Pictures of your loaded rigs?
08-15-16, 09:22 AM
#3803
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
Reasons:
The front wheel carries less weight, since your body is over the rear wheel (maybe... 60/40 split or so).
The front rack can mount the panniers lower to bring your center of gravity further down. The rear rack has to stay over the derailleur.
On many bikes, especially bikes with a "low-trail" fork and geometry, a load in the front smooths out the steering and improves handling
Non-reasons:
It's a hair more aerodynamic
It looks cooler
The front wheel carries less weight, since your body is over the rear wheel (maybe... 60/40 split or so).
The front rack can mount the panniers lower to bring your center of gravity further down. The rear rack has to stay over the derailleur.
On many bikes, especially bikes with a "low-trail" fork and geometry, a load in the front smooths out the steering and improves handling
Non-reasons:
It's a hair more aerodynamic
It looks cooler
08-15-16, 11:36 AM
#3804
royal dutch of dukes
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: brooklyn, nyc
Posts: 400
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I recently got a Troll and am thinking of converting to front rack. But it seems like a weird move for times when I'm carrying one pannier (eg left one at campsite) or I'm carrying a *ton* of weight temporarily (eg a 12 pack just until we get somewhere). Thoughts?
08-15-16, 12:56 PM
#3805
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
It is slightly more awkward. Two lightly-loaded panniers up front work for grocery runs, and the top of the rack is good for strapping on a 12-pack.
I think if you find the handling of a front rack to be a really big boon to your riding comfort every day (~95% of the tour), you will find a way to make that system work for little things like grocery runs (~5% of the tour).
I think if you find the handling of a front rack to be a really big boon to your riding comfort every day (~95% of the tour), you will find a way to make that system work for little things like grocery runs (~5% of the tour).
08-16-16, 09:29 AM
#3806
royal dutch of dukes
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: brooklyn, nyc
Posts: 400
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Yeah, thats what I'm afraid of - it seems that with front rack you always need to think really hard about distributing weight evenly or you get real steering problems. Whereas with the back, while that helps tremendously for long rides, you can kind of wing it and learn to compensate and the issue with only one pannier (or generally uneven packing) is more that of drag and weight than of steering.. Does that make sense? The other option is *both* but with the Troll and Big Apple 2.35, bikes starting to get plenty heavy :-(
08-17-16, 12:34 PM
#3807
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
Yeah, thats what I'm afraid of - it seems that with front rack you always need to think really hard about distributing weight evenly or you get real steering problems. Whereas with the back, while that helps tremendously for long rides, you can kind of wing it and learn to compensate and the issue with only one pannier (or generally uneven packing) is more that of drag and weight than of steering.. Does that make sense? The other option is *both* but with the Troll and Big Apple 2.35, bikes starting to get plenty heavy :-(
Personally, I can ride my bike just fine with a really significantly unbalanced load, so long as it's low to the ground. I can't ride with my hands off the bars, but I don't notice any instability, really. I can compensate the steering with my pinky finger. It's not a problem for me!
08-21-16, 01:35 PM
#3808
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Spain
Posts: 1,070
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 493 Times
in
238 Posts
once one has tried front load one will not go back to back load. the only reason to carry two back panniers is when you have to bring your whole household
bike with low trail fork and front load behaves far better climbing ... no frame wobbling left right left right ....
bike with low trail fork and front load behaves far better climbing ... no frame wobbling left right left right ....
08-21-16, 03:03 PM
#3809
royal dutch of dukes
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: brooklyn, nyc
Posts: 400
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 66 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
That is a beautiful setup :-) What kind of rack is that?
08-21-16, 09:42 PM
#3811
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Spain
Posts: 1,070
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 277 Post(s)
Liked 493 Times
in
238 Posts
thank you guys.....
the low rider rack is a Tubus Tara
the rack for the handle bar bag is from Wheeldan Titankonstruktionen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/things...57633264087809
the low rider rack is a Tubus Tara
the rack for the handle bar bag is from Wheeldan Titankonstruktionen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/things...57633264087809
08-31-16, 06:51 PM
#3812
Senior Member
Loaded Co-Motion Americano Rohloff
Heading out on my first tour. Lewisburg, PA to Pittsburgh, then the GAP/C&O to Washington, D.C. Getting out of Washington via Rock Creek Park Trails, then country roads to Lewisburg, PA. Route distance is about 730 miles. I have 40 lbs of gear on the bike and hope to complete the trip within 10-11 days.
08-31-16, 07:26 PM
#3813
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
Heading out on my first tour. Lewisburg, PA to Pittsburgh, then the GAP/C&O to Washington, D.C. Getting out of Washington via Rock Creek Park Trails, then country roads to Lewisburg, PA. Route distance is about 730 miles. I have 40 lbs of gear on the bike and hope to complete the trip within 10-11 days.
09-03-16, 12:29 PM
#3816
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
My new Basketpacking rig! Ready for action!
The bar bag is kinda cool. It's a rope bag, and it folds out like a tarp when you empty it out. Just grab the four corners, and everything slides right inside.
Neat! Click my blog link if you want a more detailed description.
The bar bag is kinda cool. It's a rope bag, and it folds out like a tarp when you empty it out. Just grab the four corners, and everything slides right inside.
Neat! Click my blog link if you want a more detailed description.
09-04-16, 02:00 PM
#3818
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 8,088
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 686 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Very nice! Are you running the H Plus Son rims tubeless? I've heard of people doing it with them and succeeding - I'm tempted to give it a try.
09-05-16, 04:32 AM
#3819
Senior Member
Me and my rig somewhere along the Oregon coast a couple of weeks ago, mid ride between Tillamook and San Francisco. Note the bar bag strapped to rear rack = bracket malfunction when preparing the bike for air travel. Still, the ride was spectacular. Maybe some more pics when I've got over the jet lag...
09-06-16, 06:04 PM
#3821
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,923
Bikes: Nature Boy 853 Disc, Pugsley SS
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 251 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
6 Posts
I want to run all my bikes tubeless, but I haven't found the time to actually do it. I'm going to wait until winter, because then my local bike shop will have less going on and I can use the stand and air compressor for hours if I need to.
09-07-16, 09:57 AM
#3822
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 8,088
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 686 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
haha, my problem is that I have about 15 new tires I have to work my way through before I buy tubeless specific ones. I also just bought about 20 tubes from priceline when they were going out of business.
09-13-16, 09:15 AM
#3823
Senior Member
Yes The handlebar bag does affect the handling somewhat but only at very low speed. I don't expect my touring bike to handle like my club racer.
Problem with a bag on top of a standard front rack is an issue of convinence for me. I like to be able to quickly stop and reach for things I need, for me a handle bar bag works best. I have a front rack bag on my tandem and it is a PITA to reach into while straddling the bike..
Problem with a bag on top of a standard front rack is an issue of convinence for me. I like to be able to quickly stop and reach for things I need, for me a handle bar bag works best. I have a front rack bag on my tandem and it is a PITA to reach into while straddling the bike..
