Today was my day off from the shop this week, so to take advantage of the killer weather, and a day to do whatever I want, I headed to the NE part of Iowa to the hills of Decorah. Today's ride was specific. The goal was to go hard for 4 hours on the silly singletrack that Decorah offers. Lots of roots, rocks, and kick-in-the-junk climbs are par for the course. The other goal for today was to do the final testing on the Wingnut Assualt hydration pack. Oh, do you like my petite mens t-shirt? I dig it!
Yes, there are hills in these parts. Decorah boast some of the best singletrack in the country. Riding here, and you think you are not in Iowa. There used to be only 8 miles, now there is tons of singletrack littering the hills on the NE side of town.
One of my favorite trails, is the new Dead Pet Trail section. Lots of rocks. Lots of roots. Bring your tech skills, cause if ya don't you are going to go down and come up a bloody heap!
Mmmm, roots.
And of course rocks.
Wingnut Hydration Pack Review
Like I said earlier, I was also testing the Wingnut Assualt hydration pack. This brand of packs is taking the endurance community by storm. Why? Cause of the way the pack sits on your back...or lack there of. Most hydration packs sit high on the back. This cause your arms to fatigue sooner, plus leads to unwanted leaning on the handlebars. Wingnut on the otherhand sits very low on the back...just above your butt. This allows the weight of the pack to stay low and keep fatigue from setting in. It also does not effect your center of gravity.
Other hydration packs that I have used normally sit where the CatEye logo is on my jersey. As you can see from the picture, it sits much much lower. This is what makes Wingnut worth every penny!
I ridden some long gravel grinders rides with this pack, and also some 4-6 hour singletrack sessions. Here is a list of my Pros and Cons for the Assault pack. The Assault pack that I tested is aimed more at Marathon (3-4 hours efforts) more so than backcountry treks. Keep in mind, that Wingnut makes packs that fit the same way and are designed to carry the kitchen sink.PROS
Lightweight due to sailcloth.
Waterproof zippers.
Bladder is very easy to fill and clean.
Most comfy pack I have had the honor of using!
Fits like a glove.
No unwanted movement.
Still able to use 2 of my 3 pockets in my cycling jersey.
Mesh shoulder straps!
Room inside to carry some gear such as tubes, multi-tool, and nutrition.
CONS
Hose is too long for my body size and fit on the bike.
Waist straps (I cut them off)
There ya have it. There are a lot of great hydration packs on the market. Do your research and make an educated decision. Any of the packs from Wingnut are a good place to start looking.