Mullet nomad mk 2 (26" rear -- 27.5" front)

[mickeg]

My personal experience is that an easy way to inadvertently upset a bike’s stability is to fit a handlebar bag.   ...

Agree. 

But I almost always have a handlebar bag on my bike.  Carries my phone, some of my rain gear, multi-tool, sun screen, phone (I have a spare phone for emergencies, stored in my handlebar bag, very cheap phone plan with limited minutes) ID, a bit of money, first aid kit, a couple knee bands if my knees get over stressed, etc., etc.

I do notice at very slow speeds how it impairs handling, but am used to it.

I pack it with the most dense weight is aft where it is closer to the steering axis (steerer tube).  And mount it slightly lower.  On some of my bikes I use a second stem with a stub from a handlebar bag, on two bikes I use the shortest Thorn Accessory T Bar attachment, photo attached from my Nomad Mk II.

If best possible handling was my goal, there would be no handlebar bag, but the convenience overcomes that.  Call it personal opinion.

[Andre Jute]

Every action has a reaction, but I think the arguments on both sides of this one are over reactions.

You're right about each action having a reaction*, Paul, but I don't see any "arguments" or "sides" here: all the points discussed fit along sliding scales of control and personal preference as long as one doesn't go too near the limits of adhesion and stability. A competently designed touring bike in any event has such a margin of safety and stability, that I haven't read anything in this thread that would be intrinsically dangerous.

* Mental image of Sir isaac Newton standing on a teetering pile of books to look over the wall at that universal truth!

[in4]

dangerous.

* Mental image of Sir isaac Newton standing on a teetering pile of books to look over the wall at that universal truth!

Brilliant phrase that Andre.

In a similar vein:

A horse walks into a bar; the bartender asks, "Hello, do you want a beer?" The horse responds, "I think not," and promptly disappears.

Now, admittedly, this joke only makes sense if you are familiar with the French Enlightenment philosopher, Rene Descartes, who famously said, "I think, therefore I am." The horse thought not, and therefore wasn't...

But if I had explained that first, I would have been putting Descartes before da horse!

[John Saxby]

Ah jeez, Ian, and here I thought it was going to go like this:

Horse walks into a bar.  Bartender says, "Why the long face?"

[in4]

🤣 noooo don’t get me started with that one. Mind you, I was never convinced Mr Ed could actually talk. Call me cynical but… 🐴

[Andre Jute]

Thank you, Ian. I like your whole shaggy dog horse sequence very much too.