There are some benefits to the front bag, depending on your needs. It's not necessary to use "only" a front bag, and many people combine front and rear as needed. Among the benefits are the ability to easily get things from the bag while you are riding, the ability to see your bag at all times (less likely to leave it open and lose things, for example) and the ability to put a map pocket on top. A "rando" style front bag is usually mounted low, as low as possible, to keep the overall center of gravity low, and is also ideally as far behind the front axle as possible. This is the same idea as a rear saddle bag - weight low and between the axles. With a very small/light front bag the mounting isn't as much of an issue. Regarding handling, some bikes work better with weight in front, some better with weight in the rear, and some like it pretty equal. While a heavy front bag might "slow" the steering of a bike not optimized for it, a heavy rear bag can likewise make the front feel too light and skittish on some bikes. It's not overtly stated that Rivs are designed for rear loads, but anecdotal evidence seems to indicate they like rear bags better then front, and Riv's emphasis on selling saddle bags over front bags might seem to support this.
I like the convenience of front bags, but usually keep my tools in a small saddle bag since they are always on the bike regardless of what other bags I'm carrying. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/xqr9G7_n9nEJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
