Originally Posted by
MarcusT
Some interesting posts here. I was questioning why someone would avoid rear panniers with the reasons like single track, aerodynamics, etc, when they load up the forks with bags (while technically not panniers) does this not negate the reason?
For example, with my logic, I would put a rear rack, ditch the frame bag , have water more readily handy and ride more comfortably.
It's just my opinion, but when I see something that does not compute, I try to understand
You aren’t completely wrong. I don’t really like fork bags, especially if the terrain is very tight. I put holes in a couple of them trails like this. I had to do a lot of bushwhacking on that trip and the bags got dragged across a lot of rocks.
On other trips, I’ve used a set of micropanniers that are large enough to carry 4 days of freeze-dry meals but small enough to be way up and out of the way.
The pictures that you’ve provided illustrates the problems I have with bikepacking bags for on road use as well as road use. The load is too high which makes the handling of the bike awkward. I’ve gone over the bars many times due to the higher load. It’s not optimal.
I’ve also tried a bag mounted on the frame to avoid the fork leg bag. That has problems as well. In this case, the front wheel kept hitting the bag on big hits. I wasn’t really worried about the bag stopping the wheel but it is a bit disconcerting when it happens.
If my travels are mainly on pavement or are on dirt roads, rail trails, or tow paths, this is my preferred set up. I’d much rather use panniers for their ease of use and organization on really long trips. They are easier to pack and easier to move. This particular picture was taken on the bridge across the Potomac at Harper’s Ferry. Getting the bike up and down the spiral stairs is damned difficult. I
did take the bike up the stairs fully loaded.
I went back down the stairs in two trips with bags in hand. Much easier. I couldn’t imagine how to do that with bikepacking bags.
