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review

Scott RC Raceday 60 Backpack

9
£159.99

VERDICT:

9
10
A super-organised backpack when you need it most – a top piece of kit
Weight: 
3,010g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Scott's RC Raceday 60 backpack is a near-perfect day bag for the racer or their support team, helping them organise their lives so they can focus on the task at hand. It's not cheap, but it's super-useful and really takes the stress out of packing.

  • Pros: Large capacity, OCD levels of organisation, looks cool
  • Cons: Expensive (although a good investment, I think), marks up quite easily

Not all backpacks are created equal, that much is clear from my time spent with this backpack. As the name suggests, it has an enormous 60L capacity that should (and does) cater even for the compulsive overpacker (that's me), and does it in a smart way.

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Not smart as in smart technology, but smart as in the way Scott has managed to organise it into – wait for it – 28 individual slots, pockets and compartments to organise your kit for race day, including everything from cavernous spaces to card windows.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - compartments.jpg

Now, you might be thinking that that's overkill, but when you consider all the kit you might need for racing, from shoes to helmet, clothing, accessories and food, it begins to make more sense.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - compartments 2.jpg

In my time with it, I've not actually raced my bike, but I have raced throughout the day in a rowing regatta – which in terms of bits and pieces required amounts to about the same thing – and taken it away with me on a couple of overnight trips too, one bike related and one not.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - energy gels and bars pouches.jpg

You'd be reading this all day if I gave you an exact run down of what's where and why in terms of pockets, but Scott has handily incorporated tags identifying where you should put everything (and to help you spot it presumably).

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - key compartment.jpg

It really helps you to find what you need, even if you go maverick and use them for different purposes, and it's a real improvement over having a basic holdall.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - sections.jpg

As Liam rightly pointed out over on our sister site off-road.cc, the only shortcoming is the size of the two small pockets that you might use for Allen keys – only the smallest multi-tool is really going in those – but it's only a small niggle.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - tools and puncture kit compartment.jpg

What I really like – and I discovered this in the crucible of my rowing racing – are the drybag sections that incorporate a waterproof mat in the front of the bag, as well as waterproof compartments for wet kit and shoes in the base.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - groundsheet.jpg

Although I'd always choose to, just for the added reassurance, you don't need to use plastic bags to keep water from sneaking into other compartments, and it also features a handy mesh section on the side for breathability. Sure, it won't let your damp/smelly kit truly air and dry, but it reduces the chances of knocking you out when you open it up again to wash everything.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - wet clothing.jpg

There are spacious main compartments for general kit stashing – I was able to carry two tubs of energy drink mix plus other stuff including a helmet without feeling them pushing into my back, which pleasantly surprised me given their odd shapes. You can even stick a pump in the side pocket, and hold water bottles.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - helmet pouch.jpg

The straps are also very, very good at distributing weight across the back. You can legitimately put 15-20kg of bulk in the Raceday 60 and feel like you might have half of that on your back. There's a good amount of padding in the straps themselves, and you can secure it across the chest and around the waist.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - strap detail.jpg

I might argue that a little padding around the flanks of the waist strap would be a nice addition for a little added comfort if you needed to ride your kit to a race, or had a support team lugging it around, but I'm really picking holes here – it never affected me on 8km rides laden down with kit on my way to and from the boathouse.

Scott Race Day 60 backpack - straps.jpg

Build quality is excellent, and the waterproof rubber outer is resilient to rough treatment. The black can mark up fairly easily with dust and grime, which is a shame given how downright cool the bag and Scott RC branding looks when it's clean. A wipe down solves most of this, but I suppose scratches to corners are inevitable given the environments and general lifestyle the bag is going to be used in.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best cycling rucksacks

As Liam also pointed out, the Raceday 60's rivals include smaller products from KitBrix and Castelli at £60 apiece, but Endura's Roller Kit Bag looks like one of the most direct rivals right now at £179.99, as well as Silca's Maratona gear bag for £180.

None of them can rival the combination of almost-OCD levels of organisation, though, and I reckon the Raceday 60 bag looks the best of the bunch too – with quality to match.

Verdict

A super-organised backpack when you need it most – a top piece of kit

road.cc test report

Make and model: Scott RC Raceday 60 Backpack

Size tested: 60 litres

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Scott says: "When race day comes around, every detail counts. With the SCOTT RC Raceday 60 bag, you can show up to the event knowing that all of your kit is in tow. The bag has two main compartments full of clever storage solutions. Waterproof pockets for shoes, compartments for both clean and dirty jerseys and bibs, and an exterior floor pump holder. Seriously, this bag does everything, it even has a detachable changing mat for when the weather isn't playing nice."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Scott lists these features:

- 2 big compartments

- 1 front pocket for access from the outside of the bag

- Organizer with 14 pockets for small things, food, key, bike fixing tools, checklist, documents

- Business card holder

- Outside floor pump fixation

- 1 Phone pocket hidden on the back panel

- 2 expandable 750ml water bottle holders

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Everything from the seams to the zips are chunky and well made.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

The multi-tool slots are arguably a touch small... but that's hardly a reason to knock it down.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

It can mark easily, but I've no concerns about the structural integrity.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10

It's hefty, but the weight is well distributed so you don't notice until you take it off and hold it in your hand using the top strap.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
9/10

It's really comfortable on and off the bike.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Good value compared with rivals from Silca and Endura. Given the levels of organisation here, I think £159.99 is acceptable. Yes, it's an investment, but I think it's a really good one for the practicality and organisation (not to mention sheer carrying capacity) that it packs in.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Its clever design is its real strong suit here – it's super-useful and really takes the stress out of packing in so much as it's much harder to forget things.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Large capacity, OCD levels of organisation, looks cool.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Expensive, and marks up quite easily.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Endura's Roller Kit Bag is £179.99, and Silca's Maratona gear bag is £180. This is cheaper than both, and I'd say arguably the most practical (overall).

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, 100%.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, especially keen bike racers and even other keen sportspeople.

Use this box to explain your overall score

In my view, the Raceday 60 bag is almost flawless when used in the kinds of environments it's designed for. Aside from the very slight niggles that might or might not bother you, it warrants full marks for performance, tempered by the price which, though less than some, is still a fair investment; so a 9.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 188cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 SL (2016)  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

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