Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Member's Gallery => Topic started by: martinf on October 11, 2016, 09:51:33 pm
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Finished building up the red Raven Sport Tour clearance frame I bought earlier this year, just before the last ones in my size went.
I've set it up for on-road use, for day rides and possibly short tours with minimal luggage use, just a Lord uplift and large Carradice saddlebag.
After considering a Nexus 8 I finally decided to splash out on a Rohloff.
No Chainglider on this bike (yet), but it might be possible later on if I change chainring size.
A mix of new, old and NOS parts, the latter include XTR brakes, these were on special offer at my LBS.
Several years ago I bought a stock of TA Cyclotouriste rings from a bike shop that was closing down, which explains my choice of crankset/ring. I'm starting out with 50x19, but have plenty of other sizes available to try.
Tyres are Kojak folding 35 mm, but I have clearance for 42 mm Supremes if I decide I want more comfort.
I got a B&M IQ-X front lamp. My initial impression is that it isn't significantly better than the B&M Cyo I have on other bikes.
This is the first time I have used compact drop handlebars, so I have left them untaped for the time being in case I want to alter the brake lever positions.
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Absolutely stunning build, Martin; all compliments your way. I think the T/A cranks and rings look magnificent on it.
Yes, wise to leave the compact drop 'bars untapped till you can ride/play with them a bit.
All the best,
Dan.
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There is something wonderfully juxtaposed about the build. I love the contrast of the classic chain ring, leather toe straps. pedals and shallow drops combined with the rohloff etc. I was also struck by how close the bottom of the drops are to the secondary brake levers ( must be a 'proper' word for them) Nice one!
Ian N-1 :( For now!
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Nice clean lines, Martin--the red and black set off the bike's lines very well, and the silver detailing makes for a sharp contrast. Enjoy!
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that's a handsome looking bike.
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Old school style combined with a modern rohloff transmission..
Well done !
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What is that that I spy on the rear rack mount in the third pic?
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Address plate.
Used to be mandatory here in France.
A relic from the days when cyclists had to pay a yearly tax on their bikes. The tax was abolished in 1959 and the address plate became facultative in 1995.
I still fit them to the family bikes, with the hope that if a bike is stolen by a casual thief and then abandoned I might get it back.
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Superb build Martin, love your setup.
You did well to get the XTR brakes, they go for ridiculous money secondhand.
I bought my RST with flat bars although if I was to buy again I'd spec drops now. Looking forward to hearing how it rides
Best,
Neil
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You did well to get the XTR brakes, they go for ridiculous money secondhand.
I originally planned on getting a more basic model of brake, but the mechanic I know at the LBS had had the XTR en stock for a few years, he persuaded me to buy the front and rear set for 50 euros.
There was a posting on the forum recently about the need for a special washer when fitting the Rohloff cable hanger to XTR, so I wasn't caught out with that during the build.
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The RST build is the first time I have set up the Rohloff shifter cables, I did have a bit of trouble with this, at one stage I undid the wrong grubscrew and had to take off the bellows to refit the internal cable.
I had a spare "Easy" internal cable set in stock in case I bodged things completely. But I reckon it was good training doing this in the workshop at home, it should make it easier if I ever have to do cable replacements on tour, probably not with the RST, but more likely with my Raven Tour.
One thing I could have done better is the brake cable adjusters. I used in-line adjusters, which add another break in the cable housing, as I forgot to order the special noodles with built-in cable adjusters, which are neater.
The bracket for the Cateye rear lamp is also a bit ugly, but it was the only strong steel bracket I had in stock that would easily fit in that location on top of the mudguard. I like having two rear lamps, the generator powered B&M Secula mounted lower down on the mudguard is very lightweight and gives an even patch of light that is reasonably visible to traffic approaching from behind, whereas the Cateye LD1100 is a "point" source, with 6 LEDs pointing directly backwards and 2 LEDs pointing directly sideways on each side. This increases side visibility significantly, particularly important on roundabouts and road junctions.
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I'm a big Chaingliger fan.
Did you fit one?
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Not yet, there isn't a Chainglider for 50x19.
50x19 gives a gear range of about 18" to 95", which is a slightly lower top gear than I have on my old derailleur lightweight bike, but a higher range than on my Raven Tour, the latter has 37x16, so about 17" to 89".
Not had the time to ride the Raven Sport Tour much yet, but I reckon the 50x19 combination should be about right for me.
I think a non-Rohloff specific Chainglider rear part for 18-22 sprockets would probably fit without rubbing on the Rohloff hub, and Chainglider front parts are available for 48T, 44T, 42T and 38T ring sizes, so a Chainglider may be an option in the future if I reduce the gearing a bit.
I have 42, 44, 46, 48, 52 and 54 size TA rings in stock, so it will be easy to increase or decrease the gearing.
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I couldn't get a chainglider to work on my 536l RST. The clearances were too tight. Your larger frame might be better I suppose. It did go on but didn't glide like on my Raven tour and rubbed on the frame.
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My Raven Sport Tour is the biggest size, 611S.
I borrowed the Chainglider D18 rear part for 18-22 sprockets off my old 650B bike, and tried it (without the front part) on the RST. It seems to fit without rubbing on the seatstay or the Rohloff hub, but I can't test it in operation with my current chainring.
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Finally got around to taping the bars (over the foam).
I've been using the bike with just the Grab-On foam up till now.
Also changed the location of the shifter, from accessory bar to Hubbub at the RHS bar end.
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That’s a really nice build well done
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Very nice, I think that red is the best red I've seen on a bike, one of the few colours that look good whatever the light and better in reality than in a photo. But IMO (And I know I may be obsessive about it...) the first thing I see on your bike is all those zip ties!
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Beautiful bike Martin, looks the business. Those handlebars looks very comfortable indeed. I've got a flat barred Sport Tour that I had from new and love it for my commute to work although if I was buying again I'd opt for drops like yours.
Regards,
Neil
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Nicely done, Martin, and the red-with-black is splendid. (Red is my preferred colour, but I chose black for my Raven with a view to making the bike as unobtrusive as possible, with just the alloy 'guards for a bit of zing.)
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Those handlebars looks very comfortable indeed.
I was a bit sceptical at first with these shallow drop bars, an idea that I (again) copied from Dan.
But after using them for some time I now prefer them over the more traditional drops I have on my Raven Tour and my old lightweight derailleur tourer.
On my Raven Sport Tour I use 4 hand positions in order of increased aerodynamics - on the tops (this is for urban riding to see over the tops of cars. I have auxiliary brake levers for safety), on the hoods (braking possible, but not full power), holding the brake levers fully (hands usually here on fast descents), and hands on the lowest part of the drops (no immediate access to the brakes). I very rarely use this last position on my two other drop handlebar bikes, it is much more comfortable with these shallow drops.
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the first thing I see on your bike is all those zip ties!
Function over beauty. I like a hub generator rear lamp. And on this bike I have a cadence function, so another wire. The easiest way is zip ties.
Much less visible on my black Raven Tour.
I also have a front reflector, but it must be reasonably unobtrusive as Jags hasn't yet told me to chuck it over a hedge.
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;D ;DMartin you can get RED zipties ya know ;)
lovely bike buddy i don't think i'd be firing anything over the hedge belonging to that beauty, well ok the zip ties maybe but other than that the job's a good one.
anto.
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Nice bike. I like the red.
I don't mind the zip ties. To some people, they may detract from the visual aesthetics of the bike. But to me, they are a simple solution to an engineering problem (cable routing). To each, his/her own.
- DaveS
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[...Those handlebars looks very comfortable indeed.]
I was a bit sceptical at first with these shallow drop bars, an idea that I (again) copied from Dan.
So glad they're working out well for you, Martin. They continue to work well for me also; perhaps my close-second favorite to randonneur-bend 'bars.
Fantastic job on the bike; looks fast just sitting still and a real joy to behold.
All the best,
Dan.
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Lovely mounting Martin, you have eye for detail , well done
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Update on my Raven Sport Tour.
Since I retired in 2018 I have been hankering after fatter tyres, to make the bike more suitable for the occasional "short cut" on paths and tracks.
So I swapped out the Kojaks for 42 mm Supremes (true width about 37-38 mm). These are much more comfortable both on and off tarmac, and I haven't noticed any significant performance hit over the Kojaks when I ride exclusively on good roads.
As the Kojaks weren't all that worn I sold them on, they have gone to a new home on a recumbent bike.
The 50x19 gearing still suits me, and the 1st chain I fitted, a KMC X1, did 1300 kms on the factory lube before I swapped it off for cleaning and relubing. Less distance between maintenance intervals than with a Chainglider, but still reasonably good, and much better than I used to get on my derailleur bikes.
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Update on my Raven Sport Tour.
Since I retired in 2018 I have been hankering after fatter tyres, to make the bike more suitable for the occasional "short cut" on paths and tracks.
So I swapped out the Kojaks for 42 mm Supremes (true width about 37-38 mm). These are much more comfortable both on and off tarmac, and I haven't noticed any significant performance hit over the Kojaks when I ride exclusively on good roads.
As the Kojaks weren't all that worn I sold them on, they have gone to a new home on a recumbent bike.
Martin, how do you find the Supremes on a RST? Mine came with Schwalbe Marathon Classic’s on and I haven’t changed them yet.
Janet
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Supreme Evolution from Schwalbe should be my next tires in 2"
Lightweight and probably safe on wet roads..
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Martin, how do you find the Supremes on a RST? Mine came with Schwalbe Marathon Classic’s on and I haven’t changed them yet.
Despite being bigger (rated size 42x559) and slightly heavier, On my Raven Sport Tour the Supremes are at least as fast as the 35 mm Kojaks they replaced on good tarmac roads and are much better (improved comfort and grip) on rougher roads and occasional forays on tracks and paths. The 42x559 Supremes are probably about the largest tyre that you can fit on an RST while still keeping a reasonable amount of mudguard clearance.
I can directly compare Schwalbe Marathon Classics in 44x584 size with Schwalbe Supremes in 42x584 size, as I have used both these tyres on my old 650B utility bike. Both these tyres are slightly smaller than their rated sizes. The Schwalbe Marathon Classics were already a great improvement on the previous tyres I had, the Supremes were even better, giving lower rolling resistance while keeping roughly the same level of comfort and puncture protection. The Supremes look more fragile than Marathon Classics and are much lighter in weight, but in practice (about 20,000 kms of riding Supremes in various sizes) I have not yet had any problems with them.
When fatter 50x584 Schwalbe Supremes become available with the "new" 27.5" size (same as the very old French 650B size) there was just enough room to fit these on my old 650B utility bike, I found 50x584 very slightly slower than the 42x584 but significantly more capable and comfortable off-road.
I then used the 42x584 Supremes as a replacement for the Marathon Classics on my wife's bike, which doesn't quite have enough clearance for the 50x584 size. For my wife, in addition to the gain in rolling resistance, the fairly substantial weight saving from changing from Marathon Classics to Supremes makes a bit of difference, the lighter bike is easier to handle when pushing on very steep hills or simply when getting the bike out of the garage.
The only downside I can see is that Supremes are quite a bit more expensive than Marathon Classics, probably not too much of an issue as they seem to last for a long time.
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Another update to my Raven Sport Tour.
I generally use this bike in good weather, so didn't bother too much about fitting a Chainglider.
But just before the spring 2021 lockdown in France I did a long day ride that involved a few kilometres of sandy track and a very deep puddle. So I needed to do some chain maintenance after that.
I had a spare Chainglider in the 42 x 18-22 size in the garage, so I took the 50T chainring off the Raven Sport Tour and tried a spare 42T ring on it, with a clean chain and using the same 19T sprocket as with the 50T chainring.
Going from 50 to 42 rings lowers the gearing by about 1 1/2 steps, giving a range of 15" to 80" instead of 18" to 95". Although I don't (yet) need the lower gearing on this relatively lightweight and lightly-loaded bike, a local ride without Chainglider confirmed that I wouldn't really miss the higher gearing. So I put the Chainglider on.
As others have said in the past, it is a tighter fit on a Raven Sport Tour than on a Raven Tour, so I did a bit of surgery on the Chainglider with a Stanley cutter to make sure there was adequate clearance at the seatstay. My Raven Sport Tour is the biggest size, 611S, the wider angle at the chainstay probably makes it easier to fit a Chainglider than on a smaller frame.
Another potential issue mentioned in the past was the possibility of the non Rohloff-specific rear part (350R-D18) of the Chainglider rubbing on the hub shell and damaging it. I can now confirm that this doesn't occur with a 19T sprocket .