Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

I don't know what's happened, if anything, but my small restrap framebag is one of my favourite bits of kit. I've also got the hip pouch, and love that for everyday carry stuff. It's good stuff, and I like the aesthetic better than most of the other kit.

Seems a lot of people are pretty happy with the Restrap stuff... the bikepacking market is continuously evolving though and with the massive range of cheap Chinese bags now Restrap has become more “premium” than it was originally (it was priced to come in below but deliver similar quality to revelate/PR - who both make great products). It’s one of those things though, Restrap is a relatively small UK based business that make things by hand, and they can’t compete with Chinese super factories pumping out massive volumes for pennies. Or large web based retailers selling loss leaders.

That was my understanding too - hence the initial confusion. I’ve been eyeing up their gear for a while now.

agreed with Ed, there's better for the money
either get something not quite so expensive, or pay a little bit more and get the best.

My housemate picked me up a load of these from a wedding of some one who does work for tabasco.

perfect for bike packing

yes because the normal tabasco bottle is HUGE

soz sptr ;)

if it makes you feel better, I can't handle spice at all. In life or on my tongue.

Used to get those in the army ration packs in the cadets

if it makes you feel better, I can't handle spice at all. In life or on my tongue.

Wannabe Gammon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Just received a small Joey harness to protect my road handlebars a bit and... fitting a drybag in there is going to take some serious strapping if that's to stay in place. Tips and hacks welcome...

2 straps, 2 reflector mounts & one of these: https://www.charliethebikemonger.com/genetic-neuron-bar-7448-p.asp rotated downwards.

8l drybag, doesn't move at all.

Edit: note how the lower reflector mount is looped through the grey strap, this prevents movement.

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Some kind of cross between Alpkits EXOrail, a carradice bagman and a rear rack.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tailfin/tailfin-aeropack-the-fastest-way-to-carry-gear-on?ref=luhqhq

That is hideous looking.

one of these things in the TCR (twitter)

So, Restrap. lol, it's hilarious how fickle this forum is sometimes! @Ptown you should probably bear this in mind. But I do feel the need to defend Restrap a bit here...

Beside Restrap aren't as good as they sound, you're better off going for panniers or those proper Carradice shite.

Scoble I don't know where to start with this comment, you silly sausage :P

Panniers need racks, so that's not bike packing. Rack touring thread >>>>>>>>

Seven years ago (when you started this thread!) you said this about the Carradice bags:

Those thing wobble and bounce in comparison!

I recently took delivery of a whole Restrap setup. Bar bag with food pouch, saddle bag - don't worry @edscoble it's an 8 litre, as personally I think these massive saddle bags defy the laws of physics - and a custom frame bag (pic attached).

I've only used it for one proper trip so far but I love it - everything is really well made, the finish is great, it works really well and looks nice too. I'd previously used some borrowed older Restrap kit and it feels like the products have evolved nicely over the years. The magnetic catches which attach the food pouch are neat and it all feels very thought through.

Note: They do not wobble and bounce!

Total cost of this (handmade in Yorkshire, with the maker's names on the tags) setup was £237 after forum discount. I'm off on another trip tomorrow and I reckon I'll get loads of use out of these bags, so I'd say that's pretty good value.

I looked at quite a lot of other brands, but couldn't find anything as nice or that worked how I wanted it to work (e.g. I ruled out Apidura and quite a lot of other bags quite quickly as you have to take the whole bag off the bike, which is slower and a faff IMO) and a lot were just fugly.

The only negative I've found so far is self-inflicted: I forgot to tell Restrap that my touring bike has a massive down tube, so the velcro straps only just reach. It's not totally ideal - you can see in the picture there's a gap at the top of the frame bag and that's why - and it could be modified if needs be, but I'll see how I get on.

I would genuinely be interested to know Ed what you think is better for the money. I think Restrap was right for me but of course it's all very subjective and it would be useful for others I'm sure...

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Never mind Restrap, what do you call this?

I could fit a foot long hotdog in that gap

Non-instagram clearance.

I’ve a set of the gorilla cages to provide a little extra carrying capacity as I don’t really like the frame bags. Should I get a set of alloy forks or can i strap them to carbon forks without a problem?

Clearance! It makes it easier to ride over things. Like foot long hotdogs.

Actually I need to let that bottom stay out a bit ;)

(Seriously they do need a bit of fettling, I'll try and do them tonight)

Try it. But don't use anything with sharp edges to clamp them to the forks because that would possibly damage carbon fibers.
I thought about doing that on my older arkose forks that have mid blade eyelets for mudguards. Two strong rubber straps plus one screw to keep them from sliding down/around the forks.
But there's a reason carbon forks with real eyelets like the rodeo spork and fyxation Sparta exist.

Even is fine but definitely don't allow a bigger gap at the ingress than the egress.

Is there a budget version of the stem cell dry knocking about?

https://www.alpkit.com/products/stem-cell-dry

Alpkit is budget

I don’t think it’s as budget as it once was.