Listen to the Pod!
Bikepack Adventures
Chris Panasky
After using Restrap's Race Aero Bar and Saddle Bags for two years of fast and light adventures, Chris shares his experience with this long-term review.
Restrap's Race Aero Bar Bag and Race Saddle Bag are a fantastic solution for those looking to pack their bikes with everything they might need before heading out on a bikepacking trip or ultra-distance race. The two-piece design allows you to hook-up the harnesses and use the bag in a moment's notice. Their capacity of 7.0 litres of storage per bag, allows you to pack all the essentials, while maintaining a compact setup that is not only extremely stable, but also lightweight and easy to use. One of the biggest considerations that might be holding you back from purchasing the bag might be the price, costing between $190 and $222 per bag. While there are some similar options that are less expensive, Restrap has made a great product that is made to go the distance.
The first time I saw the Restrap Race Aero Bar Bag and Race Saddle Bag when I went to race the 800 km BT700 bikepacking route with a friend of mine back in 2021. He'd just recently picked up the set and I was surprised by how small they were compared to the 14 litre handlebar roll and 10.5 litre saddlebags I was using at the time.
After that adventure, I borrowed my friend's bags for my FKT attempt of the 800 km Log Driver's Waltz. After a month trying out the bags, I knew I wanted to get a set to really put them to the test, see how they stack up against the larger bags I had previously been using and to see whether I could manage on the trail with a minimalist/ultralight packing setup. After reaching out to Restrap, they agreed to send me some bags to use for my adventures.
Restrap is a manufacturer of technical bikepacking gear, renowned for their commitment to quality, durability, and sustainability. Founded in 2010 by Nathan, the company began with a single sewing machine in a back bedroom, crafting pedal straps for friends. Today, Restrap operates out of a large workshop in Leeds, UK, where a close-knit team of machinists, designers, family, and friends create a wide range of bags, luggage, and accessories for all types of riding and bikepacking.
Proud of their Yorkshire roots, Restrap emphasizes the use of sustainable materials and local labor, ensuring that all products are made by hand in the UK. Their dedication to functionality and thoughtful design is evident in their market-leading holster designs, innovative fittings, and mounting systems. By rigorously testing their products in real-world conditions, Restrap guarantees that every item meets the highest standards of quality and reliability. With a focus on reducing waste and sourcing materials locally, Restrap is committed to being a truly sustainable and responsible business.
I was quite pleased when the parcel arrived and rather than a huge box showing up in the mail filled with Styrofoam or bubble-wrap, everything was packed into a paper bag. This shows Restrap demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint. Opening the package, I took out the saddle and aerobar harnesses, the two 7-litre drybags and the other two bags I received; the race top tube bag and race frame bag, which will be reviewed in another post. I was really surprised with how compact and lightweight everything was and couldn't wait to get it set up on my bike.
Harness installation was straight forward and didn't take very long to install. The aerobar harness mounts to the aerobars with 4 small Hypalon straps, minimizing bag sway and movement by utilizing 4 attachment points. Once the drybag is packed and inserted into the harness, a Fidlock magnetic buckle allows you to secure the drybag into the harness, while elastic shock-cord on the top of the harness allows for gear to be mounted between the aerobars.
The saddle harness installs just as easily, using two webbing straps that loop up around the seat rails, while the third strap attaches around the seatpost. Similar to the aerobar harness, once the drybag is inserted into the harness, it is secured in place with the Fidlock magnetic buckle. Once the drybags are installed into their respective harnesses, straps on the harness can be cinched down to secure the drybags in place. Small webbing clips allow for the excess webbing to be tucked away and stop the straps from flapping around.
The Race Aero Bar Bag and the Race Saddle Bag harnesses are designed as a hardshell construction, made from an X21 technical outer material that is laser-cut to be as minimal as possible, while still providing the necessary support for the drybags that are inserted into them.
The drybags can hold up to 7 litres of gear and are 100% waterproof, using a roll-top closure, which, like most other drybags, need to be rolled over 3 times in order to be fully waterproof. The drybags are held in place in their harness by using a Fidlock magnetic buckle, allowing for a strong and secure closure that can be popped open with next to no effort. The strap is very easy to adjust and can be used while wearing gloves. The tightening straps also have clips that help keep the straps from flapping around once everything is cinched down.
Everything is kept in place with nylon webbing, Hypalon straps and foam blocks, which help prolong the life of the product by minimizing rubbing. Also, included on the saddle bag are a few MOLLE attachment points for strapping on additional gear. The aerobar holster has laser cut Hypalon loops, allowing for more adjustability, so that it can fit a wider range of aerobars. The shock cord integrated into the top of the harness allows for storage of bulky on-the-fly gear such as jackets, gloves, food or snacks.
At $189 CAD for the aerobar bag and $222 CAD for the saddle bag, they are definitely more expensive than some other bags on the market. However, with the modular harness system allowing for easy installation of the drybags, it minimizes the time it takes to load and unload the bags, all in a waterproof package. All-in-all, the bags are not just compact and stable, but also extremely lightweight, coming in at 250 g for the saddle bag and 278g for the aerobar bag.
After using the Race Aero Bar Bag and Race Saddle Bag for the better part of two years, I've had ample opportunity to figure out what does and doesn't work. When deciding to use the Restrap bags, you must be aware of the fact that your carrying capacity will likely be much less than before. With a maximum of 7 litres of storage in both front and back, it's important to keep in mind what you pack and where you pack it.
In my 59-hour FKT ride of the Log Driver's Waltz, I learned the hard way that the way you pack your bags is extremely important. On this occasion I deciding to pack my snacks and food into the aerobar bag, rather than in the top tube or frame bags. The thought process behind this was that as the food was eaten, the bag would become lighter, and the steering would be less affected.
The problem with my plan was that as the food was eaten, the bag started flopping around in the harness, and on one occasion the drybag even fell out while riding a technical section of trail. As a temporary fix, I ran the Fidlock magnetic buckle through the drybag handle, so that if it did fall out again, the bag would still be connected to the harness. This packing error was the result of making changes to my packing setup just prior to a big event, which is a definite something you shouldn't do. Ultimately, it was a poorly thought-out plan. I've since learned to only pack the aerobar bag with bulky, yet lightweight, gear, helping to minimize the effects of the added weight to the front steering.
After modifying my packing setup and using the space more efficiently on both the saddle and aerobar bags, I've found the Restrap bags to be great for their intended purpose: a minimalist setup made to go fast. I adjusted my packing method to carry my lightweight sleep setup in the Race Aero Bar Bag, which included my emergency bivy, air mattress, down jacket and sleep wear. In the event I decided to pack a sleeping bag, I would stuff that in the saddle bag, as well as a few other items such as, a spare set of cycling clothes and rain gear. All-in-all, I found that by using the 7-litre bags to pack my sleep setup and other items that aren't used as often, I could save the space in my top tube bag and half frame bag for snacks, electronics and other essentials such as sunscreen or chamois creme.
After thousands of kilometers of racing and lightweight bikepacking, I appreciate how stable the bags are when mounted on the bike. The lack of sway helps minimize wasted energy spent controlling the bike. Also, the positioning of the bags on the bike when installed help to minimize drag by keeping the frontage as small as possible, allowing you to keep going faster and longer.
The Restrap Race Aero Bar Bag and Race Saddle Bag are great for those looking to bikepack long distances, particularly people looking to take on ultra-distance bikepack racing or interested in minimizing the stuff they carry. The way the bags connect to the bike with the provided harnesses, make for not just an extremely stable setup, but also make it extremely easy to pop the waterproof drybags into and out of the harnesses with just a flick of the Fidlock magnetic buckle. At 7.0 litres of storage space per drybag, the Restrap Race bag system will force you to pack only the necessities for a fast ride, maintaining a minimalist setup that is lightweight, practical and waterproof.
