Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Member's Gallery => Topic started by: David Simpson on May 07, 2014, 02:58:46 am
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Here is my Nomad. I built it last May, and have finally gotten around to posting pictures of it. It is a 590M frame.
I use it to commute to work year round, and in the winter we get a lot of rain. I have set up the bike so that it is great for wet weather riding. The rear brake is a Magura MT2 disc brake for better wet weather stopping. The fenders/mudguards are SKS55 with BuddyFlaps. The front hub is a SON28, which powers the B&M Luxos front light and the B&M TopLight rear light. The other front lights are Light & Motion Seca lights, which are powered by batteries in the handlebar back. They are very bright, and I use them on the trail in the dark. The two tail-lights are old Nite-Rider Universal Tail-lights, which are also very bright, and are powered by a battery in my trunk bag.
I wanted the handlebar bag to not interfere with the lights, so I made a "raised" bar for the lights. The bar is a length of straight bar cut from an old handlebar, and the supports are two handlebar mount extensions (like this: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/m-wave-handlebar-organizer-black-prod19582/).
The wiring around the handlebars is a bit of a rat's nest that I still need to clean up.
I built the bike myself, for two reasons. First, the import duty in Canada for complete bikes is 13%, but 0% for bike parts, so I saved a bit of money. Second, I wanted the challenge of building it myself, so that I understand how it works and can fix problems if they arise.
If people are interested, I can list the full specs.
- Dave
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More pictures
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From the front
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From the rear
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Handlebars (that's me in the mirror)
The bar are Thorn Flat Track bars with Ergon GP1 grips. I have left the ends uncut in case I want to widen the grips. I might get around to cutting them sometime, since it might be more comfortable for using the bar ends. The bar ends are aluminum so that I can mount a mirror on them. I previously had the Ergon GP5 grips with a mirror on the end of the bar, but I prefer the mirror to be higher so that it is easier to glance into it while riding.
The white push-button on the right side, inward of the Rohloff shifter, is the on/off switch for the Luxos headlight. The main reason why I got that light was because I wanted a handlebar-mounted switch. My commute is quite varied (uphill and downhill, road and cycle path and trail), so I like to be able to turn the generator light on and off as I ride.
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I dream of vast expeditions with my Nomad but a lot of why I got it was because it is just such a practical bike for real world transportation. So it is great to see a Nomad set up with for practical use! Those lights look awesome!
Seems like you could nudge the handlebar bag up a notch or two by moving a spacer or two below the auxiliary bar. There seems to be lots of clearance above but the bottom of the bag doesn't look very far above the top of your main headlight. My bike has somewhat tight clearance there too which is why my attention is drawn there. But then if you want your extra lights, the ones above the bag, to hit the ground not too far in front, then you need the bag to stay low. Tricky business getting everything just right!
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Dave!
My! What a treat to see your Nomad and the chance to fully appreciate the fine job you yourself did in building it up to a complete bike!
You can surely be proud -- it looks terrific, and I'm still pouring over all the details, enjoying them all as I see your reasoning for the choices you've made. So much to see here!
Well, this is terrific and I'm hoping these will be the start of even more posts to your gallery, showing the bike and yourself in action and on-tour.
I see some similarities to my own SeeMore/Seymor here in the extended front fender and some cockpit resemblance. You've really done a great job, Dave, and the results speak to your care and execution.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes for many happy journeys ahead together. Of course, I have to ask -- have you named him/her yet? ;D
Best,
Dan.
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Love the clever touches to tailor your bike to exactly what you want.
You might consider leaving the bar-ends uncut and putting rubber plugs or something over them as a protective measure. I run North Road handlebars well curved back, and still the ends of the handlebars are the places where most wear on bike is visible, everywhere else on a touring/utility bike being relatively well protected by the luggage and gear normally carried. Alternatively, you might think of relatively wide bars, a not overly expensive replacement item, as offering protection to the more valuable parts on the bike.
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Dave,
What a great job you've done with your Nomad! So good to see a bike used as thoroughly as yours is, as a working bike, and tailored as you have. It's one of Vancouver's great features that so many people there use bikes for regular transport -- though I can understand your desire to make your Nomad blend into the scenery, as it were (using routes with lotsa daffs and forsythia bushes!)
Bring the Nomad along when you next visit your family in Kemptville & we can go for a ride. That part of the region has lots of good back roads, low traffic with attractive countryside. Go due north and west--say, north of Perth--and there's even less traffic, and the Rohloff's lower range will get a serious workout.
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The attention to detail is great to see on your bike
is truly class , .
jags.
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Excellent looking bike. Many congratulations and fantastic pictures.
May I ask about the chain cover?
Matt
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May I ask about the chain cover?
It's a Hebie Chainglider. It took a bit of cutting and fiddling to get it to fit without rubbing on the frame, and I'm not done that yet. See my comments here:
www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=9031.msg62425#msg62425
Anything in particular that you want to know?
- Dave
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Thanks to all of you for your encouraging words. I was an avid reader of this forum for many months before I ordered my bike parts, in order to research what to get. I want to give a big thank-you to all of you for contributing your experience, knowledge, and thoughts over the months and years. I am the kind of person who researches something to death before I make a decisions, and this forum provided me with what I needed in order to make the right decisions. My bike has been on the road for almost a year now (in about 2 weeks, I'll have to bake it a birthday cake), and I absolutely love it. It is the perfect bike for me. So a big thank-you to all of you! I couldn't have done it without you.
In case anyone is thinking of buying or building a bike, and has any questions or problems, please feel free to ask on this forum. If you have a question about my bike, or why or how I did something, please ask. I have been the beneficiary of the knowledge of this group, and I want to contribute what I can.
- Dave
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Well, this is terrific and I'm hoping these will be the start of even more posts to your gallery, showing the bike and yourself in action and on-tour.
The pictures that I posted were taken in the evening with the sun low, and since I don't have a stand for the bike, I needed to find a place to lean it where it would still be in the light. My Click-Stand is supposed to arrive in the next day or two, so I'll take some better pictures with the bike properly posing on its new Stand.
Of course, I have to ask -- have you named him/her yet?
I don't like naming things unless the name is just right. It might take me a while to get a good name. I know of someone who took 20 months to name his Nomad, so I'm not in a rush. :)
- Dave
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You might consider leaving the bar-ends uncut and putting rubber plugs or something over them as a protective measure. I run North Road handlebars well curved back, and still the ends of the handlebars are the places where most wear on bike is visible, everywhere else on a touring/utility bike being relatively well protected by the luggage and gear normally carried. Alternatively, you might think of relatively wide bars, a not overly expensive replacement item, as offering protection to the more valuable parts on the bike.
I have plastic plugs to go into the bar-ends, but they are a bit too large to fit into the end, so I need to trim them down to size. I just haven't gotten around to it. I also haven't decided on whether I should cut down the bars. In the meantime, the bare-metal ends may be good for taking a paint sample if a car comes too close.
- Dave
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I know of someone who took 20 months to name his Nomad, so I'm not in a rush. Smiley
;D ;D ;D
All the best,
Dan.
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Dave
As a fellow yellow Nomad MK2 owner, I loved seeing your bike, as I don't see a lot of yellow Nomad MK2's here.
As for the Click-Stand - as I think everyone who uses one says, they are one of the best accessories ever, and the
four months I've owned my Nomad and Click-Stand I heartily agree:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3695/12871251975_e911f2f836_z.jpg)
Nomad MK2 with Click-Stand rocks.
Best regards from New Zealand
Tony
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Tony super photo. 8)
jags.
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Which click stand did your choose Tony? I read that they are available in 4-6 segments.
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I finally had a chance to see the bike on the desktop screen. The pics on the iPhone were a wee bit small for my old eyes.
My, what a nice bike you have put together! It looks well suited to all weather commuting, and, in spite of being yellow, doesn't scream "steal me" like a lot of the decal plastered road bikes seen so much around here. Why steal a bike with only ONE cog when the one beside it has TEN.
In the meantime, the bare-metal ends may be good for taking a paint sample if a car comes too close.
Yes, those bars are almost wide enough for that, aren't they? I think I chopped off 45mm from mine before they were the right size for me.
Has the Clickstand arrived? What a brilliant invention!
All the best
Ron
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As a fellow yellow Nomad MK2 owner, I loved seeing your bike, as I don't see a lot of yellow Nomad MK2's here.
Thanks, Tony. You can see why I loved your photos from your Auckland-to-Wellington trip. I would love to see NZ on my bike. My parents spent a couple of weeks there about 3 years ago (by car, not bike), and loved it. For me, with the responsibilities of a young family, those dreams will have to wait.
What Click-Stand did you get? I've ordered the 5-segment version. I figured that 4 segments would be a bit long, and 6 segments would be a bit thick. It will arrive today, so I'll try it out tonight.
I love that photo. It is so perfect that it almost looks fake.
When I was trying to decide between black or yellow for the bike, my preference was yellow, because I've always liked Tonka Yellow. The clincher was my 7-year-old daughter, who made it clear to me that yellow was a much nicer colour for a bike. She was colour-coordinating her clothes when she was 3, so I take her advice on colours.
- Dave
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Has the Clickstand arrived? What a brilliant invention!
Canada Post says that it will be delivered today. I'll try it out tonight, and I'll post a photo on the weekend if I get a chance. My son turns 10 this week, so it's a bit busy.
- Dave
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Dave,
A note on the click-stand, a fine piece of kit, for sure. There's a detail, however: the elastic bands + tabs used to lock the brake levers & blocks.
1) I've found that the enclosed elastic band + tabs aren't quite strong enough. One can shorten the loops, using quality staples & wrapping the shortened part with friction tape (works best near the tab on on the original; OR
2) Lee Valley Tools sells Quick-Release rubber ties in a range of lengths: The 4" ones work well, providing more tension on the levers, & lock the brakes firmly. But, I've found that you can't keep them snugged up beneath the levers on drop bars while riding the bike--they work loose and run away. (Might work better on flat bars, without the effects of gravity...) The best thing about LVT's QR rubber ties is that you can use them for all sorts of things when bike touring. The 4" items cost about a quarter apiece, and what else worthwhile can you get for 25¢ these days?
3) Probably the best device I've found, for just this application, is the Bike Brake. Here's the link: http://www.bikebrake.com/index.php?main_page=index
Cheers,
John
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The BikeBrakes bands hold up well, too. I've had mine for several years now and they haven't ever stretched out. They sit flat against the handlebar and have little tabs to easily pull them up when needed. They've even withstood desert sun and heat well.
Best,
Dan.
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John and Dan --
Thanks for the tip about the BikeBands. I received my Click-Stand today, and installed the holding bracket (the Click-Stand Side-Bracket) on the left side of the water-bottle mount on the seat-post. It fits perfectly there, and the metal parts of the Click-Stand are well away from the frame, so no danger of marking the paint.
The brake elastics that come with the Click-Stand appear to be fine for me so far. I have only tried it in my basement, so perhaps I'll need something stronger in real usage. I do have a hydraulic disc brake on the rear, and with the brake elastic pulling the lever, that wheel isn't turning.
General question for those who have a Click-Stand: Where do you normally carry it? In a frame mount? Panniers? Handlebar bag? Other bag?
I have a trunk bag, and may end up putting it there. For now, I want to try the frame mount. However, the Velcro strap is tricky to pull apart, and if I use the stand a lot I suspect that the novelty of the frame mount will wear off, and I'll just put it in my trunk bag, next to my mini pump.
- Dave
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General question for those who have a Click-Stand: Where do you normally carry it? In a frame mount? Panniers? Handlebar bag? Other bag?
I just put mine in the trunk bag
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Anton, thanks for the kind comment regarding the photo. I hadn't realised, but I haven't shown this one before, as it was from my four day/three night "shake down" tour before my Auckland to Wellington tour. I'll add that tour to the forum soon.
Dave, many thanks for the kind words, I don't even mind you though my photo was fake - it was taken at the end of a very long day, only 80km but 7 hours into gale headwinds all day, one of my worst days ever on a bicycle. I was reaching my destination, and the winds were abating, and the sun was showing a nice golden glow, so I forced myself to stop and take this picture, as I knew if I didn't I'd have regretted the next day. And as for choosing Yellow for my Nomad, that took me over a year decided while mulling over the Nomad PDF - I loved the brightness of the Yellow but thought commonsense should prevail and I should choose the more understated Black, but as I have had black frames in the past, I thought I should "just do it" and choose what my heart really liked and I haven't regretted it for a second. The other thing I took a long time to choose was flat bars as I am a hard core drop bar fan - I think in hindsight I did choose the right bars (flat) for the Nomad but I do miss my drop bars.
As for the Bike Bands that come with the Click-Stand, I found them fine on my 4 day and 9 day tours (plus my other riding in between.) I ordered some extras with my initial order. I find I only need one for the front brake and it holds the bike up well. I'm on my second band now, as I did snap one, but it took me 3 months of use to do so and I found that fair enough.
I bought the 5 section Click-Stand, as I thought the 6 would end up being too many sections to unfold and fold up each time, and the 4 section would be too long to fit into my Handle Bar Bag, which the 5 section does easily. On day rides it lives in my Arkel Tail Rider (which I highly recommend for day rides.) When I'm touring it lives in the Handle Bar Bag, or more often then not under the bungee cord that holds my 31 litre Ortleib Rack Pack to my rear rack.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5520/11459262575_848a80dcce.jpg)
Thorn Nomad Mk2 with Arkel Tailrider
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2936/13755884134_dc12d71db4.jpg)
Click-Stand held under Bungee Cord
Tony from NZ
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Thanks, Dave. Good to know your Click-stand arrived in good order & that the brake-lever-elastics work well.
A holding bracket is handy, too -- when I bought my 'stand a couple of years ago, that wasn't available (or maybe I missed it.)
Where to put it? I use my Click-stand mostly when travelling with a loaded bike. So, I just slip it under the bungee holding my tent/etc drybag on my rear rack (parallel to the axis of the bike.) Similar to the Arkel Tailrider location. My 4-segment 'stand also fits in my Arkel small h'bar bag. Reckon that I could also easily strap it to my rear rack, or the underside of my top tube, using a Lee valley Tools QR tie, 8" version -- just a couple of loops around the lot.
Cheers,
J.
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I have my click stand on my saddle post using the holder supplied by Them. It has been there about 2 years (with uses in between lol) and has worked well.
You can see it in the pictures on the link below:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=5269.30
Andy