and I'm not talking about poop in your pants.

i agree.

I've got a front rack and a rear rack, and I occasionally throw my panniers on the front to mix things up, but I'm generally a sucker, I guess... ;-)

Can you provide an explanation as to why I should load up the front with +30 pounds instead of the rear?

+1

Yeah, I would think the weight on the front wheel would make the bike more prone to slips

Trunk bag goes on first, given its lower aero impact. Extra load goes on top of the trunk bag with a bungee. Weight up front affects steering and handling more than in the rear, so if you have to go with front or rear first, go with rear.

well, I'll admit I i was being snarky. This doesn't work well with a bike that isn't designed to carry a front load. You want something with a low trail fork and proper geometry. That said front load gives a better front to rear weight ratio which makes the bike more stable. It also allows the rider to see the load which can be nice - have you ever lost something off the rear of your bike because you didn't see it fall? I have. Being able to easily reach into your bag without getting off the bike is nice too. Lastly, the large front rack allows me to carry large awkward shaped objects.

Nope, I just strap everything down properly =P If something is falling off, it's a pannier.

But seriously though, I can't even imagine turning the front wheel with all the crap on my bike (yes I realize touring bikes do this all the time)

aero? Ha, the aerodynamic drag of a front bag wont slow you down in your commute. Are you going 80 mph? Aside from that I cant really comment having no idea what you're riding. All I can say it bikes designed for front loads handle it very well and have a few advantages.

Was about to say that rear panniers might also help with the rain seeing that you don't have fenders on, but then I saw where you live

thats cool that you've never made a mistake or had something come undone while riding. I ride daily carrying all sorts of things and sometimes it happens to me.

I carry rear loads on many of my bikes too btw.

i ran fenders for the first 8 months I lived here but after It didnt rain once I took them off. We do get rain for about a month in the winter though, at which time they will go back on.

We have headwinds around here, so added to my 20 mph average speed, it makes a big difference. 30 mph gusting crosswinds, have fun with that load on the front. Do you actually ride a bike?

FTFY. I'd hate to use my front brake with that setup. With weight on the rear, it's much harder to endo.

I do ride yes, thanks for asking! I can't say i've experienced any 30 mph winds here lately. Back east yes, and it still worked pretty well.

the trick is to use both brakes. It works much better that way

I challenge you to ride across the 14th Street Bridge (over the Potomac River) with the wind blasting out the NW at 30 mph on the narrow sidewalk. You'll be walking or picking yourself up with that load up front, guaranteed.

clearly you're offended by front loads. That's ok. I don't recall saying they were perfect for every scenario. They work very well for my needs right now here in San Jose.

that said, I've ridden many a cross wind with a fully loaded bike (front and rear). I can't say they've ever knocked me over but if that for some reason makes you feel better thinking it would, please feel free Sparky.

Are you Grant Petersen, by any chance?

Is that a Soma porteur rack you have? I've been itching for a porteur rack that will easily take panniers in addition to whatever I feel like putting on top.

And while the wording of the original post may not have been the most artful, some of these responses are a bit...well, I'm not sure what to call them. What I do know is that I ride my bikes with front loads, rear loads, and every possible permutation of both. Low trail, medium trail, high trail. Wind, hills, flats, commuting, errand-running, touring. And really, you can get used to almost anything, within reason. No reason to try to make hard and fast rules for other people on how you ride a bicycle, just ride the damn thing.

Exaggerate much?

San Jose, not Walnut Creek.

Not at all.

It is a soma. And geeze, this was meant to just show the cool front rack I've been using. I didn't really expect people to take it so seriously. This is the internet right? I'm not trying to convert anyone.

If it helps, here's other bikes i regularly ride:

notice the rear loads...





ok this one is front but its rear too! this was the only day it rained..





so clearly i'm a sucker too. But at least I have a sense of humor about it