— Pat McNulty, Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Steve Jones's Answer.

	Steve Jones The author of four mountain-biking books, Steve Jones has logged thousands of miles of trails and backroads. Meet Steve Answer Archive Biking Forums

My goodness, you certainly do pack a full load when you hit the trail! If my mental calculations are correct, you carry as many extra pounds in the colder months as your entire bike weighs. Even during the warmer months, you're probably still packing an extra 20 pounds or more in water, tools, and food. You're my kind of biker! To heck with all that gram-shaving! When I go biking, I want to be prepared for any emergency that can be reasonably expected.

In addition to the load you carry, I will often bring along a heavy camera, microcassette tape recorder, and a cell phone. (Hey, my wife makes me!) And even that is a light load compared to what fellow chain-ganger and photographer Dennis Coello carries with him. His many days of self-sufficiency on the trail have taught him that there's nothing worse than being caught miles from nowhere without what you need to get back quickly and safely.

What I have to tell you about load placement will probably jive with what you've found out already. The closer you can put the weight to your bike's frame (and center of gravity), the better off you are in terms of handling and efficiency. The bike has been designed so that when you ride, the center balance point is somewhere near the saddle and where your hips are.

For a long, self-sustained trip (like an overnighter when you carry even more gear), panniers are the way to go on the trail — the lower, the better. And, if you read my Bike Camping article, you know I really enjoy pulling a BOB trailer. It is amazingly stable and efficient, though more so on pavement than off-road. However, no matter what you do, the more weight you carry, the more difficult it becomes to control the motion of all that mass and to redirect it quickly.

For most day rides, I use an under-the-saddle pack (called a"wedge") and a fanny pack. I mount my pump on the seat tube, and carry my water bottles on both the down tube and seat tube. My fanny pack can carry an incredible amount of gear, and its placement on my hips is right where I can use it to control the bike best. The placement of the shifting liquid weights (in water bottles held secure in cages) down low helps to minimize any instability associated with sloshing. I know I'm likely to hear it from some riders who swear by the backpack water system, but that's why I don't wear anything but sweat between my shoulders. The lower the weight stays, the more stable the load.

If you're looking for a good use of some unused space that won't compromise stability much, take a look at a pack that attaches to your top tube. It's strapped tight and at least one design can hold over 80 cubic inches — perfect for carrying your fleece jacket, socks, and other winter gear. Another good storage pack (called a "trunk") can be placed behind the saddle and can hold quite a bit of gear, but you'll have to mount a rack in order to attach it securely. One place I have mounted a bag but did not like at all for off-road use was on my handlebar. I never did wreck because of it, but the bike handled "funny" (due in part to its location away from the bike's center of gravity), and in a way that did nothing to instill confidence.

So, more succinctly put: Keep the extra weight as close to the saddle as possible. Hope this helps.