Wow, I don't think I would be able to ride with that load! Of course, I am a wimp. What did he say about the ride?
I once rode to the library with some very heavy and big books in my pannier. On the way home, when I went to get in the lane to make a left across a busy road, the heavy load really messed me up, causing me to almost crash! I almost couldn't get clipped out when I went to pull over and stop. I ended up getting off my bike and walking it across the street. I found that the heavy load, plus the fact that I was on my hybrid bike, which just feels different, totally threw me off in a spot that I maneuvered on my commute several times a week on my road bike.