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I’ve been saying for years, front rack > bike packing setup for touring. So much easier to live with and bike handles better once you get used to it.
I think ultimate is small front panniers, rack top storage and a carradice or similar rear on a support.
You get on alright with the stem/position?
TM-
Yeah, I agree that does sound like a decent setup. The weight being lower on the bike is definitely a plus, & I prefer the front panniers to a bar bag as I always found them awkward for packing/riding.
Fit still isn't perfect but totally fine for the trip we did as hardly aggressive riding. 140mm stem with a heavily laden front end meant slow slow steering. Funny side effect was when I went for a ride on the Ritchey yesterday I found it really hard to cycle in a straight line as I kept oversteering due to having to compensate for the weight for a week!
Some random photos from the week (in completely the wrong order) which I've got through processing. Took an interchangeable lense camera instead of the point & shoot I normally use (Fujifilm X-E4 with 40mm & 18-55mm instead of Sony RX100M3), quite pleased with the results.
- Getting caught up in the pension protests in Lille while looking for a bar.
- Accidentally doing the 5* Carrefour de l'Abre secteur.
- Classic Dutch scene.
- View from halfway up Atomium.
- Cheeky few laps of the Roubaix velodrome.
- Getting caught up in the pension protests in Lille while looking for a bar.
GideonPARANOID
Got back yesterday afternoon. Managed to have a tailwind the entire trip, even though it was a loop! Kind of freaky. Got very wet some days & it was cooler than expected but still very much enjoyable.
Slightly unaesthetic photo of the touring setup/Flanders mud. Sainsbury's bag full of dirty clothes on top of the rack as my panniers were full of duty free & Dutch cheese. First time using a rack/panniers on a longer trip & I rate it, also allowed me to carry the Dwars doors Vlanderaan I borrowed back with us.