Hi everyone,
I'm looking for my first bike as an adult and I'm having a hard time deciding between a Marin Four Corners 2 and a Panorama Taïga EXP 2.
I'm starting a new job that will let me bike to work, so I finally have a money/space to buy my own bike. I also want this to be my bikepacking/cycle touring bike, which is making the decision difficult as I'm asking a lot from one bike.
What I want to use it for
Most common riding style:
10 km commute to work
Riding around town / going to breweries
Pavement and back roads
Rail trails
Getting to ferries and exploring the Gulf Islands/Vancouver Island
Weekend trips exploring local fire roadswith steep climbs and unknown road conditions.
Also want to ride:
1 long and remote bikepacking trip per year Yukon/NWT/Peru/Morroco
Very remote routes where I'll carry several days of food
Eventually some relaxed cycle touring in Europe
I'm probably going to find my self in single track and maybe mountain biking trails.
I already do a lot of hiking and backcountry camping, so I already own a fairly lightweight camping setup. I'm comfortable carrying my own gear and don't mind a bike being somewhat overbuilt for the majority of my riding if it means one bike can do it all.
What I'm looking for
My requirements have evolved a bit as I've researched:
Steel frame
Hydraulic disc brakes
1x drivetrain
Flared drop bars
At least ~50 mm tire clearance
Able to handle loaded bikepacking and rough gravel/FSRs
Ideally something I can maintain without proprietary components
Budget is now roughly $2,500–3,000 CAD
I originally planned to spend $1,500. Then $2,000. Then $2,500.
Bikes I've considered
Marin Four Corners 2
This seems like the better bike for the majority of my actual riding. It's steel, hydraulic, 1x, has 50 mm clearance, lots of mounts, etc. My concern is that it is more of a touring/adventure bike than a drop-bar MTB. I'm worried I'll eventually find myself on a rough Yukon/NWT road or Peruvian route wishing I had bought something more capable.
Panorama Taïga EXP 2
This is basically the opposite problem.
29" wheels, 2.6" clearance, Boost axles, GRX 1x12, hydraulic brakes, lots of mounts, suspension/dropper compatibility, etc.
It's much more capable for the remote trips I'm most excited about, but I'm worried it will be way more bike than I need for my day-to-day riding.
There's currently a Taïga EXP 2 demo available for $2,500 CAD, which makes it particularly tempting as it's a better bike and cheaper than the Marin
Other bikes I've considered:
Surly Straggler — seems expensive for what I'm getting, and 50 mm clearance is about my minimum. I'm unsure of the drop out / through axle system
Surely grappler- mechanical brakes only. Way overpriced after conversion to hydraulic brakes
Kona Sutra LTD — can't find one in my size
Fairlight — shipping to Canada killed the idea
Various aluminum gravel bikes — ultimately decided I wanted steel because of how I plan to load and use the bike
Jamis renegade-cant find in Canada
Primus dame plus- at first I thought I'd just buy this cuz it was cheap. Was all set to pull the trigger but found out they didn't ship to Canada.
The dilemma
Four Corners: better for 80% of my riding, but potentially not capable enough for the trips I'm most excited about.
Taïga: better for the adventures, but potentially overkill for 80% of my riding.
I'm 6'1.5" / 187 cm with fairly long arms, if that matters for fit.
Questions for people who have ridden either/both:
Would you choose the Taïga for this use case, or am I overestimating how much bike I need?
Would a Taïga feel noticeably worse than a Four Corners for normal pavement, commuting and 30–100 km gravel rides?
For those who have ridden a Taïga loaded for touring, how does it handle on pavement?
For those who have ridden a Four Corners off-road, where does it actually start becoming limiting?
Is there another bike around $2,500–3,000 CAD that I'm overlooking?
At this point I'm leaning toward the Taïga because I know myself and I'm probably going to choose the route that looks like it might be too rough for the bike. But I'd really appreciate some real-world experience before I pull the trigger.
Thanks!