I've been using an Osprey Seral for over a year. It's an outstanding pack and I have no major complaints. I haven't found the straps to be uncomfortable at all but maybe it has to do with my body shape and how the pack fits me. I agree that the magnet used to hold the hose isn't nearly strong enough. To help with this problem I feed part of the hose and bite valve through at least one of the zipper pulls and then attach the magnet. This keeps the hose much more secure and if the magnet disconnects, the host remains in place. The only downside is doing this prevents me from drinking while on the bike but that's not a big deal to me. I had no idea the bite valve had an open and close switch. I've never used it and the water never leaks from the valve. Overall, I love this pack. Two of my riding buddies also ended up switching to the Seral after trying my pack out. They share the same feeling as I do about it.
June 12, 2020, 5:25 a.m. - WalrusRider
I've been using an Osprey Seral for over a year. It's an outstanding pack and I have no major complaints. I haven't found the straps to be uncomfortable at all but maybe it has to do with my body shape and how the pack fits me. I agree that the magnet used to hold the hose isn't nearly strong enough. To help with this problem I feed part of the hose and bite valve through at least one of the zipper pulls and then attach the magnet. This keeps the hose much more secure and if the magnet disconnects, the host remains in place. The only downside is doing this prevents me from drinking while on the bike but that's not a big deal to me. I had no idea the bite valve had an open and close switch. I've never used it and the water never leaks from the valve. Overall, I love this pack. Two of my riding buddies also ended up switching to the Seral after trying my pack out. They share the same feeling as I do about it.