1
Wheels, Tyres and Brakes / Re: Advice on picking the right rims for my set up
« Last post by mickeg on Today at 07:50:53 pm »It might help if we knew the size tires you want to run, wide, narrow, etc.
Thorn Cycles Forum
News:
SMF - Just Installed!
Recent Posts
2
Wheels, Tyres and Brakes / Re: Advice on picking the right rims for my set up
« Last post by Andyb1 on Today at 06:27:50 pm »You don’t actually say what types of brakes you want to use, but assuming you want rim brakes then perhaps the difficulty finding of suitable rims is because what you want is a mix old tech (rim brakes) and new tech (tubeless)?
3
Wheels, Tyres and Brakes / Advice on picking the right rims for my set up
« Last post by AlexRa on Today at 05:19:12 pm »I’m having some trouble working out which rims I need. I get that I’m looking for something a bit unusual and there are probably more sensible options. But I am where I am…
So I need a rim
- Tubeless ready, so I can run tubeless when I’m ready
- 700c / 622
- 32 spoke
- Tough enough for touring with a few days of stuff on the bike / light gravel
Most of the rims I’ve found don’t have all of these. Most of the rim brake rims seem to prioritise weight rather than being tough enough for touring. Most of the tough rims for loaded touring / gravel don’t have a braking surface for rim brakes. Other options aren’t tubeless ready.
I’m going to build the rim on to my Rohloff hub. And yeah I know - I should probably sell the hub and buy a completely different bike that already has disks and tubeless. But I’m attached to it and if there’s a way of making my set up work I’d like to do it.
I appreciate there may not be a rim that fits the job.
But if you know of one please let me know.
So I need a rim
- Tubeless ready, so I can run tubeless when I’m ready
- 700c / 622
- 32 spoke
- Tough enough for touring with a few days of stuff on the bike / light gravel
Most of the rims I’ve found don’t have all of these. Most of the rim brake rims seem to prioritise weight rather than being tough enough for touring. Most of the tough rims for loaded touring / gravel don’t have a braking surface for rim brakes. Other options aren’t tubeless ready.
I’m going to build the rim on to my Rohloff hub. And yeah I know - I should probably sell the hub and buy a completely different bike that already has disks and tubeless. But I’m attached to it and if there’s a way of making my set up work I’d like to do it.
I appreciate there may not be a rim that fits the job.
But if you know of one please let me know.
4
Non-Thorn Related / Re: Swiss Army Knife
« Last post by mickeg on Today at 04:44:16 pm »The myriad uses we put them to.
Thanks for the humor. If I tried to count all of mine, I am sure I would miss a few.
5
Thorn General / Re: Mullet nomad mk 2 (26" rear -- 27.5" front)
« Last post by in4 on Today at 03:32:33 pm »dangerous.
* Mental image of Sir isaac Newton standing on a teetering pile of books to look over the wall at that universal truth!
Brilliant phrase that Andre.
In a similar vein:
A horse walks into a bar; the bartender asks, "Hello, do you want a beer?" The horse responds, "I think not," and promptly disappears.
Now, admittedly, this joke only makes sense if you are familiar with the French Enlightenment philosopher, Rene Descartes, who famously said, "I think, therefore I am." The horse thought not, and therefore wasn't...
But if I had explained that first, I would have been putting Descartes before da horse!
* Mental image of Sir isaac Newton standing on a teetering pile of books to look over the wall at that universal truth!
Brilliant phrase that Andre.
In a similar vein:
A horse walks into a bar; the bartender asks, "Hello, do you want a beer?" The horse responds, "I think not," and promptly disappears.
Now, admittedly, this joke only makes sense if you are familiar with the French Enlightenment philosopher, Rene Descartes, who famously said, "I think, therefore I am." The horse thought not, and therefore wasn't...
But if I had explained that first, I would have been putting Descartes before da horse!
6
Non-Thorn Related / Swiss Army Knife
« Last post by in4 on Today at 03:29:05 pm »The myriad uses we put them to.
7
Thorn General / Re: Mercury Mk 2 frame replacement
« Last post by ianatstanage on Today at 10:33:45 am »Many thanks for the responses, very much appreciated.
I've rejected the Nomad as I like the ride of the Mercury too much - it has served me well for the past 9 years.
There are indeed some Mercury frames available, which is a relief, as I obviously didn't look harder enough.
Nonetheless, it's a shame that the Thorn bike range is being slimmed down.
Hopefully the Mercury will survive in some form.
I'm going to go with a Mk3 Mercury as this gives me the option of converting to 650B.
I may also lower the gearing a bit.
I will be speaking with Thorn on Tuesday to confirm frame size and then get it ordered.
Hopefully I will be out on a Mercury soon.
Cheers,
Ian
I've rejected the Nomad as I like the ride of the Mercury too much - it has served me well for the past 9 years.
There are indeed some Mercury frames available, which is a relief, as I obviously didn't look harder enough.
Nonetheless, it's a shame that the Thorn bike range is being slimmed down.
Hopefully the Mercury will survive in some form.
I'm going to go with a Mk3 Mercury as this gives me the option of converting to 650B.
I may also lower the gearing a bit.
I will be speaking with Thorn on Tuesday to confirm frame size and then get it ordered.
Hopefully I will be out on a Mercury soon.
Cheers,
Ian
8
Non-Thorn Related / Re: +++Rides of 2024+++Add yours here+++
« Last post by John Saxby on Today at 01:32:18 am »Thank you, Andre, for your kind words - esp about my photos. ("Aw, shucks," he said, scuffling his feet & looking away 
)
As we were in the last throes of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, a couple of hotshoes on 750 or 900 Dukes came screaming around a corner towards us, fairings scraping the ground and front wheels wobbling as the tires fought for grip, and I thought, "Ah, jeez, why does it have to end like this?" Luckily for all of us (incl the hotshoes), the Dukes kept the rubber side down.
Glad you liked my riff on Keats
Cheers, John
)Quote
the best cycling was that long, long descent from Pietermaritzburg to DurbanFor sure: In Dec 2005, I rode from Pretoria to Durban with a friend to celebrate his 70th birthday, along with 10-12 members of his family and friends. That was my first long ride/tour, and I was hooked. The trend line from the highveldt to the coast was down, obviously, but there were plenty of tough climbs as well. The final run-in from PM'burg was a delight, and I understood why the uphill variant of the Comrades' Marathon is so difficult.
As we were in the last throes of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, a couple of hotshoes on 750 or 900 Dukes came screaming around a corner towards us, fairings scraping the ground and front wheels wobbling as the tires fought for grip, and I thought, "Ah, jeez, why does it have to end like this?" Luckily for all of us (incl the hotshoes), the Dukes kept the rubber side down.
Glad you liked my riff on Keats
Cheers, John
9
Thorn General / Re: Mullet nomad mk 2 (26" rear -- 27.5" front)
« Last post by Andre Jute on Today at 01:02:51 am »Every action has a reaction, but I think the arguments on both sides of this one are over reactions.
You're right about each action having a reaction*, Paul, but I don't see any "arguments" or "sides" here: all the points discussed fit along sliding scales of control and personal preference as long as one doesn't go too near the limits of adhesion and stability. A competently designed touring bike in any event has such a margin of safety and stability, that I haven't read anything in this thread that would be intrinsically dangerous.
* Mental image of Sir isaac Newton standing on a teetering pile of books to look over the wall at that universal truth!
10
Thorn General / Re: Mercury Mk 2 frame replacement
« Last post by JohnR on May 26, 2024, 09:52:15 pm »I can see several 52 L and 55 L Mk 3 Mercury frames and a 550L Mk 2 frame (red) https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-mercury-frames/. A possible alternative frame is the Spa Elan which will take 40mm tyres with mudguards (and 50mm with mudguards using 650B wheels). It's not designed to be Rohloff ready but I figured out a torque anchor solution, most satisfactorily with the Ti frame but adequate with the steel frame. See https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14396.msg110737#msg110737 and https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14396.msg108175#msg108175 which have some photos. (BTW, the steel Elan frame needs a new home.)