STORAGE WARS

Enduro bum bags be damned! Three carbon rigs with internal storage solutions take to the singletrack

- Alan Muldoon

Mountain biking offers us a lot of freedom. Freedom to explore. Freedom to express ourselves. We even have the freedom to choose which wheel size we want to ride. And if you've ever ridden without a hydration pack, you'll appreciate the freedom this gives you to move your body unimpeded on the bike. It's the primary reason why most riders are obsessed with having a bottle cage mount.

And while water is only second to the air we need for survival, most of us like to carry a few extra parts and tools that can salvage a ride when we step into the wild. But where to keep them? In the down tube of course. Sounds obvious, right? But when Specialized cut a hole in the down tube and launched the first SWAT Door-equipped Stumpjumper in 2016 it was a truly revolutionary idea. Prior to that, savvy riders had been strapping pumps, tubes and food to the frame in order to get the weight off their backs.

Having all that weight low down in the frame rather than high up on your back isn't just about comfort either. It lowers the centre of gravity, which in turn makes the bike more stable. It also increases the sprung mass, so the suspension is more effective. These are the two primary reasons why e-bikes are so good, but rather than having a battery in the down tube we have all of the essentials we'd normally carry in a hydration pack.

Now, it should be obvious that you can't stuff everything you keep in a 251 hydration pack into your down tube - it's more like taking a short-haul flight with hand luggage where you only pack the essentials. So if you normally carry a spare derailleur, enough tools to tackle any repair and food fit for a feast, being forced to downsize could actually be a useful exercise as it will lighten your load.