Originally Posted by
Daniel4
...
If you can coast a good distance without actually being on your bike, then the imbalance caused by a single pannier should not be a problem.
This. How much are you putting in the single pannier??
Especially with commuter bicycles, racks and panniers, I'd think the bicycle and rider would be easily 160 lbs if not 200+. Even with 30 lbs in a single pannier, I don't think riding it should be that hard.
FWIW, I often use a single pannier, typically not more than 20lbs, never had any balance issues.
I can see problem for a kickstand - a single pannier could easily affect a bicycle without a rider.