Gear
3
min read
Panniers or top case
Where the weight goes on a mountain bike matters more than how much of it there is. A short answer, with numbers.
Panniers. If you are only carrying one set of bags up a pass, carry it low and between the axles. A 10 kg top case sits behind the rear axle and about a metre off the ground, and at a walking-pace hairpin you feel all of it.
What 10 kg actually does
It adds about 8 mm of sag on a touring bike. That is a small number. But your seat height at a stop changes with it, which is why Reach asks about load. If you are on the balls of your feet solo, with panniers you are closer to tiptoe.
What we do
On guided tours the bags go in the van, and the bike stays light. On self-guided tours your bags move too. Keep a tank bag for a jacket and a phone.
Written by
Tomas Ferrand
Guide, French Alps