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"If you'd put your finger under here, we could re-whitewash our lab." I can resist Holger Hertneck's offer. The head of development at SAS-TEC winks at me as he unlocks the steel wedge. The 5-kilo block plummets down from a height of one metre like a hatchet. A fraction of a second later, the 180 kilonewtons would even destroy the steel test head - if the Cube Edge Hybrid wasn't on top of it. The protector backpack manages to filter out a whopping 97 per cent of the energy of the impact - in the end, the graph on the measuring computer only shows a measly 5.8 kilonewtons.
The function of protectors in rucksacks has been proven many times over. And yet there are different opinions about their usefulness. It is true that a back protector can protect against impact with rocks and roots. However, accident surgeons know that the greatest dangers for bikers lurk in rollovers. Such impacts often lead to hyperextension of the cervical spine and, in the worst case, end in paraplegia. A rucksack - with or without a protector - would not change this.
You can't protect yourself against all dangers when biking, and safety is always a search for the best possible compromise. One thing is clear: any protection is better than none at all. Several layers of clothing and a hydration bladder that is as full as possible also offer impact protection. However, when it comes to downhill riding after a long ascent, the hydration bladder is often empty and the thick jacket is no longer in the bag, as it now keeps the rider warm on the descent.
But one thing seems indisputable: as soon as you put a battery in your rucksack, solid back protection is a must. Why? A battery is hard, heavy and angular - "in the event of a fall, it will stamp into your back like a brick", warns expert Hertneck. And if a protector is inserted between the battery and the back, is the danger averted? To find out, the Cube protector backpack had to be put to the test a second time, this time with a wooden battery dummy in the battery compartment. The result: At 6.2 kilonewtons, the residual force that would reach the back was only slightly higher than the value without the battery.
- Amplifi E Track 23
- Camelbak H.A.W.G. Pro 20
- Cube Edge Hybrid
- Deuter Attack 20
- Ergon BA3 E Protect
- Evoc FR Trail E-Ride 20
- Komperdell MTB Pro protector
- XLC e-bike backpack BA-S98
- Scott Trail Rocket FR 26
- Vaude eBracket 28
You can download the complete comparison test of the ten battery backpacks from EMTB 6/2021, including all technical data and grades, as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in EMTB. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, namely tens of thousands of euros every year.
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Josh Welz
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