I had my first ride with the Osprey Raptor 10 today. Initially the weight of the water made the backpack feel a little heavy but I soon got used to it.

It also changed my balance on the bike as I had another 3KG+ hanging towards the rear of the rear of the bike. As th bike is also new this meant that I had to be extra careful.

After a few miles I didn’t notice the backpack anymore. The sheer convenience of being able to drink water safely and easily whilst cycling outweighs all of the disadvatnages for me. I also needed to carry a few things in the backpack so the additional storage space came in useful.

My back did feel a little warmer during the ride, but not uncomfortably so.

By the end of the 2 hour ride, I had consumed around 1.5litres of water.

Cleaning the bladder is a bit of a chore and I’ve found that 12 inch silicone tongs hold the bladder open enough for it to dry within a day.