Author Topic: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?  (Read 25545 times)

martinf

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #15 on: September 27, 2017, 08:56:24 pm »
Still available, but much more expensive than the ones I got a few years ago:

http://www.dulight.fr/en/mtb/24-specialites-ta-axix-light-pro-bottom-bracket-bsa-68mm.html

John Saxby

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #16 on: September 27, 2017, 08:58:55 pm »
Graham, a few thoughts on The Weight Thing, from where I sit as a Raven rider.  The frames of the Sherpa and Raven seem comparable in weight & geometry -- my Raven, for example, weighs 33 lbs (15 kg) unladen, with alloy fenders, F & R racks (alloy), handlebar bag mounts, 3 bottle cages, 2 accessory bars, and one tail light.

If you're keeping the Sherpa frame essentially as is, rather than (say) changing the front fork to a lighter steel or a carbon item, then the options seem to be lighter wheels, and gear.

On lighter wheels:

     > I've had mixed experience here. Before my month-long ride in the Rocky Mtns in June/July 2016, I had used Mavic XM719s (shod with Schwalbe 26 x 1.6 Supremes) for a couple of years with no problems. The XM719s are mid-weight rims, 475 gms each.

     > After my tour in the mountains, I noticed several micro-cracks on the rear rim, fore and aft of spoke holes, all on the non-drive side.  I replaced the XM719 with a Velo Orange Escapade rim weighing 550 gms, and have had no problems since.  (The XM719 on the front wheels showed no problems.)  The VO rim is wider than the XM719 --28.5 mm external vs 25 mm, and the spoke holes are noticeably more offset.

On gear:

     > I've invested in lighter summer-weight sleeping bag, Neo-Air thermarest mattress, and one-person tent. All these are much less bulky than the items they replaced, and that in turn has allowed me to change to Arkel 32-ltr Dauphin waterproof panniers on the rear. These are each about a pound lighter than the 42-ltr Arkels they replaced.

     > On a recent 10-day mini-tour to and from Toronto, I swapped my front panniers (Arkel T28-ltr) for two 13L drybags fastened to my front rack. That gave me similar capacity, with a weight saving of 2 lbs per pannier.

      > There's some loss of convenience in these changes: The Arkel T-28 and T-42 panniers have very handy and spacious external pockets which the 32 ltr waterproofs do not.  And, the drybags are a lot more fiddly to mount than the Arkel T-28s.  So, the drybags carry things I won't need during the day--sleeping bag, mattress, most of my clothing.

       > I've augmented my carrying capacity with Revelate "Tangle" frame bags. I have a large on the Raven, and a medium on my Eclipse (my day-ride derailleur bike). Both of these are very well made, very handy, and lightweight. The Lg weighs 9 oz, the Med 7 oz.  On the Raven, the frame bag carries my rain gear--jacket, pants, overgloves if it's cold, and booties--along with my clickstand. Maybe you don't need much wet/cool weather gear? If not, then with a Revelate bag and a small strap-on h'bar bag such as the Axiom Adirondack, you could dispense with the heavier Ortlieb h'bar bag & rack.

        > I continue to use my small Arkel h'bar bag because it's so handy. The main compartment carries my cache battery if it's being charged, snacks, wallet, (sun)glasses, bug veil, phone, camera. The exterior mesh pockets carry things like my helmet cover for rain &/or cold, and the front pocket carries odds & ends like zip ties, sunblock, and my cleat covers. I also like the plastic envelope on top for notes, paper maps, etc.  I use a small strap-on bag for day rides on my Eclipse, and that carries a surprising amount.

Hope that's helpful -- let us know how it all goes.

Cheers,  John

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #17 on: September 27, 2017, 10:00:12 pm »
Hi John,
Thanks for the wealth of excellent weight saving ideas that you have field tested. There are a few there I had not thought of. For example, I might be able to use my spare Ortlieb front panniers as rear ones if I pack lightly enough.
No I won't change the forks. I like the solidity and stability of the Sherpa frame/fork as is.
The biggest change will be fitting the lighter wheel set. With this, and a bit of other trimming I should be able to get it down to 13kg.
A couple of kg makes a difference on the hills. I have lost a few kg myself, it is amazing how much easier climbs are.
What is your choice of one-person tent for touring?

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #18 on: September 27, 2017, 10:02:24 pm »
Still available, but much more expensive than the ones I got a few years ago:

http://www.dulight.fr/en/mtb/24-specialites-ta-axix-light-pro-bottom-bracket-bsa-68mm.html
Many thanks for this link. Most interesting option. Especially for my folder and Audax

julk

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2017, 11:25:28 pm »
If you are interested in a titanium square taper bb then SJS sell some nice ones...
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/royce/

jags

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2017, 11:34:20 pm »
i loved the sherpa when i had it, but hated the feel of those heavy forks ,
yeah it's built like a tank lovely smooth ride for sure but give me lightweight any day of the week ,
the Audax suits my needs much better i ain't no adventure tourer that's for sure ,still i can ride a bike.

anto.

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #21 on: September 28, 2017, 12:11:49 am »
Yes I am fortunate to have both a Sherpa and an Audax. And a few other n+1 bikes I must confess.

The Audax is a very versatile bike. It's probably the bike I would keep if I was forced to choose just one of my several bikes to keep. The red Audax s a pleasure to ride loaded or unloaded.

The Sherpa by contrast is a specialised beast ideal for the worst of Australian backroads. It's been triffic for rough stuff tours, but underused to date. It's ride feel is never going to be fun, but it is always reassuring.

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #22 on: September 28, 2017, 12:13:15 am »
If you are interested in a titanium square taper bb then SJS sell some nice ones...
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/royce/
Thanks. I will look closely at this.

Danneaux

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #23 on: September 28, 2017, 12:22:06 am »
Hi Graham!

If you'll be camping-touring on your Sherpa for this next ride, then I think the bigger weight reductions will come from changes in touring load and packaging.

I was able to put together a lightweight kit ("ultralight" compared to my usual touring setup and especially compared to what I take on extended self-supported solo expeditions) for not a great deal of money...mostly by rethinking what I needed to carry. You can see it described here: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11787.msg85858#msg85858

Total weight of my loaded Carradice Camper Longflap including the bag itself is 6.41kg/14.1lb complete except for food, which is variable. Packed items would be good for camping from late Spring to early Fall in my northwest American locale. It holds a complete stove with fuel and cookset, sleeping bag and mattress, tent with fly and footprint, a complete spare set of cycling clothes plus cycling tights and longsleeve fleece-lined jersey for cool weather, tools and full rain gear from head to toe. So long as I could regularly resupply with food and water, I'd be able to use this setup for several months and it would be tempting for another European double-crossing if I added my size large Ortlieb handlebar bag. My Nomad has on-frame water carriage for 6.5l, and my other bikes range from 5l to 2.5l. In really hot weather, I can go through 8.5l of water/day for drinking; cooking takes a bit beyond that.

As for the bike itself, I believe reducing rotating weight makes a noticeable difference but much moreso when climbing. For me, even a heavily loaded bike goes pretty well in steady-state so long as the road remains flat.

All the best and good luck on your upcoming tour. I'll be looking forward to seeing photos and descriptions and evaluations of how the changes work for you.

Dan.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2017, 05:59:57 am by Danneaux »

John Saxby

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #24 on: September 28, 2017, 12:59:10 am »
Quote
What is your choice of one-person tent for touring?

Graham, there's a good thread just above on the "Best Touring Tent". That has a lot of useful commentary: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3942.msg93659#new

Mine is the Tarptent DW Moment, shown in the photo attached.  It's the best combination of spaciousness, light weight, weather-and bug-prooofness, plus ventilation, that I've found in a one-person tent. And, it's reasonably priced.

As a PS to my notes on gear above:  I think I could get a better front/rear weight balance on the Raven by switching the rear panniers to the front rack, putting the drybags on the sides of the rear rack. (The tent sits atop the rack.) The drybags weigh only about 5 lbs each, the panniers closer to 9-10 lbs.

Cheers,

John

« Last Edit: September 28, 2017, 01:03:17 am by John Saxby »

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #25 on: September 28, 2017, 03:51:13 am »
Hi Graham!

If you'll be camping-touring on your Sherpa for this next ride, then I think the bigger weight reductions will come from changes in touring load and packaging.

I was able to put together a lightweight kit ("ultralight" compared to my usual touring setup and especially compared to what I take on extended self-supported solo expeditions) for now a great deal of money...mostly by rethinking what I needed to carry. You can see it described here: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11787.msg85858#msg85858

Total weight of my loaded Carradice Camper Longflap including the bag itself is 6.41kg/14.1lb complete except for food, which is variable.
Dan.

Thanks for generously sharing all of this info Dan. Much appreciated.

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #26 on: September 28, 2017, 04:02:20 am »
Quote
What is your choice of one-person tent for touring?

Graham, there's a good thread just above on the "Best Touring Tent". That has a lot of useful commentary: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3942.msg93659#new

Mine is the Tarptent DW Moment, shown in the photo attached.  It's the best combination of spaciousness, light weight, weather-and bug-prooofness, plus ventilation, that I've found in a one-person tent. And, it's reasonably priced.

Thanks again John. You just saved me another kilo on the tent. Great tip. I have ordered one.

John Saxby

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #27 on: September 28, 2017, 04:18:19 pm »
Good choice, Graham, sez I.  Do take care to seal the seams -- Henry at tarptent sends good instructions on that.

I've also found the the nose-to-tail crossing pole to be a valuable addition -- makes it easier to rig a tarp. That may be less of a consideration for you in Aus, however.

We can exchange PMs as needed on this -- there are a few details that may be useful.

Cheers,

John

mickeg

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #28 on: September 29, 2017, 08:33:01 pm »
...
What is your choice of one-person tent for touring?

I do not know where you are and some brands of tents that are available in North America are not available in Europe, and vice versa.  But I have heard that Six Moons is popular for ultra light campers, in addition to Tarptent which was already cited.
https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/
They use a trekking pole instead of coming with a pole.  But they sell poles for those campers that do not carry a trekking pole.  I have a couple trekking pole tents and I custom cut some longer tent poles to fit.

I have never seen a Six Moons, have only talked to people that used them that liked them.  I want a more roomy tent and I am willing to pay the weight penalty.  Thus, I will probably never get one.  My lightest one person tent has been out of production for over 5 years, so I am not going to suggest it.

***

One reason I do not have any good suggestions for making a Sherpa lighter is that I have a Nomad for heavy touring, a Sherpa for medium weight touring and a Titanium touring bike for lighter weight touring.  So, I match my bike to the load I plan to carry.

Vintagetourer

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Re: Reducing the weight of my Thorn Sherpa...how did you do yours?
« Reply #29 on: September 29, 2017, 09:23:58 pm »
Thanks for the additional tent suggestion.

I like your alignment of bikes for tour types. It makes more sense than retweakihg the same bike too often which is what I might end up doing. If I ever do another rough stuff tour, I will need to beef up the Sherpa again.