Originally Posted by
gregjones
Straight ahead, down the road, aero effects are probably of no concern at touring speeds. Ft. bags are in the way, but not as much as YOU are. Rear bags are behind a pair of legs pumping pedals. They aren't in clean air so.....probably don't make much of a difference. I'd think that a trailer would be the same.
Unless you have a headwind, and then panniers are basically sails being blown the wrong direction. Compare coasting down long downhills between pannier-equipped and bob-equipped folk, the bob will win unless the rider is much smaller.
That said, I prefer panniers. One less large piece of machine that has to be gotton onto the plane somehow. Four big pockets instead of one, and I can vary the size of the pockets by which panniers I take (I have too many). Cleaner look.