Thorn Nomad Mk3

Thorn calls the Nomad its flagship expedition bike, and the numbers back it up: one magazine test gave its maximum combined rider-and-luggage weight as 160 kg (over 350 pounds), the kind of margin that matters on washboard roads far from help. Built with a Rohloff 14-speed hub, it keeps the gears running in an oil bath, away from grit, and gave that test bike a bottom gear just under 20 inches. Buyers choose 26-inch, 650b or 700c wheels, and the 26-inch option takes tires up to 2.5 inches. It is heavy, at 16 kg (35 pounds) as tested, and expensive: complete Rohloff bikes start around £3,300 and derailleur builds around £2,400.