I've toured with panniers,
and with trailers, and with
combinations of both.

It all works.

I'd agree that with a light
bike, the trailer would be
the way to go. A full load
will stress the frame. If the
frame isn't built for it, then
you spend a lot of your
energy simply bending the
frame, rather than going
forward. Plus, if the wheels
are commensuate with
the strength of the frame,
you might stress the wheels,
too.

If you did want to go with
only panniers, depending on
how much stuff you take,
you may need both front
and rear racks. I find that
front racks help stabalize
the bike, both from
front to back (so that not
all the weight is on the
rear wheel) and from
side to side--they generally
lower the center of gravity
and keep the bike going
straight.

Granted I have never toured with panniers, but I KNOW that I will always go with a trailer, here's lots of reasons:

1) I'm lazy. When I pack up, I don't have to roll everything perfectly- hoping to get it all in just the right combo in just the right pack so that it will all fit. I just throw it in and it all fits regardless.

2) I can take LOTS of extra water for long stretches that I might have to go without. One can take along extra 2 1/2 gallon jugs if you wish. Try THAT with panniers.

3) When I get to hostel or campground, I can take the trailer off in 2 seconds, lock it up and ride into town OR I can just take the bag out of the trailer and ride into town and put groceries into the trailer.

4) I never had to "learn" to balance the bike with the extra weight. It's a bit hard going uphill, but at most other times I end up looking behind me to see if its even there.

5) I have a road bike and never had to buy a touring bike for riding all the way across British Columbia and through the Canadian Rockies. I can switch the trailer from road to mountain bike to the neighbor's little kid's bike to my Burning Man playa bike with no extra tools or effort or wondering if it will fit.

6) No extra strain on my frame. I never even got a flat tire on a 4 week trip.

7) The trailer can be put on a plane easily, just as panniers can be.

And my suggestion is to not worry about getting a touring bike. Just ride whatever bike is comfortable for you and get a trailer. On my trip through the Rockies, I met a woman who was a competitive mountain biker who just brought her mountain bike (that she is extremely comfortable on) and a trailer. She loved it. Why buy an extra bike for the once or twice a year you will be touring.

i liked to reduce my stuff down to the absolute bare minimum for a tour, so that meant 2 front panniers, 3 t-shirts, shorts, sleeping bag, roly mat + tent. did many thousands of miles that way... nice minimalist philosophy attached to it.

BUT these days, i'd rather have some more comforts... your bike is almost certainly sturdy enough to carry the extra panniers, so you don't NEED a trailer really. you might want one though.

A friend and I tour for 7-10 days every summer on road bikes--he with panniers, me with my Bob Yak. We generally do about 600 miles in New England and Quebec. I prefer the Yak because of the low center of balance, and I can pack the tent inside. It still takes a few miles to get used to standing--I've learned to swing the bike less when the Yak is attached. On our trips, the loaded Yak weighs about 35 lbs.--keep the load to a minimum since every ounce counts! It's also nice that you can disconnect quickly. The only down sides are the longer combined wheel base, parking the bike, and beware of braking quickly on steep downhills, according to a few scarry tales. Gordon Harris--www.bikenewengland.com

Ive tried both and prefer the panniers. THe yakima trailer I biked with was wobbly and sometimes tipped over and dragged. Ive found panniers easier for balance. Besides, if you cant fit all your gear in panniers, you've brought too much stuff. Have fun!

Email me for my 'loaded' touring cargo, and my 'minimalist' touring cargo. The right combination of gear, bike, legs, and philosophy makes almost anything doable. As others have said, it is really a matter of situation. tommy@tommy-gardner.com www.tommy-gardner.com