A question of Balance...

[victoryfactory]

If I put a bike (with rider) on two scales, one under each wheel, is the weight supposed to be distributed evenly?
What is the handling or comfort penalty if it isn't?
Is more weight on the rear the reason why rear tires wear out sooner than front tires?

Victory Factory, just a few questions that came to me while riding today
(Bridgehampton to Montauk Long Island, NY Finished with a proper sunburn on my arms, that's more like it)

PS: with a 10mph tailwind on the way out, I was Lance, 10mph headwind on the way back, I was gramps.

[Chief]

If the center gravity of the bike and the center of gravity of the rider were midway between the two scales then both scales will read the same. However, since the center of gravity of the bike is along a vertical line approximately through the bottom bracket and the center of gravity of a seated rider is behind the bottom bracket since the seat is behind the bottom bracket then there there will be more weight on the rear wheel. While the rear wheel cares more load it is also the drive wheel and the latter contributes to more wear on this wheel than the former. By shifting one's weight rearward more weight will be put on the rear wheel which will develop more traction. That's why it is better to remain seated rather than standing when the roadway is slippery.

[Needs Help]

"The CG(ed. center of gravity) of a seated rider in a fairly aerodynamic position will often be about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3 cm) in front of the bottom bracket. I have determined this in two ways: by direct measurement of the rider's anatomy (measuring this balance point), and by weight distribution calculations (weighing the axles). Of the two, the latter is the more accurate. The result is generally consistent with a 45%/55% fore-and-aft weight distribution that many classic cycling texts regard as optimal."

The Myth of "KOPS" An Alternative Method of Bike Fit
by Keith Bontrager