FWIW, my five cents' worth (use'ta be
two cents, but with the shrinking value of our petrodollar 'n' all…) on Thorn, Rohloffs, and derailleurs:
1) What I like most about riding my Raven-mit-Rohloff, is that I rarely think about the hub -- I just change gears, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time, and it always gives me the gear I want, no fuss, no confidence-sapping doubt, nuthin'. It just works.
Occasionally I
do think about it, usually when coasting downhill in 13th or 14th, making a terrific ratchet-clackety noise like a large swarm of African bees (or like a high-end Cervélo road bike) without the fear and loathing that a large swarm of African bees would provoke.
And just the other day I thought about it, too: Rolling along beside the river in 11th gear, alone on a bike path in early December :-), I was trying to figure out what made more noise--the hub, my 'glider, or my Marathon Supremes. I decided that the hum of the tires covered everything else.
2) As for Thorn bikes in general, my experience is limited. I've ridden a few thousand ams on my Raven, and would have no hesitation in recommending it as a touring bike. The Nomad is obviously a well well made expedition bike, but more than I could use.
Thorn has made a bet on Rohloffs, but they're not alone in doing so -- see Peter White's site, for example:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/index.html It's possible that that market niche will expand in the medium term, if & as cycle-touring grows, with a nudge from retiring boomers. Thorn's bikes are hardly bargains, but they
are good value, compared with the trekking bikes sold in Germany on the one hand, and with the products of custom or specialty firms in North America.
The Rohloff is not the whole story, however. Thorn makes some quality frame components as well. My Eclipse touring bike has carbon forks, which now have 12-plus seasons on them, and although I plan to use the Eclipse for day rides, I am not at all keen to test the forks' durability any further. I'm thinking to make the Eclipse a rehab project, starting with a pair of Thorn 853 forks for the Mercury. (Fork #5 in the Mega-brochure.) The dimensions fit my Eclipse nicely,
and the lightweight steel forks have threaded tabs for fenders, as well. (Currently, I'm using clamp-on Planet Bike plastic fenders, which sorta-work, but not really, as PB's "hybrid" variants are too short for what I want, so I've modded a rear fender, etc., etc., and why am I doing this, just on account of carbon forks anyway?)
The idea of rehabbing the Eclipse with a nice steel fork is appealing, partly because it lets me take advantage of Thorn's long steerer tube to raise my bars a couple of cms. The Mercury fork will accept my Avid canti's, though I might get a spiffy new set, Mavic A119 or Alex Adventurer rims will work for my purposes, and I can keep my 35 mm Marathon Racers, which I enjoy. With the addition of a proper front fender, I think all that will make the front end of the Eclipse a whole lot more functional and comfortable,
and I won't have the nagging "What if…?" question at the back of my mind as I approach next spring's crop of frost heaves, cracks, and potholes.
Less appealing is the prospect of finding a derailleur/chainring/cogset/shifter package that works when I need it, though I've resigned myself to the expense of swapping out my current setup, the fourth such change in ten seasons. I think I've learned enough to know what I want, though whether that's still on the market remains to be seen.
