The Panorama Katahdin review

There are a lot of cycling brands diving into the gravel and adventure series of bikes lately. We are always up for trying new and different approaches, frames, and materials for our favorite type of bike. We approached local MOntreal bike brand Panorama cycles to see if we could try out their take on this adventure and gravel sector with their Katahdin. We spent a weekend up in the rugged Laurentian Mountains to test this rig on multiple surfaces, from pavement to gravel to rough double track and single track. 

When we met up with the friendly folks from Panorama to get the bike, we immediately fell in love with the bold wolf graphics that accented the minimalistic and sleek vibes of the rest of the frame. After taking it for a quick spin home, we immediately realized how lightweight, robust, and responsive this bike was.

Because we only had the bike for a week, we really wanted to put the bike through all sorts of testing from vigorous rides on pavement, gravel, single track, double track along with some intense climbs through boulder-strewn trails with and without some bags.

Here is what caught our attention the most during this short yet intensive test.

The frame

As soon as we packed up for a long weekend in the mountains, we knew we were in good hands. The Katahdin is very versatile and has a ton of mounts, arranged all over the frame and fork to secure just about any mount you might need, whether it's for a bikepacking trip or a very long gravel bike ride. Also, as an industry first, the carbon frame is made from the adventure composite laminate that incorporates an advanced material, XANTU.LAYR ™, to make the Katahdin rock-solid and super light.

The components

The Katahdin’s smooth operation is a product of its frame in combination with the quality components it's fitted with. The SRAM Apex 1x groupset, Easton EA50AX cockpit, WTB i23 wheels, and Terrene Elwood Light 700X40 tires (or 650b x 2.1” tires if you so desire), make this bike a dream to ride and maneuver. Not to mention that all the dust and mud I was kicking up would be easy to clean with the fully internal cable routing for brakes and derailleurs so that rain and dust will not affect the performances.

The route

We decided to ride from Montreal up to Saint Adele for the first day of testing it on pavement and rail trail. As soon as we left and started riding through the city, people stopped us to compliment the bike on its attention-grabbing graphics. Panorama collaborated with Canadian artists Pellvetica to use the frame as a canvas to create the wolf graphics and give this otherwise stealth bike lots of street cred and personality. We almost felt like we were running alongside a wolf pack as we quietly glided out of the city and into the forest trails. 

As soon as I hit the mountains the bike didn’t skip a beat. It just kept on rolling as if I was still on the pavement. I was literally whooping and hollering through the gravel roads and climbing effortlessly into the hills. I had arrived at my cabin for the night in the fastest I had ever ridden, just in time to watch the sunset and crack open a beer. I couldn’t wait to see how the bike would handle tomorrow’s single track and climb up some rugged mountain trails.

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose and coffee was poured, my friend and I hit the local mountain bike trails around Saint Adele. With no surprise, the bike rolled over the rough stuff and flowed around the trails effortlessly. It would never replace a mountain bike in these situations, but it handled like a cross bike over and around anything that came in its way. The 700x40 Elwoods offered confidence in the bermed corners, stuck to the rocks without sliding, and handled the climbs with ease. I might have wanted a wider bar for the climbs, but it didn’t slow me down.

After a few hours of grinding up and down the trails, we headed back to town to pack for a full day of climbing ahead. My friend had a route in mind that was a skidoo trail in winter, which meant it was going to be rough and unmaintained with lots of sand and boulders, a perfect test for the Panorama rig.

Arriving at the Montagne Noir trailhead, a lot of people stared our way as most people hike this steep mountain trail, let alone ride up it. Even though we didn’t take the hiking trail, my friend guided us up the backside of the mountain. A hundred meters in we were already sweating. Sandy trails led to a rough gravel road which quickly turned into a battleground of baby head sized boulders on a trail that went straight up. We wondered if ATVs could even make it up this hellish trail. The Katahdin proved to be a real mountain goat on this terrain with its light frame of 19.5 pounds. We could have used a few more gears so some hike-a-bike had to happen eventually. The lightness of the frame was a bit of a godsend as we threw the bikes over our shoulders and slowly ascended. I actually wasn’t worried about the going up, but how it would be coming down. Luckily the trail was lined with the last of the season's raspberry bushes so we could snack and take breaks all the way up. Twenty kilometers and many hours of sweating, we arrived at the lookout. What a treat it was. Worth all the grunting up the mountain. The wooden fire lookout gave us a grand sweeping view of the Laurentians. After a few snacks and staring over the blankets of heavily forested land we decided to head back down. 

Lowering our saddles and throwing caution to the wind, we started the long descent back to the car. It was slow and technical, but not as crazy as I had imagined. The handling was mostly a breeze and the large tires rolled over everything. The SRAM brakes were taking the drop back into the valley below in stride. My jaw hurt a bit though. But I think it was the ear to ear smiling that was the root of that.\

The conclusion

After all those adventures the bike proved to be a real gem. Was it a road bike? A gravel bike? An adventure bike? A touring bike? A mountain bike? After everything I put it through, I would say yes to all. It was comfortable and light on the long hauls. Zippy and stable on the gravel roads and trails. Confident, strong, and rugged on the rough stuff. It’s the type of bike that will be ready for whatever you throw at it and much more. Take it for a spin and run with the wolf pack.

For more information on Panorama Cycles and the Katahdin
website: www.panoramacycles.com
instagram: @panoramacycles
facebook: @panoramacycles
youtube: Panorama Cycles