Welcome to the Off Season. Good that no season determines the bike sport, rather the right clothing. Or in today’s article: the right backpack. Because even when the bike parks close their gates, the local forests still invite you to take a leisurely tour on your bike. For the last few weeks I had this stylish backpack from Evoc with me. Or to be more precise: the Evoc NEO. It was provided to us by Bike Components. What it exactly looks like and how it performs. Now in this review.
EVOC Neo 16L
- The backpack weighs 1580gr. without drinking bladder
- Volume of 16 liters
- AIRSHIELD back protector
- It’s available in the colors gold or carbon grey
- Available sizes are: S/M, L/XL
HANDS ON
What should I say, Evoc just live backpacks. I have the feeling that when it comes to backpacks, Evoc can’t fail. Also the NEO 16L, which Evoc launched as its own 10-year anniversary gift, literally shines in gold. The backpack feels qualitative and offers several storage options. When you open the main compartment, you will find two more compartments. One for the drinking bladder and another small one for example change or house keys. Directly under the manufacturer’s logo you will find the glasses compartment. Equipped with soft inner lining so that no goggle gets scratched. Inside here are also two more mini pockets. Probably for electronic devices like cell phone or iPod. The front compartment also offers several storage possibilities. For my uphill tour I stored two energy bars and everything you need for a pit stop. On the very outside there is this helmet holder. Very cool solution and a clear indication of the purpose of this backpack: mountain biking. On the bottom of the backpack there is a rain cover which covers the whole Evoc Neo 16L. With a little drizzle rain the backpack also performs well without the cover though. The beauty is rounded off by two stretchy water bottle compartments on the side of the backpack, as well as two bum pockets that are easy to reach.
DETAILS
- In addition to all the storage options, this Evoc backpack also offers two sweet details that I personally noticed:
The AIRSHIELD back protector with 360 degree ventilation. Even though this back protector certainly makes up a good part of the total weight, it looks very robust and valuable. The Airshield also delivers when it comes to wearing stability. More about this in a second. - The holder for the tube of the drinking bladder must not remain unmentioned. The magnet is very noble and at the same time a solid solution, which I did not know yet. Well done
ON TRAIL
My favorite category! The practice. How does the backpack perform on the trail? Uphill I like the Evoc NEO 16L very much. If you tighten the backpack straps properly and adjust them well to the width and length of your back, you hardly won’t feel the backpack and its weight. The heat distribution works great – even if I would have liked to test the backpack in summer temperatures. Especially for the rucksack, I did a tour with a total of 1200 meters of altitude. The backpack is convices. But only if you pack it properly. The backpack does not like chunky or pointy objects. Therefore it is very important not to pack the backpack 1. too full & 2. too tight. As soon as something is pressed against the inner back part, this is immediately noticeable on the AIRSHIELD back protector. Unfortunately, the Airshield is not very flexible, so that objects from the inside press uncomfortably against, for example,your spine. When playing a little bit of tetris while packing, you won’t have no problems at all.
Downhill it also fits like a glove. Despite slippery jersey material, I was one with the Evoc NEO 16L. Jumps and fast turns are no problem. The weight is hardly noticeable because of the good material and well thought-out design. The back protector adapts well to my back even downhill. But like uphill, you have to make sure that the backpack is packed smartly.
Conclusion
Pro’s
Built-in back protector
Clean processing
Fits well
Con’s
If incorrectly packed, the back protector presses against the spine
The Evoc NEO 16L is literally gold. Not only on paper. The fresh design, like here in gold is tempting. But also the quality is gold. I can recommend the backpack especially to people who are touring a lot in alpine terrain. For this purpose I consider the 16 liters to be perfect. Packing more would only hinder a big tour. To pack even more into this specific backpack anyway.
The rucksack has a proud weight even without contents. Sure, it has many storage possibilities and the high quality and stable back protector certainly makes up a large part of the weight, but it shouldn’t be heavier. And whoever says 16 liters of volume is not enough for me, should definitely choose a bigger backpack, or with a different type of back protection. Because this one becomes an annoying companion when overloaded. But the Evoc NEO 16L fits pretty much every hometrail tour, because you can stow everything you usually need.
