Only Front Panniers?
#1
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Only Front Panniers?
What is the thinking behind running only front panniers and a standard saddle bag? Why not mount the panniers on the rear and out of the wind?
#2
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My mind rolled back 20 years to the forgotten, but still significant ZZipper Tailwind Panniers from 1982. These panniers, wind tunnel designed and proven, made your bike up to 7% faster through the wind than a bike without panniers. ANGLETECH, with the blessing of Glen Brown and Karl Abbe reintroduce these very modern and ultimate panniers as the ANGLETECH TECHWIND™ system.The basic philosophy of the system is:An aerodynamic shape that reduces the drag of your bike by 7%. ANGLETECH TECHWIND’S™ maintain their shape whether full or empty, always delivering the speed and good looks. The rear of the ANGLETECH TECHWIND’S™ are square profile to catch those tailwinds and blow you down the road.
If you don't have tons of gear, low riders up front and a saddlebag allow you to balance the load between front and rear and the keep the front load low which is more stable.
I have toured that way and liked it, but I usually have more stuff so prefer front and rear panniers.
#3
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When possible, i use rear panniers up front and a compression dry bag atop the rear rack. It's become my favorite setup for when I don't need 4 bags.
I like the stabilization the bags create up front. I can stand out of the saddle and the setup is more stable too.
Based on my completely unscientific analysis, I find there is no difference in wind resistance. The bags stick out the same amount whether placed in the front or rear.
oh, and there is already a rear weight bias due to me riding, so pushing some weight up front has to be nice for those rear spokes.
I like the stabilization the bags create up front. I can stand out of the saddle and the setup is more stable too.
Based on my completely unscientific analysis, I find there is no difference in wind resistance. The bags stick out the same amount whether placed in the front or rear.
oh, and there is already a rear weight bias due to me riding, so pushing some weight up front has to be nice for those rear spokes.
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Have a look here. He tried this on an almost scientific way
Ups, Not allowed to post urls yet but if you search for „cyclingabout front panniers“ (exactly like this) you will find the link I mean
havent tried only front by myself yet...
havent tried only front by myself yet...
#5
Senior Member
There’s no question I’d rather run fronts and something small on the rear rack versus rears. The bike handes So much better that way. I’ve noticed no difference between front or rear as far as wind resistance is concerned. I’ve read several things that said as much also.
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I do not use this method, I put most of the weight on my rear but my bikes are stiff enough that they handle well with four panniers and handlebar bag.
#7
Bike touring webrarian
I neither carry camping or cooking gear when I tour. As a result, I don’t need to carry 4 bags. I can just use 2. Front panniers are smaller and lighter than rear ones. Also, metal racks are heavy, as well. Why carry extra weight if I don’t have to?
I use a frame bag, as well.
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Front panniers in combination with a 20 mph headwind is brutal.
I would rather have turbulent air hit my rear panniers than laminar air hit my front panniers.
It's the curse of being an engineer. On long, flat boring plains your mind drifts into issues that probably don't make much difference.
I would rather have turbulent air hit my rear panniers than laminar air hit my front panniers.
It's the curse of being an engineer. On long, flat boring plains your mind drifts into issues that probably don't make much difference.
#9
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They also found that the worst configuration in terms of handling was low-riders front and rear.
I ride with 4 panniers for on-road tours but most of the load is in the front...about 60%. The rear bags are for light but bulky stuff. Food, stove, cooking gear, i.e, any thing that is small but dense, goes in the front bags.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#10
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I'm doing 'credit card' trips (hotels & hostels at night) and only use front panniers, a saddlebag for tools, and a small bag for daily stuff that's either on top of my front rack (Surly front rack) or rear rack. The steering can be a little sloppier with everything up front, but its usually just a matter of packing properly to correct it. Seems to work for me, YMMV. .
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My front felt very unloaded both credit card tours with bags on back. Next time I will run bags up front.
As someone mentioned, dense heavy stuff went up front on my camping trip with four bags. Different bike, so not apples to apples, but felt much better with more weight forward.
As someone mentioned, dense heavy stuff went up front on my camping trip with four bags. Different bike, so not apples to apples, but felt much better with more weight forward.
#12
Banned
With my small wheel low trail bikes; Bike Friday, panniers ,
and Brompton, head tube mounted fitting, QR,
the handling is more solid....
Front loads and low trail are a good pairing..
VBQ readers , rave about their low trail rando bikes ,
with bigger wheels, more rake/offset lowers the trail measurement,
on the ground plane..
...
and Brompton, head tube mounted fitting, QR,
the handling is more solid....
Front loads and low trail are a good pairing..
VBQ readers , rave about their low trail rando bikes ,
with bigger wheels, more rake/offset lowers the trail measurement,
on the ground plane..
...
Last edited by fietsbob; 08-11-18 at 11:00 AM.
#13
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I found your post to be a little bit vague. A determination as to how may bags and their location really depends on A) what type of touring you intend upon embarking on and B) how much gear you intend on taking. I mean in square inches not necessarily weight. For instance, I do full loaded touring. I would simply run out of space with the amount of gear I take on tours with less than four panniers. I have read that steering becomes greatly affected when you put more than 20 lbs on the front racks. On a side note: Personally I am against the frame bags, because of the importance to have easy access to several water bottles. Do tourists know that they need to drink close to a bottle an hour while riding?
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Once you put on panniers you’ve pretty much thrown out the window any aerodynamic difference between front or rear compared to no panniers. And increased weight provides a greater time penalty going up hills compared to increased speed on descents. Basically if aerodynamics is a concern you’re already a fast rider and riding in an aerodynamic posture with minimal gear.
While a front load slows down side to side movement of the front wheel a heavy rear load can exacerbate front wheel shimmy at high speeds. Given that high speed steering comes from leaning there’s less of a penalty in handling compared to high speed shimmy where oscillations start steering your bike instead of you steering your bike.
Putting a set of small panniers on a front low rider rack puts the weight under the control of your arms as opposed to over the rear wheel where it acts a long weighted lever sending side to side torquing onto your arms and front wheel.
Last edited by LeeG; 08-11-18 at 01:01 PM.
#16
Senior Member
.....................................................................
................choice is personal.............
........like it some do, others not....
......try you should, then choose......
...................................................................
................choice is personal.............
........like it some do, others not....
......try you should, then choose......
...................................................................
#17
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I'm not a fan of frame bags either. I do use a less then full frame bag for off-road touring but that's a different beast. That said, I also don't use my water bottles for water that I drink regularly when touring. Two of the cages are dedicated to carrying sports drink and the third is dedicated to reserve water. But the water I drink comes from a Camelbak. It holds more and can be packed with ice which makes for far more refreshing liquid intake than drinking tepid water. As an added bonus, the ice cools me as I ride.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#18
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Front pannier load
Not true. As LeeG pointed out, bicycles are steered by leaning. Even at slow speeds, front panniers with 60% of the load have little effect on the steering. I carry around 40 to 50lb now...depending on the amount of food I'm carrying...and have carried as much as 60lbs in the past. I don't weigh the bags but I generally aim for a 60/40 ratio. That means that even at 40 lbs, I'm carrying around 24 lbs on the front but I've carried almost 40 lb on the front. I've never noticed any steering problem.
I'm not a fan of frame bags either. I do use a less then full frame bag for off-road touring but that's a different beast. That said, I also don't use my water bottles for water that I drink regularly when touring. Two of the cages are dedicated to carrying sports drink and the third is dedicated to reserve water. But the water I drink comes from a Camelbak. It holds more and can be packed with ice which makes for far more refreshing liquid intake than drinking tepid water. As an added bonus, the ice cools me as I ride.
I'm not a fan of frame bags either. I do use a less then full frame bag for off-road touring but that's a different beast. That said, I also don't use my water bottles for water that I drink regularly when touring. Two of the cages are dedicated to carrying sports drink and the third is dedicated to reserve water. But the water I drink comes from a Camelbak. It holds more and can be packed with ice which makes for far more refreshing liquid intake than drinking tepid water. As an added bonus, the ice cools me as I ride.
I'll never use a frame bag. I am short, my frame triangle barely fits water bottles. I could see it on the big guys bikes with the 60- 64 cm frame where they have tons of room for both bottles and a frame bag, but not me.
#19
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I have a milk crate up front, between the handlebars. It's not very aerodynamic but it's handy to put things in. Now when I am on a trip I pull a canoe on a trailer with most of the load in it, and just a few things up front with nothing on the rear rack. I find that having some load on the front wheel makes the bike feel more solidly on the road, and when I don't have anything up front it feels kind of light and bouncy. It's probably all just in my head, but that's what I've thought I noticed.
Zach
Zach
#20
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I have a milk crate up front, between the handlebars. It's not very aerodynamic but it's handy to put things in. Now when I am on a trip I pull a canoe on a trailer with most of the load in it, and just a few things up front with nothing on the rear rack. I find that having some load on the front wheel makes the bike feel more solidly on the road, and when I don't have anything up front it feels kind of light and bouncy. It's probably all just in my head, but that's what I've thought I noticed.
Zach
Zach
pics shouldnt be asked for when someone mentions this- theu should just be posted in advance.
bring em here, please!
#22
Crawler
I neither carry camping or cooking gear when I tour. As a result, I don’t need to carry 4 bags. I can just use 2. Front panniers are smaller and lighter than rear ones. Also, metal racks are heavy, as well. Why carry extra weight if I don’t have to?
I use a frame bag, as well.
Forgot to mention I also carry a tent, cooking gear, and drone in my pack.
Last edited by linus; 08-13-18 at 03:59 PM.
#23
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I am trying to get enough posts to be able to put up pictures, I'm almost there but I keep getting error messages. I'll keep trying, and thanks for your patience.
Zach
Zach
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Here is a picture of my loaded rig on the way to the Adirondacks, crossing the Black River outside Boonville, NY. It's a 1998 Trek 520 with a milk crate on the front and homemade rear carrier which I normally use to run errands, and a homemade trailer and canoe. I only can get away for a trip once a year. My first day last summer was 117 miles, but after that I spent more time canoeing than riding till the end of my week's vacation when it was time to go home. I'll be leaving in a week or two for this year's trip, depending on the weather. With the big tires the trailer pulls easily and it's easier to put my camping stuff in the canoe than having everything on the bike. This will be my 5th annual Adirondack trip with the canoe in tow, and I had 5 years of non-amphibious travel before that.
Zach
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I think my problem was that I couldn't use a quote either, till I had 10 posts. I also found out that I wasn't allowed to post more than 5 times in 24 hours, which is why I waited till today to try again. Here are a few more pictures, now that I think it works:
Bridge at Santanoni Preserve
Route 28n heading toward Long Lake from Newcomb
At the top of the climb out of Lowville
Getting started on the 2016 trip
Bridge at Santanoni Preserve
Route 28n heading toward Long Lake from Newcomb
At the top of the climb out of Lowville
Getting started on the 2016 trip