Back in 2012, when I was getting back into biking, I remember getting a new MTB. At that time, a lot of people were riding undersized bikes, preferring the maneuverability and weight of a smaller bike. At the time I was just getting back into mountain biking and didn't know what true comfort was. I rode that bike all over the world on various adventures, until 2022, when I had the opportunity to build myself up a new mountain bike.  

Up until that point, I had been using a gravel bike as my bikepacking rig, proudly telling people that any bike can be a bikepacking bike. While true, it really does help to have the right tool for the job. In 2021, I set two FKTs on bikepacking routes in the region. While it is possible to ride the BT700 (actually 800km) with a gravel bike, your body will take a huge toll for doing so and will let you know at regular intervals just how sore it is. This is particularly true when trying to ride a route as fast as possible and not giving your body time to recover. It was around this time that I decided I needed as a bike with a bit more rubber to help absorb the strain that was going straight through those 44c tires.

Being lucky enough to get some deals through companies, I went and built up a beautiful bike I could never afford to fix if something were to happen to it. Even then, I spent way more than was sensible and never truly felt comfortable bombing down singletrack with it. Someone once told me that if you can't afford to replace your bike in the event something happens to it, you probably can't afford to ride it.

Luckily, in the fall of 2022, Panorama Cycles reached out and offered to loan me the Chic-Chocs carbon fatbike for the winter. By the spring of 2023, Panorama became the newest sponsor of the Bikepack Adventures Podcast, and I was excited to get the opportunity to ride more of their bikes, one of which would be the Panorama Taiga MTB. This would be my first experience on a modern, steel bike, designed not just for shredding trails, but also for multi-day bikepacking adventures.

Panorama Cycles | Backcountry Bicycle Co.

Panorama Cycles is a Canadian bike manufacturer based out of Granby, Quebec. Panorama's story began in 2010 when the owner, Simon Bergeron, first discovered bikepacking. With the growth of fatbiking also taking place, the team at Panorama decided to design an all-terrain exploration machine. Something that could take on the most challenging terrain, be it Canadian winter or Southern desert. Their first bike, named after the Chic-Choc Mountain range, was released in 2016, with the mission to design products for backcountry exploration, while providing inspiration for adventure cyclists that prefer gravel, snow and off-road trails.

Panorama Cycles believes that there is no need to travel around the world or to be a seasoned athlete to live epic outdoor adventures. They believe that outings are never about the distance travelled but more about good times with good friends, whether exploring a new trail by night with a headlamp to bikepacking off trails in the backcountry. Panorama also doesn't believe in the endless N+1 concept but designs their bikes to create as versatile a machine as possible, trying to include all the features and functions on the bike that can be used during the life of the bike.

In the years since establishing themselves as a quality bike manufacturer of backcountry bikes, Panorama has released several models of bikes that address various needs and budgets, including a carbon and a steel gravel bike, a carbon and a titanium fatbike, a steel MTB and a steel pinion-drive touring rig. They purposely keep the number of bike models as low as reasonably possible, deigning to focus more on design and versatility, rather than continually adding another model to the line-up. They are also the first carbon-neutral bike manufacturer certified by Climate Neutral. Panorama is a member of 1% For The Planet, striving to offset their carbon footprint as much as possible. They also recycle composite waste and use plastic-free packaging for their bikes all in an effort to be a more eco-responsible company.

First Glance

I was saved the hassle of having to assemble my bikes, as I opted to drive to Granby, Quebec, to pick them up myself. This would give me a chance to catch up with Simon, owner of Panorama Cycles. What I can say is that Panorama Cycles takes environmental stewardship very seriously, and that in the event you do buy one of their bikes, they forgo using bubble wrap and Styrofoam in favour of using cardboard, clearly, a more environmentally friendly solution.

Another thing that makes a Panorama bike stand out is knowing your bike has been manufactured by a local company that is focused on minimizing their environmental impact. Interestingly, each model of bike only comes in 1 colour for that particular year. simplifying the decisions you might need to make when purchasing a new bike. However, if you are anything like my wife, it may also impact whether or not you buy that specific bike in the first place. As for myself, the colour was never a factor. The Taiga MTB has a very distinct mint colour that I find very unique and enjoy the look of. Additionally, every Panorama Cycles model has its own unique artwork, created by a Canadian artist. In the case of the Panorama Taiga, the artwork was designed by Vancouver based artists, Pellvetica.

When planning my build, I decided to upgrade the front end and include suspension. Over the previous couple seasons, I had been riding a rigid bike, and I found my wrists were taking a beating. I figured front suspension might do the trick, and boy, I couldn't have been happier with my decision. For starters I installed some XTR clip-in pedals and swapped out the stock saddle for my trusty Brooks B-17. The type of riding I was planning for would help me choose between the stock wheels with beefy 2.5" trail tires, or my speedier Curve Dirt Hoops with 2.25" Mezcals.

Design and Construction

The Panorama Taiga MTB is designed around Reynolds 725 tubing. The great thing about 725 tubing is that it's heat-treated, allowing bike designers to build a strong frame, while also reducing wall thickness in order to take weight out of the frame. All Panorama Cycles tubing is internally treated with electrodeposition, helping to protect the frame from corrosion. The design of the frame keeps the top tube a little lower, providing ample room for the included dropper-post. On a technical note, Panorama uses a 67° steering angle and a 75° seat angle, striking a balance between modern and progressive bike geometries. Designed to comfortably ride singletrack trails but also keep the rider feeling good on multi-day bikepacking adventures, the geometry isn't as radical as most modern-day MTBs. The sliding dropouts keep the rider centered on the bike when in the forward position but also allow the wheel to be moved back for greater stability using a rear rack and bags.

Panorama Cycles has designed a bike suitable for all types of adventurers. With triple bottle mounts on the downtube, under the downtube, and on the rigid carbon forks, as well as rear rack mounts and top tube bag mounts, there is no shortage of places to connect bags and bottles. The tapered head tube can accommodate either a carbon fork or suspension fork, with their carbon fork having an equivalent length to a 120mm suspension fork. This allows for a very similar geometry when running a 120mm or 130mm suspension fork. The frame has clearance for 29" x 2.8" tires, letting you install pretty big tires for those really rough trails or on crazy adventures like the Baja Divide. The included dropper post has an internally routed cable to help protect the dropper post from trailside damage. Lastly, the bike comes stock with SRAM Level T brakes, Teravail Ehline tires, WTB Pure saddle and a 1x12 drivetrain with a mix of Shimano SLX and Raceface components.

Ride Experience

Having ridden the Panorama Taiga for the past two years, there are several things that stand out to me. I'm slowly beginning to understand why people say, "steel is real". There's definitely a great feel to riding a well-built steel frame, as it is designed to give just enough flex to absorb road vibrations but still be stiff enough to provide solid power transfer through the crank. And don't forget that steel bikes are one of the easiest to get fixed while out on a long adventure if there was a structural failure. You can find somebody with a welding machine almost anywhere in the world. Fixing a titanium, aluminum or carbon bike can range from "quite the challenge" to "nearly impossible" depending on where you are in the world.

For my first season on the Taiga, I rode the bike nearly stock, trying to get a good feel for the bike Panorama designed. Compared to my previous mountain bikes, I immediately felt much more confident riding the singletrack trails near to where I live. With the included dropper post I could lower my center of gravity and take big descents at a much higher speed, while having improved control of the bike. The Ehline 2.5" tires that came with the bike provide exceptional trail grip for crushing singletrack. Overall, I find the Taiga to be really stable and fun to ride. As mentioned previously, I did order my bike with a 130mm Fox 34 Factory fork and have never really ridden the Taiga as a fully rigid bike.

In the fall of 2023, I rode the Canadian Shield 400 as my first bikepacking trip on the Panorama Taiga. For this ITT (individual time trial) I installed my Curve carbon rims with Vittoria Mezcal 2.25" tires, setting a new FKT of 34h35m. I found the bike to be stable and predictable on the singletrack, even when loaded with bikepacking bags. Riding with no intent of sleeping, my packing was minimal, and any effects were negligible. The bike geometry was comfortable enough to keep me riding all night without me getting overly sore or worn down. I had no aches and pains in the back, shoulders, or wrists. Needless to say, with around 6000 meters of climbing over a 400km ride, my legs were definitely feeling it.

In the spring of 2024, I changed a few more things on the bike in preparation for the Canadian Shield XL, an 1150km journey through Western Quebec and the Laurentian Mountains. I switched my handlebars to a set of Salsa Rustler carbon fiber bars with Wolftooth Mega Fat Paws. Previously, like so many other people out there I used Ergon grips, but I found that I was still dealing with some pressure on the palm of my hands pinching a nerve and causing numbness. Upgrading to the Mega Fat Paw grips has seemed to reduce the pressure. The final upgrade I made was to switch to SRAM GX Eagle AXS electronic shifting. AXS has perhaps been my favourite upgrade of the year, as electronic shifting is a true game changer. It has made such a huge difference that I'm still not sure if my nerve issues were a due to the grips I previously used or from the mechanical shifters. Either way, with the inclusion of suspension, better grips and electronic shifting, a lot of the issues I had previously dealt with in my hands seems to have improved.

The frame has proven to be very durable, and while there are a couple small chips in the paint, there are no marks or visible wear from cable or bag rub. With the exception of the derailleur, I'm still using the same 1x12 setup, allowing me to climb massive hills with ease. There are a couple differences I noticed on the Taiga EXP, their drop bar version of the Taiga MTB, that I would love to see included in the Taiga MTB design. One is the larger front triangle, as you could then carry more water, or fit a larger frame bag. Secondly, I really like the inclusion of the split seat-stay on the EXP, allowing for installation of the Gates Carbon Belt Drive, should you decide to install a Rohloff hub. For most people, this is probably not very high on the priority list, but for someone that may be looking to go on a long-term bikepacking trip and that would like a bombproof drivetrain, this could be just the thing to make them choose a Taiga MTB.

Final Thoughts

All-in-all, riding the Panorama Taiga has been a blast. I've really enjoyed the stability the bike offers, whether bombing single-track trails in the Gatineau Park or heading out on week-long bikepacking expeditions, particularly routes that are more trail intensive, such as the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Route. With a centered balance point, you never feel too far over the handlebars when bikepacking but still manage to keep the weight down on the front wheel while bombing down hills. One area I would like to see improved would be the size of the front triangle, as the triangle is a little small and only allows for one bottle to be mounted. I'd like to see it big enough to mount two bottles, or in my case three, as I often use the Wolftooth B-Rad Double Bottle Adapter. With a focus on environmental sustainability, Panorama has grown a loyal following of bike enthusiasts, that don't just value the vision of the company, but also really enjoy the design and capabilities of the bikes they create.