Originally Posted by
muse kidd
It may seem counter-intuitive to put the weight on the front and leave off rear panniers, but the simple fact is that doing so distributes the overall weight much more evenly. Remember YOUR weight is sitting on the back axle and rim. The chances of punctures and broken spokes will be greatly reduced and the bike will handle better too. When I do use rear panniers, they're for the light and bulky stuff, such as sleeping bag, ground pad, etc. And just a side note; I always leave room for a sandwich and two beers.Ha! Cheers!
That's how I am set up above. Things like my entire (pretty extensive kitchen), pump, eReader, rolled up mattress are up front. Mostly on and off bike clothes and sleeping bag in the back along with the tent on the rear rack. When I took the photo I had already eaten the sandwich, but I was going sort of off the grid for a couple of days so I did have a lot more food that normal. Bar/restaurant with a small grocery department 3 miles from camp was the adult beverage source.
