Last summer, I rode from my hometown in Western NY, to Saint Paul, MN, on my 2007 model Trek 1500 SLR. I rode light, since I was staying in motels, so I only had a rear rack with a medium size pannier on each side. My bike, despite not being a tour design, handled the weight just fine.
However, my next trip is going to involve a little bit more gear. I'll be biking from Astoria, OR, to San Francisco, and I'll be camping. So, in addition to all the gear I needed for my previous trip, I'll be carrying at least part of a tent (since this ride won't be solo, I can share the gear load a bit) and a sleeping bag. My question is: should I get a front rack and try to disperse the weight across both the front and rear ends of my bike? Furthermore, could my Trek reasonably handle having a front rack on it? (the fork is carbon fiber)
Also, if anyone who reads this is from this part of the Pacific Coast, what do you think about waterproof gear? I have two five gallon SEAL bags that I can back stuff into, but is it a better idea to get new waterproof panniers? I am as yet undecided about whether I will do the trip next summer or this January, in between my semesters. If you could give me an opinion for both scenarios that would be much appreciated.
Thanks!