Originally Posted by
aerohorst
Application is touring on pavement (80%) and gravel roads (80s) with 15-20kg of luggage. Not a big load at all but the goal is to build a great handling bike not only a good enough handling bike.
My goal is to replicate the ride feel of a gravel/endurance road bike I particularly like. To do that properly I have to keep the weight distribution of my loaded bike similar to the reference bike. I keep as much luggage as possible near the center of gravity (frame bag) which also decreases shimmy issues (see my post yesterday). The rest of the luggage I distribute on a front and a rear racks so that the overall weight distribution is similar to the unloaded bike whose ride feel I like.
I actually plan on getting a custom frame mounted front rack made (and a custom frame.) But nerding out on the theory is also a lot of fun for me.
My experience: I have toured for almost 20 years (deserts, pavement and everything in between) on various bikes including a bike with low rider panniers (plus rear panniers): With the fork mounted panniers I liked the planted feel and the ability to climb without loosing front wheel traction (bc of the good weight distribution). But no hands riding was terrible with the low riders :/ (probably because of wheel flop) and I ride like no hands riding to take the stress of my lower back.
first of all, the fact that you have lots of touring experience is important, that you actually know what its like riding a bike with stuff on it. Not just someone being theoretical and internet searchy with no real life experience.
Because of your experience, you'll know that getting your bike to feel like the gravel/endurance bike you like, is only going to happen to a certain point, and as you say, really will come down to keeping the weight down and centralized.
I can't really see how you can carry 20kg, or 44lbs using only bikepacking bags, so it seems you most likely will have to use panniers.
How would a custom frame with frame mounted rack feel and ride? Who knows, I dont think any of us can really answer.
As for riding no hands for your back? Again, will a frame mounted rack help with this? How high will the weight be on this frame mounted rack? How much weight? Will the extra cost, hassle, weight of a frame mounted rack be worth it?--especially with weight high up? Who knows.
as for your back, consider the factor of having higher bars. Does your gravel bike have quite a seat to bars drop distance? My tourer has the bars at seat level pretty much, and with the dropbars I have on it (shallow drop and reach) when I am in the drops, I actually get a nice lower back stretch, and the higher bars vs a more aggressive road or gravel bike setup makes all the difference for my back comfort riding all day--but we all know every person's back is different, and every bike setup is different for a different person--so we cannot argue "what is right or best" for your or my back--but do perhaps consider or think of your seat to bars drop as a factor for you to be more comfortable back wise.
good luck, but a fun discussion anyways.