There’s a bunch of reasons why using a pack with a hydration reservoir is advantageous while biking. For starters, the act of getting a drinking tube in your mouth is much easier and quicker than fumbling around to grab, hold while steering with one hand, and then replace water bottles in cages on your bike frame. Especially while mountain biking, rough trails can make for long periods of time where doing the latter is near impossible without stopping. You have an easier time and better chance of drinking water while cycling simply by using a reservoir system. So if you are considering a hydration pack vs water bottle for cycling, it’s a no-brainer.
For over two decades, HydraPak’s been a leader in reservoirs for biking. Not only do we have a variety of options available under our own name, we also make the reservoirs that come with bike-specific packs from our partners at DaKine, Osprey, Thule, and EVOC. Packs and reservoirs come in various volume sizes, so from a quick ride after work to an overnight epic there’s something for nearly every adventure on two wheels. Due to their low center of gravity, Lumbar packs have become popular for mountain biking in the past couple seasons: both Dakine and EVOC make versions that include a HydraPak Lumbar Reservoir. If the pack you get doesn’t come with one, a magnetic tube clipis something we’ve learned we can’t live without.
Once you get your pack and reservoir dialed, there’s some other cycling hydration tips to make to ensure your ride goes off successfully. It’s essential to figure out how long your ride is and how much water you’ll require. If you need to supplement the volume of water your reservoir can hold, something like a HydraPak Stow or Stash can easily fit into the free space in your pack or in a jersey pocket. If you know there’s water sources available on your ride, you could replenish in the field by filtering water into your reservoir. Many people opt to supplement with electrolytes on longer rides, and taking into consideration the temperatures and elevation along your route is the last piece of the puzzle for being fully prepared for optimal hydration while cycling.
