is it in my head?

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

hi all,

got a new brommie recently and with i bought the 'c' bag. nice bag. so off i go and start getting in some miles on it. it felt like something was dragging like an anchor, i checked that both the wheels spun freely, they did. so i carried on regardless, but it still felt like i had an anchor for over 200 miles. anyway last night i ditched the 'c' bag and used my trusty rucksack. omg it felt like a completely different bike, my computer decided to play up so i don't know by how much my average mph improved, but it definitely improved. has anybody else had an anchor feeling with the front luggage on a brommie? or is it a mentality thing?

 

[Yellow Fang]

I don't notice a massive difference with mine.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I don't ride mine with front luggage unless I have to - but I have the folding basket rather than the cbag. I have the rear rack and use that more often despite it being a bit more stupidly designed (the bag, that is, not the rack) and a bit more of a pain (when you want to fold up quickly). Mr SavageHoutkop has grown quite attached to his touring pannier though...

I find that the front luggage does make a difference to the ride feel. Although, having said that, having a backpack on my back annoys me more, as the way I sit on the bike means one of my vertebrae rubs the whole time - and additionally it gets hot really fast!

However, I find the ride feel changes quite significantly with the smallest of things... I'm starting to suspect I'm too 'light' for the bike (!) - it feels like it rides a lot better when I have some luggage on it (although I'm probably riding slower with the luggage). Slight uphills, slight headwinds, rough road surfaces...

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i know what you mean, it's definitely less twitchy with front luggage. i am used to having a backpack, it doesn't feel heavy even when it is. having said that, if i do decide to go touring, the weight would be put on the bike. one thing is for sure, i'm saving the allowance my wife gives me for a 'mountain drive'.