The Wotancraft Rider V2 Photography Sling is Inspired by Cycling Bags

Aug 21, 2025

Jaron Schneider

A person wearing olive-green outdoor clothing carries a khaki shoulder bag and holds a camera while walking through a dark, forested area.

Wotancraft has announced an upgraded version of its Rider series sling, an expandable shoulder bag originally designed as a cycling messenger. Over time, the company refined the design to adapt to commuting and photography, too and its latest V2 version makes several updates to make it more usable and comfortable to wear.

The Taiwan-based company makes a variety of bags and straps for photography, daily use, and bicycling and its Pilot series is a PetaPixel favorite and currently our top-recommended option for messenger-style bags. The updated Rider series can certainly be used strictly as a bicycle or everyday commuting bag, but Wotancraft has also made sure to include options for photographers, too.

A person wearing a brown jacket and crossbody bag stands outdoors, holding and adjusting a compact camera in their hands. The scene appears to be in a natural or urban setting with subdued lighting.

inspired from everyday life, one of our team members started commuting to work on a fixed gear bike, we took inspiration from messenger bags used by cyclists and set out to design a soft structured bag that could fold down or expand as needed. This became a signature style in Wotancraft’s everyday carry lineup,” Wotancraft explains. “Originally created for bike commuters, the Rider has gradually evolved through years of feedback and real world use. Today, it is a truly versatile everyday bag that works for commuting, cycling, and photography.”

A top-down view of an open black bag neatly packed with a laptop, a camera, a green water bottle, and other organized items in separate compartments.

The original Rider was released over 10 years ago, making this new V2 a refinement that is a long time coming. Wotancraft says that the new version has an updated three-point harness, a refined internal structure, and changes to the design that reduce weight, resulting in a bag that it says is more functional and practical for everyday use.

The Rider is available in three sizes: 4.5L, 10L, and 13L. Like most of Wotancraft’s bags, the Rider has a soft structure so that it can be expanded or compressed by adjusting strabs or unclipped the Fidlocks. The base bag features a rear sleeve that fits an iPad or computer (depending on the bag size). An optional “quick-draw” camera insert fits into the interior and safely secures up to two full frame mirrorless cameras and three lenses in the larger bags and is also compatible with Wotancraft’s long list of velcro pocket modules.

A green fabric camera bag with an open top, revealing three black cameras neatly organized inside individual padded compartments, set against a dark background.

A person wearing a dark blazer places a silver laptop into a black shoulder bag outdoors.

A person wearing a helmet and dark jacket sits on a white motorcycle with a red license plate in a dimly lit parking garage, carrying a black sling bag over their shoulder.

Additionally, Wotancraft’s Armor modules (another optional accessory) can be affixed to the exterior, further expanding the bag’s carry capacity.

Three brown travel bags of different sizes are lined up on a dark surface against a black textured background, each featuring handles, pockets, and black buckle straps.

The Rider series bags come in either Khaki or Black colors and are made from a dual-coat, water-repellent 400D nylon canvas and the rear panel features high-density EVA foam padding. The Wotancraft Rider V2 is available to order starting today for $169, $239, and $269 for the 4.5L, 10L, and 13L, respectively.

Image credits: Wotancraft