The Deuter Race is relatively small for a pack at 12 liters capacity, but large enough to carry anything I could need on a long single-day ride or, together with my Rixen Kaul rear under-seat bag or Ortlieb (or Guu Watanabe) front bag, on a 2-day brevet. The Deuter Race has an "Air Stripes" system of two meshed foam vertical sections that hold the pack slightly off my back and allow air circulation. This makes a huge difference in terms of me not overheating and not getting the pack covered with sweat. It also has an attached rain cover (hidden in a zippered compartment), and it is designed to accommodate a 2-liter hydration bladder and hose--great for a multi-day ride where some sections require me to carry more water than can fit in my two on-frame water bottles. There is a main compartment, two small zippered small pockets, one of which is on the top and designed for wallet, keys, brevet card, etc., and 2 open mesh external pockets.
The rucksack has proven durable. And despite trying a number of others before and after it, I have never found anything that works as well -- in terms of "fit" on my back, secure/snug but not constricting feeling while I ride (and shoulder straps long enough to work with my long torso and "barrel chest" figure, room for enough (but not too much) gear, adaptability for rain, etc. I put reflective tape on the rucksack so that I could wear it OVER a reflective vest on a brevet. Heck, on our last 600km ride, I pinned a small Audax reflective triangle (signifying "slow moving vehicle") on the back so I did not need to worry about whether my vest was inside or outside the rucksack. And, of course, I could ship the rucksack home with my rain gear and other unneeded items mid-ride without difficulty. Professional reviewers agree.
But I did manage to damage (slightly -- still usable) one of the plastic clasps on the waist strap as I got it ready for shipping. And the rucksack is pretty severely discolored from the grease and grime of many years. When the rucksack arrived the next morning by Yamato Takkyubin, my wife suggested that maybe it was time to replace it. In fact, she was so enthusiastic about getting rid of the discolored, aging rucksack she offered to give me a new rucksack as a gift. How could I refuse?!
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| Old and New |
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| The "Air Stripes" are a winning design feature. |
What to get as a replacement? Another Deuter Race, of course! There have been some updates in the intervening years -- the shape seems slightly more rectangular, the straps and clasps are slightly different, and the wallet/key compartment seems noticeably larger and has much wider zippered top access (resolving one of the only flaws I can think of from the original design). Will this be the last cycling rucksack I ever need? Possibly. This time I may work a bit more at cleaning it regularly (yearly?) to keep its color. And maybe an attached reflective triangle will mean I don't need to cover it with reflective tape?
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