New 'Hydromount' strap-on from Tailfin – clever design for the thirstiest bikepackers

Tailfin is a British design company specialising in "high-performance bikepacking equipment that allows cyclists to create incredible adventures."

With an extensive range of products that consistently receive strong reviews here at Cycling Weekly, Tailfin is one of those rare brands that genuinely delivers on its brand promise.

Since its arrival on the scene, Tailfin has quickly built a reputation for creating genuinely interesting products. It's products often move the needle in terms of market expectations and possibilities, a feat achieved through engineering excellence as much as clever branding and strong storytelling.

For its latest creation, its engineers have set about rethinking the humble water bottle boss. This is no mean feat, given the many brands that have attempted to innovate in this space, often retreating back to simpler, tried-and-tested solutions which mount to standard bosses, or use normal cages.

The best water bottle cages are pretty simple, and they secure a bottle exceptionally well. We see a ton of Elite cages on bikes in WorldTour races and right down the ranks more than almost any other brand. Tacx, Specialized, and others also do a cracking job, but their designs are inherently similar.

For gravel and adventure riding, the requirement is not just about the cage, it's also about where you put it and how many you can get on the bike.

Need space on your bike for a can of Fanta, or even a tube of Pringles? Enter Tailfin's newest solution, the HydroMount. This tiny yet versatile mount allows riders to run water bottles, cargo cages, and more, anywhere on their bike frame – no bottle bosses required. It essentially adds new bosses wherever you want them.

With a retail price of just £20 / $28 / €25 (2-strap Base version) and £25 / $35 / €30 (3-strap Full version), the HydroMount is Tailfin’s lowest-priced product to date. The company says it hopes this will "open the brand to everyday riders, commuters, gravel riders, and bikepackers alike."

While road cyclists have plenty of existing mounts for all a rider might need, gravel and adventure riding is an entirely different beast. The HydroMount solves the simple but common problem of not having enough bottle cage mounts, especially on small frames, older bikes, full-suspension rigs, or simply on gravel bikes where an extra mount is needed for additional gear.

Where many strap-on solutions look improvised, unstable, and risk damaging frames, the HydroMount builds on Tailfin's proven V-Mount technology to deliver a clean, purpose-built alternative that it claims, looks and performs like an integrated part of the bike.

When the press release landed, we were struck by the photography, which showed just how many bottles one bike could carry.

Overkill? Perhaps for the road. But if the device holds a bottle (or other items) securely and doesn't damage your paint, this is a welcome solution to the problem many face on long trips: being unable to fit anything else on their setup. It might also be especially useful for making a standard road bike or all road model that little bit more practical.

The device has a load capacity of 1kg with two straps or 1.5kg with three, and uses standard 64mm bottle cage mounting holes. This allows you to fit your choice of bottle cage, boss-mounted luggage, a bento box, or whatever else might fit.

All Tailfin products come with a 5-year warranty and they also offer a crash replacement discount of 30% should the worst happen.

We have a HydroMount in hand and I've been riding it on my gravel test bikes since Christmas; so far, it has worked flawlessly. I will compile a full review in the next couple of weeks and provide an update after thorough testing.