Originally Posted by
L134
I look at some of these rigs and wonder if some people are kinda going to extremes to avoid a rack and panniers. I don't quite understand the aversion or why one would want to get one's center of gravity as high as possible short of mounting one's gear on one's helmet.
I think the genesis of rackless set-ups was for bikepackers with suspension bikes, and a need for a thinner profile on single track.
I also wonder about the tradeoff on road bikes, since you need more, smaller bags. When I reduced my load to what will easily fit in two rear panniers, I looked at going rackless, but decided the cost was too high for the ounces saved, since I already had panniers. Access is easy with panniers, and I still have the capacity to haul large or bulky loads if needed. If I ever need to replace my panniers, I'll look at it again though.