Restrap Switch Rack Review

One of the most common queries we see on our Instagram posts is, “What rack is that?” It’s so ubiquitous that it’s become an inside joke among our team. A couple of buddies even heckle me with the same line when I roll up to our local hangout spot on a bike with a rear carrier, “Hey, what rack is that!?” Fair play. Racks have long been a compatibility and installation minefield, and unless you have a keen eye, they’re sometimes hard to ID by silhouette alone. When a clean or new-looking setup pops up, people want the details. As of late, the most asked-about models have been Mica’s Rat Tail and the Restrap Switch Rack, an interesting system from the Leeds, UK, brand that’s been spotted in various “Rigs Of” roundups a handful of times over the last year. I had the chance to try a production version of the Switch for a couple of months prior to today’s release for this review.

• 
• 

I wouldn’t exactly describe the Restrap Switch Rack as an actual rack. It’s more like the heart of a componentized rear gear-carrying ecosystem. The brand already launched two products under the Switch name—the Switch 5L Panniers and Switch Multi Mount—but the suite of rack-related products expands the range by adding the tubular aluminum rear carrier, the Switch Rack Cage (which is actually more of a platform with an arched profile), three 12mm thru-axles, and adapters to accommodate UDH and full-mount applications. That makes it compatible with almost any modern thru-axle bike, aside from rear suspension or super-boost rigs. Restrap also teased a top bag (shown below), which is due out in April.

• 
• 

• 
• 

• 
• 

The Restrap Switch “Rack” itself consists of two aluminum tubes, a plastic clamp fitting that connects the U-shaped lower to the upper bar, a plastic seat post clamp assembly, and a rubberized velcro strap. It has four standard 64mm spaced mounts (like a bottle cage) on each leg, which seems a little overkill; three would be sufficient. It also has two on each side of the top bar, allowing it to be swiveled and mounted in either direction to accommodate various frames and tire sizes. Angling a rear rack top is a hard nope for me—it’s not an aesthetic I can jive with—so it’s nice to have the options to flip it and adjust the angle to suit your bike.

Fitment Woes

I tried the Switch Rack on the two bikes I have on hand, my Stooge MK7 and the Esker Smokey I recently reviewed. It didn’t fit either bike perfectly. I suspect that it will work a little better with gravel bikes and ATBs, though Restrap states it was designed for use on everything from carbon road bikes to mountain bikes. Part of the issue is my aesthetic preference mentioned above, plus the low standover heights of these bikes, and my tendency toward beefy 29+ or wide-trail tires and long dropper posts (200mm+). I think most bike setups won’t have the same mounting woes I experienced. However, for both of these bikes, I had to strap the Switch Rack to the frame’s seat tube, just below the post collar, in order to achieve a horizontal profile. Not ideal, but as you can see in these photos, had I mounted it the other way, tire clearance would have posed an issue if the clamp strap slid down even a couple milimeters.

• 
• 

All that said, Restrap seems to have covered their bases, making it compatible with as many bikes as possible, or at least most bikes with the relatively ubiquitous 12mm thru-axle. The Switch Rack comes with your choice of 7075-T6 aluminum axle in a 1mm, 1.5mm, or 1.75mm thread pitch, each with a selection of 3mm spacers to accommodate 142mm or 148mm Boost dropouts with different shapes and spacing. You can also buy additional Switch axles separately. Plus, with two different adapters, it can be mounted to UDH and SRAM Transmission full-mount hangers.

• 
• 

• 
• 

Despite the wide array of axles and accessories, the other fitment problem I encountered was, in fact, axle-related, specifically when mounting on the Esker Smokey (12mm Boost). The Smokey’s unique drive-side dropout insert has an 8mm hex cap securing it, and Restrap’s post-end thru-axles are too large to pass through. However, I desperately wanted to use the Switch Rack on this bike, so I retrofitted the Robert Axle thru-axle I had on hand. It works with the Smokey’s dropout design since the thread-side post is a separate part that screws into a 5mm threaded recess on the axle once installed. However, it wasn’t as easy as just opting for the Robert Axle. The Restrap Switch Axles have a proprietary post diameter that’s slightly larger than the ones on the Robert Axles. I was able to fabricate shims from a plastic bottle to make up the extra diameter, and the Switch Rack ended up fitting on the Robert Axle just fine. That said, I wish all these companies dabbling in axle-mount racks would adopt the same standard.

• 
• 

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

I could use the Restrap Switch Axle when mounting the Switch Rack to my Stooge MK7 without any issues, however. It was fairly straightforward, and I suppose my only complaint is that the axle is a little long, and when the rack’s not in use, you have to keep up with all the thread-end 3mm washers. I used four 3mm spacers on the non-thread end and five on the threaded side, including the 3mm conical end spacer.

What Does it Carry?

Though the Restrap Switch Rack was developed as a relatively minimal, modular cargo system, it’s capable of handling significant payloads, having been ISO tested to 30 kilograms (66 pounds). Restrap recommends carrying no more than 10 kilograms per mounting area (10 on the top platform and 10 on each leg). According to the brand, the original preproduction sample that’s been spotted on Josh Reid’s Tour Divide bike, at the Torino–Nice Rally, and elsewhere, has accumulated between 4,000 and 5,000 miles, some of which were ridden with a full 30-kilogram load. And it’s still going.

• 
• 

I didn’t carry anywhere near that much weight, nor would I plan to, but I did experiment with a few setups. When I first received the Switch Rack, my only option for a top “platform” was the Revelate Tarsier Cage I had on hand. This was before I knew Restrap was developing the Switch Rack Cage (covered below),, and I was initially puzzled by the two-bolt mounting configuration, since most cargo cages use a three-bolt pattern. Still, I made it work. As shown in the photos, I ran a small bag on the top cage, a King Manything Cage on one side with a dry bag carrying extra food and gear, and a water bottle strapped to the other leg. The setup was functional and hauled more than a standard seat pack.

• 
• 

This is where racks like the Switch shine. You can use each leg for additional water or cargo, or mount Restrap’s 5L Switch Panniers or the newer 10L panniers, leaving the top platform empty. I prefer a rack-top bag setup, using the uprights for extra water, food, and gear. However, this configuration wasn’t ideal on the Switch due to the limited capacity of the smaller top cage. It wasn’t until I received the Switch Rack Cage that the system really started to make sense for that packing style.

Restrap Switch Rack Cage

The Restrap Switch Rack Cage is a simple, 3mm-thick 5052 aluminum platform designed specifically for the Switch Rack. Weighing 233 grams on my scale, it provides a well-proportioned, stable cradle for strapping a typical-sized dry bag or multiple cylindrical-shaped things using the three strap slots on each side. It attaches with two included M5 bolts and has an elegant design that nests onto the rack arch using silicone-molded feet. It’s rated for loads up to 5 kilograms and is intended for horizontal use only, meaning you can’t appropriate it as a cage on the legs. For what it’s worth, the plate includes integrated bottle openers, although I think most bikepackers carry cans these days.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

The Rack Cage is well-made and seems perfectly sized for the usual rack-top loads. In these photos, it has a smaller dry bag with some clothes and toiletries, plus my trusty Helinox chair Zero. Better yet, the arch-interfacing feet position it rearward, making it easy to tuck bags farther back to clear the saddle and fully use a long dropper post. Overall, it’s an impressive piece of kit that does what it’s meant to do well.

In use, I was very impressed with the Restrap Switch Rack and Cage. As mentioned, the cage is well-proportioned and positioned. The rack is solid with little to no movement, even while bouncing over the roughest singletrack. It’s also easy to mount and remove. I didn’t love the fact that the seatpost strap is velcro at first, but it has a rubberized texture to keep it in place and I didn’t have any issues with it sliding or marring the frame/paint. Lastly, there is plenty of tire clearance. Shown above with a 29 x 2.8″ tire and I’m pretty sure it could easlily work with up to a 3.25.

Restrap Switch Rack vs. Other Racks

This brings me to my biggest gripe with the Restrap Switch Rack: the fact that it’s somewhat of a closed ecosystem. To have a functional rack with a platform that’s comparable to something like the Old Man Mountain Elkhorn, the Hunter Cargo Rack, or one of the options from Tailfin, you have to buy the Rack Cage separately for $69.99/£39.99/€53.99, which brings the total price of the rack to $259.98/£164.98/€203.98. That also increases the Switch Rack’s net weight, taking it out of contention for the lightest rear rack slot.

• 
• 
• 

To see how it stacks up against a few other racks, I’ve put together a table with pricing and weights. For comparison, all of these are axle-mounted options. Note that I’ve tacked on the price of an axle for each to put them in perspective. The Hunter uses a Robert Axle ($68), and for the Tumbleweed, I included the price of an Ortlieb Thru Axle M6-Connector ($35) as there have been reports of that setup working. The Tailfin, Ortlieb, and Restrap pricing all include their own axles. Weights are the rack only, save the Restrap, which includes the Rack Cage for comparison.

The Restrap Switch Rack (with Cage) isn’t the lightest or the most economical, but it sits in a happy middle ground, and it has the highest load rating. The Tumbleweed is the most cost-effective, but without a little creativity to hack together a way to connect the upper stays, you’d need upper rack mounts or a seatpost collar with mounts. The Tailfin Alloy Pannier Rack is probably the closest by comparison since it requires no mounts and has a quick-release at the seat post. Plus, it’s offered with three-pack mounts on each leg. However, it has a higher price tag. For the weight and price, the Ortlieb Quick Rack L is an attractive option, but note that it doesn’t have mounts on the uprights. Lastly, the Hunter Cargo Rack also doesn’t come with upper struts, so you have to be creative.

• Model/Size Tested: Restrap Switch Rack + Rack Cage
• Actual Weight (rack): 388 grams
• Actual Weight (cage): 233 grams
• Place of Manufacture: United Kingdom
• Price (rack): £124.99/€149.99/$189.99
• Price (cage): $69.99/£39.99/€53.99
• Manufacturer’s Details: Restrap

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...