Originally Posted by gugie

I'll butt in and say that loading over the front wheel is extremely under-rated. I carried a tent, sleeping bag, and gear like that for a 3 day trip, and would do it for a 7 day, month long, or cross country trip. With a low trail setup, and loaded down in the front, you can stand and climb without the "tail wagging the dog" that you get when loaded in the back.

8 out of 10 of these bikes are headed out with low trail on a trip last year. Some of the riders mounted their lightweight, bulky sleeping pad in the back. I put a 3 lb tent in the back of mine (middle of the picture with khaki panniers)