£1,349.99 Adventure-flavoured machine for tough commutes and big adventuresWeight 14.81kg (M) Frame Steel Fork Chromoly steel Gears Shimano Alivio 3x9 (48/36/26t, 11-36t) Brakes Promax DSK 300 mechanical discs Wheels Jalco DM25 rims, Shimano M475 hubs Finishing kit Ridgeback AS-007 stem, Ridgeback alloy handlebar, alloy seatpost, Ridgeback Custom saddle, Schwalbe Marathon 26x1.75in tyres, mudguards, 18kg-capacity rear rack
The Ridgeback may not be your everyday commuter bike, but it’s a very sound choice if you’re looking for one bike to cover day-to-day commuting that includes poor road surfaces, as well as longer cycle-touring adventures with off-road sections. The provided rear rack adds practicality for using panniers, and the steel frame is strong. Along with the wide, tough tyres there’s comfort to spare. Fitted full-length mudguards mean you won’t arrive at work splattered in road grime, while grips with integrated bar ends offer you extra hand positions, which will be very welcome on longer rides.
Adventure ready
The UK-designed Expedition is made from steel tubes joined with tidy (if not the most elegant) TIG welds. The frame is mostly skinny, though the seat-tube is slightly oversized. All the cabling is externally routed, which makes it easier to carry out gear and brake maintenance. The elegant, curved steel fork has fittings for a low-rider rack, while the frame has pretty much all the fittings you’d need. Like the Genesis, there are bosses galore on the down-tube and seat-tube, with a further pair on the underside of the down-tube. There are also fittings for a continental-style nurse’s lock and a steel plate for a kickstand.
As the name suggests, the Ridgeback Expedition has touring ambitions, so it’s no surprise to find its geometry is laid back. Even compared with the pretty long-wheelbase Specialized and Trek here, the Ridgeback is longer. Throw in a shortish top-tube and a slack 70° head angle, and you have a bike with an upright riding position and stable handling that’s the inverse of ‘twitchy’. This is exactly what you want when you’re racking up steady miles commuting or touring (with tiring legs).
Time traveller
As for its specification, Ridgeback has seemingly stepped back in time to the world of mountain bikes in the 1980s. The Shimano triple chainset seems as retro and old-school as I am, but there are good reasons for it. On long, challenging rides – especially if laden – you want to be riding at a consistent cadence while having the widest range of gears po
