Osprey Makes Bikepacking Bags Now and We Took Them for a Spin

Osprey has ventured into the world of bikepacking bags and Amy got her hands on some of the Escapist range to take for a spin.

Osprey and I have something in common – we recently thought we’d try out something new. I decided to go bikepacking and Osprey decided to make bikepacking bags. Heyyyy, that’s a handy coincidence! 

We out here

Osprey has a new bikepacking range, AKA the Escapist range, and they sent me over a few of the bags to take for a spin. I got my sweaty palms on the Escapist Top Tube Bag, Escapist Handlebar Bag, as well as the Escapist 20 backpack.

As I said, I’ve not bikepacked before (and I’m not sure I could say I have yet). What I’d planned to be my first overnight bikepacking trip turned into a long day ride instead, as five mates and I rode through 70km of savannah woodland along the Darwin to Adelaide River Rail Trail. So although I didn’t pack all my camping gear, I still needed enough storage to get me through a very hot and remote day of riding. 

Read more: What I Learned on My First Overnight Bikepacking Trip

To be honest, the number of bags I had for the ride was overkill (especially when I saw how little gear the pros I was riding with brought along). But they all fulfilled a purpose for me on the day. 

The crew!

Despite cycling in over 30-degree temps, I wore the Escapist 20 backpack, in which I packed little more than my 3L water bladder for accessible hydration. 

The Top Tube Bag held my phone (just) and vitally my lip balm, while wrapped up in the Handlebar Bag were all my snacks, a spare set of clothes, swimmers (there was a pool at the end), and my camera. Look, I could’ve gone lighter but it was barely more than what I’d pack for a day hike. 

Here was my first impression of each bag!

Got the classic biking shot

Escapist Top Tube Bag

This nifty little bag is sturdy, well-made, and seems pretty water-resistant. The large loop zipper is super handy for when your hands are gloved up, and with three straps, it’s utterly secure. Once it’s on your bike, it’s not going anywhere. It didn’t get in my way while riding at all.

My main gripe is that it’s just a little too small. Look, I’m probably not using it for exactly what it was intended. But when I can’t easily slip my phone into the most accessible bag on the bike, it’s a bit of a red flag. Sure I could add a phone holder to my handlebars and pop the phone in there. But I know myself, and if there’s a screen about, I’m looking at it. So I like to have it tucked away, accessible, but out of sight.

Unfortunately, the angle of the Top Tube Bag starts to cut away just a few centimetres too soon, which means the bottom corner of my phone is constantly trying to bust out of the zip, once I’ve spent multiple minutes wrangling it in there.

Three points of contact at all times!

My second gripe is with the velcro straps. The hook and loop material the straps are made of work fantastically, but if the soft anti-scratch side of the strap is supposed to be placed on the inside, as is pictured in product images, and the rougher hook side of the strap is to face outward, we’ve got a bit of a problem. Every time I leaned the bike against me while taking a break, the rough strap caught on my bike shorts and I’d have to pull them apart, leaving the shorts material pilled and damaged.

Noticing my frustration, a friend turned the straps around the opposite way so the rough side touched the bike frame instead, but I don’t believe this is the intended use.

Escapist Handlebar Bag

As with other Osprey products I’ve owned (and reviewed), the sheer number of straps on the Handlebar Bag gave me anxiety. To be honest, I still haven’t quite figured them all out.

The bag comes in two pieces. An outer shell that secures to the handlebar using two sturdy and rigid mounting points, and an inner roll bag that’s waterproof and is packable from both ends. The shell has additional straps that wrap around the bottom of the shell, through loops on the bag, and that buckle together at the top. These can be tightened to secure the bag and shell together. I found this set up great for accessing the bag without having to detach it from the frame, although you have to be somewhat particular about how you pack the bag to make sure the shape fits well into the shell.

Shiny and sleek

The outer shell also has multiple loops, some at the top for attaching lights and other accessories, and some at the bottom for attaching two additional looping straps. This is where my confusion kicked in. The straps are quite different to the others at the top. They’re thinner with quick-release clasps, however where and how they attach to the frame isn’t clear.

I ended up attaching them to the head tube, one above and below the top tube, although I’m yet to find info or images confirming this positioning on the Osprey website. One of the straps only has just enough length to make it around and through the clasp. They seem to make the positioning of the shell more secure, however I feel like this could’ve been simplified and streamlined.

All the gear and some idea by this stage

Escapist 20 Backpack

Despite my first assumptions, the Escapist 20 Backpack has turned out to be my favourite bag in the range so far. Sure, a backpack is usually the last piece of biking luggage you want to add to your arsenal, but it honestly frustrated me less than the other two bags. Perhaps this is the blessing and curse of coming to bikepacking as a hiker – a bag on the back doesn’t bother me but the others are foreign to me. 

For a 20L bag, it’s full of tricks. A high-vis waterproof cover is tucked into a bottom pocket, there’s an outer pocket for slipping a water bladder into, a Lidlock helmet system, zippered waist-strap pockets, and mesh water bottle holders on each side. 

Blue is also handy for standing out on the road!

Despite riding in the hot and humid conditions of the Top End, having a bag on my back didn’t bother me as much as I thought. I put this down to it having an incredibly secure fit that really locks onto the body, with just enough airflow thanks to the Airscape feature on the back. 

It’s a toss up as to what is more conducive to riding – including elongated pockets on the waist strap or leaving it as a thinner strap to reduce the amount of material in contact with the body to prevent heat build up. I’m yet to put the backpack to its full potential and make use of all of the pockets, but I suspect if you need enough storage to warrant the backpack, you’ll be grateful for the additional pockets.

It’d double well as a day hike pack!

Final Thoughts on the Osprey Escapist Range

Overall the bags I’ve tried out from the Escapist range are well made and of high quality. They feel like they’ll last a damn long time and have a sleek design across the range.

I think a few of the final details could’ve been tweaked to allow for a more seamless use of the bags. And more information available from Osprey on exactly how to mount them to the bike wouldn’t go astray!

I’m excited to keep using them for day rides and eventually my first overnight bikepacking trip. I’ll report back on them again once I do!