Originally Posted by
fietsbob
My Why(?) small wheels and their inherent low trail steering Geometry
stability works better with a load on the front end ..
I agree. Carrying some load on the front improves the handling of my 20" folding bikes. Without the front load, I sometimes do wheelies (front wheel liftoff) when I take off from standing start in the uphill direction or when pedaling over speed bumps and uphill at the same time. With some front load, that doesn't happen. Also the steering is a little less twitchy when there's some mass on the front, still responsive and quick but less sensitive and tracks the direction of travel better.
AdventureCycling has touring tips, among which they say:
When touring with panniers, try to keep your total load between 15 and 45 pounds. Your bike will be most stable if you put more weight in your front panniers--roughly 60 percent of weight in front and 40 percent in back. Experiment with weight distribution to find the best handling results for your particular bike.
Source:
What to Take and How to Pack | How To Department | Adventure Cycling Association