British company Restrap has quickly established a reputation for high-performing, well-thought-out bikepacking gear. It’s high quality, handmade in the UK and already competitively priced, which means it’s rare to see any discounts, until this Black Friday (and even then, it’s kept them pretty quiet). This weekend, Restrap is offering 20% reductions site-wide and up to 70% off on single products.
Restrap has a huge range of bikepacking bags and accessories to suit whatever bike, length of trip, or snack requirements you might have. My colleagues here at Cycling Weekly have loved all of the Restrap bags they’ve tested as part of our bikepacking bag buyer’s guide, from “the best handlebar bag … we’ve yet come across” to the “rugged and practical” Frame Bag.
I’ve used a Restrap large saddle pack, which I bought for my first multi-day bikepacking trip back in 2017, and last year added a top tube bag and a bar bag to my collection. I love their adaptability across bikes and that they’re incredibly easy to fit and pack, even with cold, wet and tired hands.
As a parent, multi-day bikepacking trips are more of a rarity these days, so my most-used bag has become the Race Top Tube Bag. It might be designed for ultra-distance racing, but it gets used on most of my day-to-day rides at a more sedentary pace as well as longer jaunts.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s hard to pick just one reason why I like the Race Top Tube bag, and so I won’t; here’s a list instead. Firstly, it’s easy to open and close when you’re riding with big loops on the two-way zip. It’s really nice and stable, and its reinforced sides stop it from sloping all over your top tube and jumbling the contents. It’s got plenty of capacity for a good few hours of snacks, and your phone and the side mesh pockets are a good place for mucky gel wrappers and other rubbish (mine is currently impregnated with mushy banana skin). It’s also really easy to fit and remove, so I can easily swap between bikes.
I find the 1.5 litre version suits most of my rides and all of my bikes, but if you want more snacks or have a short top tube, it comes in 2 litre and 1.2 litre sizes too.
And although I’ve not used it for my Race Top Tube Bag, I must mention Restrap’s repair and replacement service. I have recently had the buckle and dry bag replaced on my eight-year-old saddle pack free of charge, even though I’d have counted this as expected wear and tear and therefore something I’d need to pay for. Added to that, Restrap didn’t charge me for the repair of my bar bag holster, despite its damage, most definitely due to user error.
I totally understand that bikepacking isn’t for everyone, but the Restrap top tube pack is ideal for just general riding, too. However, if you aren’t sold, there is a ton of other Black Friday Cycling Deals to be found over on our Live hub. There is also this Endura MT500 jacket and trousers deal I spotted this morning.
Here are some of the highlights that my colleagues here at Cycling Weekly have spotted today:
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