Your bike was designed to handle best with a 40/60 front to rear weight distribution.
If you overload the rear of your bike, you unload the front and the steering gets a bit light and wobbly.
By shifting some of the weight up front, you stay closer to the 40/60 ideal.
The effects on handling are reduced.
Just as having weight distributed evenly side-to-side is good for handling - distributing some weight front-to-back is the same.
For longer trips - like a cycling holiday or tour - you might need to carry quite a bit of stuff.
A combination of bags - front and/or rear panniers with a rackpack and/or handlebar bag will allow you distribute weight more evenly around your bike.
Ideally, about half of your load should be up-front to help keep the effects on bike-handling as neutral as possible.
Front panniers mount to the rack using the same type of hooks that rear panniers do.
You can use any panniers up front - even if they are not specifically packaged as front panniers.
So, instead of buying one stonking great pair of panniers to stick on the back - buy two pairs of half that size
A special type of front pannier rack, commonly called a 'lowrider', is available for the front of the bike if you want use front panniers.
The Ortlieb range of bike panniers and other bike bags are made from heavy-duty plastic and are completely waterproof - in fact, you can use Ortlieb panniers as buckets when camping! Probably the best bike luggage on the planet...
