Seems finding the perfect touring bike is a tricky business! The ridgeback panorama seems a good option for reasonable money though the spec seems low in places to me – good frame though? I think the Kaffenback isn’t such a solid bike but suspect it might be lighter(?!) and looks more useful as use as a 2nd road bike when not laiden with baggage – cheaper too. The Croix de Fer seems a nice spec but has disc brakes which, I’m not so keen on, and has carbon forks which seems less sensible for a touring bike to me. Any helpful opinions?

Pompino 🙂
http://pompinos.blogspot.com

or if you really MUST have gears it’s ladyboy sibling the Kaffenback will do.

A mate’s got the Ridgeback and is happy with it. There’s also the Dawes Galaxy & Thorn Club Tour. If you’re doing heavy touring (i.e. camping gear) then get a proper touring bike. If you’re staying in B&Bs, then you can pack light enough to get away with an Audax bike or the Kaffenbak.

surly crosscheck ? good for light touring and cx too no front rack mounts but im sure you could bung on a set of longhaul trucker forks if it really bothered you, tho im not sure on the length difference but its prob worth a look, now that reminds me i must find some pink candies lol

Kaffenback is just fine.

Kona Sutra

What’s wrong with your Expede? I’m pretty sure that has rack eyes at the back, you can easily do a weeks touring with a couple of small panniers and a bar bag.
Otherwise a Dawes Galaxy is a classic for a good reason.

I have a Croix De Fer and whilst it is a brillinat bike, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for touring if you want to fit racks.

As an all day, do it all road/cross bike it is lovely. Very fast, stable, maybe a bit ‘long’ out of the box (it was for me anyway), but it feels solid and the spec is good. The disc brakes are far better than Shimano’s previous forays into cable discs and work brilliantly with the drop bars.

Like I say, it feels long, so try before you buy. Mostly to do with the long stem I guess. I use mine for a long commute and it ideally suited to that. Oh, and the carbon forks aren’t your usual flimsy road jobbies – these are proper solid forks – the legs are about 3/4″ diameter at the dropout to support the disc brake – they don’t “twang” like a ruler and are as stiff as a stiff thing.

No eyelets on the Pinnacle – but also looking for a way to get something on the ride2work scheme! I also have an Inbed but annoyingly seem to have the only one in existance without eyelets on the dropout. I could use p-clips I suppose but would prefer something more solid.

So I’m choosing between bikes sold by Evans and also looks like I can buy from Planet X – Dawes seem out of stock there and get the impression the Ridgeback is a better bike for heavy touring.

So seems Kaffenback as more of an all rounder or the Ridgeback if I want something more substantial.

Maybe a Hewitt? It wins lots of awards anyway.

monkeyp – Member
I have a Croix De Fer and whilst it is a brillinat bike, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for touring if you want to fit racks.

As an all day, do it all road/cross bike it is lovely. Very fast, stable, maybe a bit ‘long’ out of the box (it was for me anyway), but it feels solid and the spec is good. The disc brakes are far better than Shimano’s previous forays into cable discs and work brilliantly with the drop bars.

Like I say, it feels long, so try before you buy. Mostly to do with the long stem I guess. I use mine for a long commute and it ideally suited to that. Oh, and the carbon forks aren’t your usual flimsy road jobbies – these are proper solid forks – the legs are about 3/4″ diameter at the dropout to support the disc brake – they don’t “twang” like a ruler and are as stiff as a stiff thing.
I would second that, I got one on the cyclescheme and its just right as a commute/play on the way home/varied surface all day bike. But I don’t think it would make an ideal touring bike, I just don’t like the idea of panniers & disk brakes & the gearing would need changing unless you really like grinding out climbs in a high gear.
I can flex the forks under breaking but no more than the 653 forks on my old Cougar road bike, though IIRC there is a sticker somewhere on the forks giving a lifespan?

I like my Hewwit. I had discs added and have not looked back. For touring, priorities for me would be being able to add racks and mudguards, with big tyres, easily. A stiffer frame is more important than a light one.

AS for singlespeed touring, FFS, how much do some people have to prove?

Still got my Raleigh Classic from 84′, wheels are still as true as when I bought it…….lovely Suze hubs and Simplex gears……you needed every gear on the triple esp in the Picos mtns.

SS on a touring bike, you must be mad!

I have a Thorn Audax (mk1) and it’s great for light touring. I did LEJOG on it the other year and it didn’t miss a beat. I wouldn’t use it for heavy touring though – you notice a bit of wallow in the frame at speed, even with 2 medium sized panniers.

How about the Brodie Elan?

i have a few coming over in a few weeks, and i can’t wait! It is perhaps the bike i am looking forward to the most out of all the bikes Brodie do!

http://www.progressive-bikes.co.uk/elan.html

no proving neccessary.

was very pleasant trip.

My neighbour said she used to tour when she was younger. on a fixed wheel. She is 85 though.

you must be mad!

Funnily enough we said much the same to 2 german guys we met loaded up with massive ortlieb panniers, front rollers, bar bags and rack packs.

these guys in fact. They must have had over 80 litres each!

Flat roads, little kit, short days?

Fixed is for wimps.

I went touring on a unicycle

horatio that’s superb! 🙂

al – we rode across Spain and France taking in quite a few passes including the pyrenees and parts of the Massif Central.

We rode on average 80km a day totalling 5,000 km in all.

As you suggest, we did however travel very light. About 10kg/30l of kit each.

Yep, light touring (i.e. a couple of regular panniers) is perfect on a non-touring specific bike. I’ve done a bit on my alu Giant SCR.

If going for longer and further afield than mainland Europe, I’d probably have something specific – I can’t get one of the original Super Galaxies out of my head as ideal for the job.

Mind you, I’ve also always fancied a Pompino after reading Stoner’s blog first time round…

Oh well looks like the Kaffanback is out of stock now, at least in my size, so probably the Ridgeback is the way to go.

Stoner, I am genuinely impressed. What gear ratio did you use and how many miles of each climb did you walk 😛

we ran 63″ (48:20).

After the first 3 weeks getting leg strength up we didnt need to push again (and most of that pushing I did in Devon on the way to the ferry 🙂 ). 63″ is just short enough length to winch up 10%. Any steeper and it’s a struggle.

here we are cresting the pyrenees. Cleaned this climb.

feel free to have a look at the pics here (the pic hosting I had for the blog has gone and I havent relinked)
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/northmalvern/PompinoTrip

this is another good one

this was only 855m but an amazing descent off the Montagne Noir into Mazamet

and in the Auvergne from St Flour we climbed up to Prat du Bouc (1350 m ish) and then walked the remainder up to 1855, the Cantal and second highest point in the range.