Vertical weight distribution

[Rex Kerr]

I didn't want to steal Dustin's thread, so I'm starting a new one...

While enjoying the sights at his flickr stream, I noticed that he carried his weight rather high up... above the top of the rack.

On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM, EastBayGuy <goodw...@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54527498@N06/sets/72157627402365342/

I've noticed that a lot of people on this mailing list do that.  Not only is it common, but most of the Rivendell bags seem to be designed to carry the load at a height just below the saddle.  That seems like it'd be top-heavy and have a negative impact on the handling of the bike.  

I've always toured with lowrider racks and try to keep the weight as low as possible...  I'm curious what the reasoning is for those who choose to keep it up high.

-Rex

[Lyle Bogart]

I've always toured/carried loads up high, but I started touring before I'd ever heard of low-riders (were they around in the 70's?). Can't say why I still do except that it feels better than with the load low. I can't really describe it, and I certainly can't quantify it, but with the weight down low, the bike just feels heavy (heavier?). . . 

Cheers!

lyle

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[Thomas Lynn Skean]

For me the reason is convenience. Having stuff in a basket and/or a bag means being able to get to it more easily than in my (and I would think probably most) panniers. And it means I don't have to leave my tubus tara rack on my bike all the time. (The latter is just an aesthetic thing. The tara, which is a fine rack, just doesn't look right when it's mounted and not loaded.)

 

I haven't gone on a very long tour.But the several times I've gone out for more than 20-30 miles with any significant weight up high-ish (say, in my Albatross-attached BarSack or in my Huge Wald on my PlatRack) I do notice a change in handling. More so with Noodles than with wider cockpits. It definitely seems to take more effort to control the bar. Not much more; just some. It doesn't matter to me for my ride distances. I don't think I'd think about it at all for 50-ish miles. But I'd probably choose to put a 10+ lb load in panniers on my tara if I were going to ride substantially more than 50 miles in one ride or, say, 50-ish miles for several days running.

 

Yours,

Thomas Lynn Skean

 

[Steve Palincsar]

On Thu, 2011-08-11 at 15:32 -0700, Thomas Lynn Skean wrote:
> For me the reason is convenience. Having stuff in a basket and/or a
> bag means being able to get to it more easily than in my (and I would
> think probably most) panniers.

Yes, but typically on a tour that isn't much of an issue, since you
aren't actually getting at the stuff in the panniers other than when
you've arrived at your destination.

> And it means I don't have to leave my tubus tara rack on my bike all
> the time. (The latter is just an aesthetic thing. The tara, which is a
> fine rack, just doesn't look right when it's mounted and not loaded.)

Fiddlesticks, looks fine to me:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97916047@N00/5027013765/in/set-72157603355855778
Not as lovely as the Duo, to be sure. I saw a Vanilla tourer with what
appeared to be chrome-plated Duo lowriders once, in front of the East
Bldg of the National Gallery of Art in DC. Talk about drop-dead
gorgeous! Most surprising thing, the owner was amazed I knew of
Vanilla, when he bought the bike it was an unknown local Portland brand.

[Michael Hechmer]

I have very different experiences between commuting or everyday riding, and touring.

I commuted, and continue to ride, with relatively high loads - an Acorn HB bag & a Carradice Barley.  Neither have ever affected bike handling. But when I used a Nelson LF and put my Macbook in it I could feel the effect of the weight on the bike  handling.  I switched to a bike commuter pannier when I needed to carry it, and found I was happier.

On the other hand, my wife and I are just back from 5 days of cyclotouring in Quebec on our tandem:

http://gallery.me.com/mhechmer#100098

We carried 35 lbs of gear distributed among low riding rear and front panniers, and the Acorn bag sitting low over the 26" wheel.  I could not perceive any difference in the bike handling between this set up and our usual unloaded pleasure rides.

To be sure, just one data point, but it certainly suggest that there is probably some point at which lowering the center of gravity becomes important.  The big advantage of higher loads, for me, is not convenience, but rather having everything above the fenders.  Call me a cleanliness freak, but I've ridden across too many rain soaked dirt roads to be enthralled with panniers on a day to day basis.

michael