Downtube Bag

The Restrap Downtube Bag turns the empty space under your downtube into 1.2 litres of sealed storage. It is a roll-top bag with Hypalon detailing that straps on with one wide velcro strap, rated IP6K6 against water and dust, weighing 130 g, and handmade in Restrap's Yorkshire workshop.

What it is

A small, tough roll-top bag shaped to sit on the underside of the downtube, just above the bottom bracket. One integrated velcro strap wraps the bag and the tube together, and a stitched-in grip pad holds it in place so it does not slide round or rattle. There are no bolts and no bosses involved, so it moves from one bike to another in seconds.

Who it's for

Mountain bikers, gravel riders and bikepackers who need somewhere to put the heavy, rarely used stuff: a spare tube, tyre levers, a multi-tool, a tubeless plug kit. It suits anyone running a dropper post, where an under-saddle tool pouch gets in the way, and any bikepacking set-up where the seat pack has taken that spot. On a small frame with no room inside the triangle, it is often the only place left. Carrying weight low and central like this keeps the bike feeling like itself on a rough fire road in the Border Ranges.

Key details

• Capacity: 1.2 litres, sealed by a roll-top
• Weatherproofing: waterproof materials and construction, rated IP6K6, so road spray and wheel-flung mud stay outside
• Fit: downtubes up to 19 cm in circumference, from the slimmest steel tubes upward
• Size: 90 mm wide and 80 mm deep; 240 mm long rolled, 340 mm unrolled
• Strap: a single 50 mm velcro strap, fully adjustable, with an anti-slip grip pad behind it
• Weight: 130 g

It does not have to live on the downtube either. A cargo cage on the fork, the seat post or another tube all work, as long as the strap reaches round.

Looking after it

Rinse off mud and grit after a dusty or wet ride, paying attention to the velcro so it keeps its grip, and let the bag dry open before you roll it up and store it. Check the strap is snug before each ride, especially once the bag is loaded with tools.