Another vote here for a front load bias. I like to do as fietsbob described and put my heavier/compact items in front low-rider panniers. Clothes, cooking gear, tent, toiletries, bike lock, etc go in the front. The rear tends to be lighter, but bulky items. My sleeping bag(quilt), sleep pad, coat, and rain gear go in the rear panniers. If my tent is wet when I pack it then I tend to adjust the load so that my tent can go on a rack rather than having a wet tent in my panniers. I also have larger front panniers than rear. I find my bike to be more stable with more weight down low and in front. As long as I load my front panniers evenly, which isn't usually too difficult, I can coast with no hands without problems. The bike also feels better and more natural in turns with the lower front weight and climbs and rides aggressively better since there isn't weight up high waving back and forth like when you have heavy rear panniers. I started with using heavier rear panniers, thinking that was naturally a better way to do it. After I tried a heavier front load, that's how I'll always carry it. All that said, I haven't actually weighed everything, myself, and the bike, and figured out my exact weight distribution. I'd imagine once you factor my weight into the equation, it gets closer to 50/50, not front loaded. It may well still be more weight in the rear, since I weigh much more than my gear. You just have to ride and see what feels good to you.