loading front and back panniers

[MontyVeda]

I remember being told that it's easier to push a load than it is to pull it... so with this in mind does it make more sense to put the heavier items and the bulk of the weight in the front panniers?

 

[Bicycle]

I'm not sure on this one... I hate luggage so much that I can't even imagine riding with front panniers...


But...

My limited understanding of the forces involved would suggest that you don't want more weight in front of the steering fulcrum than is absolutely necessary.

What with your forks and handlebars being wibbly by virtue of the head race allowing them to wibble, I think that too much (how much?) weight on the bars or forks would tend to destabilise the whole plot.

I'd be strongly inclined to keep as much weight as possible low and to the rear, but I know nothing...

So wait for the next reply, probably from someone who understands physics.

Better still, throw half your baggage away. Climbs will be easier.

 

[rusky]

Riding with a load of weight at the rear makes steering twitchy.

 

[andym]

I remember being told that it's easier to push a load than it is to pull it... so with this in mind does it make more sense to put the heavier items and the bulk of the weight in the front panniers?

Erm, why would it be easier to pull a load rather than to push it? (Or indeed push a load rather than pull it)? Do HGVs have the trailer in front? trains have the locomotive at the back? horses and carts (grammar purists look away now) have the cart in front and the horse at the back?

Write a 100 lines: 'I must not believe everything I read on the Interweb.'.

Distribute your load evenly. Try to avoid having rear panniers set too far back. Keep the weight low. And then relax - your bike will be rideable, and you will get where you want to go, and nothing bad will happen to you.

 

[lowrider73]

There is a thumb of rule, that is 2/3 of the load on the rear and a 1/3 on the front. Load up the tent, sleeping bag, spares clothes and sleeping mat on the rear and load the kitchen stuff like stove, pans, washing kit and towel on the front

 

[delport]

I used front and rear panniers the handling starts to suffer with too much on the front, i think 20lbs was the maximum on the front that i felt comfortable with, 10lbs per pannier.

At 30lbs the front wheel started to creak, and the steering became tougher to manage.
I'd agree with the poster above, that seems a sensible way to carry things, and was similar to what i ended up doing.

I built my own front pannier rack, it was very strong, no chance of it buckling whatever weight i had thrown on it, but the front wheel just couldn't handle it.
here's a photo, i realise the front panniers are higher than the ideal spot.

 

[P.H]

The usual starting point is 60% rear and 40% front. But there's far more to it than that and only trial and error will establish what's best for you and your bike. Geometry plays a large part, front luggage is likely to increase whatever characteristics your bike already has, if you add it to a responsive road bike it will make in twitchy, if you add it to a purpose built touring bike that's already stable it'll be even more so, my touring bike feels like it's running on rails when I use front panniers. Then how much stuff are you going to take? If it's as much as delport you defiantly want it spread around the bike, if you're going lightweight the added weight of front racks and panniers might be unnecessary.

 

[MontyVeda]

Erm, why would it be easier to pull a load rather than to push it? (Or indeed push a load rather than pull it)? Do HGVs have the trailer in front? trains have the locomotive at the back? horses and carts (grammar purists look away now) have the cart in front and the horse at the back?

Write a 100 lines: 'I must not believe everything I read on the Interweb.'.

Distribute your load evenly. Try to avoid having rear panniers set too far back. Keep the weight low. And then relax - your bike will be rideable, and you will get where you want to go, and nothing bad will happen to you.

it was actually my physics teacher (before the internet) when explaining that tug boats actually push boats rather than pull them... maybe i shouldn't believe everything a teacher tells me.

 

[Zoof]

I built my own front pannier rack, it was very strong, no chance of it buckling whatever weight i had thrown on it, but the front wheel just couldn't handle it.
here's a photo, i realise the front panniers are higher than the ideal spot.

Hi Delport It's just that U seemed be carrying nearly 3 times as much as me
may be this is more of a kit prob.
Can U post your kit and we will all try to cut it down for U

ZOOF

 

[Yellow7]

One point to bare in mind with front /rear weight distribution is also the weight of the actual rider.

I find having additional weight on the front hardly affects the steering, I mean, touring bikes hardly need fast responsive action going down gentle roads of Europe..or even Africa.

Keeping the weight low is also has little affect, bearing in mind most the weight is sitting up on the saddle!

Mark.

 

[delport]

Hi Delport It's just that U seemed be carrying nearly 3 times as much as me
may be this is more of a kit prob.
Can U post your kit and we will all try to cut it down for U

ZOOF

I'll have my trailer for future journeys,i've nearly finished building it, so i won't be setting a bike up like the photo again.
Virtually every item in those panniers and on the back rack i did use.

To begin with i did have 2 tents though, and 2 pair of shoes, i threw away one tent and one pair of shoes, they were cheap items and worn out.

Food and water weighs a lot, especially when you are camping as i bought tinned items.

And i have my steel framed camp bed in the photo on the rear rack, it's in a dark green holdall, i also carried 2 sleeping bags those both fitted in one front pannier, these items i felt i needed as the temperatures were sometimes minus zero.

 

[Cush]

it was actually my physics teacher (before the internet) when explaining that tug boats actually push boats rather than pull them... maybe i shouldn't believe everything a teacher tells me.

If your teachers are any thing like the two that used to live next door to us I wouldnt trust any thing they said. When our estate was still being built I took the P*** out of one of them by telling him I was thinking of keeping ferrets and pidgions I was reported to the buillder the same day for keeping livestock!!. (not shown off here but these are detached rather expencive houses) The problem was the builder was like me and told them that as long as the birds did not fly over their garden I could keep what I wanted.

 

[willem]

I think not taking too much is the best way to start. If you do this properly you will not need both front and rear panniers. Do not forget that a set of front panniers and a front rack weighs 2-2.5 kg even empty. That said, most bikes handle better with more weight at the rear. The only exception are touring bikes with a low trail geometry in the French style. These should have most or all of the luggage at the front.
Willem

 

[MontyVeda]

I think not taking too much is the best way to start. If you do this properly you will not need both front and rear panniers. Do not forget that a set of front panniers and a front rack weighs 2-2.5 kg even empty. That said, most bikes handle better with more weight at the rear. The only exception are touring bikes with a low trail geometry in the French style. These should have most or all of the luggage at the front.
Willem

having toured before with only rear panniers, i have to disagree. Sorry.

 

[willem]

Why? You can easily fit the lot into two rear panniers if you avoid a bulky sleep system (at least, on a normal European trip). Add a bar bag and the tent on top, and you do not need the extra space of additional panniers. My bike has always handled fine with this kind of load (up to about 18 kg total load of bar bag, panniers and tent). Overload your bike on the rear and you will indeed have a problem. I use drop bars, and these move the centre of gravity forward a bit, of course. Sit upright, and you should take less, I guess.
Willem