middleware.js

var request = require("request-middleware");

var errorFunction = function(err, res, body, next) {
  if (err.type === "timeout") {
    this.repeat();
  } else {
    next(err);
  }
};

var errorStack = middleware(errorFunction);

// either use middleware on the request

request("http://failing-server", errorStack, function(res, body) {
  // do things
});

// or use it globally 

request.use(errorFunction);

// or generate a middleware stack with request

var makeRequest = function(options, next) {
  var store = this;
  request(options, function(err, res, body) {
    if (err) return next(err);
    store.set("res", res);
    store.set("body", body);
    next();
  });
};

var repeatOnTimeout = function(stack) {
  return function(err, options, next) {
    if (err === "timeout") {
      return stack.handle(options);
    }
    next(err);
  };
}

var requestStack = middleware(function() {
  makeRequest,
  repeatOnTimeout(requestStack),
  function (err, options, next) {
    // handle errors
  },
  function (options) {
    var res = this.get("res"), body = this.get("body");
    // handle res,body
  }
});

requestStack.handle("http://failing-server");