It only takes a quick look inside the well organised, cavernous pockets to realise just how well thought through and rider friendly Mavic’s 15l Crossmax hydration pack is.
The front section offers various pockets where you can pack your tools away neatly and securely. The main compartment will easily take a jacket, extra layer and tubes, and can be cinched down with two compression straps. The wide, extremely comfortable hip strap has a couple of useful quick-access zipped pockets, and there’s also a phone pocket on one of the shoulder straps and a zip-away helmet cradle.
There is a range of pockets and straps
The 3l bladder is basic but does the job fairly well, even if you have to suck pretty hard to get the water out. The padding on the back panel is generous, if a little firm. It takes a while to get used to but soon feels very comfy, even on long rides, and generous gaps between the pads mean airflow isn’t too bad.
Even fully loaded, the Crossmax was stable and secure on rough and steep terrain. It hugged our backs nicely and any movement was kept to a minimum.
