lowepro flipside trek 350 review

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Best Camera Backpack for Hiking – Expert Review

Bags , Gear

If your big into photography and love hiking, then you'll know that your camera backpack is a critical piece of kit.

My favorite camera backpack for hiking is the Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 AW . I like it as it can safely store my camera with the lens attached, extra lenses, tripod and a 10" tablet.

Sometimes, your camera setup isn't just a body and a lens, maybe you need to shoot with a drone. The Vanguard Alta Sky Backpack has enough space to carry anything you need for a day out and holds up to a 13" laptop.

For under $100, you can get yourself a Lowepro Hatchback . This is great value and is able to store your camera body with a lens attached and a 10" tablet.

Best Camera Backpack for Hiking (Top Picks)

Best overall, lowepro flipside trek bp 350 aw.

Check Latest Prices

Thule Aspect DSLR Camera Backpack

Most Versatile

Vanguard alta sky backpack.

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Top Hiking Camera Backpacks

We reviewed over 22 camera backpacks for this article. Below are the best camera backpacks that made our short list.

• Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 AW - Best Overall
• Peak Design Everyday Backpack 
• Burton F-stop Pack - Most Comfortable
• Lowepro Photo Sport BP - Best Lightweight
• Thule Aspect DSLR Camera Backpack - Best Value
• Vanguard Alta Sky Backpack - Most Versatile
• Lowepro Hatchback BP 250 AW II

Read our complete buyers guide for camera backpacks.

1. Best Overall Camera Backpack for Hiking

4.5/5 Overall Rating

The Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 AW is an awesome, well thought out camera case. The backpack has plenty of space to carry just about everything you’ll need while you’re out hiking. It is incredibly well-made, comfortable and well-padded. There are a lot of compartments with ample storage space on the inside. The pack allows you to carry a standard DSLR with attached lens, plus 1-2 extra lenses. It also fits a 10in tablet/laptop. The Lowepro Flipside Trek 350 AW comes with a dark green built-in All Weather AW cover to keep your gear protected in the case of rain. Lowepro’s ActivZone suspension system and straps allows for effortless carrying. You can access your gear through the back panel without having to put the pack down. Although a little expensive, the amount of features and space you get with this pack makes the price worth it.

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Main features.

• ActivZone suspension system and straps
• Cradlefit padded pocket suspends and protects your tablet/laptop
• Fits a standard DSLR with attached lens, plus 1-2 extra lenses
• Storage pocket on waist belt
• Built-in All Weather AW cover
• Dimensions: 11.02x7.87x20.08
• Back panel and top access
• Lots of eternal attachment points

What we like

• Great compartmentalization
• Lightweight
• Waterproof cover
• Comfortable
• Well-made 

What we dislike

2. best premium camera backpack for hiking, peak design everyday backpack.

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack is a professional camera backpack, hence the price. This 20L pack is only 2.98 lbs and can fit a full frame DSLR camera with an additional 3-4 lenses. It also features a protective laptop sleeve that can accommodate a 16-inch laptop. Flexfold Dividers help to protect your camera, drones and lenses. The pack is made from 400D waterproof nylon canvas, with premium waterproof zippers to ensure the protection of your gear. The easy access flaps and tripod connection make this pack a real winner. It is important to keep in mind that this pack is targeting professional photographers and is quite expensive if you are only an amateur photographer.

• Stores a full frame DSLR camera body as well as 3-4 additional lenses
• Protective laptop sleeves
• Flexfold Dividers
• Waterproof 400D Nylon canvas shell
• Premium waterproof zippers
• Easy access flaps
• Side body access
• Dimensions: 18.1x11.8x21.3 inches
• Tripod connection
• Great internal divider design
• Can store a laptop
• Waist belt lacks hip pads
• No front or rear opening

3. Most Comfortable Camera Backpack

Bagsmart camera backpack.

4.6/5 Overall Rating

The BAGSMART Camera Backpack is one of the most comfortable camera backpacks on the market. This is due to the padded shoulder straps and back panel as well as adjustable chest strap to add comfort with every step you take. This camera backpack keeps your expensive photography equipment dry and secure with its handy anti-theft zippers and water-resistant fabric. 

The BAGSMART Camera Backpack has 7 removable padded dividers with 1 fixed divider to keep your camera equipment separated and protected, providing customised interior space for camera equipment of varying sizes.

Removing dividers can easily be converted from a lightweight camera bag into a laptop backpack, keeping you comfortable and stable on the go.

• Removable dividers to accommodate any camera size
• Padding on shoulder straps, back panel and chest strap
• Padded, customizable internal compartments
• Right side stretch pocket with compression straps for tripod base
• Top handle and back luggage strap for easy transport
• Completely waterproof
• Incredibly comfortable
• Doesn't have a side water bottle pocket
• On the small side

4. Best Lightweight Camera Backpack

Lowepro photo sport bp.

4.3/5 Overall Rating

At 2.4lbs, this camera backpack is incredibly lightweight. But don’t worry, a light backpack doesn’t mean a backpack that is short on space and features. Despite its weight, the Lowepro Photo Sport BP is built for adventure photographers looking for the perfect lightweight camera backpack for daily hiking and adventure travel.   This pack fits a smaller mirrorless kit such as the Sony A6500 with attached 16-55mm lens and additional lens; a 2-litre hydration reservoir (not included); compact tripod; accessories and personal items.  The ultra-lightweight construction made with high performance and recyclable fabrics provides comfort, durability and resiliency. This pack also features an ActivZone harness system with wide, padded waistbelt for comfort and adjustable contoured shoulder straps for even weight distribution. However, this pack may not be ideal for those over 6 ft tall.

• Made from 75% recycled fabric
• Ultra-lightweight construction
• ActivZone harness
• Side pockets with integrated and removable GearUp camera insert
• Shock absorbing
• All Weather AW Cover 
• 2-litre dedicated hydration pocket
• Multiples attachment points for tripod/ hiking poles
• Diverse strap system
• Shock absorbent
• Not ideal for people over 6 ft 
• Back panel not well ventilated
• Not water resistant

5. Best Value Camera Backpack for Hiking

This camera backpack is jam-packed with great features and storage space, it is also cheaper than the two camera backpacks mentioned previously. The Thule Aspect DSLR Camera Backpack is made from 100% nylon, it is durable and water resistant. The customizable padded storage protects your DSLR camera and multiple lenses as well as other equipment, you can even store a small drone in this pack. You can also store your 15.6 inch laptop or iPad in the back compartment. This spacious backpack has a removeable padded hip belt, shoulder straps and an air mesh back panel. You can even carry a tripod with convenient storage on the side panel. This fantastic camera backpack lets you carry all your gear comfortably at a price that isn’t too outlandish.

• Customizable padded storage to protect your camera
• Removeable padded hip belt, shoulder straps and an air mesh back panel
• Can carry a tripod
• Can store a DSLR camera with multiple lenses
• Can store a small drone
• 15.6 inch laptop compartment
• Dimensions: 8.7x20.5x11.8 inches
• Water-resistant
• Comfortable 
• Only stores one DSLR camera
• Poor Velcro dividers

6. Most Versatile Camera Backpack for Hiking

The Vanguard Alta Sky Backpack offers the ultimate versatility. The pack is multi-action and offers quick access to your gear with full rear opening and side and top access. There is also separate opening to the individual spacious lower compartment. This pack is well-organized and features numerous dedicated pockets, organizers and connectors. You can also store a 13-inch laptop/tablet. It comes with a total coverage rain cover so you don’t have to worry about the hiking in the rain. You can attach your tripod externally and the pack features two separate compartments to store both your camera equipment and your personal items. The well-padded harness and waist belt ensure long term comfort. This camera backpack is built with the serious hiker in mind. You can carry a camera or a drone, or even a combination of both. You can fit a pro DSLR camera with a lens attached and up to 4 extra lenses. Unfortunately, with a lot of features comes a bit of extra weight and this backpack is slightly hefty at 6.44 lbs.

• Full rear opening
• Side and top access
• Two separate compartments for both camera equipment and personal items
• Can store a 13-inch laptop/tablet
• Total coverage rain cover
• Well-padded harness and waist belt
• Can store a pro DSLR camera with attached lens and 4 additional lenses
• Tripod storage
• Dimensions: 4.63 x 10.25 x 22.25 inches
• Rugged and sturdy design
• Well-organized
• Quick access

7. Best Budget Camera Backpack for Hiking

Lowepro hatchback bp 259 aw ii.

This camera backpack provides you with all the carrying capabilities you’ll need at a very attractive price point. The Lowepro Hatchback is a 22L pack that can fit a DSLR camera with an attached lens as well as an extra lens. You can also store an 10-inch tablet. This sleek, safe and modern camera backpack contains multi-functional compartments with great organisation. Another huge plus is the built-in All Weather AW cover, which will ensure all your gear stays dry. The pack is a bit on the smaller side and is best suited for people with a small to medium build. A low cost often means a lack of features and this is something to consider with this pack as you’ll have to make a few sacrifices for the sake of a low cost. 

• Multifunctional compartments with great organisation
• All Weather protection
• Can fit a DSLR camera with attached lens and 2-3 extra lenses
• Can fit an 11 inch laptop/tablet
• Dimensions: 11.42x9.25x19.88 inches
• Water resistant
• Great storage
• Great quality
• Flexible interior 
• A bit small

Best Camera Backpack for Hiking - Buyer's Guide

What is a camera backpack.

Camera backpacks are designed specifically to carry cameras, lenses and other photographic equipment. They will generally have multiple compartments separated by padding in order to protect all of your gear from water, dust and scratches. Camera backpacks should be designed with your comfort in mind so that you can carry all of your photography gear over long periods of time. They should also allow fast access to your gear so that you can whip your camera and correct lens out when you see the perfect shot.

What should you carry in a camera backpack?

Some of the most important and useful things to carry in your camera bag include your camera and lenses (obviously), as well as spare batteries, memory cards, lens cleaning wipes, a headlamp , map or GPS , tripod, notebook, binoculars and a rainfly for your camera bag if its not waterproof. 

The weight of your pack needs to be comfortable. You’ll want a pack that’s relatively lightweight. But keep in mind that a camera backpack will have a lot more padding than a regular hiking pack, which will contribute towards its weight.

Shock resistant protection

Due to your camera, lenses, laptops and tablets being stored in the pack, it is important that this precious gear is well-protected. Extra padding is important to reduce the force of impact through compression while you hike and navigate through uneven terrain. You definitely don’t want your expensive gear to be knocking around while you hike.

You want to be comfortable while you hike, so you want to look out for padded shoulder straps, padded hip belts and padded backs.

Weatherproof material

Once again, you will be carrying around precious gear out in the wilderness. You will want some sort of weather protection to avoid damaging your gear. You can either look for a pack with a water-resistant shell or one that includes a rain cover. 

Construction

Your camera backpack needs to be durable. Nylon provides great durability and a natural resistance to mold and insects. It can be damaged by exposure to UV. Polyester dries fast, is lightweight and strong.

Extra storage

Since you’ll be hiking, you’ll want a camera bag that carries more than just your camera. You’ll also want to include your personal belongings. As a photographer, you might also want your laptop with you so that you can upload photos as you go. 

Organization and easy access

While you’re on the go, you want to be able to effortlessly access your gear and take a photo as the need arises. You’ll want a pack with multiple access points and easy access to your camera and lenses.

Continue browsing

See more outdoor equipment reviews and our detailed  bags for hiking guide . Or check out these reviews:

• Best Hiking Daypacks
• Best Duffel Bags
• Best Camping Backpacks
• Best Dry Bags
• Best Tactical Bags
• Best Solar Packs
• Best Hiking Pack Under $100
• Best Hiking Baby Carrier
• Backpack Size Guide

About the author 

Adie Marais

Adie is a nature and wildlife lover living in Cape Town, South Africa. Growing up, she had many opportunities to explore the outdoors by hiking, going on safaris and venturing into the karoo with her family. This led to her love of animals, the environment and discovering new places to explore.

We work with local guides to offer great value adventures at unbeatable prices

Lowepro Flipside Trek 350AW Review

This test and review was conducted and written by Matt Holland, a full-time creative from Berkshire, UK with a passion for all things outdoors. You can read more about his work here , or visit his website here

• # Preview Product Rating

What Lowepro Say

Nature is about balance, pack for your needs, day-long comfort, attach all your tools.

• Lowepro Flipside on Test

Outdoor camera backpack for photographers who need to bring a balance of photo and personal gear for a day's adventure in nature.

Built for photographers who need a versatile pack to protect DSLR camera and outdoor adventure gear. Flipside Trek has the perfect balance of camera compartment and open space, plus all the features you expect in an outdoor pack.

• Flipside body-side access lets you to get your gear without putting the bag down
• Hinged lid to camera compartment allows easy access to gear without fully opening
• ActivZone™ suspension system provides all day wearing comfort
• Open zone in top of pack for non-camera items.
• Multiple attachment points allow you to scale up or down the gear you carry outside of your bag
• Special edition dark green built-in All Weather AW Cover™ for extra protection from rain, snow, dust and sand
• CradleFit™ padded pocket suspends and protects your tablet within the full-height back pocket
• Stretch-mesh water bottle pouches on either side of bag
• Zippered top pocket for quick-grab items

Lowepro Flipside Trek 350AW Specs

• Standard DSLR with attached lens, (such as Canon 5D Mkiii with 24-104mm f4) plus 1-2 extra lenses.
• Compact Tripod
• 10″ Tablet in CradleFit device pocket
• Off-Road Gear & personal items
• Water bottle/s

Technical Specifications:

• Internal Dimensions: 23 x 14 x 29 cm (9.06 x 5.51 x 11.42 in)
• Tablet Compartment: 23 x 2.5 x 24 cm (9.06 x 0.98 x 9.45 in)
• External Dimensions: 28 x 20 x 51 cm (11.02 x 7.87 x 20.08 in)
• Weight: 1.4 kg (3.08 lbs)

… and so is Flipside Trek. Strike the perfect balance between carrying camera equipment and the outdoor gear you need for a day's adventure in the wild.

Never compromise your experience for lack of space. The split camera and open space compartments allow you to pack what you want, how you want.

The ActiveZone™ suspension system and straps make carrying effortless. Vented back panel will help keep you cool.

Carry a tripod, trekking poles, solar panel, water bottles, it's up to you. The Flipside Trek provides all the mounting points you need to get the right gear to the right place at the right time.

Lowepro Flipside on Test:

Typically I go for universal bags or outdoor specific and use a camera bag insert to fit around other kit but I have been interested in trying a dedicated camera bag for some time to see how it compares. What drew me to the Flipside Trek was its ability to not only be a photographic rucksack but fit everyday items and use out in the outdoors for hiking.

Moving my kit over I found all of it still fit although a little more dotted around, rather than all the camera kit in the insert and additional kit above it was a little more spaced out with the dedicated camera section. This did make it a lot easier to access camera kit with the rear opening on the bag and the outdoor kit in the separate section on the top of the bag.

My total bag weight on a day-to-day basis came in at 4.5kg and the bag at no point felt heavy or over loaded. The straps, hip belt and sternum strap all helped to take the weight off the back and distribute it as a good rucksack should.

Every day kit:

• Nikon D500 + 16-80mm f/2.8-4
• 55-200mm f/4-5.6
• Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 or Sigma 105 f/2.8 macro
• Filters + holder
• Spare cards & batteries
• Lens clothes and pen
• Small note book & pen
• Multi tool (hip belt)
• Small first aid kit (hip belt)

I still have room for a tablet or book, lunch, water bottles and a spare jacket.

The weight of 4.5kg on your back was no issue or swinging the bag around but when using the bag in its given name "Flipside" the bag was a little more uncomfortable with this hanging around your waist. It is hard not to worry with your expensive camera kit hanging like this but at no point did the bag or did the clips feel like they were going to fail.

However this was a very handy method to put equipment away when you didn't have time to stop, I just wish it was more comfortable.

What I particularly liked with the hip belts was the reverse system, pulling the straps away from your body rather than towards you which felt a lot more natural and was far easier action. This is something I hope they continue to develop and use in other rucksacks.

The clips around the bag have a distinct style which made them all easier to use compared to the traditional clips with the large buckle point. This was easier with gloves so in colder conditions this is handy.

It's a bag for all year, not just for good weather.

It would have been nice to see this style of clip on the sternum strap which is the only odd one; instead uses the traditional form with the whistle built in.

The quality of the shell is superb with thick material which is lined on the inside to protect equipment. The front pocket features the cradle fit which is suspended so if you are carrying a tablet, phone or glasses you can feel assured they're safe in side this pocket.

The shell is very robust and can take plenty of knocks and scratch so no need to worry about crawling through the undergrowth or leaving it lying around. The plus is it can withstand the rain and the conditions very well with its built in waterproof cover, which I found very helpful in keeping the bag clean whilst doing dirty work on my conservation project.

On the safety of your kit, the bag doesn't look like a camera bag so blends in more, certainly in the outdoors with its olive green material although the name gives it away as most people will know Lowepro to be a camera bag manufacturer. I used this rucksack whilst commuting and travelling around London and I didn't feel wary of people looking at the bag or wondering of its contents.

What does separate it from outdoor bags is its lack of D-rings and walking pole loops which its counterpart Photo Sports backpack does feature so it's odd they haven't included these on the rear of the bag but the two straps that do feature on the Flipside Trek. I found more use for, you can certainly compromise by twisting the straps to make the rings but for some they will be missed.

You can hang a number of items off the back and I have attached numerous karabiners to help so I can easily hang my walking poles, tripod, spare shoes or even a helmet on the back or top of the bag.

Moving into the inside of the rucksack I found it very flexible, you can remove all the Velcro dividers to open the whole bag up to use for general items for camping or hiking or to keep it in its traditional form for photographic kit. In the top section of the bag I found you could comfortably fit a 5-10 litre dry bag plus food and a jacket so the bag can fit an awful lot inside.

Lowepro claim the bag is suitable for all day comfort…

and with the ActivZone and I can confirm it is.

I used this rucksack as my day bag throughout my Peak District conservation project and whilst out shooting professionally for my day job. In both scenarios the bag was comfortable to wear despite heavy work or hiking. The ActivZone helps to keep the bag from lying flat on your back and allows cooler air to circulate so whilst wearing the bag your back doesn't get so hot or sweaty and this avoids the heat from transferring to the bag where your glass sits.

Using this bag on a daily basis I have found it very comfortable, secure and flexible and whilst outdoors or working the bag made it easier to access photographic kit, making the whole experience more fun.

The pack is large enough to customise to fit a variety of needs. Whether I needed less camera kit and to pack lunch or whether I needed full camera kit with a tripod. I could work around the hang points, pockets and areas to fit everything.

So for anyone who enjoys photography and the outdoors; enjoys hiking and travelling then this bag could make your life a lot easier!

Lowepro LP37015-PWW, Flipside Trek BP 350 AW Backpack for...

• Carry exactly what you want, no compromises with the split camera and open space compartments,
• Access your gear while wearing flipside's access allows you to get your gear without putting the bag down
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About Alex W.

Alex is the owner and lead writer for Click and Learn Photography. An avid landscape, equine, and pet photographer living and working in the beautiful Lake District, UK, Alex has had his work featured in a number of high profile publications, including the Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year, Outdoor Photographer of the Year, and Amateur Photographer Magazine.

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Lowepro Flipside Trek Backpack Review: Flipside Trek 250 AW is a compact, capable carrying solution

by Jeremy Gray

posted Sunday, November 13, 2016 at 7:00 AM EDT

The Lowepro Flipside Trek BP AW backpack is designed for the adventuring outdoor photographer who carries more than just their camera gear on expeditions. The backpack features a unique two-tiered design. Photo gear goes in a dedicated compartment which is accessed via the lower back area of the pack whereas the rest of your gear goes in a couple of top pockets. (Note: See images below to see how the backpack is set up). Despite camera equipment being stored in the lower back portion of the bag, you can utilize the Flipside’s body-side access to access the gear compartment without taking the bag all the way off your body.

Design: Compact with a distinct dual-compartment arrangement

As mentioned, there are separate spaces for camera and other gear. Additionally, there's a thin front pocket that's perfect for a tablet (up to 10 inches) and keeping items such as cables and batteries. In the zippered pocket of this compartment, I was able to store my iPhone 7 Plus as well, so I think that most smartphones would fit comfortably in this area.

In the main top compartment, designed for your non-camera gear, there's a decent amount of room. I was able to fit a medium-weight jacket, sunglasses and a few protein bars into the compartment. There's also a fitted raincover included in a small zippered pocket on the top of the bag.

On various areas of the outside of the backpack are webbing loops for you to attach a wide variety of gear, such as a solar panel for keeping your electronics going on long treks or a small tripod. On the sides are two stretch pockets, perfect for water bottles or an aforementioned tripod.

The camera compartment is opened with two zippers, both of which have excellent pulls on them (little details matter a lot in daily use, after all). Once opened, you see that the Flipside Trek BP 250 AW does not have a lot of room for camera equipment. In fact, a Panasonic G85 with the kit lens attached and an additional 12mm f/1.4 prime took up much of the room. I added the battery charger along with a couple of filters and I couldn't have fit much more. Lowepro states that the 250 is designed for a mirrorless camera or compact DSLR camera plus 1-2 extra lenses. My experience aligns with this.

When considering the overall design of the backpack, I think it looks quite nice. Naturally that's a matter of personal preference, but the two-tone olive green and dark gray material works for me. There's also a reflective strip on the backpack which will stand out if hiking or biking at night.

Real-world use: Comfortable when worn all day, "flipside" design works well

While the camera compartment is small, it is very secure. It can only be easily accessed through the back of the bag, although you can access it through the top compartment if you aren't carrying any additional gear (an unrealistic scenario in my experience). While it may sound inconvenient, you don't have to remove the backpack to access the camera compartment. Instead, when you use the waist strap, you can take the shoulder straps off and rotate the bag to rest in front of you, providing easy access to the camera compartment. The 250 AW size comes with a somewhat thin waist strap, which is sufficient given the light weight of the bag (the 250 size weighs only 2.3 pounds (1.06 kilograms) when empty) and the inability to carry any heavy gear. Larger sizes have wider straps that will better support their larger carrying capacities. Spinning the backpack around worked very well when wearing nylon or polyester materials, such as active wear or a rain jacket, but was a bit more cumbersome to slide around on a flannel shirt.

While I'm on the topic of using the backpack with a raincoat, I used the backpack in moderate rain without the included rain cover and it protected my gear perfectly well. Obviously for ultimate protection, you'll want to use the included rain cover, but for light rain, the backpack works fine as is.

The shoulder straps are thin, but padded, and were comfortable. The interior of the straps has a mesh material that is breathable. The back of the pack has ridged, padded areas that are very comfortable even after wearing the backpack while walking all day. The padding also has a mesh fabric cover for high breathability. The sternum, shoulder and waist straps are easily adjustable and the buckles are well-built and easily snap and unsnap.

Conclusion: A good choice, but consider larger sizes if you're a DSLR user 

The Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 250 AW backpack worked very well in my experience. It was perfect for carrying a small camera and doing a lot of walking/hiking. It provided all-day comfort and the protection my gear needed. Its distinct "flipside" design works as advertised and helped me feel more secure carrying camera equipment. Overall, it's a comfortable, capable backpack.

With that said, I'd personally opt for one of the larger sizes (350 or 450) for DSLR users as the 250 is much better sized for mirrorless users than for DSLR users. The 250 costs around US$150 while the 350 and 450 cost $170 and $200 respectively. You can order the backpacks from our trusted affiliate B&H below:

Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 250 AW Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 AW Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 450 AW

Guess which has more value? It's pretty close.

Lowepro Flipside TREK 350 - A Day of Hiking

In my previous post, I talked about how the Lowepro Flipside Trek350 seemed to be the perfect bag and how I bought it the week it came out. Well, it finally arrived and I took it hiking up in the mountains to see how it held up.

Let me just say this once again. This is the backpack I have been waiting my entire life for, I've looked at hundreds and I've always had some problem or nitpick about them. This is perfect daily backpack suitable for outdoors and hiking.  In my opinion at least, Lowepro has always had great quality in their bags, and the same thing goes again with this one.

The Look - Grey and Olive, 2 of my favorite colors. It looks rugged and that about covers it. 

The Design - A lot of thought went into making this bag, and I applaud a number of things, first being the access hatch for all your gear. Having it on the rear prevents anyone from trying to get into your bag if you're wearing it, while also eliminating any chance of gear falling out should you forget to zip up or the zipper itself failing for whatever reason. I really like how you can access the bag without taking it off using the waists straps. The flap is also hinged so you can access a section of the storage area without unzipping the entire flap. This is ideal for me as I'm not a huge fan of bags that have those side access flaps. Accessing the bag from the rear makes the most sense and is hands down the best design for a camera backpack in my book. additionally this allows you to keep the included rain cover on the bag while still having access to your camera gear. the back of the bag as well as the waist strap is also padded very nicely, making it incredibly comfortable to wear. Lowepro also makes a smaller version (Flipside Trek 250 which lacks padded waist straps) and a larger (Flipside trek 450) if you need space for even more camera gear.

The Rain Cover - I just mentioned it, and ya, it's located in the top of the bag in a small enclosure, great to have that included and the color looks pretty neat. I'll show how it looks on the bag down below.

Waist Straps - Check. Nice. Neat. each side has a zippered pocket for holding more stuff. Chest Strap - Check. Great. Nylon. Whistle buckle. The straps itself can move up and down the shoulder straps for better comfort.

The Gear Pouch - I configured this area a few different times before I found a way to poack everything I wanted. I canny a Panasonic GX8, with a Panny 12-60, Panny 45-150, Panny 20mm f1.7, and a Canon FL 50 f1.8. Additionally, I have a sound recorder, flash, and wireless triggers. everything fits snug and I'm glad LowePro included a number of extra padded dividers for customization. 2 of them have velcro openings for holding smaller items.

My GX8 with a 20mm f1.7 pancake fits perfectly in the empty space.

Below is how my bag came originally, plenty of dividers included.

Top Pouch - Another feature I had to have in a camera bag was a dedicated area for extra essentials for an outing. I keep a small medical kit, flashlight, multitool, food, headphones, and a few other things in there. Decently sized, and while it's not a huge storage area, it can still fit a 6 pack of tall boys. Very important. The fact that I shoot with a mirrorless system means I have a tad more space in the camera storage area for other things if need be.

Along the top pouch there are some gear loops for attaching whatever your imagination desires, the promo piece on LowePro shows someone attaching a solar panel to charge a phone while hiking. I could see myself throwing on a few carabiners, and attaching a length of rope using the STRAP SYSTEM, because I always like to have rope when I hike .

Tablet Pouch - Another dedicated pouch, this one for a tablet, pens, maybe some cables. I've got an iPad in there for when I feel like hipstering out and editing in a coffee shop, or when I wan't to play angry birds while simultaneously rappelling off a mountain . 

Strap System - I like this. I usually have a tripod in one of the side pouches, and a water bottle in the other, and you can adjust the tension of the straps to hold your gear solid in place. the side pockets stretch and I had no trouble fitting normal sized water bottles in them.

Hiking - I took this bag up to Snoqualmie Pass, where I frequently hike on the many mountains in the area. It was a rainy, windy day as I hiked up Snoqualmie Mountain via Cave Ridge. I've been up the ridge several time before, but only to go to Guye Peak, Snoqualmie Mountain has been on my list for some time now.

The included rain cover performed excellently, my bag was kept very dry during the day, and it was raining steadily the entire time. there's a velcro loop that attached the rain cover to the inside of the pocket, and it's nice you can detach it so you can dry it separately.

While the rain cover doesn't cover the back, I didn't notice any moisture collecting on the back or inside, the nicely padded back was just a bit damp simply due to sweat and a bit if rain on my back when I took the thing off.

Here's how I currently have the inside organized, Panasonic GX8 with a 20mm f1.7 lens, from top left to right we have a 45-250, 12-60 and an old Canon FD 50 f1.8 with Micro 4/3 adapter. The right section holds a variety of things including; extra flashlight, AAA batteries, extra camera batteries, battery backup brick, wall charger, multitool, and a bluetooth speaker. I used a spare divider as a sort of access flap to hold things in place. Wires and other flat items are inside the tablet pocket with my old iPad.

This bag has seen rainy and snow in one day and it held up great, perfect all around daily bag for day trips and day hikes. That's all for now, an incredibly well designed bag that looks good and feels great to wear. LowePro, thank you. This is the bag I've been waiting for my entire life, The fit, the feel, the looks, the features, are all perfect, I have nothing negative at all to say about this bag at all. 

Lowepro LP37015-PWW, Flipside Trek BP 350 AW Backpack for Camera,... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews.

Lowepro LP37015-PWW, Flipside Trek BP 350 AW Backpack for Camera, Stores DSLR with Lens Attached, Extra Lenses, Tripod, 10 Inch Tablet Grey/Dark Green

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What Daypack for trecking? F-Stop vs Mindshift vs Lowepro

Have been looking on and off for a few months trying to decide on what daypack to purchase (yes, I'm one of those people)

Have done a lot of research but can't seem to find the bag that is right for me.

My feature requirements:

1) easily accessible camera section/zip, can be front/side/back don't really care 2) can't look like a camera bag, needs to look as normal/discreet as possible 3) Support a water bladder or have some kind of customization that will allow it. tube routing is a huge plus 4) must have some way to hold a tripod, preferably on the side 5) Decent space for day items: first aid kit, random spare clothes (nothing huge), snacks 6) Be around the 25L capacity mark 7) Have decent strap support including chest and hip straps 8) Tan/khaki/brown colour is preferred but not essential

So far I have come down to these options:

F-Stop Guru UL

+ Awesome size, weight and features + Water bladder routing + I like the ICU system + Doesn't look like a camera bag + Can use as a normal bag when the ICU is taken out - I dislike the colour scheme - From doing some reading seems like the company in trouble/probably going under/has horrible service and poor management - Expensive

F-stop Lotus (Drab Green)

+ Great feature set + Water bladder routing + I like the ICU system + Doesn't look like a camera bag + Great Colour + Can use as a normal bag when the ICU is taken out - Slightly on the large side - Even more expensive than the Guru, reaching almost absurd levels for a backpack - Company issues as above

Mindshift Backlight 26L

+ Looks great + Can fit a lot of camera gear (probably too much for my needs) + Excellent size - Too much emphasis on camera gear, not enough on day trek space - No water bladder support or routing (seems like a large oversight) - can't remove ICU

Lowepro Flipside Trek 350

+ Looks good + Really great compartment system, I like the ratio of camera to daypack emphasis + I like the back support/padding + Excellent size - No water bladder support - can't remove ICU

So initially I was leaning toward the Flipside Trek, then I was leaning towards the F-stop until I read all of the issues...

Any other recommendations??? Really struggling here...

Many thanks in advance.

ajdb wrote: Hi Gents, Have been looking on and off for a few months trying to decide on what daypack to purchase (yes, I'm one of those people) Have done a lot of research but can't seem to find the bag that is right for me. My feature requirements: 1) easily accessible camera section/zip, can be front/side/back don't really care 2) can't look like a camera bag, needs to look as normal/discreet as possible 3) Support a water bladder or have some kind of customization that will allow it. tube routing is a huge plus 4) must have some way to hold a tripod, preferably on the side 5) Decent space for day items: first aid kit, random spare clothes (nothing huge), snacks 6) Be around the 25L capacity mark 7) Have decent strap support including chest and hip straps 8) Tan/khaki/brown colour is preferred but not essential So far I have come down to these options: F-Stop Guru UL + Awesome size, weight and features + Water bladder routing + I like the ICU system + Doesn't look like a camera bag + Can use as a normal bag when the ICU is taken out - I dislike the colour scheme - From doing some reading seems like the company in trouble/probably going under/has horrible service and poor management - Expensive F-stop Lotus (Drab Green) + Great feature set + Water bladder routing + I like the ICU system + Doesn't look like a camera bag + Great Colour + Can use as a normal bag when the ICU is taken out - Slightly on the large side - Even more expensive than the Guru, reaching almost absurd levels for a backpack - Company issues as above Mindshift Backlight 26L + Looks great + Can fit a lot of camera gear (probably too much for my needs) + Excellent size - Too much emphasis on camera gear, not enough on day trek space - No water bladder support or routing (seems like a large oversight) - can't remove ICU Lowepro Flipside Trek 350 + Looks good + Really great compartment system, I like the ratio of camera to daypack emphasis + I like the back support/padding + Excellent size - No water bladder support - can't remove ICU So initially I was leaning toward the Flipside Trek, then I was leaning towards the F-stop until I read all of the issues... Any other recommendations??? Really struggling here... Many thanks in advance.

Is the removable ICU really that important? Could you not simply remove the ICU dividers to achieve the same effect?

I just bought the LowePro ProTactic 450 AW, and I thought that was a heckuva bag, especially considering the price I got it for. You can attach several straps and pouches (included), to the exterior of the bag. There's a water-bottle pouch, and a tripod cup, just to name a few.

http://store.lowepro.com/protactic-450-aw

scroll down that page I linked you to. you'll see tons of configurations.

I ordered an F-Stop Ajna about 10 days ago and got it 2 days ago. Shipping was only delayed by UPS, not F-Stop. If F-Stop has what you want in stock, they ship quickly.

What I like about F-Stop, beside the things you mention, is how light their packs are. They are also very well constructed. My pack has an internal aluminum frame, which really makes it comfortable to carry.

I also have a Mindshift and several Lowepro bags, and they are all made well. IMO, F-Stop is just a cut above in quality of construction and being so well thought out in design (e.g. internal frame, hydration system, being light weight, how they place pockets, and the ICU options.)

I would not order anything from F-stop that is out of stock. You can find many horror stories on the actual wait time. It's too bad that the company is so flakey.

Lowe Photo Sport bags, perhaps. They look like traditional daypacks. They've got a bladder pocket, which is fortunately on the outside of the bag (not sure if it'd drain water out in case of a leak though).

Tripod carry might be a jury-rigged affair using side straps though.

I have an F-Stop Loka (previous generation of bags) and love it. This was bought before all their issues came to light, and I've been following them because I am still interested in their other gear.

It SEEMS like they may be getting over some of their hurdles as before basically NOTHING was in stock, now they have stock and people are actually getting their orders. I agree with above though, if something is out of stock I'd probably wait vs pay and wait.

I've only had Lowepro before my F-stop and have used mindshift bags as my friends have a few versions of them. I think the F-stop is great, the Loka is my favorite bag. I haven't removed the ICU once but have the medium pro in my larger loka and love the ability to carry (almost) my entire kit in the ICU and be able to stuff anything else above or in the other pockets.

The biggest knock people seem to have against the f-stop line (which I only read and am not personally familiar with) is that the larger bags for "hiking adventures" don't really compare to the lightness/support systems of TRUE hiking backpacks. I imagine that's not really even a remote issue given you're considering the guru.

Have you looked at the Mindshift Gear UltraLight Dual 25L or 35L?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelstatic/ http://zero-likes.tumblr.com/

Thanks all, i think i will go with the guru ul in the end. really isn't anything comparable in the market that i can find.

Just an FYI for those interested, I finally bought the bag after several months.

After being unable to find local stock in Australia, I purchased the bag from the US directly. F-stop shipped the bag pretty quickly at it was at my door in about two weeks.

So far I'm really happy with it and like many of the design choices. Only thing I would suggest is to get the gatekeeper straps so you can put a tripod at the back - I found that my medium-ish heavy tripod was uncomfortable to wear when on one side.

It's the perfect size for a daypack camera bag with the essentials - and as I suspected, I really like the in-built routing for water bladders (Note: I bought the additional water sleeve to put my bladder in).

I bought the medium-slope ICU which I think would be better than the small pro: reason being is the small pro ICU would leave a gap between the top of the ICU and the camera opening allowing things to fall out. The medium slope ICU covers the whole thing and means other items can't fall out from the top.

Contrary to what I originally thought, I actually like the colour scheme, the blue is less "fluro" than I expected. Another good thing is that I can easily clip the hip belt around the back to move it out of the way if desired. The bottom blue compression straps keep it from falling down like most other bags would.

Regardless of the company issues, F stop know how to make a really good bag....

Sorry for necroposting. Well, finally returning to photography after a 20+ years lapse. My previous real camera was a Canon AE-1, that I bought used and sold when I thought I would have time to take pics. Long story short, I'm back.  I like (or think I do) to hike, and was looking for a backpack that might do double duty.

This was a good start. I reckon this is an old thread, and will start researching a bit, but the OP has nailed it when talking about camera bag/daypack ratio. I was looking at some LowePro and thought: "too much camera gear, no water" When I was in college, hiking all day with 6# of water, plus a snack and AE-1 with a 35-105. By the end of day, no water, no food, and a lot of rocks in the bag. At the time, we stopped every now and then to take notes, samples, sketch outcrops and make some pictures. Now, I might be walking and want to take a pictures "right now", so camera in a bag inside backpack wouldn't cut it.

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Asia Pacific

Flipside Trek BP 350 AW

Point your mobile device camera at the QR code below to see this product come to life in augmented reality!*

*Augmented reality experience is currently supported on the following devices:

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• Carries a DSLR camera kit with extra lenses and a 10'' tablet
• Flipside body-side access with hinged lid to camera compartment
• Split compartments - Open zone in top of pack for personal items
• ActivZone™ suspension system provides all-day wearing comfort
• Multiple attachment points to carry gear outside of your bag

Description

Built for photographers who need a versatile pack to protect DSLR camera and outdoor adventure gear. Flipside Trek has the perfect balance of camera compartment and open space, plus all the features you expect in an outdoor pack.

Specifications

Internal Dimensions

23 x 14 x 26 cm

External Dimensions

28 x 20 x 51 cm

Tablet Compartment Dimensions

23 x 2.5 x 24 cm

Primary Device

• Standard DSLR with attached lens, (such as Canon 5D Mkiii with 24-104mm f4) plus 1-2 extra lenses.
• Compact Tripod
• 10'' Tablet in CradleFit device pocket
• Off-Road Gear & personal items
• Water bottle/s
• Camera Bags
• Laptop & Tablet Bags

The limited consumer warranty covers any defects in material or workmanship in the new Lowepro product accompanied by this warranty statement. This warranty does not affect or modify any warranty provided by the Lowepro retailer nor does it affect any additional rights you may have under the laws of your jurisdiction.

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product. Lowepro reserves the right to improve the product, i.e. for sustainability scope, or to adapt to materials availability, or for incremental performance improvement.

... and so is Flipside Trek. Strike the perfect balance between carrying camera equipment and the outdoor gear you need for a day's adventure in the wild.

Never compromise your experience for lack of space. The split camera and open space compartments allow you to pack what you want, how you want.

Lowepro pioneered secure body-side access with the original Flipside. The new hinged panel in the Flipside Trek allows even easier access to your gear without taking off the pack.

The ActiveZone™ suspension system and straps make carrying effortless. Vented back panel will help keep you cool.

Carry a tripod, trekking poles, solar panel, water bottles, it's up to you. Flipside Trek provides all the mounting points you need to get the right gear to the right place at the right time.

Durable, water repellent materials plus our All Weather AW Cover™ provide exceptional protection from water, snow, sand, and dust.

Get the perfect balance of dedicated space for camera gear and open space for your personal items.

Get your gear without taking off your bag. When you do work out of the bag, Flipside keeps the body-side of the bag off the dirt and clean.

With numerous webbing loops, compression straps and attachment points you can mount whatever you need to the outside of the pack.

Fit a water bottle in either side or use the compact, easy-access side stretch pocket for quick-grab items.

The ActivZone™ harness delivers targeted comfort with breathable ventilated mesh panels and premium tailored straps.

The included CradleFit™ pocket suspends and protects a 10 inch tablet.

Space for your glasses, headphones, travel documents, keys, and personal items.

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Lowepro unveils a rugged quick-access backpack and lightweight airport roller

Like earlier Flipside backpacks, the Flipside Trek series unzips from the body side of the backpack. That means no one can access the main gear compartment in a crowd while the backpack is being worn. But, unlike most backpacks, the Flipside design allows photographers to access their gear without taking the bag off. The bag’s waist belt will support the weight of the gear when the photographer slides the shoulder straps off, allowing the bag to be swung to the front for quick access to all the gear inside.

Lowepro has had success with Flipside backpacks in the past, but the Trek series is created specifically for the outdoors. The bags are designed to hold off-road gear as well as camera gear and a tablet. The waist and shoulder-strap combo helps keep the bag comfortable during long hikes and a weather cover is built into the bottom of the bag.

The Flipside Trek BP 250 AW, retailing for $150, is designed for mirrorless users and small DSLR kits as well as an eight-inch tablet. The 350 and 450 AW successively add more space for larger kits. All three bags include tripod straps, while the larger two, listed for $170 and $200, can accommodate a 10-inch tablet.

While there’s no shortage of photography carry-on bags, the Lowepro PhotoStream RL 150 keeps dimensions as well as weight limits into consideration. The bag itself weighs only eight pounds, allowing photographers to load it up with gear without pushing the carry-on weight limits.

Even with the bag’s lighter form, the PhotoStream is able to use a FormShell molded panel on the front to protect gear without getting caught in the cramped overhead bins. Access to a 15-inch laptop is simple with front-panel access. The rolling bag can fit two DSLRs with a 70-200mm lens attached and up to eight lenses and speedlights with a small to medium-sized tripod. The rolling airport bag is listed for $250.

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Lowepro Flipside Backpack 400 AW III review: innovation for innovation’s sake?

T he Flipside Backpack 400 AW III is Lowepro's third crack at the Flipside range and has big shoes to fill after the award-winning Flipside Backpack 400 AW Mark I and II.

The new iteration is the 400 AW III which we tested here, though there's the smaller 300 AW III option too. Which you go for will depend on both your capacity and budget requirements. Whichever model you choose however, both make several noteworthy departures from its predecessor, that we’ll get into over the course of this review and discuss whether you should part with your cash for one.

Lowepro has a longstanding record as a reputable and reliable manufacturer of some of the best camera backpacks , so we were eager to see if the new Flipside Backpack 400 AW III could live up to expectations and build on the high acclaim that came before it.

In terms of rivals in the same budget range you're looking at Manfrotto's PRO Light Multiloader Camera Backpack M or PRO Light Flexloader Backpack L , Vanguard's Alta Rise 48 Backpack 27, the Tenba Axis c2 LT 20L and MindShift Gear BackLight 18L Photo Daypack to give you a few options to compare on price and features. It's also such a departure from Lowepro's Flipside 400 AW II that it's in direct competition with itself as this is still available to buy and we'll get into why that might actually be a better option for many photographers in this review...

Specifications

External dimensions (WxDxH): 33 x 24 x 48 cm

Internal dimensions (WxHxD): 28 x 14 x 41 cm

Size options in range: Small, Medium

Backpack type: Backpack

Camera access: Rear and side

Laptop compartment: Up to 15"

Tripod fastener: Yes

Chest / Waist straps: Yes

Rain-proof cover: Yes, separate

Weight: 1.7kg

Build & Handling

The Flipside Backpack comes in a 400 AW III or smaller 300 AW III variations which have capacities of 20L and 17L respectively, the smaller 300 AW iteration can also only take a 13” laptop while the bigger 400 AW can fit a laptop of upto 15”.

The difference in price is $150/£169 for the 400 AW or $140/£119 for the smaller 300 AW III. Whichever size you go for you have the option of black or dark grey colorways which are both quite nondescript and help keep a low profile, though you no longer have the Mica/Pixel Camo option from the Mark II version which I always thought looked rather good. There's also now no longer a larger 500AW version.

As the black and gray colors don’t stand out they'd be great for keeping a low profile in urban environments as they don't scream photographer, or even for wedding photography where you don't want to wear anything too distracting.

Lowepro says its 3rd iteration of the Flipside Backpack has been "redesigned for the outdoors", featuring robust fabrics and a front PU coating offer "extreme durability and protection from the elements, moisture and abrasion"

The 400 AW III boasts a CradleFit™ pocket which suspends and protects a 15” laptop, there's also space for a 10" tablet.

One downside we found with the Flipside Backpack 400 AW III is that it's balanced in such a way that when placed on its base it has a tendency to fall onto its back rather than the front. This may not sound like a big deal, but it means the bag more often than not falls flat onto the rear padded part that comes into contact with your back, and if this falls and gets muddy, it will end up on your back.

The front of the backpack is ironically where the EVA molded bumpers are located and these have specifically been designed to keep the bag raised up and out of the dirt. But we found that unless you remember to place the bag on its front when you take it off then it will roll onto its back.

While there's no dedicated water bottle holder there is a soft pocket for a tripod foot to fit into underneath the tripod strap. At a push this could be used to hold a very small drink bottle and would require the tripod attachment to not be in use also. However as seen on the Mark I and II versions we'd have preferred to have a dedicated water bottle holder on the other side. The central tripod mounting point from the prior two versions has also been missed off the spec sheet this time around.

The Flipside III has a side access panel as well as the full back opening which allows you to get to your main camera and attached lens much more quickly and easily. However, I tended not to use this and would have preferred a water bottle holder on that side in its place.

The 400 AW III gets its 'Flipside' name because it's been designed for photographers to be able to use the waist straps to flip the backpack around to your front and access your bag without needing to fully take it off.

Apart from aforementioned omission of a water bottle pocket, the 400 AW III has plenty of space and pockets for your accessories. The bag is extremely spacious with big pockets and compartments for laptops, tablets, chargers and peripherals. While it does a good job at providing space for larger items, there is a bit of a lack of pockets and spaces to locate your smaller items such as memory cards, so this means you have to pack in a memory card case or organizer.

A couple of the internal dividers do have a velcro pocket designed to hold memory cards, but that's not something I'd feel comfortable using, putting all of the pressure and weight of cameras and lenses on to the cards just seems like you're asking for trouble.

It also features an internal 'GearBox' which is a soft removable pouch with a zippered front mesh, ideal for stowing filters, cables, batteries or a memory card holder and so on. It has interior dimensions of 27x11x9cm and by default is found at the top of the interior compartment, though can be repositioned using the velcro or removed entirely to free up more space for larger lenses.

Performance

The Flipside BP 400 AW III gets some welcome upgraded materials in the form of 600D polyester and 600D polyester ripstop as well as molded EVA bumpers on the front and ‘enhanced’ 10mm YKK® zippers which are considerably larger than the zippers found on the prior models and makes it a little easier and smoother to open in a hurry.

The interior material is 150D 148T polyester, though the internal dividers have been made much thinner this time around so they're harder and less malleable to fit oddly shaped bits of kit. They can be removed via the velcro attachment but essentially you need to keep them in their default position as it's pretty much the only layout that works due to their rigidity. This configuration also means that the side pocket is then used predominantly to access and swap lenses, rather than grabbing your camera with a lens attached, which is how side access panels usually work.

One advantage of the new model is its molded EVA bumpers which raise the front of the bag out of the dirt a little when taken off and planted face-down on the ground. This is likely to happen often too, as the new design makes it difficult to flip the bag around on its waist straps as it doesn’t sit completely flat like on the prior model, so gear is more likely to topple out in this setup and lens swaps are impossible as you need one hand holding the bag at all times to stop it falling down.

The Flipside Backpack 400 AW III comes with an All Weather AW Cover™ to protect your gear from rain, snow, dust and sand. While this is a welcome addition, it comes in its own carry pouch that you'll need to find space for somewhere inside of your back. This is an unwelcome change from the previous versions which had the rain cover built into the base and tucked away in the base and keeping your dirty or wet rain cover away from your camera kit. This was a better solution because it didn't take up space in your internal compartments and also kept the wet, dirty material far away from your expensive cameras and lenses.

The BP 400 AW III comes with both a sternum strap to stabilise the bag from swaying side-to-side on long walks and can be adjusted to fit different heights. It also boasts padded waist straps which help transfer the weight of the bag and its contents onto your hips rather than your shoulders so it's comfortable to wear, though for very long walks a hiking backpack would be more comfortable with their longer design and metal frame.

There’s a new grab handle on the back of the Mark III which is a welcome addition and makes it great for picking up and carting around more easily. The central tripod lashing point found on the back of previous models has been left out this time meaning your tripod can only be strapped to the side which can make the bag a bit unbalanced, it also prevents the side pocket from being used to stash a water bottle at the same time.

Lowepro’s original Flipside 400 AW Mark I was my camera bag of choice for many years, so I was excited to if Lowepro had made one of my favourite camera bags even better. Testing the latest iteration was ultimately a disappointment as so many of the features that made the Mark I and Mark II versions great (and also award-winning) have sadly been left on the cutting room floor this time around. Perhaps this is an inevitable outcome of manufacturer’s feeling the need to release new products on a regular basis. I hope Lowepro realises this misstep and is able to rectify and add back in some of those great features in its next update. 

It would be unfair to say that all of the changes made are negative, I’ve never seen a backpack with so much storage for electrical peripherals with dedicated pockets for both a 15” laptop, or 10” tablet, as well as heaps of storage in the front pocket for spare batteries and an internal GearBox to house your most needed accessories on the inside. If you often struggle to find space for large filters, need to carry power banks or shutter release cables you will struggle to find a bag that can beat it for space.

It’s not a bad backpack by any means and the Flipside Mark III is also reasonably priced, but it was disappointing to see Lowepro unceremoniously cut out many of the features that photographers loved in the previous models. It's a Flipside bag in name only, as it shares very little of the same DNA as its previous models.

Should you buy the Lowepro Flipside BP 400 AW III?

✅ buy this if....

• You're looking for a reliable camera backpack made from top materials that can fit a DSLR or mirrorless body with a 200mm f/2.8 lens attached, plus 4-5 additional lenses
• You're looking for a comfortable photography rucksack with lots of room and space for electronics, large laptops and tablets.

🚫 Don't buy this if...

• You're upgrading from the Lowepro Flipside Mark I or II versions as you'll be disappointed with how many features have been left out
• You need extra options for tripod lashing points and also need a dedicated water bottle holder instead of a side access door.

Alternatives

Lowepro RunAbout BP 18L

If you’re an avid camper and your main camera rucksack has a GearUp insert, the RunAbout is a no-brainer. It’s a well-designed folding daypack that’s easy to stow and should appeal to photographers and dedicated hikers alike.

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

NCM Moscow Electric Bike Review

When you purchase through links on our website, we may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure.

NCM make high-quality, but affordable electric bikes. In this review, I will explain why I believe the NCM Moscow is one of the best budget electric mountain bikes.

About NCM Electric bikes

NCM Bikes, founded in 2014, have quickly become one of the largest electric bike brands in Europe, the parent company, Leon Cycle GmbH is a German company based in Hanover. Their e-bikes are designed in Germany and manufactured in China.

This great e-bike is now available in the US with a higher power output 500w motor and a top speed of 20mph. The NCM Moscow Plus has a high capacity 48v 16ah battery, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes and Suntour XCM forks with 100mm travel.  This model uses the more advanced C7 LCD with increased functionality and has 24-speed gears with Shimano Crankset and Acera 8-speed rear mech. There is also a throttle fitted.

I have ridden the EU spec version and that was fairly nippy, so I would imagine with double the power on tap this US version is an absolute joy to ride!

EU Specification

The centrepiece of this Electric bike is the DAS-Kit X15 geared rear hub motor: This durable 250W rear electric hub motor is known for its efficiency and high torque output. It offers a reduction ratio of 1:5 and a maximum torque of 55 Nm, which is excellent for such a small motor. This German-designed hub motor punches above its weight and it is refreshing to see such a high-quality unit on an affordable e-bike.

48v13ah Lithium battery pack with USB charging port for mobile devices:  Usually, electric bike battery packs take up a considerable amount of space in the frame, but the Moscow’s battery is integrated into the down tube of the bike, keeping the weight low and central, which helps to improve stability. The claimed maximum range of 75 miles seems a little optimistic, but possible if the pedal assist is used wisely. The total battery energy capacity is 624wh (watt hours), so if you were consuming 20wh per mile, your range would be 31 miles. My friend owns one of these bikes and gets an average range of around 40-50 miles.

This is a rugged bike built for the road less travelled:  This is an excellent bike for weekend adventures on trails and gravel tracks. The Suntour XCT front forks have 100mm of travel, which is more than adequate for light off-road riding, and the excellent Schwalbe Smart Sam all-terrain tyres provide grip where it’s needed. The gel saddle is comfortable enough, and the Velo ergonomic handlebar grips not only look great but feel great too!  Gearing is the dependable Shimano Altus 21-speed, and all the gears are indexed perfectly as expected.

Multi-function LCD : The Das-Kit LCD gives you all the information you would expect, including journey time and mileage. It also has 6 power levels of pedal assist, so you can fine-tune the power output to suit your needs.

Excellent build quality:  One thing that has always impressed me with NCM Electric bikes is the consistency of the build quality. The NCM Moscow is no exception. It looks great, but there is no compromise on functionality and safety.  The Tektro mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors provide predictable braking and the brake levers incorporate motor cut-off switches to ensure safe riding.

The NCM Moscow electric bike offers exceptional value for money. I have tested NCM’s other bikes and this one is no exception. They all offer a lot for the price. The specification is excellent and it is good to see a 48v battery fitted to a 250w bike. This battery is the same capacity as the Milano I reviewed previously and a realistic range of between 30-45 miles, or 31 miles using the 20wh per mile calculation, should be expected. The claimed range of 75 miles may be a little optimistic for everyday use – but it depends on how much you use the electric assist.

The Tektro Mechanical disc brakes provide adequate and predictable stopping power, while the Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres will provide sure-footed grip on a variety of surfaces, as well as a reasonable amount of puncture protection.

It is good to see an integrated battery pack on an e-bike of this price, it does finish the bike off nicely.

As far as electric mountain bikes go, the NCM Moscow is excellent. Not only is it well-made, but it has a decent battery and an excellent motor.

I serviced one of these for a customer last Summer and had to take it for a short test ride.  I was impressed with the way the small motor effortlessly handled the steep Cornish hills. The beefy 29er tyres handled the potholes and bumps of the back lanes with ease.

I had previously ridden the Milano model and there are a lot of obvious similarities. The Milano is made with the daily commuter in mind, whereas the Moscow is geared more toward the recreational rider, who will be venturing off-road more often. If I had to choose between the two, I would go for the Moscow, simply because it has that ‘go anywhere’ feel, and if you decided to use it as an everyday commuter bike, there are provisions to fit mudguards and a rack.

As with all the other NCM bikes I have reviewed, I rate this bike. It has to be the best-value electric mountain bike on the market at the moment.

The great thing about this bike is that the build quality is excellent. It feels very rugged and durable, although I would err on the side of caution when taking it off the beaten track. It is not a high-end mountain bike and isn’t designed to take the rigours of extreme downhill riding. The suspension forks are fine for rough surfaces and a few small potholes, but nothing too harsh like rocks and logs.

If you are in the market for an affordable off-road e-bike, then this ticks all the right boxes.

If you are looking for a more commuter-orientated bike check out my review of the Milano . If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to the NMC Moscow, It would be worth looking at the NCM Prague Electric Mountain Bik e .

Meet Tony, a passionate e-bike advocate and enthusiast who discovered the life-changing benefits of electric bikes back in 2016. Tony’s technical experience within the e-bike field was gained while running a successful electric bike conversion business for 5 years in his home county of Cornwall, UK.

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39 Comments

Vrai 1er test aujourd’hui du NCM Moscow 48v 13 Ah 26″ 1ere génération : Ballade prévue avec un copain : 55 km et 1000 de dénivelé, jusqu’au col de l’oeillon (massif du pilat – Loire) sur petites routes et chemin. Déjà fait avec VAE à 1000 eur et sa batterie de 500 W pour comparer. La batterie m’avait ramené alors pile à la maison, mais tout juste vidée (donc 55 km et 1000 m). Malheureusement, aujourd’hui, la batterie de mon tout beau tout neuf NCM moscow 1ere génération m’a laché au bout de 32 km, 500 m avant le col. J’ai fait le retour au molet (heureusemnt 90% de descente au retour). Donc 6 barres de batterie au départ, 5 au bout de 12 km, 4 à 20 km, 3, puis 2 barres en qq km seulement. Les 2 barres restantes ont tenus les 5 derniers km. Pour moi, pas normal du tout. Je pèse 65 kgs et j’ai sollicité modérément l’assistance : essentiellement vitesse 2 et 3 dans les cotes. J’ai sollicité le sav Decathlon aujourd’hui et j’attends sa réponse. Donc difficile de noter ce vélo en l’état des choses, car par ailleurs, il possède qq atouts : solidité apparente, confort (j’ai qd meme mis une selle confort), prix, look, poignée confort, béquille et sonnette rigolote (mais ça, c’est pas cher à rajouter), mais aussi qq défauts : poids lourds 27 kgs, dérailleurs avt et arrière déréglés (pas si grave), disque avt très légèrement voilé (frotement), grincement du frein avant (sur 10 kms de descente, ça saoule), pneu ultra fin. J’ai eu le bonheur de créver à l’arrière (pas de pot qd même !), réparation sans pb, mais j’ai alors constaté la finesse de l’épaisseur du caoutchouc des pneus. Une simple epine l’avait traversé. Mais bon, il semblerait que c’est de la bonne marque. Il manque réellement sur le web de vrai test sur la durée, en particulier sur l’autonomie réelle d’un VAE. Pour moi, sauf si le sav me confirme qu’il y a problème et remplace ma batterie, je ne recommande pas ce VAE pour de la rando de 50 Km, au risque de rentrer avec les mollets, sauf si plat.

Merci de partager vos expériences avec le NCM de Moscou, très apprécié.

Hello, Je rentre de ma 1ere vraie sortie avec le NCM Moscow 1ere génération (blanc 26″, 48V 13 Ah). 55 km – 1000 m de dénivelé – Mon poids plume : 65 Kgs – Niveau d’assistance utilisé : modéré. Points – : – Niveau de batterie peu fiable. 1 barre en moins au bout de 15 km – 2eme barre à 20 km – 3 et 4 eme barre entre 25 et 30 km (!) – Les 2 dernières barres sont tombés ensemble à 32 km, en haut du sommet. J’ai fait le retour sans batterie, et c’est dur. J’ai signalé à Decathlon, qui j’espère fera le nécessaire auprès de Leon Cycles. – Tous les réglages sont à reprendre : freins, dérailleurs. Mais bon, ça, c’est rien. – 1ère sortie, 1 ére crevaison, à l’arrière. J’ai pu réparer sans problème sans démonter la roue. Juste sortir la chambre à air roue montée et repérer le trou. Mais ça m’a donné l’occasion de constater que les pneus sont ultra fins (pourtant vtt). Une simple petite épine à traverser le pneu. On va dire pas de chance.

Points + : le confort est là. je mets pour le moment 3/10 pour la fiabilité. Si une nouvelle batterie règle le problème, j’aurai tendance à noter 7/10. A voir dans le temps.

Hello, I have just purchased the NCM Moscow 26″ 1st generation. I am desperately looking for a rack that fits. Do you have a reference? Thank you in advance for your help.

Bonjour, je viens d’acheter le NCM Moscow 26″ 1erer génération. Je cherche désespérément un porte bagage qui s’adapte. avez vous une référence ? Merci à l’avance pour votre aide.

I’ve seen the Topeak MTX Beam rack fitted to the Moscow. It clamps on to the seat post and is a good quality rack.

Regards, Tony

Je réponds à moi meme pour ceux que ça interesserait : j’ai pu adapter mon porte bagage, en rajoutant des entretoises de 15 mm au niveau des vis coté moyeu arrière.

BOnjour, Je pense sauter le pas et acheter le moscow, bien qu’il ne reste plus en ce moment que le 26″. Souhaitant investir dans une tige de selle telescopique, pouvez vous me donner le diametre de la tige de selle svp ? merci d’avance

Le NCM Moscou a une tige de selle de 30,9 mm. La meilleure tige de selle à suspension est la Suntour SP-12 NCX .

Salutations, Tony

I got my Moscow Plus last September and yesterday took it out for my 20th weekly ride from San Francisco across the bridge into the Marin Headlands, usually just over a 33 mile ride. I’m 71 and it is a work out but I don’t ride to work out. I ride to get out into nature. The seat crumbed under me within two months of getting it but some duct take fixed it perfectly. The fixture that has the key slot to use to fit in the battery came loose when I had a flat tire fixed but aside from being loose when the battery is not in it, still works perfectly. The tires handle the sharp rocks on some of the trails. The gas throttle, the bike’s gas pump, is dangerous at first. I learned to turn off the power before taking the bike down stair ramps and before wheeling it into my basement. The bike jumps out of your hands if you touch that throttle while your standing on the ground. Had a bad accident last November on a steep incline when I grabbed the handlebar to stop the bike sliding away under me and it shot off when I accidentally touched the throttle. Me, the bike and my iPad all fell and shattered in different directions. The rear derailleur was jammed into the back wheel so the wheels wouldn’t turn and I didn’t have a tool on me miles away from civilization. But 10 minutes later another cyclist with a mini tool saved the day. So carry that sack of tools they send to assemble the bike when you ride it. You never know when you’ll need them. Sharp turns are almost impossible for me on this bike but wow I love it!!! I can cycle up and down trails till the cows come home. Trails I never could cycle up before. Love that! A super great buy and I’m so glad I got it. And they had super great customer service to help me learn how to use the charger. Did I mention I’d never used an ebike before?

Hi Charlie,

Thanks for sharing your experiences, glad you’re out there enjoying your bike👍

All the best, Tony

Bought my new Moscow bike from Amazon but not long before I had problems with coffee grinder noise and serious vibration, found the cable from the controller to the back wheel had been routed too close to the drive sprocket and had chafed through causing broken wires and short circuits. Leon cycles Germany took the wheel back, but no better, a new controller followed, no better, they then told me I needed a new back wheel and motor, or a rebuilt motor, but due to Brexit they could not help any more. I now have a bike which will run perfectly when running but can take 20+ attempts to get started without grating and vibrating. Can anybody help?

I know this is an old review but I thought I’d ask my question anyway. If it get a reply, good; if not, that’s OK too. I bought a Moscow Plus late in 2020. It’s worked out very well for me. Now that I’ve owned it for a while and gotten the feel of it I’ve worked my riding stamina up to where I’m ready to ride farther and farther out. I love to fish so at some point I hope to make the trek to my nearest trout fishing stream which is approximately 30 or so miles one way. The terrain to get there is generally flat ground with one long stretch of about a mile and a half being a good downhill grade.

For an earth-bound bike rider that’s as close to flying as I’m ever going to get but, I temper that with the knowledge that on the way back I’ll have to hump it a bit to get back up that hill.

All of that to ask; Has anyone that you know of ever ridden their Moscow Plus starting with a full charge, on battery power alone to see exactly how far it would take them on generally flat terrain?

I plan on purchasing a spare OEM battery latter on this year so I won’t be able to do this battery endurance test until I have that spare battery to get me back home. In the mean time I just though I’d ask if anyone has already done this type of test. I could save me the trouble of doing it myself.

Thanks. Tim M.

Buying a new battery, if you can find one is £500.00 plus a bit, so if I were you I would stay close to home and do circuits for for a couple of hours at a time until the battery runs out of power, then walk back home using the walk mode ( there should be enough left in the battery to do that).

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NCM Moscow Plus Review

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• NCM Reviews
• Class 3 Electric Bike Reviews
• Electric Mountain Bike Reviews
• Hardtail Electric Mountain Bike Reviews
• Hub Motor Electric Bike Reviews
• A cross country style hard-tail e-mountain bike with 80mm suspension fork, knobby trail tires, and sturdy alloy pedals, includes a trigger throttle up to 20 MPH
• Lots of adjustability with the display panel, including speed, the 12-magnet cadence sensor is very responsive, motor inhibitors in both of the levers, large 180mm hydraulic disc rotors in front and rear
• Upgraded suspension fork, hydraulic brakes vs mechanical, better saddle, derailleur, cassette range, battery, and display from the regular Moscow version
• The kickstand works decently well but can block the left crank arm when down, 2amp charing is slow for the high capacity battery, some wires stand out vs. being completely internal, not much room to add things on the handlebar

Video Review

Introduction

Body position:, suggested use:, electric bike class:, learn more about ebike classes, availability:, model year:, bicycle details, total weight:, battery weight:, motor weight:, frame material:, frame sizes:, geometry measurements:, frame types:, frame colors:, frame fork details:, frame rear details:, attachment points:, gearing details:, shifter details:, brake details:, seat post length:, seat post diameter:, tire brand:, wheel sizes:, tire details:, tube details:, accessories:, electronic details, motor brand:, motor type:, learn more about ebike motors, motor nominal output:, motor torque:, battery brand:, battery voltage:, battery amp hours:, battery watt hours:, battery chemistry:, charge time:, estimated min range:, estimated max range:, display type:, display accessories:, drive mode:, written review.

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by NCM. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of NCM products.

NCM is a new company to me, but they are using reliable and proven systems in their ebikes, so in someway, there is a nice familiarity to it. Today we are checking out their Moscow Plus, the big brother to the Moscow. The Moscow Plus features a nicer suspension fork, hydraulic brakes, more comfortable saddle, and an upgraded derailleur with more gear ranges. There is also a better battery coupled with a nicer display. Because they share the same frame however, you will find a lot of parallel information in this review if you read the write up on the regular Moscow. So the Moscow Plus here is an aluminum alloy frame hard-tail ebike that comes in 2 sizes. Each size also has tire options as well, so basically there is a 19” frame and a 20.5” frame and you can choose either 27.5” tires, or 29” tires. Today we have the 19” frame with the 27.5” Schwalbe Smart Sam knobby tires. Overall the bike weighs about 56.1lbs, (about 1.4lbs lighter than the regular Moscow) and costs $1,899 USD and $2,399 in CAD. As I mentioned before, it is a bit of a hard-tail setup, so you do get this nice SR SunTour XCM30 spring suspension fork. It has 80mm of travel, larger 30mm stanchions, and includes compression adjust, lockout, and preload adjust. Pretty standard hub spacing in the front, 100mm, and there is a 9mm quick release skewer in the front, but none in the back since this is a hub-drive. I am told that it has a maximum weight capacity of 275.5lbs, which is higher than standard. This might come in handy since the bike does have bottle cage bosses, rack bosses, and even fender provisions, so you could really load it up with accessories and it should handle it very well. I like that there is an adjustable length kickstand included, but it is center mounted. That means that you could have the pedals strike the kickstand when down and reversing, an annoying occurrence sometimes referred to as ‘pedal-lock’. The seat post here is a rigid post, which is normal, but since it is 30.9mm, you could swap that out with a nice suspension seat post to get some more cushion on top of that front suspension fork. Other features include ergonomic Velo grips, Wellgo aluminum alloy platform pedals, and one of my favorites, a slap guard that will protect the bike frame and paint from getting nicked by the chain and scratching the paint.

Driving the Moscow Plus is a 500 watt nominally rated planetary geared hub motor. I love that it is fairly compact given the high power output. Power wise, it can deliver up to 80nm of torque, which is quite high, but it cannot leverage gears the way that a mid-drive could. The upside is that the motor always feels zippy, it doesn’t matter which of the gear combinations you are pedaling with. And, the motor can deliver instant power with the minimalist throttle. Hub motors are a great fit for hardtail mount bikes because there is no rear suspension to interfere with. As you shift gears, there won’t be increased mashing or forces applied to the drivetrain because the motor operates completely independently of the chain and sprockets. Moving the bike is done here with either the throttle or the cadence based pedal assist. Of course, this motor will use more power if you’re constantly starting with the throttle, but that’s a worthwhile trade for someone like myself, who has a knee injury. I love being able to override assist with the throttle at any time. I also love that the throttle is easily disabled by removing a cable in case you need to make the bike legal for other trails or local laws. Mechanically, you have 3 rings in the front (48,28, and 28), but sadly, there is no chain cover to protect your clothing. In the rear you have an upgraded 11-32 tooth setup, so a bit better range than the standard Moscow. All in all, it is a Shimano Acera system, and you also get 8 speeds, trigger shifters, and a couple of display windows that tells you what gear you are in. There is a derailleur guard here too, something I love since it protects the derailleur during shipping, or if the bike takes a spill some day. Stopping the Moscow Plus is a set of hydraulic brakes. This was one of my grips on the regular Moscow, so I am happy to see they are offered here in a set of 180mm rotors for both the front and rear. Another upgrade here on the Plus is motor inhibitors in both brake lines. The regular Moscow only had it on one lever so I am glad it is here as it helps cut power to the motor when stopping.

Powering the NCM Moscow Plus is a high capacity Lithium-ion battery pack, offering 48v 16ah hours of capacity! I would say that’s a nice upgrade from the 48v 13ah of the regular Moscow…that means you can go further or ride at higher speeds. I love that they use a sealed external controller, this allows a lower cost for replacement batteries, and keeps the controller protected from harsh elements. Where as some companies are $800-$1000 range for a new battery, this keeps the NCM battery cost to around $500. Note that whenever you’re operating around or above 20 mph, air resistance is going to cause exponential energy draw and range will be decreased. This pack delivers electricity to the motor, but also the backlit display panel (hold the + icon to turn on backlighting), and even a full sized USB charging port on the top right side. You could use this port to maintain phones, GPS, or music devices as you ride or when parked at home or a camp site. My friends recently took a bikepacking trip using another electric bike, and this sort of charging-on-the-go feature would be really handy. If you’re excited to charge while riding, I recommend using a right-angle USB adapter like this , just to keep the wires tucked in and out of the way while you pedal. The battery pack weighs more than average at 9.2lbs, but the alloy casing is sturdy and most of the weight is kept low and center on the bike frame. I took the pack off when moving the bike to our review location, to reduce load on my car rack. If you live up stairs, removing the battery is a great idea, and for those who need to leave the bike in a cold, hot, or wet locations… being able to protect and charge the battery inside is a great thing. It’s best to maintain the pack above 20% and avoid extreme temperatures. It’s going to take a bit longer to fill this battery because of the higher capacity, and the charger is more basic, offering 2amp output vs. 3amp or 4amp. So expect 6 to 7 hours for a fill recharge if you go all the way down to zero. One quick warning about charging the battery while mounted to the bike, be careful with the left crank arm because it passes directly in front of the plug port on the left and could bend or snag the charging plug and cable.

The display on the Moscow Plus is upgraded, nice and large and easy to read. To begin, just hold the power button on the little control pad near the left grip. It activates the display and you get several readouts including assist level, current speed, and battery capacity. Pressing power one time will activate backlighting on the LCD display and holding the down arrow constantly will activate walk mode (which can be handy if you need to to ascend a ramp, make your way through a walk-only space, or even climb stairs). The display can show different menus if you press the set button, a nice feature to dive in a little more. I like the size and position of the display, you can even angle it forward and back to reduce reflection glare, but it is not removable. For those who plan on commuting, it might be worth strapping your helmet over the display to keep people from noticing or scratching it, and also protecting it from the sun, while parked at racks. Overall, I would still call this display panel and accompanying button pad above average, I love that it can be angled to reduce glare and feel that it looks beautiful and is well sealed against water… but to clean the bike it is recommended to use a damp cloth vs. spraying it. Don’t ever submerge the bike components or spray them hard. Also, consider storing the battery pack away from extreme heat and cold to protect the cells. The only other thing I would mention is that the display is large and center mounted, taking up a lot of valuable surface area on an already crowded handlebar, so it may be difficult to add accessories.

In conclusion, the Moscow Plus was a lot of fun, and as mentioned earlier, is using a lot of nice proven technology that has kept many happy. This is a value priced ebike, so there will be some tradeoffs to consider, so I should make mention of those now… For one, the kickstand is center mounted, so if the kickstand is down and you are reversing the bike, you will encounter pedal lock. I noticed that there is no chain ring cover or guard, so be careful when pedaling with clothing like pants or a dress. The charger is just 2amps, this means charging happens slowly, so matched with that high capacity battery, it could take quite some time. Tradeoffs aside, it is a very well put together bike with a lot of what we have come to know and love about ebikes, and at a price of just $1,899 in the US, will appeal to many customers. I want to thank NCM for the chance to check out the Moscow, and I look forward to reviewing more bikes from this new company.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Other Brands ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

• The Moscow blends off-road geometry, suspension, and tires with urban utility because you can add fenders and a rear rack, there are also bottle cage bosses on the top as well
• There are 24 gear combinations to explore here, and that empowers you to climb easier or hit and maintain the top assisted speed, I really appreciate the slap guard on the right chain stay and the steel derailleur guard at the rear which also protects the motor power cable (especially when the bike is being shipped)
• The 500 watt Das-Kit motor is powerful and zippy but completely independent from the the pedal drivetrain, it’s a good choice for a bike with so many gears vs. a mid-motor, it also allows for instant throttle power regardless of which gear you’re in
• One of the advantages of having a front derailleur is that it keeps the chain from bouncing off track, it does usually add more weight and maintenance to the bike however, and if you’re using either of the two smaller chainrings the larger 48 tooth one can snag your pant leg because there is no bash guard plate
• Good weight distribution, the battery is positioned low and center on the frame, it seems well protected and blends in pretty well with the black accents on the fork, handlebar, seat, and chainrings
• Great tires for cross country and street riding, the 27.5″ x 2.25″ size is lightweight and efficient, they steer quickly and Schwalbe products tend to be higher quality, there is also a 29” option as well
• At $1,899 USD and $2,399 in CAD, it is competitively priced and will serve many customers well since it has a throttle, high capacity battery, and suspension
• I’m glad that they chose a trigger throttle vs. twist because it makes the grips more secure and reduces accidental activation, the 12-magnet cadence sensor is also more responsive than 8 or 5 on many other products
• The suspension fork offers compression lockout and preload adjust, this allows it to firm up for smooth riding conditions like city streets, reducing bob and energy loss as you pedal
• You get a flick bell, locking ergonomic grips, and a pair of large sturdy platform pedals that should work well in all sorts of conditions and weather, sometimes these parts are cheaper on value priced ebikes
• I love the high capacity 14v 16ah battery, it even has a USB port on the side to take advantage of it and use it as a power bank, perfect for traveling
• Between the knobby tires and 80mm suspension fork, this bike feels pretty comfortable, but I might recommend a suspension seat post to make things even more cushy for your ride
• The 180mm rotor hydraulic disc brakes are a great upgrade here, they are complimented well by a nicer derailleur, better gearing range, and more gearing options here on the Plus vs the regular Moscow
• The Plus is actually lighter by 1.4lbs despite its larger battery, better fork, upgraded gel saddle, and nicer display
• Minor gripe here, but I actually prefer the integrated finger bell on the regular Moscow as opposed to this more generic bell on the Moscow Plus, this was likely chosen to save space on the handle bar since it is using a larger display
• Some of the wires on this ebike are a bit more exposed along the base of the top tube, it looks a bit cleaner and reduces snags when they are completely internal
• This e-bike weighs more than your average trail bike at 56.1lbs because it has a higher capacity battery and a more basic spring suspension fork vs. air, I’d definitely take the battery off when lifting and transporting it
• No chain cover or guard means you need to be careful with your pants or dress, you don’t want it getting snagged and torn up in the chain ring system
• Even though this is technically a mountain bike, it’s nice to see a kickstand for those urban rides, I do wish that the stand was positioned a bit further back however, to avoid pedal lock with the left crank arm
• Another minor grips, but more and more people are commuting with hard tail mountain bikes, I like that this has provisions to add commuting options and already comes with a kickstand, but it should be noted it does not come with any lights in the front or rear
• With a standard 2amp battery charger, it could take a while to completely fill the high-capacity battery (6 or 7 hours), there are other ebikes with 3 or even 4amp chargers but they tend to weigh more
• The display panel isn’t removable and doesn’t swivel easily, as a result, it could get scratched more easily at racks and will take sun and rain wear over time
• Official Site: https://ncmbikes.de/

Review Updated On

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Comments (49) YouTube Comments

First off, let me say that I really enjoy your thorough reviews. The Moscow Plus is the third e-bike in our family, along with a Specialized Turbo Como 4.0 and Aventon Pace 500 . I purchased this from Amego; great value when purchasing from the US due to no tax and free shipping! I am able to use the code to get to the settings, but cannot figure out how to adjust the top speed from 20 mph to 25. All that I can access is wheel size and battery voltage. Can you assist please?

Hi Mark, I called Amego EV today asking for tips on how to update the speed. It sounds like you can only adjust the speed with the larger center-mount plus display. In that case, you’d hold the + and – key to get into settings and use the code 8018 which would allow you to adjust the speed. Perhaps someone in the ebike forums will be able to help further but this is what I go. Sounds like you’ve got a fun fleet of ebikes there and I hope you do find a solution :)

This might be a bit late, however you adjust the wheel size down and the bike will then up the speed based on that. I.E. adjust a 27.5inch down to 20.00inch and you add 30% speed as the computer reads a smaller tyre… make sense? The only down side is this throws off the odometre reading so you’ll need to factor in the 30% for closer accuracy.

hey Mark, how is the Moscow plus treating you thus far ? Is it a better purchase compared to the Aventon 500?

John - Sydney, Aus

Just bought one of these awesome machines! I haven’t been able to take it on a serious ride yet, but on a quick test ride one thing that surprised me was how easy it was to foul the front wheel with toes when turning – is that a regular thing?

Hey John! Yeah, I’ve experienced “toe strikes” when riding bikes like this, especially with larger shoes. They’ve gone with the “one size fits all” here but are using fairly large 27.5″ wheels with trail tires, so the clearance between the pedals and the front tire isn’t as much as it might be on a larger frame. This being a cross country frame style, with less rake on the fork, the wheel is fairly close to the frame and it can lead to the situation you’re describing. Yes, it is a regular thing with certain frame sizes and wheel/tire combinations. You might be able to reduce it by pedaling with the pad of your foot vs. the middle or heel.

John Liversage

Hi again, I’ve been riding the bike a couple of months now and enjoying great battery life and plenty of power (and thankfully the toe strike thing is no real problem). However, there’s is a significant defect in the power system – if you are stationery and adjust the pedals by turning them back even a small amount, occasionally (say 1 in 10 times) the power comes on, possibly at full power. As you can imagine, that’s extremely dangerous – it has once shot my bike onto the road while waiting at lights to cross a busy road, and once into the side of my car while parking the bike in my garage. I’ve reported the issue to the bike shop I bought the bike from (Leon Cycles here in Melbourne, Australia), and although initially they were responsive (even confirming it is a known fault), they have stopped responding, despite my best efforts. I did send a video I’d taken that graphically shows the issue. Even apart from that fault, the power is also very slow to come on when going from downhill (above the speed where power is provided – here in Australia that’s 25KPH) to a steep uphill, taking upwards of 5 seconds to respond (I tested a different e-bike and response was almost instantaneous). On your review ride it was largely flat, so I’m thinking you would not have picked that up. Is that a common issue with other ebikes? Any suggestions?

A few rectifications:

• The bike uses a 8 speed 11-32 freewheel, not a cassette. It’s hard (if impossible) to find in the north american market. Here’s a link I found on aliexpress for spare parts: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33056759327.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.3e774c4df5Shfp
• The display will let you go from pedal assist 6 up to 0, but not from 0 down to 6, if that makes sense. Doesn’t go around in both directions, maybe that’s something they changed. (I bought 2 moscow pluses and they’re both this way.)
• You can’t change the maximum speed, but what you can do is input a smaller wheel diameter. They speedometer won’t show the correct speed anymore, and the bike will assist you up to 32km/h + about 30%. THIS WON’T MAKE IT A SPEED PEDELEC unless you pedal EXTRA HARD on the top gear ratio (48×11). I find myself going barely over 32 on flat ground, maybe up to 35-36 helping with my legs.

Hope this will be helpful. This bike is amazing btw, and if you’re commuting, going faster than that would absolutely drain your battery anyway. For exemple, a bike going 50km/h will need to draw 1500W of power and you run continuously for only 40 minutes with a 1000Wh battery. This has been my experience with the Rize Rx, which I decided to resell because of that.

Hi Mat, thanks for the updates! Great point about the freewheel. I didn’t think there were any 11 tooth freewheels and only recently learned more about the distinction between a cassette and freewheel. I really appreciate you sourcing that part! Your second point about not being able to “around” makes sense. Perhaps they did change something from 2018/2019 when I covered the bike. The wheel size hack is something I’ve heard about before, so thanks for explaining that more thoroughly and posting your results for top achievable speed. I’m hoping to cover more RIZE ebikes in the future, so glad to get your insight about why you switched to NCM here. Great comment! Thanks again :)

Mathis Bourcier-Laurin

Concerning the link I put in my comment, these appear to be cassettes after all… I might have got this wrong. I’m sending an email to NCM to know more. There doesn’t seam to be any 11-32 freewheels accessible on the market.

Hi! Nice review! I am considering the NCM Moscow Plus or Eahora AM100. Can you please make review Eahora AM100 or/and compere Moscow Plus with Eahora AM100! Will be very appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

Hi Steve! I’m more familiar with NCM, but I will keep an eye out for the Eahora products and possibly do another review this year. That said, it could be many weeks or months from now. I recommend asking for feedback in the EBR forums in the NCM section here . I hope this helps you compare the two… and the list of specs here on the Moscow Plus review, you can compare them with the specs for the Eahora AM100 based on their website :)

Hi, in your video review the topic came up about using the NCM Moscow in snow conditions with regards to how it would hold up in salted roads and in wet conditions.

How do these bikes do in rain and puddles? I can see where you might want to avoid those but sometimes you get caught out on a ride where you have to ride through some conditions like that.

Hi John, my experience riding in rain has been that most ebike products, even the cheaper ones, are highly water resistant… they should hold up alright in rain, just don’t submerge. One time, I had ridden in a heavy rainstorm in Austin, TX (big heavy drops) and then parked my bike outside in the sun. The LCD fogged up inside because the water somehow got inside due to humidity or splashes or something. That fog stayed for a long time and was annoying. I’ve considered wrapping displays with plastic during extra rainy days. I also never flip an ebike upside-down to wash them (with a hose gently) because the cables and holes and electronics are all designed to drain downwards and if you flip them, water can pile up inside instead of draining. I learned that washing with a hose, some car soap, a rag and chamois is alright, even using car wax on bicycle paint seems to work well and protect any steel parts from rusting as quickly. I usually go for synthetic spray wax that works on metal and plastic, and I just coat everything. Final tip, I also use biodegradable spray cleaner for bicycles more often than car cleaner products before the wax, and I regularly lube my chain but dry it off after vs. leaving it greasy. This reduces the chance of dust and debris sticking to the chain and wearing down your sprockets. Sorry that these tips aren’t formatted perfectly, I’m in a hurry ;)

Thank you for your reply in answer to my questions. That helps me a lot.

Question for you on the Moscow plus mountain bike. The specs for that bike from Lyon cycle says it has 55 NM and I was reading your review and in it you say it has a NM. Can you tell me the difference between the measurements?

Hi Kipper, I hope I’m understanding your question correctly. It sounds like you want to know what NM stands for? This is an abbreviation for Newton Meters of torque. It’s a measure of how strong a motor can be, how much force it can create (which is good for starting and climbing). I hope this helps! Many of the stats that I provide here for motor power (watts and newton meters) are provided by companies. There are different ways to measure these things and I suspect that some companies are exaggerating the power of their products. That’s why I try to leave comments open and also show how the bike rides on camera, so people can make their own judgements :)

What I think Kipper was saying is that you list the torque at 80nm… All other specs I’ve seen list it at 55nm

Had the bike for about 6 weeks now and have 600k on the odometer. Overall a solid bike with great range and speed. Have encountered the following problems. The battery gets loose after a while and starts to knock. This can be remedied with some strips of duct tape to act as spacers. I broke a spoke on the rear wheel. When I tried my local bike shop, they said it was an unusual size and ended up having to order one online from Germany. The screws holding the rear brake disc fell out. The seller has promised to send me a new set at no-charge but it’s odd that they all fell out without much warning. No big issues so far, and I am still pleased with the purchase.

Hey, thanks for chiming in with these notes about the Moscow Plus. I’m glad that overall, you’re still happy with it. It’s also reassuring to hear that NCM has provided some support and your local bike shop went to such great lengths to help you get a new spoke! Good on them, and thank you for taking the time to share :)

Hi there, I really enjoyed your review. I have a NCM Moscow 27.5″ Plus here in the UK. Leon cycles tell me they no longer provide thumb throttles for the Eurorean market so I guess my questions are can you tell me the details of the throttle so I can source one which is compatible and will I be able to fit it on to my model? Does the cable from the throttle go into the back of the display (there are no spare holes) or does it go directly into the control box somehow. Hope these questions aren’t too technical and that you can help in a small way.

I suppose the alternative would be to buy a bike from North America, but suppliers there seem reluctant to ship to the UK – unless you know of one who does!!?? :) Thanks for your time. John H.

Hi John! Unfortunately, I do not know where to source the part, and am not 100% sure that I’d know the latest display/throttle interface. Perhaps you could post the same question in the NCM Ebike Forums to see if any recent buyers could help. This throttle is fairly unique and highly sought after by some other companies I’ve spoken with, because it’s narrow – allowing the shifter and brakes to not get pushed too far in towards the stem. I think some other companies use it too, like Magnum on their Mi6 model . I hope this helps point you in the right direction!

Hi, sorry, but I didn’t catch your name in the video review, but found it to be one of the best reviews information wise. How tall are you so I can gauge how the 29 will fit? You appeared to be in a comfortable upright position. Did you have enough straddle room at a stop? What’s your inseam if you don’t mind saying?

I prefer a larger bike so I don’t have to lean over so much. I’m 5’9″ and currently ride a large Trek Verve+ with 29 inch wheels which works well.

Thanks, Gary

Hi Gary! Sorry for the delayed reply here. I’m 5’9″ as well, and my inseam is about 32 inches. The bike felt good to me and I did have room to straddle the top tube when stopping. I tend to raise the seat way up to get full leg extension, and this bike had enough space for me to achieve that and have comfortable reach. We are lucky because many bikes fit people 5’5″ to 6’1″ or so and we’re right in the middle there :D

Hi, I just got my Moscow Plus 29″.

I’m 6’2″ 245lbs with 32″ inseam and when I stand straight I’m just touching the cross bar, which I find uncomfortable, and zero chance over ever installing water bottle. I wish I had read more reviews before purchasing, as on site said that the 29″ good for 5’9″ to 6’4″ and 27.5 was 5’5″ to 6’1″. I have read now found a few reviews that say the 29″ is too big even for someone my height

I would suggest that 33″ inseam or less go for the 27.5″ Thanks

Saiveer Aushatty

Hello I recently brought the Moscow plus e-bike but I am not satisfied with the battery because it is getting discharged quickly and when I take the bike from store the bms was 53. Something when it is fully charged. but now when I am charging in the home it is showing 51. Something and also charging of the battery is also discharging quickly can I know what is the reason??

Hi Saiveer, perhaps it is colder weather? That could explain why the battery isn’t getting the same range but might not explain the voltage drop. Over time, it is my understanding that any lithium-ion battery will begin to lose capacity (especially if the battery is heating up a lot). Maybe NCM is using cheaper cells or your pack was older? I cannot say for sure, but maybe you could buy a replacement battery someday if it continues to drop in capacity.

Hi, I love the review and currently considering a NCM. Can you comment on the difference between a Moscow and Moscow Plus? Why would you consider the upgrade?

Hi Leanne! It has been too long since performing this particular review to know what the current differences are. Usually, it has to do with upgraded brakes, maybe a nicer derailleur, or a higher capacity battery pack. Perhaps you could ask for some input on the NCM ebike forums to see if anyone there has some insights :)

Hi! I’m considering the Moscow Plus. I watched the review, it was awesome! Thanks. It made me want to by it right away, but over in Montreal is not really good timing with the snow, especially if ebikes don’t like salt (quoting yours truly :) )You mentioned the 29 inch is more comfortable than the 27; according to my height 5,6’’ I should get the 27″. Do you think I should get the 29 and I will be able to adjust it to my body dimensions? Also, how fast does the battery recharge?

Thank you! Céline

Hi Céline! Yeah, this is a good ebike. It’s made to be affordable, but still pretty capable, and it’s nice that they offer two wheel sizes. Yes, I agree that the 27″ wheel is a better fit for you at 5’6″ tall. The larger 29″ wheel diameter helps to smooth out bumps, but raises the frame, adds weight, and just isn’t a great fit unless you’re a taller person. I believe that the 27″ will still be very comfortable for you. As for charging, I’d estimate that a full charge could take 5.5 hours. Note that the first half fill goes much faster than the second half, because the charger slows down in order to help the battery balance (which is easier on the cells, helping them to last longer and be in good condition). I hope this helps!!

Thank you for your reply it helps me and reaffirms my choice for this ebike! Can’t wait to order and try it out!

I just got a Moscow and its terrible in so many aspects! The controller is awful and the wires running all over the frame is a pain! you cannot easily carry the damn thing and finding a rear rack for it is another nightmare! The common racks that attach to seat post and rear part of the frame wouldn’t work and the compatible ones are unavailable and quite pricy! the bike come with absolute no adjustment and the L and H on the derailleur was so off that you couldn’t shift it to Gear 1 or 7 and the rest was entirely unindexed! The whole things is a mess and Leon Cycle did not even post my review! This is why they have so few reviews for each product!

Hi Hamed, that really sucks. This is why I created EBR and the associated forums, to let people speak more freely (as long as they are constructive and honest). It sounds like you’re frustrated with the bike and it came damaged or just way out of tune. I’m sorry man, yes, the wires on this ebike are also more exposed vs. internally routed. I hope you got a good deal on it, I think with so many brands being sold out recently, people are left with fewer options and the direct online bikes can be risky and get damaged in shipping. NCM has been around longer, and I feel like the founder is a hard working person (who supplied Magnum and Amego) but I haven’t been in touch or reviewed their products for a while now. Hope you can get it running right and enjoy some rides this summer… or sell it and get another ebike.

Hi Court, I really appreciate both the website and youtube videos! They are really helpful! I fixed almost everything but it took me > 3 hours and was a total pain! I got it for < 1500 CAD so it wasn't horrible but anyway I wish I would have been waitng till June/July to get either a Radpower or Rize which both are looking pretty good but are in the back order! Deciding to bike again after twenty something years you'de assume how unfamiliar everything looks like and that is why I want other folks like me know what to expect! Cheers

dennis morgan

I purchased a Moscow Plus one month ago and it has not run with any assistance at consistantlly motor keeps cutting and no speedo reading have checked all connections and they are tight we have at least 8 ebikes in our group now . and many different brands this only one doing this. other experienced riders have ridden my bike and the same thing has happened to them no speedo reading no power motor turn on handle bar switch it runs with assistance for about 30 seconds and cuts out again i am now wishing i did not purchase this bike. you can ring them for help and it takes so long for them to get back to you has any one else had this problem with a moscow plus bike

Hi Dennis, that sounds frustrating. Thanks for sharing with us, I hope you are able to find some solutions or maybe sell the Moscow Plus and try another ebike?

Got a Moscow Plus and I’m pretty happy with it. The previous owners stating their issues I believe they may have a dud, Mine works well, shifts very smoothly (for the drivetrain in this price range), the pedal assist works well Talking bang for the buck I believe there is nothing that comes close. 16mA batt 500W motor 80Nm torque, hydraulic brakes, decent tires I mean this bike checks all the boxes for a rear hub low cost bikes. Will see down the road for longevity and issues but as it is I would totally recommend this for someone’s first ebike without shelling out big $$ for a mid drive fancier big name bike. As the review already stated the kickstand position is awkward to say the least and the charger could be better, but these are pretty much my only complaints after owning it for approx 1 month,

Thanks for the update, Adrian! Glad to hear that you’re satisfied with the product :)

I bought my Moscow Plus a week ago from a local bike shop in lower mainland of BC. Fully charged the battery (53.7 V reading) and took it out for a total of three rides. Got a total of 135 kms before the last battery gauge bar started to flash. was using PAS 1-2 mainly. The only problem encountered so far is when the front derailleur is in the small sprocket and the rear is also in the small sprocket, the chain would tend to skip. Otherwise a good bike.

Hi Rob! Very fair assessment, thanks for sharing what has worked and what issues you’ve noticed. I covered this model a long time ago, so perhaps things are outdated a bit. Does your bike mostly fit the description and review I made here? It sounds like you’re pretty happy with it overall, I think they are priced well.

Hi, love the reviews and because yours are far most the best, I purchased the NCM Power Plus and am happy with the bike. Only problems I have had since my purchase I found that the fat tires were rather slippery during the winter riding on city roads and I started to get constant rear flat tires, I had about 3 flats all within 2 months after purchase, I took it into the shop and the bike mechanic could not find anything wrong, so I made the decision to change tires from the original Schwalbe 57-662 to 55-662 and 1,766 km later still no flat tires and mystery was never solved.

The other issue I have that the Leon website key features state – reach up to 150 km (depending on terrain conditions & power level settings) OK well I thought that this seems a little of an over statement, so was hoping for at least 100km range on a full battery but I don’t even get close so I would love to know how this 150km range is achieved – I am 5’11” and weigh 91kg. I usually bike on good flat city roads and the occasional flat fine gravel cycle path using PAS #3 and 18th gear traveling about 23-25 km/h (21 m/hr) and I am lucky to get 65km (40 miles) range before the flashing cell appears on the screen, so if anyone or yourself can tell me what I am doing wrong and how I can achieve more km range without have to weigh in at 60kg I would be very grateful, as at this stage I feel that the 150km statement made by Leon Cycles is a little misleading. Other changers I have made on my bike are just some short plastic guards and a more comfortable seat.

Cheers Glenn

Hi Glenn! I’m glad to hear that your new tires are working better. Regarding the range estimates from NCM, most companies I speak with use a 72kg (160lb) rider on flat pavement with no wind using both the low assist and high assist to estimate a range. Since you are riding with PAS #3 I would expect your actual range to fall somewhere between their estimate. The higher the assist, the lower the tire pressure, the less smooth the terrain, and the more throttle is used will all reduce your range. Another way range is sometimes calculated is to divide the watt hours of the battery pack by 20 so that would be 768 / 20 = 38.4 minimum range. It sounds like you are getting close to that number (you said 40 miles). Over time, battery cells may not provide the same high capacity as they are power cycled, and the parts of the bike could become dirty and less smooth. A tuneup could help increase range. This ebike also uses a cadence sensor, which doesn’t require much pedal input from the rider, so the motor usually works harder than a torque sensor. These are all of my thoughts, I hope they help you :)

bikes crap…. my throttle has already broken the display screen has frozen and won’t let me change pedal assistance settings….. complete angler Gosnells is where i brought it from they scammed me and put 1.95 inch tubes when its supposed to have 3 inch wide tubes…. disappointing

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

A gentleman in moscow: charming, clever, funny, spectacular.

6 comments:

Rules of Civility is one of my all-time favorites, and this is on my to-read list for when I'm out of grad school. So glad to hear such a positive review!

I don't know how I missed Rules of Civility when it came out, but I immediately put it on my library holds. Can't wait - if it's even half as good as this one is, and I suspect it is based on thoughts like yours, I'm sure it's amazing!

Everything you wrote about this book -- all true! It's the best book I've read all year, and I keep telling everyone to read it. Sometimes I tell the same person twice. (Yikes.)

I'm reading this book right now and the writing is so elegantly delightful! Should make a lot of Best of The Year list.

I have an autographed copy of this novel and look forward to reading it soon.

Truly a gifted, rare, and amazing author. Except to those of us that devour the written word on a daily basis, it would be hard to understand the joy of finding such talent. Glee, absolute, wiggle down in my chair with happiness and anticipation, glee. Having completed the book, all I can offer is a request for "more, please." I am content to reread A Gentleman while I wait.

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Yesterday was the Moscow premiere of Star Trek into Darkness and in attendance were J.J. Abrams, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto , and Alice Eve .

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