Where most seatpacks are fabric-based affairs, the Ortlief Mudracer has a thermoformed semi-hard shell to keep out the elements. If you've got stuff you need to take on a ride, and you need to keep it dry this is the seatpack for you.
The Mudpack's weather protection starts with a full zip protected by a silicon rubber flap which pulls down to keep water and debris out. Inside there's a zippered pocket at the top that's just big enough for a phone, and a soft padded main compartment that'll swallow a spare tube, a basic toolkit and some energy bars.
The quick release plate srews to the saddle rails and the pack feels nice and secure, and there's an extra Velcro strap to fix it to your seatpost. There's plenty of fore-aft adjustment too, which is a nice touch you don't always get.
It looks wide, but we didn't ever have any problems with the pack interfering with our pedalling. The LED rear light is stuck on rather than built in: It fixes through a hole in the shell and is powered by button cells. There are flashing and continuous modes but it's best as a secondary or emergency light because it's not super bright.
If you like riding in the wet, or routinely have to, then the Mudracer is a great place to stash your phone or other valuables away from the grip of the elements.
Ortlieb's big thing is usually weatherproofing, and that's the case again here - it's hard to see how the Mudracer could be any more waterproof than it is without using a hermetic zip. Oh, and without drilling a hole in the shell to fix the light through.
So long as the light is kept nice and snug it shouldn't be an issue, but unless you particularly want the extra light we'd suggest that the cheaper non-LED version is a better bet – the construction, not the light, is the best thing about this pack.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
We have been cycling our daughter to school in Paris for the past 4 years (sometimes she also takes the tram) I haven't noticed any 'hell'. One of...
Its mostly the poor riders that screammfornall kinds of laws for riders. While most road laws, registrations and insurances have been put in place...
Campagnolo "hub cap" tools for Record-style hubs should be on the list. They're expensive and not something you need very often, but the...
Really sad for all the staff who have lost their jobs, especially if the above is true and minimum legal notice periods were not met etc. Like the...
You can't have fresh water because I want to drive my car:...
Isn't it the end user that should be choosing? The developer is providing what is requested (presumably based on feedback, marketing dept and so on...
These things happen so often yet every single one of them still produces a sickening feeling when I read about it....
Winter sucking in air through the mouth, soon will breathe in the first bug, then trying to get enough air through the nose until winter comes...
Since pedestrians don't yet have to wear number plates perhaps I need to get some signs made up with his face on them and zip tie them to the lamp...
Yes. They don't change from year to year.