Originally Posted by
OldiesONfoldies
Thanks Vik for those good and valid reasons, but my point (that was not clearly expressed, sorry!) is why load up the front first without filling up the rear? I see the front panniers as an add on to rear panniers. That's why it does not seem to make sense to me. I hope the rear touring racks will be available soon.
Are there folks here who have a preference for loading up front panniers first, or am I the odd one out?
I've experimented with many ways of loading my bicycle. Front loading has come to be my preference. For commuting I prefer to use a platform rack with the load placed over the front wheel.
There are many reasons for front loading:
* With the right geometry (low trail and low wheel flop factor) the handling is improved. The Tikit handles pretty well with a front load.
* The frame can be lighter and less rigid since the load is carried on the fork. Most forks are already plenty stout to handle 30-40# loads, so there is no reason to beef them up for front loading. The hinges on folding bikes make the frame less rigid already, so this is even better on folding bikes.
* You can see and interact with the load. This allows me to get away with way overstuffing panniers or bags on short trips.
* Folding bike specific -- rear racks that are large enough to fit panniers usually have a significant impact on the folded size. This is especially true for Bike Friday and Swift Folder models where the rear triangle folds underneath, so the folded bike would be sitting on the rear rack.
I haven't met many people who have tried front loading on a frame with the right geometry for it and who didn't like it.