I can't ride my Thorn Raven Sports

[marcg]

My Raven isn't used ofr Grand Tours but it is used for short one or two day tours and for regular travelling around town - mainly Paris at the moment.
It doesn't get looked after especially well - despite my initial good intentions - but of course with a full chaincase, most of the usual maintenance is not necessary.

It has been used for a little light off-riad work carrying a small child on it and it carries a 10 kilo load without any problems on a Thorn rack which is probably far stronger than is necessary.
It has so far been knocked over twice while parked with no apparent damage at all and once whilst I was riding it by a pedestrian who walked out straight into me.  I rember being on the ground watching my Raven skidding along the ground.  Amazingly there was not a scratch on the Raven as the impact was taken by a peddle and the rack.  The rack actually took a slight bend in one of the supports which I suppose will have weakened it a bit.  To bend a Thorn rack shows you the severity of the impact but the bike is fine.  Of course I can't tell you what would happen if an impact actually did make it to the frame but I can tell you that there is no sense in the feel or sound of the frame when tapping it that it is at all thin or weak.

[Pedaldog]

Marcg.
That rear wheel locky thingy on the Raven, did you get it from SJSC and if so what is it called and how many Earth Pounds does it cost?

[LowFlyingHawk]

the rear wheel locky thing?  What is that?  I

[marcg]

The lock is a "Dutch lock" or "horseshoe lock".  I've said a lot about them on the C+ site.  I bought this one from SJS.  Thorn are usually a bit more expensive on many products but strangely they wre cheaper than elsewhere for this lock.  My one is made by AXABasta but Abus do a version as well.
I've fitted one to each of three bikes.
Get one which takes a cable too.  There are two diffrent weights of cable and it bayonnet plugs into the side of the lock and is releaed at the same time that you unlock the shackle which goes through the rear-wheel.  I think that they are really great.  They are always on the bike, ready to be locked.  While riding, the key stays in the lock and it is effortless to turn the key and lock the bike at least with just the shackle while nipping into the shop etc.
Many people leave their bike unlocked outside a shop which they think they are nipping into just for a moment and I am sure that quite a few bikes get stolen in this way.  With the Dutch lock this risk doesn't occur anymore - or if it does, it's not too tricky to chase a guy up the road when they are trying to run while carrying a 25lb bike at the same time.
I use the lock with a heavy duty cable and with a D lock and also a motion sensor alarm hidden under the saddle.
I'm sure that I am still vulnerable but at least I've reduced the risk and given myself a better chance.

The lock cost about £19.  Cable about £8. Motion sensor about £5.
Be aware that there is also an Axa Dutch lock which doesn't take a cable.  Don't get that one.  I think that none of the Abus Dutch locks take cables - but I'm not sure.

[strat]

Thanks Marq for the info.  I might as well ask some more questions as I have someone willing to reply!

Is the chainguard made of plastic or metal? What sort of weight are we talking about?  You have put some weighty items on your steed - sprung saddle, dutch lock plus d lock, you are obviously not bothered about weight.  I am just taking stock of some of the weight I carry around with me and may go for lighter items such as a Brooks titanium saddle. The sport is not sold as a lightweight but for "fast touring" whatever that means. I am not fast but if a bike can make me faster I won't complain.

What wheels did you get?  I guess the ones on offer are light, medium and heavy duty.  I suppose I will go for the medium ones not knowing much about wheels but wanting something that does not go out of true easily. My cycling is mostly day rides maximum weight for weekend trips is not likely to top 10kilos at most.

I will probably go for the lighter steel fork, being thouroughly pjut off carbon forks by my fellow club members.

Anyway, any help you can give will be welcome - there are probably other people out there want to know this sort of stuff but are inhibited from asking.  I will obviously to speak the people at Thorn    
but other people' experience is always useful

Hasn't the Thorn forum gone quiet lately?

[marcg]

The chainguard is made of plastic.  It's not very heavy but I haven't weighed it.  The benefit of very low maintenance drive train out-weighed other considerations.
Although I gained weight with the lock, I figured that security is unfortunately very neccesary.  I don't want a light weight bike which is easier for some thief to get away with.
On the other hand, the carbon fork is excellent and very light.  Royce titanium bottom bracket which I picked up secondhand makes spinning even smoother and also helped to shed a little more weight.  Titanium rat-trap pedals which I modified by adding titanium axles also help to make smoother travelling and also reduce the weight slightly.
Carbon comfort bars do the same job.
The wheels are fairly lightweight for the type of bike - Mavic 717 with a 1.5 tyre.  
The sprung saddle is bacause I do a fair bit of riding over Paris cobbled streets and my backside really appreciates the suspension.  It also work well on the little bits of gentle offroading which I get to do from time to time.
All in all, I am playing around with lightening the bike with odd titanium bits which I find secondhand.  However, I'm not interested on sacrificing comfort.  I'm not trying to break any records.  I did try a Brooks titanium railed Swift.  Very light, but it nearly split me in two.  Not a nice experience at all.

[strat]

Thanks Marq, I will be approaching Thorn shortly!

[Jitensha]

marcg,

could you tell me where you got your chainguard? I'm very interested in getting one similar to it but have had no luck so far. I'm currently living in Japan so visiting my LBS is not an option.

Thanks in advance for any help

[marcg]

Hi
The chainguard came from Pashley for about £30.  Don't forget that you need a longer BB - 118 instead of the standard 113mm.
My chainguard a a little on the large side but it works fine and doesn't look wrong.  However, you might find smaller chainguards if you look around.
There were some links to a couple of very interesting and modernistic looking chainguards in one of the threads on this forum but they seem to have disappeared.
Maybe someone will read this and post them again.

[marcg]

I was wrong, the links are still here.  Check this thread:-
http://www.sjscycles.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=364

[Jitensha]

Thanks for that link marcg. hadn't noticed the thread before. Those German chainguards certainly look interesting! Anyone got any experience with them?