USWE F4 Pro Backpack

What it is

• A lightweight backpack that is designed for mountain bikes.

The USWE F4 Pro backpack was originally designed for mountain bikes, but does it work just as well for riding dirt bikes off road? The backpack features a 4-point harness, which has a multi size adjustment for the right fit, the straps have a ventilating mesh and a tube clip for the hydration pack. The back panel has airstrips which are lined with an anti-slip silicone. The bladder is 3.0 liters with a compression bladder pocket. The backpack also has a water-resistant pocket for your phone and whatever you may take with you on your rides, an organizer pocket for tools, and a helmet carrier.

How it works

• Nice snug fit.
• Does not bounce or slide around much on rides.
• Not big enough to carry extra stuff you likely don't need.
• Helmet carrier works for dirt bike helmet's too!

The first thing I noticed about the USWE F4 Pro backpack was the nice and snug fit. The straps of the 4-point harness go over and under the shoulders, giving the harness a good grip on you so it doesn't bounce around when on the trail. At a race pace, this snug fit is a very big plus. Although, they can be a bit tricky to adjust to your fitting--it just takes a few rides to settle and try different loops for the straps. Each strap is adjustable due to a Velcro that holds the tip of the strap to the rest of the strap when looped around for adjusting. There are two size loops for the bottom straps. The backpack fit me best when it was resting on my shoulder blades. If you're skinny like me, you're going to need to fit the bottom straps around the second size loops so you get that desired fit for you.

On top of the fit, the backpack is also well vented through the channels on the back and the straps have a mesh so there is room for some airflow there as well. Really, the straps still didn't breathe very much. The back, on the other hand, did have some decent venting. Normally when I wear a backpack on a ride, my back becomes completely sweaty. With the two long airstrips on the back, I’m only left sweaty at the points where the airstrips rest. You can’t really feel it like you do with a vented jersey, but it does feel nice when you finish a ride and your back isn’t completely sweaty.

In the summer, having a three-liter water bladder is a pretty nice plus. You can go all day without worrying about running out of water. The bladder comes out of its specially designed pocket, which is slotted out so it doesn’t move around a whole lot. It’s held in by a clip that the top of the bladder, which has ridges along the outside of the top folding points to seal it. It easily slides into a clip when you fold it at the marked point. The hose that connects to the bladder comes off simply thanks to a quick release that when you press, the hose pulls right out. This makes the bladder easy to refill, just pay attention to the "do not fill above this line", or folding the top of the bladder the wrong way, cause if you do, water is going to seep out everywhere when you go to reinstall it.

As far as what the backpack can hold, other than water, this pack comes with enough room for basic tools, some spare parts, a lighter, and an extra pair of goggles. The tool organizers in the backpack is nice for the big tools, like wrenches, and tire irons. On the other hand, when it comes to the small stuff, like sockets, small ratchet, spark plugs, it just has two small pouches on the bottom. This makes it hard to find the little tools. I had to spend a few minutes to find my 8 millimeter socket so I could adjust my brake lever on the trail.  Other than the basics though, the backpack can’t hold much more without feeling awkward on your back. Except for the helmet carrier this backpack features. This gives the backpack the ability to carry an extra full face helmet! Originally designed for mountain bikers who want to do a trail ride and some downhill in one trip, this helmet carrier also works for dirt bikes too. So if you have a hot date you need to pick up at 7, but your buddies call you up for a ride at 5, you have the perfect compromise. But this helmet carrier is adjustable so you can pack something smaller than a helmet too, like a shovel or a saw. Just keep in mind no matter how tight the helmet adjusters are, heavier items will still swing around.

When it comes to the question of how long will this backpack last me? The answer would be a long time. This backpack’s been grabbed at by trees, rocks have tried to tear it, but it just laughed at them and ask if that’s all they got because this backpack still looks brand new, except for the dirt that’s all over it.

Overall, the USWE F4 Pro is a very nice backpack. I wish it had some more space for longer trail rides, but for racing, or picking up a hot date via the dirt trails around town, I couldn't think of a better backpack. At $140, the price does reflect the quality.

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