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Restrap Bar Pack

I am a big fan of Ortlieb bags because of their technical excellence. The only thing Ortlieb doesn't have is a handlebar bag that looks good/okay in addition to being technically good. Either they are 'drybag bags' where you can't get anything in or out quickly, or they are bags with an ugly messy top. This Restrap bag has solved that bit well. Because of how the bag is closed, it always sits neatly shut. It is a fairly stiff bag. The insert that makes the bag keep its shape is on both the front and the back of the bag. This does mean you have to cram something in if you really want to put 10 litres in it. The fastening system is child's play. It hangs from two straps. Once you have the first strap loosely through the buckle, attach the second strap, the Velcro at the bottom around your handlebar tube and pull the straps tight. The whole thing is then secure, even on the rougher stretches. On these stretches, you do hear a slight rattle. I suspect where the hard back hits the frame. Like many handlebar bags, this one protrudes slightly above the handlebars, preventing your Garmin mount from protruding forward. I solved this by mounting the mount backwards. As for mounting, this bag does depend a lot on the length of your handlebar stem. I myself have a 70mm stem, which works fine. The bag itself then leans against the frame at the back and is still quite 'upright'. Keep in mind that this means the bag rubs against your frame with every steering movement. So tape the areas where the bag touches the frame well and check/replace the tape periodically. If you have a longer handlebar stem, the bag will hang forward too much, with all the inconveniences that this entails. In that case, I would use this bag in combination with the Restrap bumper bar. This ensures that the bag no longer leans on the frame, but against the bumper bar, making it stand more upright. In all cases, though, as with any bag, make sure you protect the frame where the bag touches the frame and also pay attention to any cables that might be pressed more against the frame by a handlebar bag. The front pocket of the bag really just accommodates a phone or not too bulky wallet. It is slightly easier to reach quickly than the main compartment, though. The space between the two compartments is meant for a shackle lock; I have a folding lock in here myself. In fact, the compartment is far too small for my bracket lock. At the bottom of this compartment is a fairly substantial 'hole' to ensure that no water stays in it. This hole is so big that anything smaller than a folding lock could potentially fall through it. So the space cannot really be used for anything else. If I have to think of one small drawback it is that this bag has no small side pockets, but overall this really is one of the better mid-size handlebar bags at the moment.

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