Issue #027 Review

The Lab: ORTLIEB Kuriertasche Review


Our global test team has been pushing products to the very limit on the world’s toughest trails. In The Lab, durability is rewarded and weaknesses have nowhere to hide. This time, we tested the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche.

ORTLIEB Messenger

Granted, the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche is not ideal for mountain biking, but those who rely on their bike for daily commutes swear by it. Light yet robust, this fully waterproof backpack swallows pretty much everything you want to throw in it, with its whopping 39 liter capacity. Despite the bare-looking back padding, this rucksack is a surprisingly comfortable fit, even when carrying our heavy weekly shopping back home. A thin plastic plate helps stabilize the load on our shoulders, while a wide adjustable waist strap and a sternum strap help make sure the bag sits nicely. On the inside, the ORTLIEB Kuriertasche looks like one big empty cave, with no partitions or compartments, but ORTLIEB offers a wide range of accessories to customise your own bag to your liking. On the outside, a range of lively colours combined with reflective material (on both sides) will make you clearly visible to motorised road users.

ORTLIEB Messenger ORTLIEB Messenger
ORTLIEB Messenger

Even after twelve months of strenuous daily use, our bag shows no signs of wear. If we wanted to be picky, we’d notice a tiny amount of wear on the edges of the folding closing system. Having said that, this doesn’t affect the waterproof qualities of the bag in the slightest. Definitely a perfect choice for anyone who needs a year-round, large-capacity backpack.


Strengths

  • Waterproof
  • Comfortable even when
    fully loaded
  • Light yet robust

Weaknesses

  • Limited use for mountain biking

Tester: Andi
Length of testing: twelve months
More Info: ortlieb.com

Price: € 109.95
Weight: 1.275 g



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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl

ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine

ENDURO is the leading magazine for mountain bike technology and the modern trail riding lifestyle. We cover high-end bikes, global trends, and technical innovations – in-depth, bold, and always with an eye on the bigger picture. Our editorial approach speaks to everyone who sees mountain biking not just as a sport, but as a way of life. We view bikes as more than just the sum of their parts, evaluating products through the lens of real world riding rather than just on the spec sheet, testing bikes everywhere from alpine adventures to intense bikepark laps.

Since 2011, ENDURO has stood for journalistic quality and transparent reporting in the MTB segment. In our in-depth individual and comparison reviews, our specialist test team brings years of on-trail experience from around the world to deliver well-founded verdicts and real guidance for riders. Our awards are internationally recognized as a benchmark for innovation and quality in the bike industry, offering reliable orientation for readers, retailers, and manufacturers alike.

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