GOING PACKLESS BUT NOT GOING WITHOUT

If you headed to an XC or enduro race a few short years ago, hydration packs reigned supreme. Nowadays there are more bare backed riders than ever before. These riders use clever on-bike and on-body storage to eliminate the need for a backpack to store spares and nutrition. A popular on-bike storage solution of the last few years has been the emergence of multi-tools hidden inside your steerer tube. Whilst the original exponent of this is undoubtedly the One Up EDC (Every Day Carry), newer options on the market mean you don’t have to thread your steerer, making installation easier for the home mechanic.

Here’s a look at some of the more popular options for storage on the bike and on the rider. I’ll look into the performance, pros and cons of each of these items to see what the best fit for you might be.

BONTRAGER BITS INTEGRATED MTB TOOL

The Bontrager BITS is hidden within your steerer tube, but it doesn’t require you to thread your steerer. The BITS gets around this by connecting the top and bottom of your steerer. The bottom plug allows you to preload your headset bearings, and as an added bonus keeps gunk out of your steerer. The top plug features a cavity in which the tool resides.

The BITS hit the scales at 164 grams, which is heavier than the Granite Designs Stash Multi-Tool, but 11 grams lighter if you include the Granite Handlebar Chain Tool that comes as standard on the Bontrager (the Stash Multi-Tool doesn’t have a chain tool). Compared to the OneUp EDC Lite, the BITS comes in at 75 grams heavier, however the Bontrager is a far more complete tool. The BITS is a breeze to install, with a couple of bolt options depending on the length of the steerer tube the tool is being installed into. The BITS tool cannot be installed into ovalised steerers