Restrap's New Race Gear: An Aero Top Tube Bag and a 215g Hydration Vest
Restrap's new aero top tube bag and 215g hydration vest are built for long gravel races. Small, light, expensive — and only worth it if you already know why.
Restrap just released two things that make sense for gravel races where feed zones are far apart: an aero top tube bag that holds maybe four gels, and a hydration vest that weighs 215g instead of the usual 380–600g their other vests clock in at.
The Aero Race Top Tube Bag is small — 0.6L, which is barely enough for your nutrition and maybe a backup light battery. It's shaped to tuck behind your stem and comes with both strap mounts and bolt-on grommets under a foam insert, so you can lock it down tight if you're chasing watts. At 110g with straps, it's not adding much. The waterproof YKK zipper and external mesh pocket for a tube or CO2 are practical touches. Your phone won't fit unless it's ancient.
The Lightweight Race Hydration Vest is where things get interesting. It's 4L total capacity but still ships with a 2L bladder, which means you're left with about 2L for food, a shell, and not much else. The all-mesh construction and bungee retention system cut the weight by nearly half compared to their standard race vest. That's the move — more breathable, less pack, same hydration capacity. You're trading storage for ventilation and speed.
The vest runs $237, which is steep for what amounts to mesh and elastic. The top tube bag is $92. Both are handmade in the UK from recycled ripstop, which explains some of the cost but doesn't make it easier to justify if you're only doing a handful of long events per year. These are tools for people who already know they need them — the rider doing 12-hour unsupported grinds where an extra 165g on your back or a bag flapping in the wind actually matters. If you're not sure whether that's you, it probably isn't.
