most sense to me.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Having my pack pre-packed is a key to max ride time in my life as well.
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TristanC
1 year, 9 months ago
I use a running vest for longer rides, mostly for water and a few things I really want on my person (wallet, satellite beacon, toilet paper). I like the reduced weight on my back and it has all kinds of nifty pockets on the straps. I started out with a 3L hydration pack but it was just too hot and heavy for me.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Which vest do you use? I had a great experience with CamelBak’s Chase Bike Vest as a lightweight option.
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TristanC
1 year, 9 months ago
REI Swiftland. I wanted one without many frills, and it works very well. Lots of adjustability, and it's small enough that it keeps me from overloading it.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
That’s one thing I love about the 10L pack - though my Acre itself is quite heavy. Space is finite to the extent that overpacking proves difficult.
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eriksg
1 year, 9 months ago
Until recently I've always worn a backpack (an ancient Camelback), with tools, pumps, and a few spares plus space for extra gloves or jacket and water. But after doing a couple of quick rides with no pack I've found it just feels nicer. I'm trying to work on bike-body separation and learning to jump and I just feel freer to move without a pendulum of water and tools behind me.
So after literally a decade of clean frames with no add-ons I bought some bottle cages last week and have pared down to a small hip pack. Most of my rides are under two hours and I think it'll work fine. It means foregoing a pump, for now, but I've only needed one once in the last three years so I'm going to take my chances for a bit and look at other frame storage.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I prefer drinking out of bottles, so I think of the pack & hydration as being separate decisions. Makes the bag much lighter (at least rolling out) and I drink more even in my full face.
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eriksg
1 year, 9 months ago
I'm the opposite: I find I drink more from a bladder than a bottle, because it's right there at my shoulder and always available.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Definitely a case of humans being human. I do think that if full face trail helmets get more popular then we'll see more bladders either on backs or in frame bags because a lot of folks seem to find it challenging to drink in one.
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eriksg
1 year, 9 months ago
Yeah, I should say for context I wear a full face 95% of the time
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
You're far from alone then, in preferring to drink through a tube with a chin bar in place.
Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
The pump is interesting. I never use mine for me, though I religiously carry it in case I need to plug a tire for myself or my kid. It’s just not that heavy.
Frame mounted pumps, I highly recommend setting yourself a rebuild schedule. I’ve seen a fair few trashed ones on the trail when folks needed them.
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Karl Fitzpatrick
1 year, 9 months ago
Like eriksg my ride aren't often longer than 2-3 hours.
Still using a Dakine Hotlaps 2L bumbag (call it what it is, for goodness sake) and have recently ditched a few things from it into a small Blackburn frame bag that now holds a tube, small multitool, pump and repair kit.
The extra room in my bumbag means it's lighter which is nice but when I'm going for a slightly bigger ride I can fit food and maybe spares.
Taking up permanent residence in the bumbag are copious zipties, a bungy cord, emergency blanket, multitool, CO², leatherman, puncture kit, buff (for use as a neck gaiter, beanie or more often as a bandage haha) and a Giro Stow jacket that lives in the external bottle sleeve.
And if I'm truly desperate, hey, my shorts have pockets!
Yes, yes, I still ride in shorts.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I full-on copied Bean and I run zip-ties in all my cranks now. Just comes to mind when you mention them.
Funny you should mention pants. I’ve noticed an explosion of folks rocking pants this spring (as more folks are in the trails locally). Will be interesting to see what month is the changeover to shorts.
I usually Rick my super-un-trendy baggies. Shorter than pants, longer than knickers. I know it’s ‘a look’ but they’re great for riding in.
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fartymarty
1 year, 9 months ago
Andrew - where is your tool roll from? I have a few smaller ones but it would be nice to have everything in one place.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
It’s Acre/Mission’s tool roll that came with the pack. It’s great.
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fartymarty
1 year, 9 months ago
I've been riding in my backpack for nearly a year now after using hip packs for a good few years before that. As Andrew points out you just grab it and go. I usually carry a folding saw as well to clear fallen branches.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I don’t usually carry my Silky but the ability to easily change load-outs is another great pack feature.
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fartymarty
1 year, 9 months ago
Hand chain saws are really handy as well. It's surprising what you can get thru with one. We've done 30cm diameter fallen trees before.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I have one. Don’t love it for the larger deadfall/blow down I usually come across that’s reasonably hand-saw-able.
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Goon
1 year, 9 months ago
I've had a mec weeping wall pack that's been my commuter pack for years, and use a camelback mule as my main offroad pack and all my bikes have a cage for those days when it's just a short ride. That's what has worked for me for the last 25 yrs
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
On short rides where do you carry your stuff (wallet, phone, tools, keys)?
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Cr4w
1 year, 9 months ago
You didn't mention first aid. I pretty much have three settings for first aid. 1: short ride with water bottle, so 1 triangle bandage which can be used as a bandage or split support. 2: longer ride with pack so I'll bring the triangle plus a SAM splint (which is super light and sort of doubles as a back protector), emergency blanket. 3: longest ride where I'll bring a whole bunch more plus water supplies. The triangle bandage is so useful I'm surprised that I can't alway get them at Shoppers.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I feel like we have this chat yearly and I mentally commit to getting a triangle bandage and then don’t. Hahaha.
I’ve been thinking of upgrading to a longer space blanket setup (mine is more of a space towel) but it does the job the two times I’ve had it out (not this one specifically - they only last so long).
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Cr4w
1 year, 9 months ago
All you need is one deep gash you can't quite manage and then you buy them in bulk and make sure to have one on every ride.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Yeah, I like to learn from other folks' experiences so I need to make it happen. Thanks!
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eriksg
1 year, 9 months ago
I can imagine . . . I've been lucky (??) that none of my on-trail injuries have bled seriously. When I sliced my shin up real good on my pedals I happened to be practicing bunny hops in my own back yard. It bled enough it would have been bad out on the trails with no good way to close the gashes up and get back home.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Yeah, me too. I need to do better still though. I pack tools based on things I’ve seen happen to other people and a proper bandage setup makes sense on the same level.
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Andy Krull
1 year, 9 months ago
With cold/wet weather, and/or riding with kids, a backpack is a necessity for me.
Warm dry summer is ok for hip packs for shorter rides up to 2-3 hrs; that season feels pretty short here (4 mos?). Longer rides needs a backpack.
Bike park riding means using pockets and one-up pump stash with no packs of any kind.
Definitely gotta be flexible...
A lot of Whistler riding last summer made me re-evaluate tool choices and packing. I'm not sold on the tool stuffed in a steerer tube (yet?). I tried a pt30 tool that had the t25 bit break in use, then moved to a blackburn ratchet. I really like the latter.
The blackburn comes with a roll that also fits minimal medical supplies and zip ties. Into the pocket and it's handy to use. I have to fight the desire to be over-prepared...
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Granite Designs does a steerer-tube-mounted ratchet setup that’s spring-loaded. It’s quite slick.
It’s currently on my do-not-recommend list as the plastic top cap failed on ride two (resulting in the tool shooting out), but I have a new top cap (still plastic) and I’ll be using the tool and writing it up in the future.
You’ll still need somewhere else to stash your pump and bacon-bits but for folks not wearing a pack it has potential.
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jeffp
1 year, 9 months ago
As ultra distance running vests have evolved to encompass significant storage, I've stopped sewing pouches for my phone and wallet and keys onto my bike specific packs and jumped ship to alpine running gear. The light weight and stability under motion that runners require of their vests, as well as the easy access and balanced weight of strap pockets are ideal. I've found the Black Diamond Distance 15 to be super tough, comfortable and adaptable. 15 liters in back minus the 3 liter bladder (hello Colorado), 2 zipper strap pockets in front for wallet and keys (on a super nerdy retractable key chain), plus 4 elastic strap pockets for sunscreen, electrolyte tabs, and easy access phone for pictures. Toilet shovel and headlamp in the pole pockets on the side. First aid fills the internal zip pocket.
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/distance-15-backpack-1/
The elastic vest harness is super stable and comfortable without needing a waist band up to about 12 lbs. I bike pack with this pack, ride around town, mountain bike. It's pretty much always with me. Above this volume (full suspension trips generally) I do find a small internal frame pack with waist belt is more comfortable.
Interestingly, after moving from the humid, cloudy mid-West to the dry, sunny mountain West, I found that under the glaring sun of the Rockies, a pack can actually keep me cooler by reducing the sun on my back, and most sweat from pack contact evaporates quickly. I've always been a big fan of mesh straps in any climate for this reason. In packs of this size and weight, I don't find any advantage to strap padding,
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
That’s a neat vest. I’ve used the Camel Bak bike vests with good results but I’ll check the Black Diamond out in person when I have a chance - cheers!
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Andy Eunson
1 year, 9 months ago
I used the Distance 8 extensively last year. I can’t run due to an old injury but hiking with the dogs can be pretty steep and rugged where I go. It’s a fantastic pack. I have the ski version too, Cirque 22, which is also really good.
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Tremeer023
1 year, 9 months ago
I wore those nooses around my shoulders for too many years. Never going back to a backpack )unless it's to carry a picnic on summer rides with the kids).
One large frame bag on my bike carries everything. Water, multi-tool, pump, spare jacket, phone, keys, cash etc. It's the most convenient and comfortable set-up I've found.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
What frame bag are you using? I wonder about weatherproofing on many I see (not an issue all riders need worry about, I know).
Do you have one mountain bike and, if not, does each have its own bag or are you moving bike to bike?
I was carrying tools on bike in my Wolf Tooth B-Rad (weather proof) but I find it’s a pain to switch when rides have a degree of spontaneity.
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Tremeer023
1 year, 9 months ago
I've got one bike for all (second wheelset for very occasional trips). Most of my rides are 2-3 hrs long so don't need more than 1ltr water even on hot days. There's a drinking fountain I always ride past.
The bag is a Blackburn Outpost Elite. It fills most of my frame but I find it so handy I'm eying up a custom fitted bag for the whole frame. My biggest fear is my bike becoming a sail when sending big jumps. I always find wanting more space than less - a basic first aid kit would be a nice thing to have space for.
If I did longer adventure type rides it would be hard to ignore the convenience of a good backpack though, despite the sweaty back.
Edit: I don't usually ride in the rain for long enough for it to matter.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
It's funny, I've ridden in quite a few different packs and this Acre/Mission pack that is my lodestar is easily the sweatiest and least breathable I've used in the last decade. I mean, I have to wash the salt stains off it multiple times in the summer and it gets fairly gross in the winter too and I don't deny or play down that fact at all. But out there in the woods or climbing a gravel forest road or whatever I find it's mind over matter - I don't mind so it doesn't matter.
I've ridden pack-free and with hip packs a lot so it's not like I haven't experienced all the different options
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earle.b
1 year, 9 months ago
I've always worn a pack for riding and skiing. I feel naked without one. Even on urban rides on the e-cargo bike with massive panniers I'll wear a backpack.
Current favourite pack is a Deuter Ascender 7, it's a trail running pack that I feel crosses over well to riding.
https://www.deuter.com/ca-en/shop/backpacks/p611859-trail-running-backpack-ascender-7
A nice selection of pockets on the straps. It has a little pouch pocket on the one side of the chest strap that is supposed to be to carry folded trekking poles, in cold weather I stuff my buff neck warmer in there once I warm up, on warm rides I like to climb without gloves on and I stuff my gloves in it. Originally I was going to cut it off but with the black on black packs it just blends in.
Inside the pack is always a Patagonia Houdini jacket if didn't start the ride in it.
Also a nice Deuter Tool Pocket to keep the tool kit organized. Sadly discontinued I think.
https://www.deuter.com/int-en/shop/bags/p612175-bike-bags-tool-pocket
Spare gloves are kept in a little bright yellow 0.5L dry sac, if the rains turn really really ugly the phone will also go into the little dry sac for protection. I'd gladly trade one of the mesh shoulder strap pockets for a waterproof phone pocket on the pack.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
That's a great-looking setup & I dig the various, easily accessible on-the-go, front pouch options but I'd love to see a weatherproof phone pocket.
I guess it fits such that you never miss the waistbelt?
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earle.b
1 year, 9 months ago
Yes the double front strap holds it all tight and no waist strap needed. That said I have been riding the last couple seasons with a lightweight Speed Lite 13 (pack is 370g) and have not been using a waist strap on it.
The double buckle and side cinch bungies on the trail running pack hold Ascender nice and tight. I think up in the 15L+ range and pack out for an alpine epic I'd certainly want the waist strap.
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Velocipedestrian
1 year, 9 months ago
I'm a swapper. I like the cool back with the bumbag in the heat, but grab a Backpack any time there's extra to carry.
To enable the bum bag, I've been figuring out how to keep a tube and levers on each bike. Scored a lightly-used B-Rad extender and strap, so now my bike looks even more like Andrews.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
I still wish I could have squeaked two bottles in! The B-Rad rail works really well though at that length and needs a bit of bodging for noise reduction when you move longer.
You have their groms carry their own gear? The Clairebarian carries food and spare gloves in a hip pack but I’ve yet to come across the right kids pack that she could also sport her own jacket without it affecting how she rides. Packs are for parents?
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Velocipedestrian
1 year, 9 months ago
No, kid rides are definitely backpack rides. The 'Barian sized one has a bottle and cage, but young sir's frame is too small to fit.
I'm working on it, I have just under three months to complete his 24",and he can carry his own water.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Get on it! What are you building for the 24”?
We upped into a 24” a bit early but the benefits out weighted the negatives on our chunky trails.
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Velocipedestrian
1 year, 9 months ago
I have a mystery frame, a rigid fork, 150mm cranks and can probably manage gears / brakes / post / saddle / bar / stem etc from the parts box.
Wheels are pissing me off a bit. They're either more than I want to spend, or junk. Mid-range doesn't seem to be available.
It's getting to the point of buying investment hubs and lacing some up.
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Andy Eunson
1 year, 9 months ago
Todays ride required a pack. I have a tube strapped to my frame, a pump and bits and bobs in a tool wrap inside the downtube of my Fuel ex. EDC in the steer tube. Those remain in or on the bike at all times. Snow or rain was in the forecast and it was cold to start so I wore my rain jacket and I needed my saw as I was riding trails that probably haven’t been ridden by riders with saws this year and there are always sticks and trees that have suffered from snow load. Bum bags wouldn’t cut it. Plus being spring and riding a trail near the highway where there might be bear attracting garbage I had my bear spray in the bottle cage. No bears today. Jacket came off when I got too warm. Went back on when it started to snow on the way home.
Riding Squamish last week I carried no pack and one water bottle was sufficient. I used my race belt from EVOC. Carries my phone, wallet, mouth guard co2 and adapter. It’s good to have options.
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Andrew Major
1 year, 9 months ago
Andy, are you wearing a mouth guard in addition to a chin bar or in lieu of one?
I’ve noticed a couple of folks wearing one lately.
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Andy Eunson
1 year, 9 months ago
Yes. I can’t drink from a bottle with a full face or drink easily from a Camelbak hose. So half shell for most rides. The Bell Super spherical comes out for black descents with the chin bar hanging off something. My dentist recommended a mouth guard because I had a root canal on a top front tooth and that tooth isn’t as strong as it was. I chewed through the mouth guard today after maybe 15 hours use! I think I grind my teeth riding. I have a different guard that keeps my teeth apart so may just use that for now. Kind of sucks but that’s what getting old is about. I suppose. I guess. Some say a mouth guard will also mitigate concussions too. I don’t know an]bout that but it can’t hurt.
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OscarN
1 year, 8 months ago
For me, it's evoc fr backpack in the bike park for the back protector, hip pack for everything else.
I have a 3D printed mount point for my multi tool on the bike, pump under the bottle holder, space for a tube on the bike if it's a long ride, and First Aid/plugs/spare parts/walletphonekeys/emergency jacket go in the hip pack.
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Mark
1 year, 8 months ago
I'm fortunate to be wealthy enough that I don't have to bother with any sort of pack or bike bag nonsense, I just let my porter carry all that junk. Riding unencumbered is just soooo refreshing.
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