Handling without luggage

[mrcharly-YHT]

I ride a ribble audax, basically a race frame.

Normally it has a saddlebag with at least 3kg, usually more, in it.

Today I rode it without the saddlebag.
The handling was *awful*. The rear felt skittish, I couldn't control it out of the saddle, bike was all over the place. I must have looked like a right muppet.

Am I wierd for liking a bit of luggage on board to steady things down?

[Andrij]

I usually have a rack bag on my Ribble, sometimes pannier(s).  The latter obviously make a big difference - especially when I was daft enough to carry two weeks worth of grocery shopping on the Ribble. 

The only difference I notice with/without the rack bag is the issue of less weight on the bike.

But I do (nearly) always have mudguards and the rack on the bike.

[TheLurker]

Didn't notice any appreciable difference in handling when I removed the rack and panniers (using a rucksack these days) from my Ribble.  I've not  found it to be a particularly twitchy bike. 

P'raps worth giving it a few rides to get used to the change in the centre of mass?  I'd expect losing 6 to 8 lbs of weight fairly high up and towards the rear to change the feel of any bike markedly.

[Biggsy]

Am I wierd for liking a bit of luggage on board to steady things down?

No, but you would be weird for carrying more luggage than you would otherwise want without giving yourself a chance to get used to the different feel without it.  Your handling of the bike should be fine after that.

[nuttycyclist]

I too don't like riding a lightweight bike.

I find it too skitterish and tricky to handle.

[teethgrinder]

You just need to get used to it. You're used to handling a bike with luggage and taking it off alters how your bike handles. If you get used to riding without luggage, you'll feel the same about riding a bike with luggage.
Some bikes are more affected than others.

[Ian H]

It generally takes me a few miles to get used to a different bike, or a differently loaded bike.

[Treewheeler]

I love the handling of my non-descript 531 tourer when descending full loaded
(bike weight around 40kg and rider 63kg)
 It sticks to road like glue and feels smooth to ride.
However, when I take the luggage off for a thrash like I did with the locals in Tasman N.Z I was alarmed at the skittish nature of the beast!
 Descending was a scary experience and I hated the jarring and bouncing.
Of course I could have let some air out of the tyres...
 Same again at the semaine federal after I'd cycles 2500km to get there fully laden, I took all my baggage off to thrash Johnny Foreign types on their carbon efforts. After a couple of days I got used to the ride quality.
 

[frankly frankie]

I love the handling of my non-descript 531 tourer when descending full loaded
 It sticks to road like glue and feels smooth to ride.

If its a stiff steel frame (non-descript 531) then loading it just softens the ride.  Lovely.

[alan]

I once had a Sardar (not the current monstrosity model) which was at it's most comfortable when loaded with four panniers,barbag & tent on top of rear panniers.
The perfect bike for loaded camping & it had gears low enough to up the side of a house.
I only sold it to make room in the garage for more bikes.

[simonp]

I found the Yukon very skittish when I tried it out sans luggage before buying.

The Madone otoh, despite being much lighter, feels really stable.

[Nonsteeler]

uhmm, ok the same bike feels different with load. I can't say that any of my bikes feels better if loaded. BUT: After touring for couple of weeks with a front lowrider rack the bike feels pretty wrong without weights around the front wheel: So horribly agile and nervous. Well, then a couple of rides later in the default state of the bike I get over it...