Shawn: I just got back from a two-day 120mi/200km ride with a large saddlesack in the rear (on the rear top rack) and two swift mini short stack panniers on, plus a basket on the top of the (recently and no longer) discounted big front rack. This was on the 57cm Hilsen. The weight was distributed roughly 45/55 back/front, probably close to 50lbs/22kg on the racks combined. This "front loading" was partly unintentional, because I had a small igloo cooler in a basket strapped to the big front rack, with eggs, milk, bacon, and butter, most of which was procured en-route. You really have no idea how heavy hydrated fat gets. :)
The route was mostly along the Columbia River Gorge, with plenty of climbing and descents, and a decent amount of wind. Other than the weight, I found the handling to be admirable, although I think I was at the limit of what I'd be comfortable putting up on the front end. I'll definitely try and move more weight to the rear. I say this because my arms are a bit tired today. I'll post a more comprehensive report regarding the ride later, when the pictures are done. cc On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 10:26 AM, dougP <[email protected]> wrote: > Shawn: > > I've toured a fair bit with my Atlantis with various loading schemes. For > self-contained camping, I use 4 bags & find the handling best with the > weight evenly distributed or somewhat more in the front pair. On lodging > trips I'll use 2 bags in the front low riders. I always have an Acorn Boxy > rando bag on a mini-rack on the front, & sometimes add a saddlebag to the > rear for extra clothes, food, water, etc. > > You'll have to try different configurations for yourself to find out what > works best for you and your riding style. Some people really notice > differences with just a few pounds of load while others are unfazed by 25 > lbs at one end or the other. IME, once I get over 25 lbs it's nice to > split it up, front to back. > > dougP > > > On Saturday, August 10, 2013 2:15:42 PM UTC-7, shawn m. wrote: >> >> Right now, I run either a Large Saddlesack or panniers on a Nitto Big >> Rear Rack on my 54cm Hunqapillar, with a basket on a mini front for a >> little extra weight in front, and it works pretty good. But I'm curious if >> I wouldn't be happier with a Big Front Rack with panniers and a basket. Can >> anyone share there experience with this kind of load? I feel like I want >> more weight up front, more than I'm comfortable with putting on the >> Mini-Front, and I want the weight a bit lower, too. I'd probably keep the >> Big Rack in back for longer trips. I'm curious as to how it handles, both >> loaded and unloaded. >> >> Anyone run a setup like this? >> >> Thanks, >> Shawn M. >> Seattle, WA (Fremont) >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- "I want the kind of six pack you can't drink." -- Micah -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
