Forum menu
I've got three.
Repack was good but eldest kid uses it most of the time as his bike has no bottle holder and he drinks like a whale.
Dakine is ok if I'm doing a short ride as it has no bladder.
Evoc pro 3l is the winner as it's more comfortable than all of them and has a bladder.
I don't have any issues with them moving when I ride regardless of how full they are. Don't even notice them.
I got the Osprey Sera 7 in the end , it's working fine for what I wanted it for . As my mate said there's not really a perfect solution . I do find though my HT/ gravel mashup with bottle mount and a Topeak seat bag is pretty close for riding the local non tech moors .
Still don't regret getting the Curtis frame for £1K less though 😁
@kiwijohn - that’s good to know, I want a small one but was worried it might be too small, that looks perfect for me.
As soon as you put the weight of water in, it's kind of inevitable unless you're of the rounder persuasion and have a built in belt retaining bump
I actually find hip packs sit and stay in place much better when I'm skinny and are a pain in the arse when I have a gut
I'ts pretty snug with the raincoat, my usual Rab windbreaker is a bit smaller.@kiwijohn - that’s good to know, I want a small one but was worried it might be too small, that looks perfect for me.
TPU spare tubes are super small but tough.
Only carry the saw in the straps when it's been windy, otherwise elbow pads fit nicely.
I've tried several, and the only one that doesn't end up sliding down my arse and into the back tyre, is the Camelbak Podium Flow Belt with the off centre bottle holder... Somehow, even with a 1L bottle in over rough terrain, it manages to stay absolutely put, which as far as I'm concerned is pretty impressive.
I'm sure if I had child bearing hips or slightly less of a middle aged aerodynamic hump on my belly, that more of them would work well for me... But the reality as a 45yr old bloke is that they don't!
Do they move around, absolutely ****ing yes and it's rubbish. As soon as you put the weight of water in, it's kind of inevitable unless you're of the rounder persuasion and have a built in belt retaining bump. I'm skinny, therefore they bounce around, it's annoying as all hell.
I think retention is more down to the shaping of the back panel rather than any particular quirk of individual anatomy unless you don't have any sort of glute muscles whatsoever. If you look at the Osprey lumbar packs, they're contoured to sit neatly at the point where your butt curls outwards at the base of your spine rather than relying on belt-tightening. The shape of your gut, if you have one, is irrelevant. The other crucial factor for comfort and support is getting the density of the foam just right.
A lot of the offerings from specialist bike accessory brands seem shaped to sit basically flat against the back. I figure pack brands like Osprey and Lowe Alpine have way more experience with lumbar pads garnered from designing and manufacturing walking, backpacking and mountaineering packs for years, so they understand lumbar pad shaping and foam densities better.
The greater the load you carry in a bum-bag, the more crucial that stuff gets if you want a carry that's stable and comfortable at the same time. The advantage of something like a Wingnut, pretty obviously, is that they throw some of the load onto the shoulder straps and stabilise things with a heavier load. All imho. My Wingnut, years ago, died because the waist-belt wasn't a continuous loop and the stitching where it was attached to the bag just self-destructed, good idea, not brilliant execution, they may have improved - that was over a decade ago. I liked it while it worked though.
one that doesn't end up sliding down my arse and into the back tyre, is the Camelbak Podium Flow Belt with the off centre bottle holder.
I have also found this very secure and not annoying. I've used it for almost every ride of the past few years. Just needs cinching up a few times per ride.
Didn't get on with a bigger Osprey pack w/bladder, which would bounce around a lot more.
Tried a few waist packs many years ago and hated them but have been really impressed with Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3. At least as stable as a backpack for me (I use an Evoc stage 18 when I need more than 1.5L of water). It's not that big - the water takes half of it so it's basically phone and tools and some jelly babies shoved in one of the bottle holders - but I've realised for a lot of my longer rides can top up water at lunch rather than carry all I need for the day.
I've got an Evoc pro waist pack that I never use because the bladder tube is just too short for a tall person
this is a slight issue, it's not as easy to drink from as my backpack. I'm pretty sure you could buy some suitable tube and make it longer with their attachments on either end but that would increase the risk of hooking in on something. I'm using a camelback magnet/clip I found to hook it up now.
How much liquid do you need?
The camelbak podium flow belt I use all summer carries a bottle and has enough space for a tube, multitool a few snacks and a small pump (I have a lezyne pocketdrive)
I dont notice it when its on, its a few years old and been used loads and still in good condition, I thought Id only use it occasionally and keep my backpack for most rides, but I use it way more than I thought I would, barely use the backpack now
https://enduro-mtb.com/en/camelbak-podium-flow-2020-review/
Haven't read the whole thread, but I use a bumbag on all of my MTB rides, I would go for one with a bottle pocket(or pockets) rather than a bladder but that's because I'm lazy when it comes to keeping bladders in good shape. Absolutely no issue with jiggling or anything, but I am used to my own personal jiggling so YMMV.
If your bike has no practical cage mounts, I'd suggest getting one or more of these Topeak mounts, that can be placed on the bars or seat post. Example link, no idea if cheapest...
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Topeak-Cage-Mount_34453.htm
As for carrying other stuff, a jersey/jacket with three rear pockets and maybe a zipped chest pocket for your mobile?
It's been ~8 years since I last used a bum bag on a ride and I simply can't remember how it worked out.
I do remember stupidly taking "everything including the kitchen sink" in a rucksack for my one and only ton road ride back in May '18, it must haved weighed ~3Kg including a 2l bottle of water and carrying it was such a bind, in that my back couldn't breathe and so I had to take all those climbs totalling just shy of 9000 feet so gently to prevent getting in a sweaty mess.
Seatpost/saddle bags can be handy for extra gear, but it's something I so rarely need and use.
I think retention is more down to the shaping of the back panel rather than any particular quirk of individual anatomy unless you don't have any sort of glute muscles whatsoever. If you look at the Osprey lumbar packs, they're contoured to sit neatly at the point where your butt curls outwards at the base of your spine rather than relying on belt-tightening. The shape of your gut, if you have one, is irrelevant. The other crucial factor for comfort and support is getting the density of the foam just right.
See, my experience is that this is all great for having it sit well and not move around when it's pushing downwards, but it all goes out the window when the thing's getting properly bounced around. If anything I almost prefer my cheapo crap shapeless one for harder riding, it has none of the nice shaping that makes my good one sit so much better, and relies on the belt but while it bounces around a little bit all of the time and it's always annoying, it just feels a bit less bad when clattering down orrible steep stuff. No idea why. Maybe I just get more used to the movement because it does it all the time, while the Dakine feels so planted most of the time so when it moves it's really noticable? Don't know.