Originally Posted by
English3Speed
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.
Let me rephrase.
On an empty bike, standing on only one side of the bike, can you coast down the block? That's your body weight on one side of the bike and nothing on the other. If you can do that, they your balancing ability is good enough to ride with only one pannier and you should have no problem.