Hype This – Trail essentials
Preparation is half the battle. With our trail essentials, you’ll have everything you need for your bike and an all-around successful ride. From accessories to tools, tool mounting options, and adequate rehydration for long days in the saddle, we cover all the peripherals of biking.
Race Face Atlas
Race Face’s Atlas flat pedals are your shins’ worst nightmare, but they should offer so much grip that you’ll never slip off and experience their wrath. Like the Titan of Greek mythology who tirelessly carries the celestial sphere, the Atlas pedals will keep your feet in place on rough descents. With ten pins of different lengths per side, they bite into the rubber soles of your shoes and keep your feet locked in place. The pedal cage itself is large and concave, providing a generous footprint. The cage is made of machined aluminium and paired with a steel axle, together with bushings and ball bearings, which should guarantee a long service life. The pedals are available in a variety of nine different colours, so you should find a pair that matches your bike.
Price: € 189.90
Weight: 367 g
More information: raceface.com
Occam Apex BOA
Attaching a spare tube, CO2 cartridge and tire lever to the frame with gaffer tape is a thing of the past. The Occam Apex BOA is the future. Thanks to this nifty frame strap, you can easily attach a spare tube and other tools directly to the frame without damaging anything or making it sticky. By attaching these things to the bike, you’ll have less weight and more space in your hip pack and if you decide to leave it at home, you’ll still have everything you need to get back in case you puncture. The BOA twist lock holds it all together, allowing you to attach the tool strap to your frame in seconds without scratching it thanks to the rubberised loops. The strap is available in a large variety of 12 colours so you can match it to the colour of your frame.
Price: € 35
Weight: 26 g
More information: occamdesigns.com
Canyon FIX 3-in-1
The Canyon FIX 3-in-1 multi-tool combines three functions in one and comes rolled up in a convenient neoprene bag. Instead of a classic multi-tool featuring a folding design, it relies on a ratchet with interchangeable bits. It allows you to tighten or loosen bolts much faster than with a standard multi-tool, so you have more time on the trail. The Allen bits range from 2 to 6 mm (incl. 2.5 mm), and you also get a Torx T6 and T25. Inside the handle, you’ll find a practical Dynaplug tubeless tire repair kit and a super compact CO2 inflator. Moreover, if you don’t need these two functions, you won’t even know they’re there. The set also includes four plugs from Dynaplug, so the only additional thing you’ll have to purchase for a full-fledge tire repair kit is a CO2 cartridge.
Price: € 59.95
Weight: 96 g
More information: canyon.com
Jabra Elite 7 Active
If you don’t like the rattling of your motor or your trail buddy just won’t shut up, the wireless Jabra Elite 7 Active earplugs are exactly what you need. The in-ear headphones have an Active Noise Cancelling technology to completely drown out your surroundings, but they can also reverse this function. There are 6 microphones that record everything around you. With the HearThrough function, you can use the smartphone app to set how loud you want the sounds to be transmitted into the earbuds, which you can activate with the push of a button on the headphones. So, you can decide for yourself what you want to hear and how loudly. While riding on the road, you can set it to hear approaching vehicles and when you reach the trailhead, you can tune out the surroundings and turn up the music. The earbuds come with an IP57 waterproof rating, so they’ll be fine in case things get wet on the trail. The earbuds offer up to 8 hours of battery life and if you’re travelling with the case, 5 minutes of recharging will give you another hour of music enjoyment.
Price: € 179.99
Weight: 5,5 g
More information: jabra.com
Topeak Smartgauge D2X
The right tire pressure can make all the difference when it comes to grip and traction on the trail. But simply pressing your thumb into the side of the tire to gauge the pressure is outdated and unreliable. To measure the correct pressure, Topeak have developed the compact Smartgauge D2X. The digital pressure gauge has an easily readable illuminated LCD display and a 360° rotatable gauge, so you can get the reading, regardless of the position of your valve. You can also use it to release air and continuously check the pressure. There’s a selector to switch between Schrader and Presta valves and you can set the units to psi, bar or kg/cm2. At just 56 g and a length of 11 cm, it’ll fit into most pockets, and you can make sure you’ve got the correct pressure even after a puncture.
Price: € 44.95
Weight: 56 g
More information: topeak.com
Quell NOMAD filter bottle
So, you want to be completely self-sufficient on your next bikepacking trip? Then the Quell NOMAD filter bottle could be just what you need! Thanks to NASA technology, the bottle can make clean drinking water out of most puddles you’ll find along the way, saving you from carrying additional water reserves. Although the bottle can’t turn salt water into fresh water or water into wine, it removes up to 99.9% of all impurities and gives you more peace of mind when drinking river water. The filter works via a proprietary Disruptor medium and can filter approximately 200 L of water. Once used up, the filter can be replaced for € 8.90.
Price: € 29.90
Weight: 135 g (including filter)
More information: quell.eu
M GORE Windstopper Base Layer
So, you’re a bit sensitive to the cold and quickly start to shiver on the trail but don’t like to admit it because of your big ego? In that case, the GORE Windstopper base layer is just what you need. This discreet long-sleeve base layer features Flatlock seams for reduced friction while shielding you from the wind so that you don’t get cold too quickly. The special M GORE Windstopper material also wicks away sweat and dries quickly. As such, you can regulate your body temperature a lot easier and ride longer, especially in cool climates. The long sleeve base layer is available in black or white in sizes ranging from S–XXL. So, you’ve got no more excuses to stay indoors when it’s cold outside!
Price: € 79.95
Weight: 200 g
More information: gorewear.com
Wolf Tooth Components B-RAD Bottle Shift
Space for a water bottle inside the front triangle of a full-suspension bike can often get tight, and it’s even worse on ebikes. Since the designers at Wolftooth Components don’t feel like getting a headache due to dehydration when riding, they developed a clever component to make fitting a water bottle on your bike a whole lot easier. The B-RAD (Bottle Relocation and Accessory Device) Bottle Shift allows you to move the bottle cage bosses up or down by 18mm, offsetting the bottle cage to gain more space. In addition to the vertical offset, the bottle cage can also be shifted a little to the right or left, which can also help get the most out of the space available. The B-RAD Bottleshift can be a real lifesaver, especially for small frame sizes. With the help of an adapter, you can also attach a pump, bag or tool strap along with your bottle cage. Or, if you’re very thirsty, you could even attach a second bottle cage – great for long summer days!
Price: € 23
Weight: 24 g
More information: wolftoothcomponents.com
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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Hersteller
