Originally Posted by no motor?

If the OP had seen some of us, she have realized fashion isn't our forte. The pannier balance question is much easier to answer, they really don't affect your balance much at all assuming you've loaded them in a way that things don't slide around too much. If you can balance the bike without them, you shouldn't have any trouble balancing with them. I rode motorcycles with hard luggage for many years, and even the increased weight and speeds associated with motorcycling didn't affect my balance. Panniers will affect your speed due to the wind drag, but headwinds are going to slow you down anyway.