Panniers vs. BOB?

[SprocketWeasel]

Interesting about the speed limits.  I've gone up to 45 mph in a fully loaded Nomad with no problems and have often gone over 30.

At those speeds, "more power to ya"... if you know the road.  Otherwise, I know I'd be living on the edge with no margin for error, even without a trailer.  I was on the Lewis & Clark Tail, 20mi. north of Alton, IL. While on mega rollers, I wanted to jet down the descents. Without fail, there were potholes at the bottom.  Needless to say, I kept my speed "in-check". 

[jrswenberger]

Many of my tours involve airline travel. Having to deal with a trailer adds complexity and weight. As airlines look to gouge consumers at every occasion, extra baggage and weight can quickly add to the cost of a tour.

Enjoy the ride,
Jay

[HoolieWA]

I realize my reply is very late to your question, and you may have decided already what to use.  My personal experience with a bob has become an experiment.  I thought that it would offer ease and like others have mentioned, in certain ways it does, but I found the way it affects overall handling of my bike was too much to allow for an enjoyable ride.  The effects of a 3rd gyroscopic force from a smaller wheel was quite noticeable. Especially when the bob was loaded.  As well, braking has to be considered in a different way.  The 3rd factor for me in choosing to go with panniers is maneuverability while at rest stops, campgrounds , and restaurants.  When I'm tired, I want a little more ease at the end of the day.  Yet a fourth factor is weight differences between a bob and panniers/racks.

[freightbike]

I used my bob last summer between Portland OR and Bismarck ND.  I think the speed limit for the bob depends somewhat on the bike you are riding. When my old trek 7500 had a rockshock fork, I had to watch the downhills because of the graveyard (like your going to die) shimmying it would get into. Now that I have a solid fork, the problem seems less pronounced. On Amtrak, I put it in a large duffle bag with my sleeping bag and assorted other gear so it was less than fifty pounds and they were just fine with that. I'm always amazed at how little gear some folks pack for a long trip. I like to cook dinner and have my creature comforts along the way so I just put up with the load. I like the way the bob makes the bike feel less like a small unpowered motorcycle in the front end at least. Seems like I always get flats in my rear tires, but it's nice to pull in off the road and unhook for a run into town, light for groceries. I don't know, I did a lot of touring with panniers back in the day. I think I'll stick with the bob until I want to lighten up.