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It might just be down to personal preference, I much prefer the sensation of pushing the load up rather than dragging it up, but i'm probably only at 6kgs max on the front with 2kg in the Carradice on the back.
As for steep climbs if anything I find the opposite to yourself, I like the 'firmer' steering and the use of the force of the weight when out of the saddle, I think when tossing it from side to side I had less control with the weight on the rear. I'm certainly not much of a climber either way and happily sit in the 32' regardless.
On the flats I'm not far from my usual unloaded speeds.
Kluens
I tried front-loading recently after using only a rear rack for most of my life. I carried about 10kg evenly packed in two panniers on lowriders on my croix de fer. I found the bike hard to control on steep climbs, meaning it was harder work as I was using energy keeping the bike in a straight line. I also found the bike sluggish in general; hard to keep momentum, and poor acceleration. I added about 1 hour to the 60 mile ride from home in Sussex, compared to when carrying a similar weight on the back.
Why do people reccommend front loading? Do I have a wierd riding style? If I get more used to front loading will I become faster?