weight on the front?

[ThatGuyOnABike]

i've been looking at some large capacity handle bar bags. i don't have nor want front panniers cos i have front suspension. i was told to even out the weight a little so i thought i'd cram stuff into a handle bar bag. is this a good idea? or would it affect steering? i was also considering a basket rather than bag but what is better on a tour?
also any suggestions on certain bags/baskets would be much appreciated.

 

[youhaditcoming]

Hello,

For touring you can choose anything except a front basket !! ... That kind of equipment is what your grandmother would use to carry home a fresh baguet every morning from the backery

Anyway, steering your bike is easier when front weight, like panniers, are in a low position (more or less at the hubs height). There are special carriers for that. Bags on the bar ore ok but have less capacity.

Good luck

 

[alfeng]

i've been looking at some large capacity handle bar bags. i don't have nor want front panniers cos i have front suspension. i was told to even out the weight a little so i thought i'd cram stuff into a handle bar bag. is this a good idea? or would it affect steering? i was also considering a basket rather than bag but what is better on a tour?
also any suggestions on certain bags/baskets would be much appreciated.

IMO, you want to limit the weight in a front handlebar bag to ONLY about 3 lbs. -- lotion, sunglasses, map, light vest/fleece.

It isn't so much the height of the weight as the distance from the steerer ...

I've seen a front rack over/onto which you can probably straddle some panniers ...

 

[ThatGuyOnABike]

hmmm... interesting. i don't know if i need that much space to warrent front panniers, its only two weeks. on the back i should (i haven't got all the storage yet) have around 74 litres (2x 22l and going to get 30l stuffsack) so i reckon thats enough for almost everything.

what about weight distribution though? is it o.k to load back of bike and keep front light? (i'm not fat btw)

 

[alfeng]

hmmm... interesting. i don't know if i need that much space to warrent front panniers, its only two weeks. on the back i should (i haven't got all the storage yet) have around 74 litres (2x 22l and going to get 30l stuffsack) so i reckon thats enough for almost everything.

what about weight distribution though? is it o.k to load back of bike and keep front light? (i'm not fat btw)

I'm pretty sure that the average STOKER on a tandem weighs more than 4x whatever you'll be taking with you ...

And, if you want to get the sense of how tedious a heavy front end can be, push an empty wheel barrow around for a while.

 

[geoffs]

i've been looking at some large capacity handle bar bags. i don't have nor want front panniers cos i have front suspension. i was told to even out the weight a little so i thought i'd cram stuff into a handle bar bag. is this a good idea? or would it affect steering? i was also considering a basket rather than bag but what is better on a tour?
also any suggestions on certain bags/baskets would be much appreciated.

What are you going to be carrying? all your camping and cooking gear?
When touring on our tandem we use Ortleib panniers with 40l rear for non camping/cooking touring. When we are carrying tent and camping gear we add a rackbag which is 30l and for the food and cooking gear we add the sportpacker front panniers which are 30l. we also are using the ultimate3 h/bar bag. I don't like to much weight in the h/bag as it does affect the steering a bit. This is for 2 people so I dont see why you wouldn't be fine with just the rears. We use the rackbag for the tent and sleeping mats and the odd bottle of wine.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[ThatGuyOnABike]

cheers all. yes i do think i will be alright with the backs. i receantly tried to get a rough idea of what i'd be carring and actually i'm going in a group so while carry the tent, another carrys cooking gear. so i've found my worries were quite unfounded.

thanks

 

[rcrampton]

I did a week long rails to trails tour on my MTB a few years ago. I had a tough time fitting everything on the back of my bike and used a handlebar bag to put things I wanted to get to throughout the day (snacks, camera, money, etc.). I had several pounds in it and I didn't notice the weight.

I've never had the sensitivity to weight distribution and center of gravity that others refer to. If you think it would work for you try it out. Just do some practice rides fully loaded far enough before your tour to have time to make changes as needed.