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@melon
isnt it more to do with weight distribution between the front/back wheels rather than being over the BB? longer chainsatys bring the weight more towards the centre of the bike for better distribution; so that the back wheel isnt taking all the load. im sure theres a whole load more geometry science going than that, im no expert!
if your doing heavily loaded tours over vast distances on terrible roads, it would be pretty unsuitable. my experince of light touring i had no problems with this. my saddle bag had bulky items like clothes, but was eleviated by having the heavy stuff like the tent/sleeping bag on the front rack. it was pretty balanced, and i had no more punctures than i would expect.
gearing has always been a problem though. i think a tripple, or a wide range casette would be alot better. i dont know the deal with using long cage derailluers.