Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, Mission Cycling puts on the Headlands Raiders Ride where cyclists ride from the city, across the Golden Gate Bridge, up to the top of Hawk Hill. As most of the cyclists head straight into work after the early morning ride, they needed a way to carry their change of clothes, laptop, and other essentials with them on the bike. Turning to fellow San Francisco Mission District resident Timbuk2, the duo came up with the perfect solution – the Especial Raider Backpack.
Mission Cycling was created in 2008 by Dylan Dibona and Kevin LaKritz to address a huge gap in the world of cycling: a competitive cycling environment for non-racers (who enjoy eating and drinking well). The Timbuk2 and Mission Cycling partnership was born from a shared love of cycling and a commitment to supporting their local community.
Part of the Timbuk2 x Mission Cycling Collection, the new Raider Pack will join the updated Mission Cycling Wallet, both available starting in November. The Raider is a small, one pound pack that can hold all the day’s essentials without slowing down your pre-work ride or bike commute.
The Raider Pack is made from a lightweight ripstop nylon fabric with a full reflective panel at the bottom of the pack, the part that actually faces out when you are riding. A mesh backpanel and shoulder straps help keep you from overheating.
In order to cut down on weight, the bike commute pack relies on your gear to give it structure. Internal shoe pockets hold out the sides and quarantine your footwear from the rest of the contents. The pack comes with a plastic folding board that not only serves as a back panel, but also keeps your work shirt wrinkle-free as you ride.
A roomy main compartment is big enough to hold your laptop and a change of clothes for the day. A top zip pocket with key fob is just big enough to securely hold your essentials such as wallet and phone. As wearing a pack blocks access to your jersey pockets, two external stretch side pockets are within easy reach to hold your tools, phone, or snacks.
Once you get to work, an integrated hook at the top of the pack makes it easy to hang for showering and to also help air out your gear when sitting around the office. After a few rides, the Raider Pack is machine washable to ensure all your work clothes continue to smell fresh.
The Raider Pack retails for $79 and will be available starting November.