Review: ALMSTHRE Top Tube Bag
Once the adventure bike rolls onto the service course, the logical next step is kitting it out with bags of sensible proportions. Depending on the rig, gravel frames offer approximately four extra mounting locations. When looking down at the bike, and seeing the top tube mounts staring nakedly back at me, the top tube bag was the likely first bag purchase.
It couldn’t be just any bag. The bag needed to take advantage of the Giant Revolt’s top tube mounting bolts just behind the stem spacers. There are numerous top tube solutions without integrated bolt slots, but when riding a frame that can accommodate, I had to chase down a bag that added a layer of stability using the frame bolts.
ALMSTHRE, based in San Diego, CA, is helmed by three adventure cyclists adding art to the process of blinging out adventure bikes. They offer bike bags from bar bags to frame bags as well as hip packs for the rider. ALMSTHRE is the perfect one-stop shop for frame accessories to get farther into the countryside.
Last year, while racing the Black Fly Challenge, it became apparent nutrition needed to be moved to the front of the bike. Reaching for back pockets was a liability when ruts had the reputation to buck unaware riders reaching for stowed food. Installing an ALMSTHRE Top Tube Bag is a solution to quickly reach for critical supplies mid race. It also frees up the rider’s back on adventure outings to accommodate a pack. Accessories that improve riding is exactly what is needed for bikes like these.
Installation took no time at all. The bolts stabilized the top tube bag in tandem with silicone grippers along the bottom of the bag. The ALMSTHRE Top Tube Bag features removable rubber plugs for those with top tube bolts. The bag also comes with a second set of bolts, silicone straps, and velcro straps. Going with the rubber straps, the bag was secured to the top tube in the amount of time it took to tighten the bolts. Once the tether strap was routed around the stem spacer, the bag install was complete.
In the field, the water resistant zipper was extremely easy to operate, even while riding under duress. The bag’s length at eight inches means serious room for gels like our Untapped packets. The two inch width matches the top tube dimensions slotting nicely in the cockpit. The 3.5-inch height leads to a total of 0.8 liters of space. There was plenty more room for snacks on a long day of adventure riding. The front of the bag features a cord access port, making active charging of devices while riding a possibility. The flanking straps on the outside could be employed to store six gels that come in sticks packaging like Untapped.
The bag is deceptively big. It comes nearly halfway down the top tube of the Giant Revolt (size medium). I kept stuffing gels into the bag to see how many it could accommodate. I ran out of gels. Five was all I had. Car keys were also thrown in for good measure, and there was still space. The Top Tube Bag could easily house a portable charger, small tools, or other nutrition needed when gel burnout gets real.
One area that took some getting used to was the bag’s presence when standing up to pedal. It grazed the inside of the legs. It wasn’t a complaint so much as it was a thing to get used to. The bag’s slender width was no different than the top tube. Light interference was hardly a deal breaker, especially when the calories that could be housed in it is the trade-off.
The ALMSTHRE Top Tube Bag is an exciting addition to the Giant Revolt gravel bike. It closes the gap between stubborn road bike suggestions and full gravel concoctions. It also improves the upcoming Black Fly Challenge effort by bringing nutrition to the fingertips. A small, simple bag can drastically improve experiences where top tube bags are considered. It all started with a requirement that the bag use the top tube bolts.
