Ortlieb News: The German accessories manufacturer Ortlieb transcends religious boundaries with a bag - and makes our tours even more comfortable with others. We caught up with Ortlieb at Eurobike 2022 and we're bringing you the hottest news here.
Bike tour or bikepacking? Bag and waterproof specialists Ortlieb no longer sees this classification so narrowly: "Bikepacking and classic bike tours will mix more and more," says Peter Wöstmann, the company's marketing frontman, at our meeting at Eurobike about the former religious border for travel enthusiasts. For the manufacturer, it is becoming apparent that travelers and gravellers will simply pick the best raisins from the cake, i.e. equip their bikes with bags that best suit their possibilities and needs. If, for example, there is a slim pannier rack on the bike, two slim panniers can also replace the seat pack.
An indication of this development is the new Handlebar Pack Plus. It holds eleven liters, is filled from above using a roll-top closure and is designed to be watertight. Compression straps keep the bag small. Thanks to a width of only 32 centimeters, the bag should also fit narrow racing handlebars. It also fits over the shoulder thanks to the detachable shoulder strap. The highlight when it comes to mixing Gravel and Travel: the bag is compatible with all fastening systems available from Ortlieb. For 120 euros it is available in black, salsa or black chili - and of course Made in Germany.
Look chic and still shine brightly!
Visibility, i.e. passive safety, has always been a major challenge for both bikers and product manufacturers. On the other hand, at least many of us don't want to drive around like yellow vests all the time. That's why the Heilsbronn-based company now has a High Visibility Line: a series of products that are highly reflective in poor light conditions or at night thanks to particularly highly reflective materials. The nice thing is that you don't notice their luminosity in bright light. A special reflective yarn woven into the surfaces makes this possible.
The Vario PS is a new member of this high visibility family. The combination of bike bag and backpack has been around for quite a while and is extremely popular. First of all, it is a classic pannier bag with the Ortlieb Quick Lock system, which securely fastens the bag to the wearer. If you park your bike and continue on foot, the other side of the bag comes into play: a bib called a flap with an integrated zipped pocket covers the well-known, comfortably padded Ortlieb backpack carrying system with shoulder straps and chest strap. If you fold this flap on the other side, the backpack carrying system is exposed and the Quick Lock system is covered, the Vario is ready for your back. But it doesn't matter which side: Thanks to the generous use of reflective yarn, the flap reflects back so strongly that "ignoring" is really no longer an option. You have to pay 235 euros for security.
Ortlieb News: Bags that clean up
Especially with waterproof bags, which are often only designed as sacks, it is sometimes difficult to keep things tidy. Ortlieb is now helping with a Packing Cube Bundle - on the fine tour: The set of three bags of different sizes provides an overview and enables you to immediately locate the desired utensil in your bag.
In terms of shape and volume (23 litres), the Packing Cubes match classic Ortlieb panniers such as the Backroller. Ortlieb has also thought about comfort. The cubes have separate handles for better handling, the toiletry bag has a two-way zip on three sides. There is also a make-up mirror and separate pockets inside – a perfect toiletry bag that can be hung over the sink with a hook. Of course, the Packing Cube Bundle is also in good hands in the suitcase on the next business trip. Order is half the battle, but it only costs 90 euros here.
WEB: ortlieb.com
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