Recent Posts

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Non-Thorn Related / Re: Fine-tuning saddle fitting.
« Last post by JohnR on April 23, 2024, 09:30:10 pm »
One important difference I've noticed between the leather and non-leather saddles is that the rails on leather saddles tend to be further back so they need a seatpost with more set-back (offset) in order to provide the same horizontal position (I needed an in-line seatpost for a Selle SLR saddle and a seatpost with 25mm set-back for a B17 on the same bike). I use the place where the sit bones rest on the saddle as the reference point on the saddle and measure the distance to the handlebar clamp.

Once the overall posiiton of a leather saddle feels comfortable then the saddle will adapt over time to give some further improvement provided the width is appropriate for the rider and cycling posture. I recently bought a B17 imperial and at just over 300 miles it's starting to feel good.
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Bikes For Sale / Thorn Brevet
« Last post by FaustoCoppi on April 23, 2024, 04:30:43 pm »
Selling my last of a kind Brevet from the final batch of Bridgwater made frames, lost for years in their stock, built up in 2014, purchased by me in 2016 from SJS. Please email for all details and photos. £600 cash on collection in person from Kirkcaldy in Fife
email address is christopher.flint1@icloud.com
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Wanted / Re: NOMAD MK2 or MK1 S&S frame wanted
« Last post by jul on April 23, 2024, 02:36:02 pm »
Ok.  ;)
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Non-Thorn Related / Re: Fine-tuning saddle fitting.
« Last post by mickeg on April 23, 2024, 11:43:36 am »
Most of my bikes have a Conquest or Brooks Pro.  The Conquest is essentially a Pro with springs.  So, the shape is basically the same.

I can usually get the angle pretty close to right the first time by just looking at it since I have so many on other bikes with the same shape saddles already.

Height, for the rough first attempt, I want to put my heel flat on the pedal with leg straight with one leg, the other leg is holding me upright.  After that, frequent minor fine tuning, about a half cm at a time.

Fore and aft, that is a slower fitting process, I might ride several km between each  adjustment.  But with Brooks, there is very little adjustment possible, so I do not make many adjustments.

***

Interesting that you mention saddle change.  I recently bought a Redshift suspension seatpost.  Installed that on my light touring bike (titanium frame, not a Thorn) and have always had a Conquest on that bike.  I am getting my light touring bike ready for my next planned tour.  Roughly a thousand miles in June and early July.  Mostly pavement (tarmac) but some gravel towpath.

Yesterday concluded that I cannot get the angle right with that saddle and seatpost combination.  Most saddles have rails that are almost exactly horizontal when fitted on a seatpost properly.  But the Conquest rails are far from horizontal.  The Redshift seatpost does not have enough angle adjustment to get the angle right with that saddle.

I had a Brooks Pro on my road bike, the Pro has nearly horizontal rails which is what I needed on the Redshift seatpost.  So, swapped saddles between the two bikes yesterday.  Which meant lots of fine tuning for height and fore/aft adjustment on two bikes yesterday afternoon.  I am sure that I will do a bit more fine tuning later, but got everything pretty close to right.

This saddle change makes sense, the Conquest with springs is a bit redundant on a suspension seatpost, so moving the sprung saddle to the road bike with no suspension makes sense.

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Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) / Re: Hating SKS
« Last post by B cereus on April 23, 2024, 11:19:05 am »
All our bikes have presta valves and our floor pump is a 35yo Silca with a single Presta chuck which I have replaced once.

My on the road pumps are a variety of Zefal HPX models.

I won’t be replacing my ancient Silca Super Pista pump just yet. I’ve owned it since the early eighties and unlike most modern pumps it relies on a leather cup washer to maintain pressure. Spare parts are still available, albeit at eye wateringly expensive prices (both replacement leather cup washers and the rubber seals for the push on brass chuck are currently £13.99 each from SJS) Fortunately I managed to buy half a dozen of the chuck seals for 50p each at a cycle jumble some years back and I made a simple tool to produce my own leather cup washers.

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Non-Thorn Related / Fine-tuning saddle fitting.
« Last post by in4 on April 23, 2024, 07:25:56 am »
After a year using a SMP Sella Trek ( has a cut out ) I decided to revert to my B17 and am at the stage of fine tuning the fit. I’m down to  height and horizontal adjustment in my quest for seat nirvana, but am not there yet. Do any fellow users follow a trial and error process and simply hop on and off the saddle, allen key in hand and make adjustments in situ or adopt a more scientific approach?

I know that saddle ‘fit’ is a personal thing in terms of comfort, physiology, balance, weight on wrists and so on but I’d be interested in what others do to reach that ‘perfect fit’ point.
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Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) / Re: Hating SKS
« Last post by Mike Ayling on April 22, 2024, 11:02:30 pm »
All our bikes have presta valves and our floor pump is a 35yo Silca with a single Presta chuck which I have replaced once.

My on the road pumps are a variety of Zefal HPX models.
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Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) / Re: Hating SKS
« Last post by davefife on April 21, 2024, 10:24:15 am »
https://images.app.goo.gl/1Ez4uy9YKHjHy1QN7
Here at Dave's bike Shed (year 14 of trading!) I have used since day one a sks renn, i now use the above head as i struggled for a few years with that fitted to the pump originally (orange and black shown earlier); when required to inflate maybe a dozen tyres/day you have no need or time to faff with tools.
It works, i'm perhaps on my 3rd Beto head and always have a new one ready to fit, its low cost as well.
D
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Was it you? / Re: Mercury meets Nomad
« Last post by John Saxby on April 19, 2024, 04:15:08 pm »
Quote
When touring, I use bolt on skewers instead of quick release to reduce chance of wheel theft.

+1 here, George, though I leave my Halowheel bolted skewers on all the time, both fore & aft.
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Non-Thorn Related / Re: The Baddie Rides the Bicycle
« Last post by Andre Jute on April 19, 2024, 12:05:07 pm »
Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen.

I had Eric Newby in mind in the parenthetic disclaimer in the first sentence.

But Jane Urquhart is new to me; I'll order a copy of her book right after I finish my correspondence; thanks for the suggestion.

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