Ridgeback's Steel Panorama Touring Bike Is Loaded to the Brim With Adventure-Ready Gear

Ladies and gents, nothing beats having a solid bicycle that you can take the distance, load up with countless goods and gear, and doesn't cost you an arm and a leg just to own. Well, I may have found that precise machine, the Panorama touring and adventure bike, coming straight at you from the British cycling brand, Ridgeback.

Ever heard of this brand? Up until a few days ago, I hadn't (the world is a big place). Nonetheless, as I got to know more about this team, I discovered that they've had a presence in the industry since 1983, longer than I've been alive, and I'm 34. Best of all, they still deal with a particular material which I find is making a rather large comeback on the cycling market, steel.

Yes, even the Panorama is built from steel, and it's one of the main reasons this machine comes in with an asking price of no more than £1,600, which roughly equates to $1,950 (at current exchange rates). If that's not enough to make your eyebrow twitch, how about the fact that everything you see on this bike is included in that price?

This means you won't have to extend your shopping experience on numerous cycling websites looking for the most optimum gear; everything is good to go from the start. All you have to do is show up to your local dealership fed, with your bikepacking gear in hand and a pocket full of cash. From there, you can just whip out your map and get flying.

As you do, you'll feel a steel frame working its magic while a Chromoly fork absorbs some of the road's vibrations. Since the bike features no suspension, your tires will be crucial. Stock, you'll be rocking a pair of Schwalbe Marathon 700 x 35c rubbers. If you have something better in mind, stick to the allowed tire specs and throw on your favorite pair.

Now, the drivetrain may not be the most impressive around and is also responsible for how budget-friendly this bugger is. Shimano is the crew handling shifting with a 3-speed FC-T4660 crankset and a 9-speed CS-HG400 cassette with 11-34T. A Sora front derailleur and XT RD-M771 rear derailleur complete the mechanics on this bugger.

Again, if you have a different drivetrain that you've come to love over the years, it shouldn't cost you too much to grab a new one or move it from an existing bike to the Panorama. What you do with the bike is your choice, and Ridgeback offers all the right stuff to work with.

Continuing our cycling journey into all that is the Panorama, I do need to bring a tad of attention to the cargo-carrying capacities of this trinket. Sure, you have fenders and a kickstand to keep things nice and clean, but the main attractions are the two pannier and cargo racks and the three water bottle cages and mounts. That's more than enough space for everything you need for a two to three-day adventure, maybe more.

Speaking of more, plenty of other aftermarket cargo options are available to you. Seat post bags, handlebar bags, frame triangle bags, and so much more can be found. So take the time to transform your $2K steel touring bike into a dream machine designed to go the distance.

At the end of the day, Ridgeback seems to be presenting us with a bike that weighs no more than 14.6 kilograms (32.2 pounds) but doesn't mention how much extra weight it can handle. Considering how the Panorama presents itself, racks and all, don't worry about that aspect and just get moving.