Originally Posted by GriddleCakes

Hmm, maybe those who ride speedy road bikes object to carrying more than is absolutely necessary on the principal that it makes their bikes less speedy? I don't know. I do know that carrying stuff on a bike can become a slippery slope. First you get a backpack for spare/dry/extra clothes and textbooks. Then you buy a rack, because you're tired of the sweaty/sore back from the backpack and its load, and you want a place to strap it to that isn't you. Next you try out panniers, because you've heard that loads are more stable when carried lower, plus you've already got the rack so why not. The next thing you know, you're loading 80 lbs of beer and groceries onto your bike (or even worse, touring), and those days of blissful flying along on an unladen bike are but a memory.