Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

Thanks for the repost. To add to the discussion on front v back-loaded luggage with some more anecdotal evidence: I used a tubus tara and ortlieb sport rollers on a 1inch threaded fork on a tour a while ago. The fork angle was rather steep with little rake and I used drop bars. The whole set-up felt wrong: it was flexy at low speeds, wobbly at anything above 20km/h and the handling felt sluggish. The bike felt great with rear panniers though. After that experience, I had the tubus tara sitting in my parts bin waiting for a more suitable build. I recently put it on the giant with a 1 1/8 ahead fork with big fork blades and mid-blade mounts and with sweeped riser bars. In this set-up, the front loading feels great. Very stable and with a lot of grip on the front which makes climbing, descending and riding out of the saddle a lot more enjoyable. I was touring with a friend who rode a similar 26er with a rear load and it was interesting to see and feel the difference on otherwise similar bikes. On the road it doesn‘t make much of a difference but on twisty paths the front load inspires a lot more confidence. I’m happy with having a rear loaded 28 inch road-type touring bike and a front loaded 26er. At the end of the day the more suitable option depends on the frame and the type of riding intended.