Osprey’s new Raptor, Seral, and Savu mountain bike packs construct on their basic mannequin line with consolation and innovation at their core, so you possibly can give attention to retaining the rubber aspect down.
My brother is a diehard mountain biker. He’s obtained an enormous five-bike rack on the again of his automobile, the loungeroom is at all times filled with sealant, instruments, and filthy chains, and there’s a SteadyRack mounted on the wall subsequent to his mattress for his carbon fibre, twin suspension steed.
On the opposite aspect of the mattress there’s a cot, the place he retains his different child.
Myself? I’m a generalist, often known as a ‘master of none’. Following my sibling down dusty gradients usually begins trepidatiously. Constructing steadily by way of the turns, I shift my weight, really feel the rubber grip, heck, possibly I’ll dabble in some air time.
‘Hey, I’m really fairly good at this!’ I feel, regardless of solely using month-to-month at finest. ‘Maybe I’m a pure?’ sings my adrenaline-soaked mind.
It’s round this level that I often eat a tasty snack of dust, gravel, or bush, typically a fusion, and wash it down with humble pie for dessert.
Evidently, mountain biking with my brother is difficult work, so there was no higher place to check the brand new Osprey mountain bike packs than Australia’s lift-assisted darling, Thredbo Mountain Bike Park, on a scorching summer time’s weekend.
However first, the gasoline of the mountain biker: vitality drink (tiny coffees)
Savu – Waist-Primarily based Water Bottle Bag
I’m going to go from smallest to largest, beginning with the Savu 2. The Savu is a ‘lumbar pack’, which means it goes round your waist, leaving your again free to get pleasure from candy candy air. Lumbar packs additionally assist preserve your centre of gravity low, which isn’t a giant deal for a 2-litre pack, however is good sufficient all the identical.
The Savu 2 is designed with an angled, padded water bottle sleeve that matches nearly any bottle we may discover, however is finest on your normal 500-750mL bike bottle. It’s fairly simple to whip your hand round and seize it. Getting it again in is a little more of a practised artwork, however you’ll handle!
Leaving the bottle out of the Savu 2 will increase the cupboard space
The right use for this pack is for fast journeys to your native or light-weight runs on single observe. It additionally actually fits riders who don’t need a bottle holder on their bike (usually smaller bikes or ones that recurrently use clamp-style racks) and want to retailer just some instruments and/or snacks.
When you’re a thirsty boi or lady, the Savu 5 has two retractable bottle holders, and two fairly neat hip pockets, however you’ll find yourself trying a bit like Blastoise. We solely tried out the Savu 2 at Thredbo and received zero Poké battles. Coincidence? I’ll allow you to resolve.
Seral – Lumbar Hydration Pack
Just like the Savu, the Seral is a lumbar pack, however the important thing distinction is the included Osprey hydration bladder. ‘In a bum bag?!’ I hear you cry. Sure, pricey reader. And it really works fairly nicely!
Thredbo was boiling scorching and tremendous dry a number of weekends in the past (TY local weather change) and the combo of little shade, gusty winds, and a beaming solar meant that I gave the Seral 4 a proper correct exercise.
Zero accidents but and thriving
Just like the Savu, the Seral options an Airscape backpanel that gives construction and assist whereas letting air circulate by way of channels, serving to it keep cool in opposition to your pores and skin. The waist belt can be optimised to the using place, making it extra comfy than an everyday bum bag when descending (belief me, I’ve tried each).
In contrast to the horny maroon Savu 2 and the charcoal and orange Raptor 10, the Serals we tried out have been shiny blue with highlights of… lime. I’m unsure why this uggo colourway even exists however for those who prefer it, I’m comfortable for you.
I used to be initially apprehensive concerning the Seral 4’s match as my stomach was hurting, but it wasn’t tight sufficient to forestall it from bouncing round. I used to be already drafting the paragraph – ‘such a surprising failing from a brand known for its harness systems’. Then I remembered that I used to be a patron of Mr Chef Indian Delicacies in Jindabyne not 12 hours earlier than, made a pit cease for a little bit of self care, and felt proper as rain. The harness system works simply high-quality.
The Seral 4 has a 1.5L bladder that takes up vital house within the pack, whereas the hose wraps round your entrance and magnetically attaches to a clip on the opposite aspect. That is all fairly neat – I used to be apprehensive concerning the hose getting in the best way of my knees or clipping my handlebar however this by no means got here near taking place. I wouldn’t thoughts a barely stronger magnetic attachment, however I feel that’s for peace of thoughts. It didn’t even come off after I went over the bars, twice.
My brother Mike rolled with the Seral 7, which appears to be like form of large however isn’t actually. With the bladder full the 4 can solely match a small toolkit, some bars or gels, and possibly your gloves, whereas the 7 really has room for a sun shades case, spray jacket, or much more muesli bars. It additionally has zippered waist pockets just like the Savu 5, which I turned very jealous of. It’s important to swing these packs round to essentially entry something within the different pockets.
The Seral 7 is pushing the boundaries of measurement for a lumbar pack, nevertheless it’s nonetheless comfy when full
Raptor / Raven – For All Day Using
Offered on a lumbar pack? You idiot! Nah, truthfully, they’re the right software for a spot like Thredbo, or actually any using the place you’re not going notably removed from the automobile. The Raptor however, is made for all day missions. The form of rides the place you should pack a correct software package, heaps of water, meals, a jacket, a jumper, and a few rise up and go, son.
The Raptor 10 is a extra normal backpack fashion, which means it may possibly cram within the options in comparison with the lumbar packs. You’ve obtained a 2.5L bladder, which I didn’t even handle to complete on my second day of using, a ‘scratch-free heat-embossed zippered slash pocket for sunglasses and electronics’, and heaps of little organisation pockets, together with an out of doors one for soiled stuff, and the all necessary waist belt pockets.
The Raptor 10 is just simply larger than the Seral 7, however has a bunch extra options
One function I notably appreciated was the safe software pocket on the backside of the pack (like the place you’d put a sleeping bag in a climbing pack) that comes with just a little roll up toolkit. This was a brilliant neat technique to organise my instruments and probably gained me some respect factors that my using actually wasn’t.
Learn extra: Methods to Study to Mountain Bike With out Breaking Your self
There’s additionally a full-length zip for the hydration bladder hose, which suggests minimal faff on the refill, a helmet clip that was considerably helpful, and a magnetic sternum clip that I didn’t like. A standard clip would have been high-quality however as a substitute there’s a magnet but additionally a magnet for the chew valve from the hydration bladder. Extra magnets usually are not at all times higher, however I admire the passion.
Using with a pack like that is noticeably completely different after you’ve tried the lumbar packs, and I needed to change my using fashion barely to account for a number of further kilos greater than they’d been the day earlier than. That being stated, it was very comfortable and just like the lumber packs, felt good in a using place.
I don’t assume I’d take a pack just like the Raptor out for decent laps on singletrack now that I’ve seen the sunshine, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly the one to seize for those who’re extra into cross nation and journey missions.
Mike took the Raptor 14 for a spin, which is a fairly sizeable pack to be sincere, however he’s a Dad now so I’m certain he’ll put diapers in it or one thing. The Raptor is available in a ladies’s mannequin which is similar factor nevertheless it’s known as the Raven (which is an infernal Osprey factor that I hate, simply name it males’s and girls’s) however I do price the acknowledgement that girls are completely different shapes.
The place can I get one?
The brand new Savu, Seral, Raptor, and Raven are all dropping in Australia quickly and can be obtainable from all good mountain bike and outside shops.
Lumbar lyfe – the adventures proceed within the Blue Mountains
