Comments on: Ridgeback Panorama

By: A Ridgeback Panorama Exhibited in a Gallery « Puglia2010

A Ridgeback Panorama Exhibited in a Gallery « Puglia2010 — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:25:02 +0000

[...] A photographer, Patrick Taylor, appears to be a fan of the Ridgeback Panorama. Have a look on his website. Here is one of his [...]

By: Truing a bicycle front wheel without using a jig

Truing a bicycle front wheel without using a jig — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:33:04 +0000

[...] Rim: DRC ST-19 touring rim; spokes: DT Swiss double-butted stainless; hub: Shimano Deore; tyre: Continental Contact 700 x 37c; bike: Ridgeback Panorama. [...]

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:46:42 +0000

I never considered Dawes. I just went to my local bike shop and asked them how much to build a quality touring bike. They said buy "one of these" (in the Ridgeback catalogue). So I did – two actually. It was a good choice.

By: Ted Edwards

Ted Edwards — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:51:47 +0000

Patrick, just found your site and I am enjoying reading it good stuff. Next year I will, because the wife is retiring and she gets a lump sum, looking to buy another bike so I am trawling the Net now. In the process of doing that I have discovered the Rid Pan as I never knew of its existence before. I currently ride a Roberts Audux bike, which sadly was not tailor made for me but its still a good bike and my first thought on getting another bike was to go for a version of the Dawes Galaxy range. Is this a bike you considered and if you did what made you buy the RP instead.
As for riding "no hands" whatever the fork rate is to do it to me is immaterial I just love doing it because when I do I am transformed back to when I first did it at the age of 10 more than 45 years ago. Your never too old you know.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:41:09 +0000

Surely, hands-free cycling must be easier if the front wheel is more reluctant to turn, ie: when there is MORE trail – a greater distance between the steering axis and the contact point on the ground. The bike will want to go straight. If there was NO trail, the steering would feel completely floppy and offer no resistance at all, and it would become almost impossible to ride hands-free.

But on a heavily front-loaded touring bike, I'm not so sure. I can certainly see how the load might want to turn steering with more trail, at lower speeds especially.

By: Max Carter

Max Carter — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:23:46 +0000

Actually, your explanation of steering geometry and front loads is incorrect, back to front in fact.

A front load will be more neutral handling and allow hands free riding more easily if it has LOW trail. Most old French bikes were designed this way because after much experimentation the French touring guys worked out that a) a touring bike handles better with a front rather than rear load and b) a front load is more predictable and easier to manage with low trail. The high trail design has a lot of wheel flop which makes it a handful at lower speeds.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:45:02 +0000

We toured Denmark on the Ridgeback Panoramas in May, 2009. Read the article | See the photos

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:58:57 +0000

2000 miles now ridden on my Ridgeback Panorama. It will soon be time to replace the brake pads, and I'll probably fit Continental Travel Contact touring tyres to replace the original Continental Contact touring tyres when they're worn out. Plus a Brooks B17 saddle. Otherwise nothing to report. Excellent bicycle.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:24:41 +0000

The hanger fitted to the front of the fork? No there isn't. The main adjustment is the usual clamping nut on the left cantilever, and there's also a threaded adjuster at the top-mounted brake lever. The hanger on the 2009 model is different and fitted above the head tube.

According to my local bike shop the price rise reflects the fact that Ridgeback, along with many other bicycle companies in the UK, pay for their imports in US Dollars against which the Pound is dropping fast. There may be more price rises on the way.

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:52:25 +0000

Is there any sort of adjustment on the front brake with that hanger? Normal hangers usually have a threaded adjuster, I don't see one here. I want to fit one of these to my front canti setup which judders like mad. Yes Ridgeback prices have gone up a lot – some chatter elsewhere indicates that its partly rising material costs, which have affected all manufacturer's, and partly Ridgeback lifting their price because they have a better product than Dawes, and certainly a better reputation.