Originally Posted by
Pete Fagerlin
If you're concerned about insulating your gear from trail shock, the best place for your gear is in a backpack.
An added bonus is that you are not compromising your bike's handling.
I tried that during a hiking/biking trip to Ireland (rented bike). I had rain gear, lunch and extra water in the top of a Rover II backpack along with the camera gear in the bottom. The camera was slung bandolier-style across my chest.
It was not a great experience.
Much can be attributed to the fact that I am just returning to cycling and am out of shape. However, I felt like I was going to bust a gut going up a couple of the hills. When trying to climb out of the saddle, the backpack weight made me wobble and sit back down.
Still, for shorter rides (on my folding bike with no racks), I will be looking for some 'close-body' solution. I'm considering either a P&S such as the Canon G9, or small DSLR kit in something like a KATA T-212.
http://www.pbase.com/burnettjn/ireland