Having only toured with heavily loaded front panniers at mid-level, I can say that the bike handles fine and gives you more ground clearance. Handy if you ride off road.

I have been using the Nitto Big front rack for 11 years. Before that I had custom Beckman racks. Both with front platforms. I’ve carried bundles of firewood on them.

Current setup:




The angle of the photo and the turned wheel make the front panniers look higher than they are.