As mountain bike stage races have become more technical and the level of competition has risen, riders have found it increasingly difficult to feed during stages. These factors, along with USWE Sports’s invention of their patented “No Dancing Monkey” four-point suspension design, have meant that hydration packs have made a comeback in mountain biking. No longer are hydration packs necessary only for the slower rider in the field, now even the elite racers opt to use them regularly. Everyone can benefit from easy access to fluids and food. 

USWE hydration packs makes it possible to drink while flying down the singletrack, without having to reach down and control a bidon that weighs 500 grams or more. Riders have also drawn inspiration from trail runners and used the front pockets to stash sports gels or bars. When using the lightest weight USWE Outlander Pro 2l Hydration Pack, which does not have pockets on the four-point straps, some riders even choose to tape their nutrition to staps for easy access mid-race. 

“For USWE Sports it all started in 2018, when one of the top teams reached out to us for the upcoming Absa Cape Epic race,” Jacob Westerberg, CEO USWE Sports AB, relayed. “Since then, our packs have been used by more and more riders, every year. Today, we are proud to say that USWE packs are used in most MTB marathons and gravel races. This journey began with the Absa Cape Epic. This is the arena where we believe that USWE changed the game of MTB hydration. We are more than excited to be the official luggage and hydration pack partner of the Epic Series and are looking forward to meet all the racers out there through the series.”

“It is always great when an innovative and rider-centric brand like USWE joins the Epic Series family,” Jonathan Meintjes, the Epic Series’ Head of Mountain Biking South Africa, stated. “USWE reintroduced hydration packs to mountain biking and made them a performance product through exceptional product design. For a race like the Absa Cape Epic, where the temperatures can sore into the 40s and the distances between aid stations can be as much as 30 kilometres having easy access to fluids, thanks to a hydration pack, keeps riders safe.” 

“USWE’s 100% bounce free ‘No Dancing Monkey’ design really works and it is a testimony to the brand that riders from two-time Absa Cape Epic winner Matt Beers to the riders focusing simply on finishing the race,” Meintjes elaborated. “The advantage of USWE hydration packs is obvious for riders from the hot African climates, as we see at both the Absa Cape Epic and FNB Wines2Whales,” Felix Eichenberger, European Head of Mountain Biking for the Epic Series, said. “Increasingly, especially at 4Islands MTB Croatia, but also in Epic Andorra Pyrenees and at the SPAR Swiss Epic riders are seeing the benefits of USWE packs. The partnership is one that certainly benefits the riders, especially as USWE will implement hydration pack filling stations at the second water point of each long stage across the Epic Series races.” 

Along with their hydration packs, which will be on sale in the official race merchandise store USWE Sports will also hold the technical partner rights to all travel luggage and activity packs, including roller bags and leisure backpacks. Even in these more generic items illustrate the Swedish brand’s outdoor lifestyle driven design philosophy. Products like the USWE BUDDY 40L Athlete Gear Pack is ideal for travelling mountain bikers, as boasts a separated lap-top compartment and the seven different smart storage compartments. The USWE BUDDY 150L wheelie bag continues this trend with its four key compartments – including a protective gear pocket with a waterproof liner, padded helmet section, goggle vault, and a generously sized main compartment. 

USWE Sports will join fellow Epic Series technical partners – Northwave, CIOVITA and Wahoo – across the Absa Cape Epic, 4Islands MTB Croatia, Andorra Epic Pyrenees, SPAR Swiss Epic and FNB Wines2Whales from 2024. The initial sponsorship agreement runs through 2026 with the option to extend into 2027 and beyond. Participants in the Epic Series events and fans of the races visiting the race villages will be able to browse USWE products in the events’ official merchandise stores. 

To shop the full USWE range online, now, visit www.uswe.com. More information on the Epic Series, and all the races within it, can be found at www.epic-series.com.