Originally Posted by
staehpj1
Yes, but you will probably really notice it when out of the saddle if you tend to rock the bike side to side. Some riders do that when they climb and some don't so it may or may not matter much depending on that and obviously how much weight we are talking about is a big factor as well.
Yeah, I agree. Also if the weight is down low it probably won't be noticed as much when rocking. Again, this may or may not matter much depending on whether the rider. likes to get out of the saddle and rock the bike side to side.
The weight low down makes the bike turn sluggishly and there's always the issue of balancing the panniers. I like putting the weight under the saddle because for 90% of my riding I don't notice it. Out of the saddle it does make the bike feel a bit top heavy at first, but you quickly get use to it and I find myself climbing out of the saddle a lot. My handlebar bag has more of an effect on handling most of the time, but as you point out the low weight keeps that to a minimum.