Osprey, a respected name in the hiking and climbing market for 35 years, began its foray into mountain biking last year, kicking off with the bike-specific Raptor range (reviewed here).
Next up is the updated Talon series – a range of multi-use packs. We’ve been sent a Talon 11 which has, you guessed it, an 11 litre capacity (4L, 5.5L, 8L 22L, 33L and 44L versions are also available).
First things first, the 11L bag is ideal size for hitting the trails for the day in spring, summer or autumn, although it’s perhaps not big enough for a full day in mid-winter. The Talon is capable of comfortably packing in a stowaway jacket, lightweight spare clothing layer, gloves and lunch. That’s with a little space left over too. Of course, there’s always the option of stepping up the range if you plan on spending significant time away from HQ. The Talon is also fully hydration compatible (bladder isn’t supplied).
There’s also a number of other storage areas dotted around the pack, like the mesh hip pockets and a quick-to-reach pocket on the front, ideal for keeping those items you need to get your hands on regularly. All of the zips come with toggles, allowing for easy access. No need to fiddle about with smaller zippers.
From the short time we’ve had it, the Talon sits comfortably once on. The ventilated Airspace backpanel, ridge-molded foam air channels, torso adjustment and ErgoPull hipbelt all ensure the pack sits snug on your bag, with weight evenly distributed. We’ve used the Talon while running to work a couple of times as well and it ticks that box too. Let’s see how it stands up to a long day in the saddle.
There’s also a bunch of other cool features, including energy gel pockets, which we’re looking forward to properly putting to the test. The Talon comes with a helmet clip, too, but, like the Raptor, we’re sceptical as to how much use it’ll get.
So they’re our first impressions, now it’s time to put the Talon 11 to the test. Stay tuned.
Osprey Talon 11 – £60.00
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