This is the brand's best-selling frameset, and the new Condor Fratello 2015 touring bike model is available now. Prices for a full build start at £1,200, but this set-up, with Shimano 105 groupset and Mavic wheels, hits the till at £1,600. You can buy the frameset only, if you’d prefer, which’ll cost you £650. Condor is all about the process; its ordering system enables you to get exactly what it is you need. The firm’s expertise will help get you from excitable browser to satisfied customer.

>>> Best touring bikes: a buyer's guide 

Frameset

It’s a steel machine made using Dedacciai tubes. The tubes are drawn to Condor’s own specifications, though, and they’re a thing of beauty. From the slightly ovalised hexagonal top tube to the elegantly curved seatstays, the whole bike looks fantastic. A round tube is by rights the most efficient shape in terms of outright strength, but by shaping the tubes differently around the frame, a balance of stiffness and comfort has been achieved, and it’s just about right.

Components

The 10-speed groupset supplied on our test machine is about to be replaced with the all-new Shimano 105 11-speed version but, even so, shifting was as precise as ever from the reliable groupset. Finishing kit is split between Deda and Condor’s own gear, including the deep drop brakes. They’ll take a mudguard with ease, but their stopping power was limited, especially when compared with the disc brakes on the other test bikes here.

Wheels

The wheels are Mavic Kysriums; a great choice. The matching Mavic tyres weren’t up to scratch, though. Their wet weather performance is an issue, but the main concern is their width, at just 23mm. When carrying weight, or for grimy winter conditions, you’d really be best

to spec something wider at purchase.

Riding

The narrow tyres and weak brakes barely make a scratch on the overall ride performance of the Fratello. It’s absolutely excellent, and thanks to the high front end, the Condor is a bike you can ride all day without complaint. With a pannier rack fitted, the bike handles the weight well, and I’d go as far as saying it’s probably the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden — with or without luggage attached. The balance between comfort and ride responsiveness is

spot-on too, so you can expect plenty of response when you feel like increasing the pace.

Review by Chris Catchpole

Words Matt Lamy | Photos Daniel Gould

I love B’Twin bikes. They’re astoundingly well priced. They’re designed — and often manufactured — in Europe. And it’s obvious that a lot of thought has gone into their design and specification. Even the models that don’t quite hit the highs have something to recommend them.

Take this Riverside 7 trekking bike, for example. The headline attraction is clear: for £599.99 you get an unmatchable spec. There’s a rear rack, Suntour NCX suspension fork, Shimano dynamo hub powering both front and rear lights, kickstand, mudguards, Shimano Deore/XT triple chainset, even a set of SPD-compatible clipless pedals. And for anyone who thinks that hydraulic rim brakes are a new invention, the Magura HS 11 sets found here have been around for donkeys’ years. In the parlance of the car showroom, this baby comes fully loaded.

Even the German-made aluminium frame has some special details, not least the through-frame routing for rear brake hose and derailleur cables. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. The finish is short of the very best — the graphics have been applied rather than painted — but all in all, it’s a very handsome machine. And there’s a lot of it.

Stable and solid

From the saddle it certainly feels like a big beast too. It’s stable and the ride on flat or moderately bumpy paths is perfectly pleasant with the Suntour fork doing its job. But what’s good on the flat isn’t so impressive up hill, and if you start climbing out of the saddle you’ll find the fork bobbing and sinking beneath you. Luckily, a handlebar-mounted fork lockout lets you disable the suspension, but you’ll have to switch it back on again when you’ve stopped climbing because in fixed mode the Riverside 7 tends to crash over road imperfections.

In fact, the crashing over bumps and the sagging under weight are indicative of the Riverside 7’s other problems. What the B’Twin saves you in terms of money, it makes up for in sheer mass. This large-sized version weighed in at a bulky 17.4kg or 38lb on our scales. I know trekking bike fans can get a bit defensive when talk turns to weight but, really, 17.4kg is a whole lot of bicycle.

You could argue that with the decent Shimano triple chainset and incredibly assured brakes, the extra weight isn’t an issue. And in the flatlands of Europe where these bikes sell by the truckload, it’s probably not a problem. But in the laudable quest to make the ultimate trekking bike package, I think things are over-engineered and over-specified just a tad for British tastes.

Paring down

What would I change? That fork is a start. With judicious use of the lockout it works fine, but why not cut out all that and go for Suntour’s excellent Magnesium Swing fork that we saw on the Roux G8 (CA July 2013) with its shorter travel and light construction?

I really, really love the Magura hydraulic rim brakes, and if you’re planning on a heavily-laden cycle touring adventure you’ll be thankful for their progressive and very effective performance. But for anybody else a set of V-brakes would save weight and be just dandy. Even little things like the adjustable but chunky stem could be swapped out for something simpler.

Let me put it this way: I enjoy 1980s stadium rock with its big hair, big choruses, big fireworks, big-chested groupies — indeed there are some realms where excess is best.

When it comes to cycling, though, I’m not so sure. In fact, in the Riverside 7’s case, it’s the lyrics of country star Garth Brooks that spring to mind: “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

Specification

B’Twin Riverside 7 £599.99

Frameset 6061 aluminium frame with Suntour NCX fork

Gears Shimano Deore/XT mix

Chainset Shimano Deore

Brakes Magura HS11 hydraulic rim brakes

Wheels Rigida rims on Shimano Deore hub (r) and dynamo hub (f)

Tyres Schwalbe Marathon

Bars/stem Aluminium, adjustable stem

Saddle Royal Freccia gel

Seatpost Aluminium

Size range M, L, XL

Weight 17.4kg

www.decathlon.co.uk

Alternative

Dawes Galaxy Cross £599.99

Proving that Brits can knock out a trekking bike to match any Continental brand, we really loved Dawes’s new Galaxy Cross when we tested it back in the April issue of CA. While it might come with flat bars, it retains many of the qualities of its drop-bar Galaxy touring brethren. The surprisingly dynamic steel frame feels great, and the mechanical disc brakes are plenty strong enough. It might not have quite as many accessories as the B’Twin, and the Shimano drivetrain isn’t quite as posh, but then it’s almost 2kg (4.4lb) lighter and a real joy to ride.

www.dawescycles.com

Like Genesis, GT is a marque more famed for its off-road credentials - it's been one of the giants of mountain bike production for longer than I've been cycling or can even remember.

Beyond this, other than their identical price tags, it's hard to draw comparisons between our two test bikes. If historians excavated both these machines centuries in the future, we reckon they'd struggle to date them as being part of each manufacturer's 2013 model range.

The GTR 5 looks positively space-age next to the classically styled Volant. Its chunky looking, hydroformed, variously profiled tubing forms an awesomely sturdy junction at the head tube end. With its matt-black coating and smooth welds, it could easily be mistaken for a far costlier carbon road bike.

More multi-use than racer

One obvious difference between our bikes is that the GT has eyes for fitting proper mudguards, which designates it as more of a multi-use bike rather than an out-and-out speed machine, but, like the Volant, clearance is tight around the tyres, so choose your fenders with care.

On the road, the slightly taller head tube of the GTR 5 and longer wheelbase do lend it a more staid character than the Genesis Volant, but it's by no means sluggish.

Although there was a sense of a little more resistance from a standstill, it not only holds speed very well and has really confidence-inspiring and predictable handling, it responds to a nice little extra kick of pedalling just when you need to buck the speed up a touch.

The only real downside is you get quite a lot of road feel transferred to the rider over bumps, leaving us feeling a bit pummelled after a long ride, particularly at the front end.

Where things get really interesting, though, is when you come to change gear. We all know any bike at this price is going to be shifting on Shimano 2300, which relies on a rather unpopular set of shifters - the thumb paddle means you can't actually change gear when riding on the drops - but although the GTR has 2300 derailleurs, the good news is the controls are made by little-known component maker Microshift.

Say what you like about the motive for this simply being a cost-saving mod, but I found the hood shape felt much broader and sturdier than the Shimano 2300's design, which I always struggle with due to them feeling narrow and flimsy, button position aside.

What's more, the Microshifts have both levers tucked alongside the brake lever. From the hoods this means a little knuckle nudge to change gear and they should be accessible from the drops too. I say ‘should', because my fingers were, in fact, a little too short to get to the smaller lever and I found them rather stiff from this angle too, needing a good shove to change gear, though most male riders won't have this issue unless they've especially small digits.

Genesis had originally been set to release the most budget model of its all-new budget road range for £649.99, but at the last second managed to trim it to £599.99, edging it into the ultra-competitive entry-level £600 price point.

This makes it a direct competitor with road machines from Stateside big-hitters like Giant, Specialized, Trek and of course our GT tested on the next page.

Built from reliable old favourite 6061 alloy, Genesis hasn't done anything fancy in trying to mess around with curved tubes, massive junctions where they meet and the like - instead the Volant looks like it perfectly encompasses the brand's modern-retro image. It's all straight lines and plain-gauge tubing, but an oversized head tube adorns the front end for extra stiffness

Traditional values

The geometry is compact, with a lightly sloping top tube, but traditional nonetheless - it really looks like a proper road bike rather than a long-distance comfort sportive machine. Upon closer inspection, an absence of mudguard eyes reinforces the image - this is clearly not intended to be a budget all-rounder as is more often seen at this entry-level price point.

Despite that, out on the road the Volant was a much more comfortable ride than expected - and by comfortable we don't mean dull and clunky, insulating you too much from all road feel. Instead, it's lively and involved, but without being clattery or too harsh. Contrary to what we would have thought by going on initial appearances, it turned out to be the smoother ride of our test pair.

The front end in particular felt efficient but not harsh, whether from the carbon fork, the oversized head tube or a combination of the two. The front is low without being back-breaking, but is just enough to be purposeful and with a nimble, efficient feel to the rest of the frame, it was an encouraging ride overall, with a frisky but responsive character.

At this price there will always be compromises though, and although the Shimano 2300 chainset is de rigueur at this price point, it definitely had the effect of neutering this bike. Finishing kit too, though perfectly adequate, was nothing to write home about and personally I would have to immediately change saddle and bars for a better fit for me. The bars are wide and have a very traditional side-on profile, which made control a real challenge for someone like me with smaller hands.

Based in the Canadian town of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Norco is a big-hitter in the world of mountain bikes. However, I wasn't aware it dabbled in drop-bar fun until I spotted the Valence A1 and its siblings on UK-exclusive dealer Evans Cycles' website.

In truth, I was rather taken aback by the almost freakishly high front end that, in online photos, the bikes seemed to exhibit.

But as internet daters know only too well, you should never believe online photos; in the flesh, the A1 appears very familiar. In fact, I couldn't help thinking of those Chinese copycat versions of established car models - things with names like the Nossen Qashncarry or Honga Jizz.

In this case, the Valence could possibly be called the Spectalised Sucteur. To be fair, there's actually a little bit of everything in its design. Despite the Valence's eye-catching, big, curving crossbar, when put side to side with the Synapse, many frame details are surprisingly similar, such as tube thicknesses, profiles and shapes - especially on the down tube, seat tube and curved seatstays.

What isn't so similar is the overall impression of the Valence. Compared with the Synapse, it doesn't seem quite as refined: those glossy white finishes are getting a bit passé these days. But then there's no messing with the spec sheet, and a 105 gearset can do a lot to help make up for a less than spectacular appearance.

Too quick to judge

So, being a shameless aesthete, was I being a little tough on the Norco? In a word, yes. On the road, it rides very, very nicely. It's not quite up to the incredible plushness of the Synapse, but it's far better than one would predict from an aluminium-framed bike.

The harshest bumps occasionally get through despite the Valence's best efforts to inhibit them, but on smooth stuff, it simply sails along. Knobbly, bobbly roads are probably the Norco's weakest point, with a degree of reverberation reaching the rider, but even here its behaviour exceeds expectations.

I like relaxed-handling bikes; the Valence is a tad more lively than I would choose, but it's far from being an energy-sapping nuisance. Yes, there is a high front-end - although, contrary to appearances, it's no more lofty than the Synapse's - but the Valence is actually good fun, and you can whip it around corners with confidence.

Stability is a shade less assured than on the Synapse but, as fair compensation, the Tektro dual-caliper brakes do a decent job, and trump the Cannondale's stoppers.

Even if the calipers themselves aren't the greatest brakes in the world, the 105 levers are confidence-inspiring and feel great; as we've come to expect, the same goes for the rest of the 105 kit fitted.

What's on your cassette?

Interestingly enough, it was the Valence A1's one piece of Tiagra equipment - the rear cassette - that was the most significant improvement over the Synapse. While Cannondale specced a 28t biggest ring at the back, Norco has opted for a 30t. You should get up most climbs with a compact crankset and a 28t rear cog, but the 30 just makes things a little easier, especially when you're grovelling on the final lung-buster on a long day.

There are a few other little details that are worth pointing out. The Valence's frame will accept a rear rack and, like the Synapse, it'll take mudguards, so it doesn't have to be a sportive-only option. In fact, it could cover a range of duties, including being a quick commuter. Oh, and not that I'm bitter, but while the R500 wheels aren't light or exotic, they dealt with my mass without complaint.

Conventional cycling wisdom would suggest, in terms of long days in the saddle, only steel is real. Nobody in Britain knows better than Dawes how to market great, mass-produced, ferrous-derived frames.

The Birmingham company is famed for its Reynolds-tubed touring bikes and, although the Century SE is classed in Dawes's Audax section, in reality it's not a million miles away from an old-school Galaxy tourer.

The first similarity is the classic frame shape - no curvy top tubes here. Everything is put together very well. I'm not enamoured by the spot of gusseting where the down tube meets the head tube, but that's counteracted by the cute gold star embossments around the bottle cage mounts. The finish and overall design is also very pleasing. In fact, I would go as far as to say it's possibly the most traditionally handsome sub-£1,000 bike available.

The tubes used to create this refined beast are Reynolds 520 chromoly, which is at the lower end of Reynolds's range, but they're still quality materials. Meanwhile, the Shimano Sora groupset is a full two stops below the 105 kit found on the Norco and Jamis.

At this point, you're expecting me to spit in disgust and talk about maximising budgets, but I'm not going to. I actually think this spec choice is very canny. If there's one thing the Century SE embodies, it's old-fashioned practicality and reliability; indeed, I know many riders who prefer Sora over Tiagra on just those grounds.

>>> Best touring bikes: a buyer's guide 

Make mine a triple

In gearset terms, this test isn't of a case of like for like, because the Century SE, among our quartet, is the only machine that comes with a triple chainset. That means you're provided with a gear range so wide that you can make full use of the rear rack mounts and saddle up for some long-distance touring, should the mood strike.

You really wouldn't mind spending a full day in the Century SE's saddle. Steel's forgiving ride qualities are all present and correct here; it's a credit to Cannondale, not a criticism of Dawes, when I say the Synapse might - amazingly - just edge it on comfort points.

However, the Century SE does flow and swoop beautifully along, and that bit of gusseting that I was so rude about earlier does a fine job sending you in the direction you want. Riding the Dawes back-to-back with a selection of aluminium bikes, you are aware it has a more relaxed nature, but it's a pleasant rather than unnerving trait.

One area where the Century does lose out to its rivals is power transfer. Despite its helpful range of 27 gears, getting up to speed does seem to require just a bit more effort and patience. It's only a kilo or two heavier than the other bikes here - and who of us couldn't lose a kilo or two? - but it's noticeable bulk. Once up to speed, though, it keeps on rolling, its stability rivalling a steam train.

Sora you coming

Yes, the Sora groupset is a tad more clunky than its posher siblings, and you do have to be more positive with the controls to make things happen, but it all works securely. The Shimano brakes and the Vittoria tyres here - and indeed those found on the Jamis - put up a good fight, handling the slippery, slidy conditions we've had recently. And the cherry on top of the common-sense cake: this bike doesn't just have the option of mudguards; they come fitted as standard.

I've been hankering after a carbon/alloy mix bike for years. The combination of strong metal main triangle with compliant composite rear seems a winner to me.

Less than a decade ago, these frame designs were being touted as the next big thing. However, because the production costs of full-carbon frames have been getting lower, and because of difficulties with bonding alloy and carbon, this type of ‘hybrid' construction has rather gone out of fashion.

To its great credit, American brand Jamis seems to ignore prevalent cycle trends. Rather, it makes almost every type of bike, including some very reasonably priced steel road bikes, as well as this twin-material Ventura Race.

In truth, the former objects of my desire generally had seat and chainstays made from the black stuff, whereas the Race has only a composite monostay, originating at the top of the seat tube. But it's still carbon, dagnabbit, so it'll be fun to see how it behaves.

Before we get that far, though, let's have a look over the rest of the bike. It's a nicely presented piece, with through-frame cable-routing found on the - yes - curved top tube. Meanwhile, the joins between aluminium and carbon are coyly hidden behind Jamis tape.

Finishing off the Ventura Race is a small selection of Ritchey components, a Jamis carbon seatpost, some reassuring 105 parts, and an average set of wheels. Despite those hoops, it hits the scales as the lightest machine on test, at a fraction less than 9kg.

Racy mover

On the road, the Jamis instantly feels far more racy than either the Cannondale or Norco. There's still a reasonably long head tube, so you're by no means bent double, but you do start finding your head slowly inching downwards.

That's not a bad thing, but it does require a slight change in mindset, especially when you reach the hills. Jamis has specced a 12-25 rear cassette, meaning that the easiest gear is noticeably higher than that found on the Norco or the Cannondale. Grinding your way up climbs feels just a little depressing when the rest of the bike is urging you to get spinning.

What about that carbon monostay out back, then? To be honest, I was rather nonplussed by it. The overall ride quality can't match that of the Synapse and is probably even slightly less compliant than the Norco. That's certainly not to say it's unbearable; it'll just make a man of you that bit quicker. In the Ventura's defence, it's a bike that feels better the more you ride it.

While the Cannondale felt like an armchair from the off, this is perhaps more like a Brooks saddle and needs a bit of breaking in. By the end of my time with it, I was thoroughly at ease in the perfectly decent San Marco Spid saddle.

Full speed ahead

However, there's no getting away from that fact that the Ventura covets speed. When powering along at high tempo, it feels incredibly secure and stable, which is particularly helpful in our eternally sodden roads. Front-end control is very assured too and, like the Norco, the duet of Tektro brakes and 105 levers sing in harmony.

Unlike on the Norco, those Tektro calipers aren't long-reach, which means there's no room for mudguards here, and certainly no option for rear racks. In the bike's overall abilities, there is actually very little ambiguity - the Ventura Race might be about long distances, but it's about going long distances at a fair lick. The one small compromise is that it'll help you do that in reasonable, but not exceptional, comfort.

The last bike grouptest I put my name to was the big-brand carbon spectacular in the May issue of Cycling Active. One thing we learned there was that, while household-name marques don't always offer the best value for money in terms of spec sheets, at their core they do offer unique, beautiful and thoroughly engineered bike frames.

And so that tradition continues here: while other machines on test come with eye-catching accoutrements - not least Shimano 105 shiny bits - Cannondale's Synapse has to make do with slightly less impressive fittings.

But then just look at that frame. Cannondale was one of the great innovators in the early days of aluminium bikes, and it still retains a high reputation for knocking together top-drawer alloy machines.

The Synapse is designed as Cannondale's sportive special, and it shows, with a super-high head tube, some nicely curved seatstays designed to dampen rear shocks, and an overall frame shape that doesn't do a bad impression of a cross bike.

We know how good cross bikes can be for multi-purposing, so that's no bad thing. Finally, in terms of pure cosmetics, all the joins are beautifully finished, the overall appearance is suitably subtle, and there's a really funky little bulge-cum-cutout halfway down the seat tube that adds something a little different.

Plush, plush, plush

From the first push of a pedal, it's apparent all those design factors have combined to create a machine that is stable, comfortable and positive - in fact, it surpasses almost any thoughts you had about alloy bikes. The Synapse is supremely refined over almost any road surface.

Alloy bikes can be unbeatable on really smooth surfaces but then lose out significantly when things start getting bumpy. However, the Synapse copes wonderfully well on the rough stuff and then still manages to shine even brighter when the asphalt improves.

Handling is nicely weighted too. This is no whippet darting in and out of corners, but it's the perfect machine for those who like to look ahead and swoop through the bends. Thinking ahead is necessary because the C4-branded brakes aren't the most impressive stoppers in the world.

One frame detail I haven't mentioned yet is the bottom bracket. BB30 technology was invented by Cannondale, so it's no wonder the company knows how to get the most from it, but even so, putting the hammer down is still breathtakingly satisfying. When the planets all align and you finally find yourself on a flat, smooth road, the feeling of pumping your legs in a big gear, with the ensuing ultimate power transfer, is hard to beat.

Taking the strain

Climbing is very positive, especially at the rear, where that direct power delivery is combined with a pleasing suppleness, helping make upward progress very steady. However, out-of-the-saddle efforts did highlight a couple of the Synapse's downsides. The first was that the heels of my feet rubbed against the bulges halfway along the chainstays.

Those bulges no doubt aid the bike's very satisfying ride characteristics, but if you have particularly large feet or slightly odd cleat alignment, this could be worth checking before you buy. The second thing is the wheelset, particularly at the front. I don't hold a grudge against any bike that lets out the initial yelp when it feels my full weight hop aboard, but the amount of moaning and groaning and pinging coming from the front wheel, especially climbing, made me think it was making a bit of a meal of things.

Finally, I admit I've given Shimano Tiagra a bit of a hard time recently, but on a sub-£1,000 bike, the less urgent reactions that comes through the drivetrain are far more acceptable.

The Dual, from another established British bike brand, Dolan, is an altogether more assertive affair.

Like the Raleigh Clubman the Dual comes equipped for winter riding, with full mudguards, but there is no looking back with this offering. The Dual is nevertheless an attractive bike. In black and bright green, with a Pixar-esque sheen, the muscular carbon tubing tapers nicely from the head tube into the seat tube and out to the bottom bracket shell.

This bike was specced a little higher than the Clubman, featuring full Shimano 105 drivetrain, shifters and brakes, again with a compact chainset. It has Mavic Aksium wheels with Aksion tyres, and Alpina carbon seatpost, 3T ARX Pro stem and 3T Rotunda compact bars. The bike building system at Dolan means that the Dual can be specced however you like.

You can have full Tiagra - like the Clubman - or Sora, which will bring it roughly in line with the Raleigh in terms of price. Alternatively, you can equip it at the higher end of Shimano's range or the SRAM equivalent.

But this build is pretty spot-on for a winter trainer, combining the right elements of performance, durability and value for money. The Aksiums are good entry-level race/training wheels with proven bombproof qualities, while the 105 kit is reliable under all conditions, and on this test the brake calipers put the Tektros to shame.

Aggressive performer

This bike is really designed with serious training in mind. Sure, it comes with mudguards but the geometry only differs marginally from Dolan's full-on racers, with a slightly shorter top tube, longer head tube and a slight rake on the front fork.

This all makes for a responsive bike both in terms of acceleration and handling. It's agile, flies along with little persuasion and climbs beautifully.

The ride quality highlights the best qualities of carbon, combining rigidity and suppleness.

I kept the position quite ‘heads-up' to suit all-weather training and commuting and in some ways the ride was reminiscent of a racy cyclo-cross frame. I was nicely tucked in and comfortable descending on the compact drops, achieved plenty of power when seated and felt really well balanced sprinting and climbing out of the saddle.

Most of the shock-absorbing is done at the front, which makes for great handling on rougher roads, while the straight rear stays and fairly large bottom bracket lead to a more positive relationship with the road at the rear of the bike.

If responsiveness is one half of the equation, the other is a certain directness when riding over bumpier terrain. I like this feel from a bike and it's a worthwhile trade-off in terms of the performance you are getting but some riders may find this tiring on longer rides.

The Raleigh Clubman evokes long winter rides, 100-plus-mile reliability trials and the days when one quality bicycle could cater for all of your transport and sporting needs.

In many respects, the Clubman has changed very little since its original incarnation at the hands of one of this country's most recognisable bicycle brands. In a contemporary context, its more sedate characteristics have steered it towards short, quick touring.

It doesn't quite have the bombproof qualities for a trans-global expedition but it's long and comfortable, quite strong, with good tyre clearance, full mudguards and mounts for racks. It's not the lightest bike you'll find but, built from Reynolds 520 chromoly, it's certainly no heavyweight.

You would have to ride a long way before you found anyone who wasn't beguiled by its simple, classic good looks. Coated in metallic dark blue with traditional Raleigh graphics plus matching steel mudguards and silver finishing kit, the Clubman is topped off with a tan Brooks Swift leather saddle and colour-matched 3D bar tape.

>>> Best touring bikes: a buyer's guide 

There is certainly enough here to please the retro crowd, but the Clubman is not a pastiche; it represents the continuity of an established lineage.

Solid spec

There is plenty of modern kit to complement the traditional frame and classic contact points. The Clubman's 10-speed set-up uses Shimano Tiagra shifters, chainset and front and rear derailleurs. The wheels comprise Weinmann TR18 rims on Tiagra hubs. Raleigh has stopped short of the full Tiagra groupset, fitting the Clubman with Tektro dual-pivot brakes.

The skinny steel tubing and relatively long wheelbase, derived from generous rear stays and a fairly dramatic rake on the fork, mean the Clubman offers a serene, silky smooth ride. It glides untroubled across the rougher sections of road. The only notable road noise comes from the mudguards, which, while easy to set up, have a tendency to rattle and buzz.

Although not the fastest out of the blocks, once up to speed the Clubman rolls along effortlessly. While the steel frame provides plenty of comfort, it is not unduly springy. The contemporary external bottom bracket pays dividends, giving plenty of rigidity.

So it's perfect for touring but, while it may be a bit laid-back for a super-quick club run, it has plenty to offer the enthusiast. It has the qualities required for those long winter miles and would make a great social rider. A patient, albeit undynamic climber, the Clubman is a nice cruiser and will eat up the miles. The geometry doesn't lend itself to sharp changes of direction but it is well balanced and swoops regally round bends.

The only real weak point in the Clubman's performance was the brakes, which were alarmingly weak. This is not the first time I've experienced this problem with Tektro calipers. They appear to be mechanically sound and rigid, so it may simply be a case of fitting better quality blocks.

Welcome to a very special bicycle. Thorn has been designing touring bikes from its Somerset headquarters for 25 years, and its experience really shows. The firm's range is diverse, offering 700c road wheels and 26in mtb-style wheels with Rohloff or derailleur gears. There's something for everyone.

The most intriguing for me was Thorn's flagship big-wheeled tourer, the Mercury, a Rohloff-equipped machine with drop bars. Quite an uncommon sight in the touring world, the brand new alloy shifter from Gilles Berthoud is the first of its kind to fit a drop handlebar which works with a Rohloff hub. To make it even more special, Thorn has designed the handlebar itself, making sure this bespoke item fits perfectly.

Frames come in eight different sizes, with four sizes specifically for use with a drop bar, and another four to use with a straight bar set-up giving plenty of options for even the most choosy of riders.

There are seven different front forks to choose from, each one turning the Mercury into a different style of bike. On our model, we went for the Reynolds Super Tourist steel touring fork, which gave me the option to include a very solid-looking front rack and a strong V-brake. At the back, there's an Avid disc brake to help control your speed on the big mountain descents.

Putting together your bike could be very confusing. But thanks to Thorn's spec sheet, all you have to do is give the team your measurements, tell them what parts you'd like, explain what type of riding you want to do, and the process becomes a lot simpler.

>>> Best touring bikes: a buyer's guide 

Built to last

The Mercury needs to be seen to be appreciated. The paint job is simply wonderful. All five designs are real paint jobs, with not a sticker in sight and the finish is absolutely first-class. We went for a traditional British racing green, mixed with cream.

Very classy. Looking closer, you'll see some very nice touches. That neat alloy shifter we mentioned earlier really catches the eye. In use, it feels industrial, but I'd take that solidness over a flimsy plastic shifter any day. On the rear seatstay bridge, there's a special brake adapter, allowing you to fit a deep-drop caliper brake. With two different brake options on the rear (ours had the disc, of course), you know you're dealing with a versatile machine.

You don't often spend time admiring the underneath of a bicycle, but you will with the Mercury. Thorn has designed a special bottom bracket that it calls a mini-eccentric BB shell. I trust Thorn when it states that this saves considerable weight. The flipside is a shorter service life for your chain, as it will need to be replaced more regularly. Before this gets too complicated (with details of sprockets, rings and chain links), it will suffice to say that, as long as you replace your chain before any epic tours, your ride should be trouble-free.

By now, I'm desperate to take the Thorn out for a spin. As you probably expected, the ride matches up to the hype. It's very smooth. The wheels do their part to soften the lumps and bumps of the road. They're neither the lightest nor the fastest rolling, but they are built with strength and longevity in mind.

Taking into consideration, for the purposes for which they are intended, they are excellent. The Schwalbe Kojak tyres are chunky but slick touring tyres designed for tarmac roads. The Schwalbe Marathon, on the other two bikes, is a better compromise of off-road grip and rolling resistance, but if you're sticking to tarmac, the Kojak's ideal.

If you haven't used one, the Rohloff hub can be a bit of an unknown quantity. When compared to a cheap groupset, I can understand why you would wonder about the high price. But it's bombproof. Stories of these hubs lasting 100,000 miles without a service might be a little bit exaggerated, but it helps you understand why they are so well-loved the world over.

Satisfaction guaranteed

There are 14 gears to choose from, with a range of ratios similar to that of a mountain bike triple. What's great is the ability to completely change the gear while stationary - a perk if you stop mid-ride and forget to change down to an easier gear.

It can take up to 1,000 miles just to wear in, so I'll be forgiving to the brand new one on the Thorn, which was a little bit noisy in a few gears. Once up and running, the shifting is fairly quick, though not as instant as the Koga's Deore XT set-up. But then you could argue that what's lost in terms of performance is easily countered by the long term benefits of such minimal maintenance.

All the way from Holland is the Koga Signature Randonneur, ‘Signature' being Koga's online custom orientated service. You don't get a custom-made frame, but what you do get is... everything else. With several frames to choose from, including their well-respected and well toured aluminium models, I chose to go with the steel Randonneur.

After the frame, it was all a bit of a blur. There are half a dozen options in each category, ranging from tyres, to lighting, stands and seatposts, luggage, saddles, wheels, dynamos, locks. You name it, you can spec it. The dizzying selection left me bewildered and excited all at the same time. In the end Koga settled it for me. A mid to high-range specced bike pricing in at €2,500. Which is about £2,100 in our British monies at the moment. Prices do in fact start from about £1,200 for a complete bike and skyrocket all the way to £3,600.

Bikes are all assembled in the Netherlands, and shipped off to a UK dealer for final preparation. This kind of service gives the buyer the custom experience, with a LBS finish. You don't take your Koga home until you're happy with it, So there's no worries with buying an online bike and having it arrive to your door the wrong colour, size, or worse, banged up into bits.

At a few hundred pounds more than the Dawes, you'll be forgiven for expecting a little more in return for your paycheck, and to be fair to Koga, it really delivers. The spec sheet for this bike was two pages long. Let me share a few highlights with you. Shock absorbing seatpost. Lock. Pump. Two kickstands. Posh dynamo with lights. Brake control adjustment. Butterfly bar. Pump. Thermos bottles. And...compass. The list goes on...

What the spec!

Listing these upgrades brings me on to a good point - raised by fellow tourer, and CA tester, Derri Dunn. With so many more things adorning this bicycle, isn't that so many more things to break? Yes, that is a worry actually. The simpler a bike is, the less you have to worry about in terms of durability. So I guess with each optional extra you have to weigh a few factors up.

One, funnily enough, is weight. Then there's cost. There's the possibility of your bike breaking, divided by the likelihood of you being able to fix it on the road. And finally, the benefits. One example is the shock absorbing seatpost. It's wonderful. If I was touring on rougher roads I'd definitely include it. If I was travelling through almost any of Western Europe... I probably wouldn't bother. Something to keep in mind when putting your Koga together.

The butterfly effect

If you consider yourself a traditionalist, you've probably already decided you don't like the looks of the Randonneur. But don't be hasty. I'll admit I didn't fall for it at first glance. It's a bit fiddly to look at, with every space seemingly filled with one component upgrade or another.

But you have to view it as a case of function trumping form. Everything has its place and everything works. When you look behind the parts, you'll see what is an exceptionally well-made frame this is. The traditional lugs are particularly nice. Then there's the lovely paint job and the smart typography. All in, it's not looking so bad.

When you hop aboard the Koga, you can see why Mark Beaumont, The Man Who Cycled the World (and in record time) owns seven of them. Seven. A Brooks saddle, a shock-absorbing seatpost, and a lovely steel frame have comfort wrapped up in a lovely neat package. I've never been so comfortable on a bike for so many miles as I was on this.

The next item to thank would be the butterfly handlebars. A European must-have when it comes to touring, but over here, you'll be lucky if you saw one set for every hundred bikes on the road. I think we're missing a trick though. At first they were a little bit cumbersome, but once rolling they really do offer a different level of comfort. Different doesn't essentially equal ‘better' of course, but as a change of scenery at least, it certainly perked up my riding. With no drops to fall down to you're generally in a higher riding position, with a straighter back and a higher viewpoint. With your hands on the very top, you assume an ‘old faithful' position. It's very different from what we're used to with ‘tops and drops'.

The Koga is accompanied by a full Deore XT groupset. Unlike the mixed Shimano bucket of parts on the Dawes Ultra Galaxy, the Randonneur has the full complement of top-rate mountain bike metal. The gear changing is very sweet. The thumb shifters are located in a perfect position on the bar making for the most effortless shifting of all three bikes. No matter what the hill, there's a gear here for you to make things easy. The brakes provided real stopping power, although with the turning of the weather come the end of May, I didn't get to test them in the wet. The Dawes' were this good too, until the rain came down.

It seems most fitting to kick things off with the bike brand best known inside these shores.

Dawes has been making its Galaxy tourer for many, many years and it has become legendary among the British touring crowd. Galaxys older than me are still reliably toured to this day. This version, the Galaxy Ultra, is the best-specced model available and, at £1,800, it's cheaper than the closest priced competitor in this test by a few hundred pounds.

Slowly evolving over the years, the 2012 models are a big departure in terms of geometry from Galaxys of the past - the second generation sloping top tube models show that, despite traditionalists gasping in horror at a redesign in recent years, Dawes is sticking with it. Good feedback from customers and dealers has given Dawes the confidence to continue in the same vein. With extra sizes added this year, there should be a Galaxy available for every rider.

Present and correct

Looking at the bike, I have to say Dawes has done a nice job. From afar, the paint job is very smart. Decals and finish all correct and proper. A modern twist on a classic machine. Up close the Dawes continues to impress. The build looks solid with neat welds and a sturdy rack. Unloaded with panniers and luggage though, the Ultra does look a little ungainly. The skinny tubing exaggerates this slightly and the sloping top tube doesn't help.

This isn't a bike made to ride unloaded, though, so I'm happy to let this go. Racked up and ready to ride, it certainly looks the part.

Although I like the aesthetics of the bike, they're meaningless if the ride doesn't match up. So I was very excited to get out on my first ride on such a well-regarded machine. After starting with some easy commuting, which flew by very comfortably, I loaded up the Galaxy Ultra for a long weekend of touring. With bulging panniers and a tent attached, the Ultra was certainly taking the strain with ease. I set off for a very long day in the saddle and paid close attention to the ride.

All in all, I have to say the Dawes impressed. Firstly, it's a very comfortable machine. The 853 steel is both light and stiff, while easily retaining the shock-absorbing properties that I've come to really love with steel frames. With an easily adjustable stem, it's possible to change the height of your bars if you fancy getting a little bit more upright for the day.

Alternatively, you can lower your riding position to increase your speed. It's actually a good, fun ride too. When fully loaded, there was a slight wobble as I climbed out of the saddle, but considering the amount of weight I was carrying, I wasn't too worried.

Words and photos: Chris Catchpole

This article is known as a ‘First Ride’. But here at CA we’re a thorough lot and we tend to give our bikes a proper testing. On this occasion though, I may have gone a little beyond the call of duty. I decided to coincide the test of this bike with a cycle tour I had planned. 1,000 miles later, here we are.

A steel frame is a given for a touring bike, and for the Voyage Ridgeback has chosen Reynolds 520. A more affordable (but slightly heavier) option in the Reynolds range, that’s just as comfortable as you want it to be. When combined with the big Continental tyres, you’re in for a really smooth and comfortable ride.

Rolling underneath are Alex rims on Shimano hubs. A solid enough combination, and one that easily lasted the 1,000 miles. Beyond just ‘lasting’ the distance, the wheels stayed true and strong each day. The stand-out part of the wheelset was actually the comfy tyres. 32mm Continental Contacts never punctured and offered a great combination of low rolling resistance on the road and grip on bridleways — a must for the more exciting parts of any cycle tour.

Stopping my heavy load and me was a pair of Tektro cantilever brakes. A nice extra are the top-mounted brake levers, which work in conjunction with the brakes located on the drops. When I say ‘stopping’ though, what I mean is ‘vaguely slowing the bike down’. When compared to the disc brake-equipped bike of my riding partner, the brakes were hard work. At least I’ve got big strong hands now.

The drive was provided by a Shimano family gathering; a Deore rear derailleur accompanied an 11-32 cassette. At the other end an Alivio triple chainset and a roadie Sora front derailleur combined to complete a generally reliable shifting experience, with more than enough gears for our rolling hills. Mismatched groupsets tend to be a by-product of a tight budget, but in this instance the money was generally spent in the best places. I appreciated the more expensive Deore rear derailleur — it coped well with the wide-ratio cassette. And the front Sora derailleur, once correctly adjusted, was reliable enough.

While the cables bedded in and I got used to the Shimano clan’s differing personalities, I must have pushed the chain off a dozen times. The deftness of touch I learnt to administer was remarkable. Not only are my hands strong now, they’re delicate too. A deadly combination indeed. Anyway, once I had a chance to readjust the cables/mech, and learnt how to control my new friend, the groupset offered reliable shifting for the rest of my ride.

I was pleased at the performance though, considering the mishmash of components. It shows you don’t have to spend more on a groupset than this whole bike costs if you want to go a long way. Perhaps this is easier to say when riding in England, where there is almost always a bike shop or friend, at most, a few hours away.

Carrying a full rear rack of clothing gear and camping equipment, and front racks filled with books and food, the bike was solid as a rock. But that’s to be expected. An extra 25kg (on top of a 14kg bike) would make anything feel planted and stable. What wasn’t apparent (and I was thankful) was any serious evidence of front or rear-end wobbles, sometimes a problem when carrying a heavy load. Any movement from the rear end — created, for example, by standing out of the saddle  — was easily controlled (usually by sitting down). Yes, what was I standing up for in the first place?

If it wasn’t completely clear already, this a lot of machine for the money. There are dedicated worldwide touring machines out there, but expect a significant jump in price before you find something that really stands out in comparison.

That said, this isn’t something I would use for a worldwide expedition, but only for two reasons. I wouldn’t trust the mixed-up entry-level group set to be reliable enough over thousands of miles of touring, especially on anything less than smooth and dry tarmac roads. The wheel combination was good, and should provide many miles of reliable running, but they’re perhaps not strong enough for the real rough stuff.

Realistically though, this bike was never really designed for vast quantities of international touring. If you’re in the market for a comfortable touring bike though, the Voyage is a definite contender.

Upgrade tip: Saddle up

Get that saddle replaced by something long lasting and leather. Brooks saddles are famous for their high-mileage comfort, and for good reason. The amount of padding in the Voyage’s saddle looks reassuring at first. And after 10 miles you’ll be praising its gentle caress of your rear end. But after 100 miles (and beyond) you’ll be wishing for something with support. A real sore point. Literally.

Ridgeback Voyage

Frame Reynolds 520

Fork chromoly

Gears Shimano Sora/Deore, Alivio chainset

Wheels Shimano RM70 hubs & Alex ACE-19 rims

Tyres Continental Contact 700 x 32c

Handlebar 6061 aluminium Ergo Tour

Stem Alloy threadless

Saddle Tour Comfort

Seatpost alu 27.2mm

Weight 13.7kg (30.1lb)

Frame size tested 50cm

Colour Gloss black

Brakes Tektro 992AG

Brake levers/shifters Shimano STI with Tektro 570 top levers

Cassette Shimano 11-32, 8sp

Price £849.99

Alternative

Thorn Sherpa £1,200

If you’re planning a trip that covers a little more off-road action, or you’re just in need of something bulletproof, stop looking right now. Thorn’s Sherpa has tougher 650c wheels. Is made with Thorn’s own seamless steel, and comes with a lifetime guarantee, so you don’t ever have to worry. The best part is that each Sherpa is made to your specifications, so you can spend whatever it takes to make it the exact bike you need it to be.

Words: Nick Rearden, Photos: Chris Catchpole

Dawes’ new Nomad fits into its touring range alongside such classic models as the various Galaxys and Horizons. The format of wide-ranging derailleur gears and triple chainset mounted on a strong and stable Reynolds-tubed frame is pretty much the standard for a touring bike.

Plus, dropped handlebars in a relatively raised position viz-a-viz the saddle, points to a machine that is designed to ride comfortably for hours on end, up hill and down the proverbial dale. Why change it?

Well, Dawes clearly isn’t aiming to change too much or it would have applied the new features of the Nomad to all those existing bikes, too. This is merely Dawes making a suggestion that maybe, there’s another way to tour.

It has looked across the Channel to where German and Dutch ‘trekking’ bikes are basic transport for moderately ambitious weekenders.

Bike riding is so much more popular among the general population in Holland and it’s considered normal to spend Saturday or Sunday cycling 50 or 60 miles, but spread across the whole day with plentiful cafe and photography stops. For that, why wouldn’t you want to be both comfortable and able to enjoy the benefits of a modern, lightweight bike?

The Nomad has two distinct features designed to counteract the worst fears of any cyclist that doesn’t want to spend their life on maintenance. First, the gear system is fully enclosed in the rear hub and controlled by intuitive thumb-operated handlebar shifters like those on mountain bikes.

Second, the handlebar is straight and fitted with both ergonomic bar-ends for comfortable alternative hand positions and an easily adjustable stem so you can tweak your ride height at the front, even during a ride if you’re feeling like a change.

The best or nothing

The overall impression of riding the Dawes Nomad is akin to driving a fine Mercedes estate car. It goes like the clappers on the flat and down hill, with an exquisitely wrought Reynolds-tubed chassis that is stiff enough to counteract the potentially twisting weight that the Nomad begs you to load onto those purposeful Tubus luggage racks.

Up increasingly steep hills, the gears slip into place obediently and silently and, again, that touring frame remains stable without the jitters that can unhinge you on something that’s being pushed to perform out of its league.

The transmission is based on the new 11-speed variant of Shimano’s successful eight-speed Alfine rear hub. The extra ratios open out the total range of gears available without introducing large jumps between ratios — the traditional bugbear of internal hub gears.

The best thing is not having to worry about changing gear at the front, from one chainring to another and then another, as found on a typical tourer with a triple chainset, while you find the perfect ratio to match your output to the incline. Just a straight progression of evenly spaced gears from one to 11, which, by the way, you can select while you’re stationary.

And it’s commuting where you’ll appreciate the benefit of all the gear gubbins being tucked away neatly inside the hub. Relentless day-after-day riding in all weathers isn’t conducive to maintenance-motivation and yet, maintenance is what you need to do on a derailleur-equipped bike if you expect to find it enjoyable to ride when you do get out for fun at the weekend. Just keeping the chain oiled on your Alfine bike will prolong the service intervals by a factor of four, I reckon.

My main and pretty much only concern with this Nomad is that Dawes has fitted an 18-tooth rear sprocket that positions the overall range of ratios too high. I live in a hilly place and favour a relatively high pedalling cadence, but the top gear is too high and the bottom gear not low enough considering that fully laden panniers would easily wipe 5mph off your cruising speed. I would have your bike shop fit one of the alternative larger sprockets available, unless you live in Norfolk.

Dawes Nomad £1499.99

Weight 15.02kg / 33lb inc pedals and racks

Sizes 16, 18, 20in

Colour Metallic aubergine

Frame Reynolds 631 butted steel

Fork Cro-mo steel, triple-butted unicrown

Gears Shimano Alfine 11-speed

Wheels Shimano hubs with Alex rims, 36 spokes

Handlebar Dawes with adjustable stem

Brakes Shimano BR-M432 alloy V-brake

Saddle Dawes Tour Gel

Tyres Schwalbe Kevlar Guard Marathon 32mm

Pedals Wellgo W-PD95B

Extras SKS Chromoplastic mudguards, Tubus front and rear luggage racks, Ergon integrated grips & bar-ends

700c v 26in: A question of wheel size
It’s not just on mountain bikes that manufacturers are offering a choice of wheel size. Increasingly, touring bikes too are raising the question of whether a smaller wheel with a fatter tyre might be better if you plan to hit the lumpier trails with your new machine.

That’s certainly what Dawes is thinking and from the outset this new Nomad model will be available with either, according to your preference. That’s one where a test ride at the dealership will help, but as a general rule of thumb, stick with the larger 700c size which rolls better for mostly road use. Go with the smaller 26in size, especially on the smaller frame size, if your ambitions lead you off the roads.

Alternative: Dawes Tanami £499.99

No one’s pretending that the £1,500 Nomad isn’t a pricey bike; if you’re prepared to forgo the Alfine hub and luxury frame, there’s a family of well-priced Dawes trekking bikes of which this Tanami is a good choice. Workhorse mileage will eat the 24-speed Shimano Alivio derailleur gears for breakfast but careful maintenance will help. There are variants still charmingly called ‘Gents’ and ‘Ladies’.

London-based South African former pro Jean-Claude Pretorius offers three titanium framesets, the Kranspoort being aimed at the sportive rider or 'enthusiast racer', as Pretorius puts it. The other two are the women-specific Bonnet and the Longtom, a singlespeed/fixie.

The Kranspoort is made from 3Al/2.5V titanium. It has a slightly taller head tube and shorter top tube for a more upright sportive position, but the 74° seat tube angle of the size 56 we tested puts the rider over the BB in a powerful enough position.

This tester fell between stock sizes and had to push the saddle right back on its rails and use a longish 130mm stem. It's worth noting then, that full custom geometry is available for an extra £200 via the Dartfish/Retül fitting system at Pretorius's shop in Hoxton. Frame-and-fork prices start at £1,390.

Granted, this is a top-notch build, but Campagnolo Bora Ones aren't the very lightest wheels and so we were astonished that the complete bike only weighed 15.5lb (7kg).

The penalty for this feathery lightness is that compared with some of the super-rigid overbuilt carbon frames of the moment, it is not the stiffest.

However, Pretorius is clear about who the Kranspoort is for, and Mark Cavendish's name is not on the list.

10th November 2010 Words: Matt Lamy

Can there be anything that stirs the soul of a British touring person more than unpacking a bike box and finding a fresh Dawes Galaxy, finished in British Racing Green, lurking within?

Now before we go any further, let me declare a personal interest: the bike that took me on that voyage across France was a Dawes Galaxy. I have kept it for 17 years, and even though it’s now a tad short in the reach, I doubt I will ever part with it.

I also doubt my story is unique. For almost 40 years the Dawes Galaxy has been the first choice for anybody requiring an off-the-peg, long-distance, weight-carrying bicycle. So it seems only right that a 2010 model should be the first bike we test here; this will be the bike that the others are judged by. And in my eyes the current Galaxy also has to prove itself against something else: its early-Nineties forefather.

Not losing its looks

Thankfully, the new Galaxy is still a handsome beast, although the huge stack of polished spacers on top of the already long head tube looks slightly like overkill. The frame is made from excellent Reynolds 631 steel tubing, but unlike the other bikes in this test, for some reason my test sample didn’t proudly sport the Reynolds sticker. And while the frame is made mostly of round tubes, the oversize down tube has an ovalised profile.

Aside from the standard touring bike spec, Dawes has fitted a good quality Tubus rear rack and a useful set of Wellgo clipless pedals. These accept Shimano SPD cleats on one side and are standard flat pedals on the other, and while they won’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, they are a welcome component nevertheless.

With these under foot it was easy to clip-in, sit on, and get pedalling. A satisfying new-bike ping emanated from the rear mech as I switched cogs and moved smoothly onwards. From the off you can’t fail to notice how plush the Galaxy is.

The large volume tyres and steel frame combine to take the edge off road bumps, and the Shimano components never miss a beat. The chunky saddle may look a little odd compared to more sporty perches, but it felt just fine.

For people that only ride road bikes and are used to integrated brake-cum-gear levers, bar-end shifters might seem like a step backwards, but they are extremely easy to use and — more importantly — simple to fix and maintain.

The right lever that controls the rear derailleur is indexed — ie, it clicks between gears — while the left operates the front mech but is not indexed, so you decide exactly where you want it placed. It’s nowhere near as tricky as it sounds and it makes for silky gear changes. The other great thing about bar-end gear levers is they instantly confirm you are on a genuine touring bike.

Raising the bar

The aspects I most love and hate about my Nineties Galaxy are its stem and handlebars. While the vintage quill stem is now too short for me and is outmoded technology, the swirling inscription on my old standard issue randonneur bars gave the bike a really regal air.

Thankfully Dawes has put a modern threadless-type stem in place of the quill, although it’s a pretty lacklustre affair that wraps over the (sadly now plain non-branded) bars using an ultra-sparse two-bolt faceplate.

In practice this set-up doesn’t work particularly well. Despite tightening the faceplate bolts to a pretty reasonable torque I gradually found my top half sinking lower towards the ground. Either the bars were twisting or I was shrinking. It took a fair yank on the Allen key — far more than should be necessary — to get the bars to stay put.

While that is a disappointment, it is also something that can be easily and cheaply rectified. Trust me, even the most cack-handed person can fit a new stem.

That minor gripe aside, the Galaxy is everything I expected it to be. It handles beautifully, it makes pedalling a pleasure and it has an understated classiness. If you’re spending all day in the saddle, this ain’t a bad place to be.

Read on....

Group test: 4 top tourers introduction
Pearson Compass Touring
Claud Butler Dalesman
Ridgeback Panorama
Group test verdict

10th November 2010   Words Matt Lamy

Sitting quietly on a pedestrianised South London high street is Pearson Cycles, a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of biking goodies. This year is the firm’s 150th anniversary and to celebrate that fact, each of its own-brand models features a commemorative sticker on the top tube.

Like all the bikes in this test, the Compass frame originates in the Far East rather than the London Borough of Sutton. But where Pearson’s relatively small operation has the edge on other firms is that you can ask for a custom spec, and have your personal choice of components fitted. We’ve opted for the standard specification, which costs a penny less that £1,200 and features a Shimano Deore drivetrain and hubs, and the same Tektro brakes that feature on the Dawes and Claud Butler.

>>> Best touring bikes: a buyer's guide 

Unlike the first two bikes, Pearson has opted to use standard round-profile Reynolds 631 tubing throughout. That is probably more in keeping with touring bikes of yore, although the beautiful red sparkle finish with classy little bands on the seatstays is a fine modern touch. The frame shape is surprisingly similar to the Galaxy, although Pearson has also included a few practical extras. The first of these is a dynamo mount on the front forks — an essential lighting solution for the cycle tourist — and a pump mount on the non-driveside seatstay.

The rest of the bike is finished with decent stuff — a very road bike-orientated Pearson-branded saddle cradles your soft bits while the front end gets oversized Pearson-branded stem and handlebars. They’re perfectly functional items and, hallelujah, there are a full four bolts on the faceplate.

Fast and forgiving

So to the road. Because the Compass shares a very similar geometry and an almost-similar tubeset to the Galaxy it is no surprise to find the ride sensation is also familiar. Again there is an all-present smoothness, but in the Compass there is an added urgency — the bike feels like it wants to go faster. In fact, it’s a very entertaining ride. Like an eager puppy, the Compass just wants to explore — a handy trait in a touring bike. All this without sacrificing comfort.

This keenness, combined with responsive handling, could get you in trouble. Because these bikes are carbon-free zones — so you don’t have to worry about anything cracking spectacularly — and there’s no harsh aluminium feedback to temper your exuberance, you are tempted to really enjoy yourself, particularly on loose descents and ‘fun’ terrain. But as with all the machines in this test, the Compass is no lightweight and you may yet carry even more mass in panniers, so just remember you will have to stop at some point. On this occasion the Tektro Oryx cantilevers are combined with chunky, single-use Cane Creek brake levers, which provide a reassuringly firm purchase. A side effect of this is that the brake hoods are a far more pleasant place to rest your sweaty mitts than the thinner Shimano examples specced on the Galaxy.

Keep it trim

Like Dawes, Pearson has opted to fit ultra-efficient bar-end shifters, and the more you ride with them the more you love them. With a simple twist of its D-ring, the right-side rear mech shifter can also be put in friction mode rather than index, and the real beauty of this is that you control exactly where the derailleurs sit. If you hear the chain rubbing on the front mech, just trim it by tweaking the lever. And if you have to ditch a front derailleur, crankset, or even use a different cassette at the rear, they’ll happily adapt to that too.

In this specification the Compass comes in £50 more expensive than the Galaxy but you’ll have to supply your own pedals. At 13.7kg it’s also the heaviest bike on test, although weight is a less important factor on a bike with wide-ratio gearing that’s only going to get heavier as you load it up.

So the Compass is a great bike that manages to combine traditional elements with comfort. But perhaps the most notable part of its character is its unbridled sense of fun.

Read on....

Group test: 4 top tourers introduction
Dawes Galaxy
Claud Butler Dalesman
Ridgeback Panorama
Group test verdict

10th November 2010   Words:  Matt Lamy

Ridgeback may be better known for hybrids and commuting bikes but this fully-featured touring machine sits atop its range. Like the Claud Butler Dalesman it benefits from being a flagship model, and as such it features some extra bells and whistles.

Unlike Claud Butler, Ridgeback has eschewed little novelties, instead concentrating on making the most of the bike’s already significant touring potential. Wherever there is a bracket or boss there is an accessory fitted to it. All three bottle cage mounts are complemented by three decent Blackburn bottle cages. The non-driveside seatstay hand-pump mount has a hand pump attached. And, uniquely in this test, the front fork rack mounts have Blackburn lowrider racks fixed.

Hot metal machine

The fulsome specification doesn’t stop there. Like the Dalesman, a pair of Tektro frogleg brake levers are positioned on top of the bars, but rather than the Tektro cantilever brakes fitted to its rivals, the Panorama benefits from genuine Shimano stopping power. Ridgeback has also upped the ante with the transmission, fitting a funky XT rear derailleur. Not only is this higher up Shimano’s range than the Deore mech found elsewhere but its very current design instantly makes the bike look like a truly 21st Century tourer.

Probably the most important specification difference, though, is in the choice of tubing. Rather than Reynolds 631, Ridgeback has gone one step higher and chosen Reynolds 725 for the Panorama. Just to get a bit technical about metal for a minute, 631 is a cold-drawn, air-hardening steel while 725 is heat-treated chromoly steel, which in simple terms means that thinner walled, ie lighter, tubes can be used.

As far as contact points go Ridgeback has kitted out the Panorama sensibly. There’s a decent leather saddle with a pressure relief channel, and good quality stem and bars. The 2010 model of the Panorama came fitted with Shimano SPD pedals, but although there’s been a £50 increase to its retail price, our test sample came only with toe-clips and straps. Finally, up front, those pleasantly grippable Tiagra STI levers provide hood-holds.

Bright and brittle

So the Panorama has a number of small individual advantages over the other bikes here, but how do they combine to function on the road? The first thing to say is that if we were just looking for a sense of Britishness in these bikes, the Ridgeback would come last. It is almost Teutonic in its efficiency, particularly when climbing. When the ground points up this bike just lets you sit in the saddle and spin on. It’s a similar story coming downhill, with the Shimano cantilever brakes and Tiagra levers providing assured stopping power.

However, when you reach the rough stuff something else becomes apparent. The frame qualities that make climbing such a doddle also make the bike slightly less amenable over bumps. Unlike the Pearson that rocks and rolls, the Panorama tends to bounce and bump. Despite its superior tubing, the Panorama feels a lot less supple than the other steel bikes in this test. So much so that it’s reminiscent of an aluminium machine.

Despite being exactly the same model, the STI gear shifters provided a far better experience on the Panorama than with the Dalesman, but gear changes were nowhere near as smooth as with the bar-end levers. And although the XT rear mech is a step up, and it certainly did its job without grumbling, I think you’d be hard pushed to notice a performance difference over Deore.

The Panorama is a great bike to ride, a really efficient machine for cranking out the miles and overcoming nature’s obstacles. It feels indestructible, the front and rear racks almost goad you into loading them up with masses of kit. In short, it’s a bike that will take you almost anywhere — just make sure you’ve got some comfy shorts.

Read on....

Group test: 4 top tourers introduction

Dawes Galaxy
Pearson Compass Touring
Claud Butler Dalesman
Group test verdict

10th November 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

This test proves that British cycle firms haven’t forgotten how to make a decent touring bike, and we haven’t even touched on bespoke, made-to-measure machines from smaller firms like Roberts or Mercian. The fact that you can buy — off the peg — a human-powered machine that will take you around the world is a strangely thrilling prospect.

Before we do a rundown of our touring hierarchy, let’s make one caveat — these bikes weren’t tested with bags attached. Fully loaded with panniers front and rear, the riding characteristics of these machines will change. For example, a heavily-laden Pearson Compass is unlikely to display quite so much exuberance. That said, all indicators suggest a Ridgeback Panorama at full carrying capacity is likely to remain supremely efficient.

Before anyone asks why, there is a good reason why we didn’t weigh the bikes down: how much weight should we have used? Some people might use their tourer to transport a few files to work. Some might use it to carry all their worldly goods across the globe. Some might do both. Only you will know the role your bike is going to take, so bear that in mind when choosing and test riding a touring machine.

Dalesman’s demise

Now to the order of merit. In last place is the Claud Butler Dalesman. Although it tries to go large on the traditional details — spoke holders, riveted saddle, etc — it misses out on the fundamentals. The more we look at it, the more we feel the frame shape is just plain wrong: a bit less length on the top tube and a bit more height on the head tube would have improved things immeasurably. Certainly the Dalesman’s price is attractive, but money isn’t everything.

In third place is the Dawes Galaxy, but coming third out of four here really isn’t the whole story. The Galaxy is still a great bike with a supremely relaxed, comfortable ride. We might have picked up on a couple of specification issues, but this iteration is still deserving of the legendary Galaxy name. Few other bikes have this ability to make you feel like an aristocrat in the saddle.

Then we come to the joint winners, the Pearson Compass and Ridgeback Panorama. At its heart, the Compass also has its roots in traditional touring bikes, but it uses current thinking to complement the old-school charm. And it really is a charming bike — like a sprightly OAP it’s game for a laugh without losing its composure. Here’s an abstract analogy for you: it’s the Lionel Blair of touring cycles.

The Panorama actually couldn’t be more different. There’s far less outright charm or character, but it makes up for that with pannier-loads of ability. It also benefits from being a thoroughly modern touring bike. The Panorama is far less concerned with recreating long gone heydays and would rather be prepared for the next adventure. The list price might be the highest of this quartet, but that is thoroughly justified by the excellent quality throughout.

So if it was our £1,250 what would we choose? If we really had designs on crossing continents and exploring uncharted territories it would be the Panorama. But if our touring aspirations were more likely to be wild weekends in Wales and the occasional foray abroad it would be the Compass. In either case, you’re going to get a great bike — and a fine way to see the world.

Group test: 4 top tourers introduction
Dawes Galaxy
Pearson Compass Touring
Claud Butler Dalesman
Ridgeback Panorama

Is it an old fashioned bicycle sporting sensible steel mudguards? Is it a hipster whip rocking some straight wild retro fenders? Is it a winter training steed perfect for getting the miles in? How fluent is the Juicer Hi in the various and idiosyncratic languages of cycling and which one, if any, is its mother tongue?

It can definitely get by in the language of the earlier cycling generation. At a glance resembling a 1950s police bicycle, it looks ultra-conservative with its bootlace tubing and plain navy blue colour. The graphics are a little unconventional, but so small you wouldn't notice. The ‘proper' frame, with horizontal top tube, is made of Tange Prestige double-butted steel, and even though Charge's bikes are made in Taiwan, the company itself is as British as Finchley, as a Conservative (with a big C) lady once said.

As for the patois of urban cycling, Charge has long been fixie-approved and its Plug is possibly the most popular off-the-peg fixie with cred. Many of the types who claim to have found vintage track frames in skips and then to have applied their own custom rattlecan paintjobs are comfortable with Charge - though they might not admit it at first. Plus, the fixed-gear bike has become so common now that actually having 20 gears might just catch on. Imagine that - and mudguards too!

And as for the third language - of Lycra and mileage - the Juicer might get a few funny looks, but not many clubmen would actually accuse it of being ‘not from round here'. This is because it has a ‘serious' groupset which consists mostly of roadie-approved Shimano 105 and includes other names from the racing scene such as FSA, which supplies the Gossamer compact chainset and seatpost, bar and stem.

And the classic roadman's lift - grasping the bike by bar and saddle and lifting it about four inches off the ground - would also produce a nod of approval from dyed-in-the-wool types. The Juicer Hi weighs 21.9lb, which means it can blend in with the racing men's winter training bikes on the clubrun. It also has the ride quality of a proper bike with its 73deg parallel geometry, not to mention the coveted feel of steel. If you've come straight off your fixed bike you may find yourself going faster than usual on the Juicer, and really enjoying all that gear shifting.

You don’t always know within the first few hundred metres if you’re going to like a bike, but I took to the Planet X Pro Road Ti Sportive immediately.

It harks back to the good ol’ days of titanium — not so surprising, given its heritage. Planet X has sourced this frame from Lynskey, founders of Litespeed before they sold up to go it alone under their own family name. So, they know a thing or two about titanium bike frames, and it shows.

The mainly round, double-butted 3Al-2.5V titanium tubeset delivers a very positive ride experience. There’s feedback, but none of the jarring that is present in so many modern designs, so for me, the skinny, curved seatstays worked a treat.

When you climb out of the saddle, the bottom bracket stands firm, as does the headtube, so Lynskey has delivered performance and comfort, a characteristic of an expertly constructed ti frame. This sportive model has an extra-long wheelbase, making it super stable, though not the quickest handling, but a good balance has been struck.

The package includes a fair bit of Planet X’s own-brand kit, but it’s all good stuff. The fork (Planet X SL Pro Full Carbon) and wheels (Planet X Model B Aero rim) were particularly impressive.