Revelate Designs updates Pronghorn handlebar system with new Stratex fabric

Revelate Designs has relaunched the Pronghorn, its “race-focused, fast and light modular handlebar system.”

In 2018, the Alaska-based brand launched the Pronghorn handlebar harness system, and the set-up quickly gained popularity amongst both recreational and professional bikepackers for its stability and simple functionality. In fact, this summer I took the Pronghorn on the Colorado Trail, my most ambitious bikepacking trip to date.

The system performed beautifully: the drybag never slipped out of the harness, and the entire system stayed snug and secure on my handlebars. If I had to lodge a complaint it would only be that my brake levers rubbed against the drybag in a few spots, exposing the inner layer of Dyneema fabric.

The new update addresses my issue.

“With the original drybag, even with using some of the best and well-known pack fabrics out there, we’d still see users wearing holes through them,” said Revelate Designs founder Eric Parsons. “A bike’s handlebar area is a pretty exposed spot for abrasion. The new material adds less than an ounce of weight to the small and medium Pronghorn drybags but is many times more durable than any other fabric we’ve tested.”

The updated Pronghorn features a stronger and more durable drybag made with Stratex 400, Revelate’s proprietary UHMWPE-based fabric. The 400-denier UHMWPE yarns are the same raw material found in Dyneema, the fabric featured in the original Pronghorn. In the Stratex 400 version, larger-sized yarns are woven with polyester and laminated to a waterproof film, creating a fabric that is over 60% UHMWPE fibers by weight.

The gains in durability made by the larger sized fibers far outweigh the scant increase in weight. For reference, my older model Pronghorn’s size medium drybag weighs one ounce less than the updated version of the same size.

Just take it from ultra-endurance bikepacker Lael Wilcox who’s probably put more miles on her Pronghorn system than anyone out there.

“The material is more pliable, making it easier to pack and it is much more durable,” Wilcox said. “Rue and I used them for thousands of miles in Alaska this summer and rode through plenty of rain. We carried our sleeping system up front and everything stayed dry. I couldn’t be happier with this setup — lightweight, sturdy and secure.”

The Pronghorn is available in three sizes (7, 11, and 23 liters) making it a great option for adventures ranging from warm weather racing to winter expeditions. Dry bags featuring the new Stratex 400 material are also available separately.

MSRP $145 – 160. Weight: 7.5 oz; 8.2 oz; 9.2 oz. Drybag only: 2.6 oz; 3.3 oz; 4.3 oz.