Osprey Raven 14 Bike Pack

There is no shortage of pockets and panels on this pack. The main compartment of the pack is accessible via a front zipper panel and offers up plenty of space for light pads and a snack. There’s also a stretch mesh front pocket on the back for stashing a layer, two zippered hip belt pockets to keep a small cell phone or other valuables secure and a special scratch-free sunglasses pocket to protect your shades. 

Other features include the Lid-Lock carry system gives you the ability to carry your helmet on the pack for long climbs or while you are off the bike.  Also, a roll-out tool pouch in its own bottom zippered pocket makes it easy to keep all necessary tools in one place for easy access. There are also reflective patches and blinker light attachment keep you safe while riding at night.

The colour selections on this pack are spot on. Royal Purple, Tiger Orange, and featured here, my fave—Tempo Teal are all current trending colours to match your favourite cycling kits.

The Lid-Lock system is ideal for most helmets but as you can see here, the honeycomb design of the Smith helmets has no top air vent so this prevents the use of the Lid-Lock feature.  Luckily there is a open stuff compartment with adjustable straps that can hold your helmet as well. 

Osprey’s BioStretch harness and hip belt comfortably connect the pack to your body while the mesh back increases breathability on hot days.

The included 3.0 Litre Hydraulics™ reservoir is housed in the back of the pack and the hydration sleeve is zippered over the right shoulder strap. It connects to the sternum strap with a magnetic disk for on-the-fly access to the bite valve.

The internal mesh pocket is ideal for keeping phones or sunglasses separate from other contents of the pack.

A side zippered organizer pocket is really useful for keeping smaller items at the ready including a key lanyard so you don’t lose them when accessing other items.

The back stash pocket is perfect for wet and sweaty clothes, or an extra layer.

On the bottom of the pack there is a removable tool pouch located in its own zippered pocket. It rolls out for easy access and keeps all your vital tools organized for quick and easy repairs.

• Integrated removable tool pouch.
• LidLock helmet attachment securely stores a helmet without taking up space inside the pack. 
• 3.0-litre Hydraulic Reservoir Included.
• Front zippered stash pocket.
• Dual zippered hipbelt pockets provide secure storage for often needed items
• Hydration sleeve with direct access zip.
• Front stretch mesh pocket for quickly stashing extra gear.
• Front Panel Floating Top Pocket.

Overall the Raven 14 pack answered all my needs on the trail. The colour, design and fabrics used on this pack are not only pleasing to look at and use but of high quality. The multitude of pockets and stash areas almost had me trying to really strategize what pocket worked best for each item. I'm sure I’ll have a tidy system in place soon with all the available options. The removable tool pouch is useful as I like to transfer my tools to other bags and for friends to utilize as well. The 3.0 hydration bladder was easy to access unclip and fill. The only thing that could have made it better would be a quick connect that is featured on some of the other Osprey packs. This would allow you to disconnect the hose from the bladder. The magnetic disc that holds the bite valve in place made me one happy camper as I had gotten used to struggling with previous packs with antiquated systems. Another feature I appreciated that may seem small to some but carrying the pack off the bike is the broad carrying handle at top of pack. The helmet Lid-Lock system seems to work well with most helmets but as stated above my SMITH helmet needs to be put in the large stuff compartment at the top of pack as it did not have the required hole in order to use the Lid-Lock system.  

This Raven 14 is lightweight and fits snug to a woman's body. The comfort factor is high and I appreciate the correct fit when getting aggressive on the trail. This brings me to the cinch straps on hip belt and a concern I have with the way Osprey has sewn the straps to create loops on the belt. While they are not aesthetically pleasing and bunch up, the bigger issue is that it creates loops for tree branches to catch on while riding. 

Another wish for this pack would be the ability to easily access my phone on hip pocket for picture taking etc.  Osprey states that the compartments here hold a phone but my iPhone 6s with slim case needed a bit more material even with its stretch fabric.
 
Overall, this pack works really well and has all I really need for a day ride or hike. The price point is reasonable and I know I won't be needing another pack for many seasons to come.  Thankful to be carrying such a well-designed pack with very few improvements needed. 

If you are looking for the dude’s version of the Raven 14 then Osprey has you covered with the Raptor 14, it’s essentially the same pack with all the same great features, just fitted differently and with more masculine colours. And, if you are looking for a little more room in a bike pack then check out the Osprey Zealot 15.