A couple years ago, Thule debuted frame bags for bikepacking and touring. And luggage. And hiking backpacks. So the new Thule Vital hydration pack shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Just how good it looks was a bit of a shocker, though.
Internal storage is solid – there are pump sleeves on either side of smaller mesh pockets, keeping your tire pump and shock pump upright and separated. The main flap opens wide, giving you easy view of all the stuff inside. On the back is vented, padded panel, and there are decently sized stash pockets on the waist belt. Compression straps and a multi-position chest strap keep it all securely positioned on your back.
The standout feature is the ReTrakt hose sleeve, which uses a segmented magnetic strip to catch it as soon as it leaves your mouth. Brilliant, and clever. Check our Instagram feed for video of it in action.
The Vital will come in three sizes (3L, 6L, 8L) with Hydrapak reservoirs ranging from 1.75L to 2.5L. Pricing is $99.95 (3L), $119.95 (6L), and $139.95 (8L), available February 2018.
The Thule Pro Ride was introduced at Sea Otter just months ago, and already they’ve one upped it. Where the Pro Ride (gently) clamped to the downtube, the UpRide leaves the frame completely untouched. Out of the box it’ll fit any 20-29″ wheel with up to 3″ wide tires (or 5″ tires with adapters) and a wheelbase up to 1240mm. Simply crisscross the arms over the front tire to clamp it into place…
…and secure the rear wheel in the tray with a tire strap. A full length cable lock feeds out of the back of the tray to slide around the rear wheel and chainstay for security.
Just set the arm to the intended wheel size, then all clamping and controls are close to the roof level, making it easier to operate.
