R20 Review

  RIDE August 2007

MARK TUCKER R20 new product test:

Sixty quid for a 20-litre rucksack? am I mad? Well, no. Not really. This is one of the best quality rucksacks I've ever seen, both in terms of construction and design. OK, 20 litres isn't enough to carry the kitchen sink. But day-to-day it's exactly what I need: enough space for a pair of jeans, trainers, a toothbrush and a couple of copies of RiDE. If I need more, I'll use panniers or a tailpack. The strap system is so easy to use: arms through, one click and I'm done. There is a waist strap too, but it's a bit redundant on a rucksack this small and it's removable so I've taken it off. All the excess strap length is kept out of the way nicely with elasticated bands, while the central clip pulls all the weight securely onto my shoulders, leaving my arm movement suprisingly free. Inside is space for an optional three-litre water reservoir if you desire refreshment while riding and the long zip ensures easy access. The front, separate pocket has a side zip, which can be a bit small and fiddly for big mitts like mine, but promises to cut down any rain leakage. Everything is solid, light and well thought out. In fact, Kriega are so confident they include a 10-year guarantee on all their products. This could be the only rucksack you need to buy in the next decade and it'll probably last longer. Suddenly £60 doesn't sound so bad. Oh, and the icing on the cake is that it's British!

  RIDING ON November 2008

KRIEGA R20 + Hydrapak + US-5 review:

Bestowed with terrific luck, Kriega luggage systems(Australia) emailed a query which started with, "do you write product tests"? Well the timing couldn't have been better because I was about to depart on a 7-day trail ride from Cape York to Cairns. Unknown to me at the time, Kriega produce what must be regarded as the best designed and manufactured hydration and soft motorcycle luggage systems. For this trip,the 20 litre off-road pack called the R20, with their water reservoir and expanding 5-litre, water and dust proof bag was the right choice. The harness assembly features nice wide, ergonomic and well padded shoulder straps which come together with one unique clip and waist belt. It doesn't inhibit any movement and it's son unobtrusive, even with the obvious weight you're carrying, you actually forget you're wearing a pack at all. It also incorporates a back-pad similar to those used by racers for additional safety. Every adjustment strap has retaining features, adding to the packs comfort. I didn't realise what a nice difference this made - until I'd forgotten to secure a strap tail and its flapping against me drove me nuts. The 'dust proof' zips are exactly that - even after a week on the trail, enduring the north's famous sand and 'bull dust'; even with the hydration system in use, the pack's whole interior was as good as new. The other guys were jealous, as there's nothing like biting into a snack which deposits grit in your teeth. Each zip has a well designed lanyard to enable easy operation with gloves. The pack is light weight and the material looks light too, but don't let appearances fool you, the pack took plenty of falls; and in the toughest conditions, it didn't matter. The 10-year guarantee should give you an idea of the products's quality. There are two internal compartments, (one with adjusting straps to secure the load toward your back) and one external pocket. Then there's a neat. expandable, water and dust proof accessory called US-5 which straps another 5 litre capacity to the pack, tank bag, saddle bags or straight to the bike's seat. There's three compartments the main one being totally waterproof, a dustproof zip pocket and a mesh pocket. It's a great add-on to an already wonderful system. The design elements don't just come into play while riding. The water reservoir can be purchased with it's own harness or used by itself in a pack. It has some unique advantages of its own; amongst the best of them is the filling system. There's no fiddley caps and threads to deal with as the whole top of the bladder opens, which enables easy filling and easy drying after use (important to stop 'science projects' growing in it). You simply pull the bladder inside-out. It holds 3 litres, excellent for our 350K days and during one of my many 'get-offs' I actually landed flat on my back. It would have been at least 2/3rds full at the time and didn't leak a drop. Amongst the many accessories is a dust free pouch called the 'kube pocket' which straps to the harness. It's ideal for a wallet or camera. I used it so often; the other guys stopped taking their own shots, (hoping I'd share mine). (Note: the chin on my helmet hit 'the kube' to start with. but I must have adapted to it, as I didn't have any problems later on). The Kriega R&D team must be serious riders and obviously know their stuff. I've got to say, I've never seen such well thought-out and heavy-duty products - let alone very good pricing.

  TWO July 2007

JOHN HOGAN "ON ANY SUNNY DAY" - KRIEGA R20

The perfect size to carry everything you need for a day's ride. Water-resistant with plenty of seperate storage compartments and a rocking Quadloc harness. Backed up by Kriega's ten year guarantee. Brilliant