Nearly all products are conceptualised in the same way, they seek to plug a potential gap in the market in the hope of maximising sales in the process. The story behind this bag is quite different. It is the product of Rider Resilience founder Nils’ incurable cancer diagnosis combined with a longstanding connection with a brand and a shared passion for adventure, riding bikes and a desire to ‘pay it forward’. This product launch is not just another version of Ortlieb’s iconic Velocity rucksack, but a symbolic testament to the healing powers of two-wheeled adventures and the camaraderie of the bicycle community.

The hard times Nils faced were made more bearable by the relationships formed through years of work, which had cultivated a sense of extended family within ORTLIEB. Like any friends and family, when someone you care dearly for is going through hard times you do anything to try and help. For ORTLIEB, they wanted to do what they do best and use their global platform to spread the message of Rider Resilience. The idea was born to create a limited edition run of backpacks.

With its hard-hitting graphic designed by Stormstatic, the bag’s artwork visualises the concept of a dawn raid analeptic, a drug that restores a person’s strength, yet one that is solely derived by bottling the endorphin charged euphoric feeling of having ridden to the top of a mountain in time for sunrise. The blood bag is a nod to sharing this feeling with people who are most in need and the camaraderie of the bicycle community known for helping each other to ‘ride out’ the harder times. ORTLIEB and ORTLIEB’s UK distributor Lyon Equipment are donating a percentage of their profits of bag sales directly to Rider Resilience and any bags bought from the Rider Resilience website will see the final margin go straight into the Rider Resilience fund.