Stay Fueled with Easy Access to Nutrition

I first became aware of Relevate Designs by listening to Lael Rides Around the World podcasts. The company is from Lael Wilcox’s home state of Alaska and has been designing bikepacking gear since 2007. In her podcasts, Lael kept mentioning the Mag-Tank bag she uses for carrying her nutrition, making it easy to stay fueled while riding.

On my rides longer than 1.5 hours, I was using a bento bag, but it was sometimes hard to unzip, would shift around on the top tube, and always hard to keep the interior clean. I decided to take Lael’s recommendation and reached out to Relevate. Although they were very nice, they politely declined to send me a bag for review, citing an abundance of existing Mag-Tank reviews. So, on Cyber Monday, I decided to shell out my own money and purchase the bag.

I selected the Mag-Tank with a TPU liner. If you’ve ever used a bag for on-the-bike nutrition, you know how sticky it gets from gel packs, melted half-eaten bars, or even greasy French fries. The liner is made from the same material as a hydration bladder and attaches to the inside of the bag with two Velcro strips. Whenever it needs cleaning, it’s easy to remove the liner, rinse, and reinstall it.

From the design, it is apparent bikepackers designed the Mag-Tank. The wide Velcro top tube strap and adjustable stem strap secure the bag with no side-to-side movement, even on a bumpy gravel road. But my favorite feature of the Mag-Tank is the magnetic buckle. If you’re like me, I can under-fuel on a ride if it’s difficult to get to my nutrition. But opening the Mag-Tank’s flap is easy with one finger. Simply pull on the cord loop and flip the flap over, exposing all your nutrition items within easy grasp. Once done, flip the flap back, and the magnetic buckle automatically engages, keeping items secure. For added security, the company includes an integrated key clip into the bag so you don’t accidentally lose a key when reaching for those gummy bears.

Need to carry more snacks?

You never want to run out of nutrition to fuel an epic ride. For longer endurance trips, there’s the Mag-Tank 2000. It’s the same design as the regular Mag-Tank but with greater volume, which translates to more snacks. Check out their fun little video showing what you can fit in a Mag-Tank 2000.

Bottom Line

The Mag-Tank and the Mag-Tank 2000 are available for $69 in a Velcro or bolt-on version, in solid black or two-toned black/blue. While I can foresee using the basic Mag-Tank for rides under four hours, I’m considering purchasing the larger Mag-Tank 2000 to use during Unbound Gravel 100. I’ll need the extra capacity to carry more nutrition while also keeping it easily accessible.

Price: $59

Size: 5” H x 8.5” L x 2.5” at stem that tapers to 1.5” at rear

Volume: 0.9 L

Weight: 5.5 oz. with TPU liner; 4.5 oz. without liner

How secured to the top tube: Velcro strap or bolt-on versions

Color: Black or Blue/Black

Availability: Online and retail

How obtained: Purchased from the company

As initially seen on Road Bike Rider