Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Thorn General => Topic started by: Swislon on November 03, 2006, 03:18:00 pm
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I've been lurking and reading for a while and with some help from Fred Adams (Fred A-M), thanks Fred, have finally ordered a Sport Tour. The spec is:
Stealth black, 561L,
Straight bars
Ergon grips and Cane Creek bar ends
XC 717 rims
Black Rohloff, 44*16
1.5" Tourguards, silver mudguards
Blackburn Mtn carrier
Brooks B17 honey
Chainset and brakes standard.
Intended use is well, everything, a Jack of all trades. Winter training, shopping, visiting clients, some off roading, forest trails & bridleways, 'cos i do like the look of what the Rough Stuff guys get up to. A bike to stick on top of the car when we go away and is ready for anything. No heavy touring, No adreneline rush mountain biking.
I would welcome any comments about my chosen spec. given my intended usage 'cos I still have time to make adjustments (lead time is 3 weeks). I have ordered standard brakes and chainset and am wondering whether I should upgrade or whether I would notice the difference.
All input welcome. [:)]
Cheers
Steve
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Hi Steve,
The spec you have chosen sounds fine to me for what you intend to use it for, indeed quite similar to the Sport Tour I am hoping to order soon.
Mine will also be a 561L in Stealth black (though I am tempted by green) with straight bars, ergon grips and XC717's. I will upgrade to LX brakes to get the convenience of cartridge pads, and may go for different tyres, possibly Conti Sport Contacts.
I also want the bike to be a jack of all trades, used mainly for commuting and leisure rides but it won't be going further off road than cycle paths & tow paths as I have a mountain bike for real off road stuff (great fun BTW, definately give it a go).
I don't know about you but I am finding the hardest part of specifying my bike is deciding on colour - thankfully most components only come in black or silver, goodness knows what I'd be like with more choices.
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Thanks for the reply goosander. I agree about the colour. I'm not keen on any of the standard ones and have chosen Stealth black as a default really. I would consider the upgrade to LX brakes if I understood the benefits versus cost a bit more. Will they stop me quicker or with more confidence or is it only the convenience of cartridge pads ?
I have a mountain bike but have decided the RST is the way to go and will probably give the mb away to a mate of mine who needs to lose some weight and I'm trying to encourage into cycling. Though when I lent it to him last time he fell off going round a very gentle corner! He really needs a Raven Tour but doesn't know it yet.
Cheers
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All looks good to me, you’ve obviously been dreaming and planning for some time.
I’d be interested in how you get on with that grip/bar end combo, I’m considering it.
It was mentioned in an early review (C+?) that the standard brakes are fiddly to set up, so I went for the Shimano Deore upgrade. I don’t think anyone suggested a difference in stopping power, which has more to do with pads anyway (I prefer Kool Stop when I can find them and BBB triple compound as a close second choice.) I’ve got the standard chainset, unless you’re counting grams I see no need to upgrade.
My Raven Tour gets used for all sorts, anything from Audax to off roading, to get the best out of it I like to use different tires. 1.5” slicks in the summer, 1.75 Tourguards in the winter and a cheap set of narrow knobblies for snow and off roading. Be aware that SJS fit mudguards with quite close clearances and neatly trim the stays. Using a 1.5” tyre in a mudguard set for 1.75” means it’ll catch slightly less water but won’t clog so easily if you go anywhere muddy. It’s probably not possible and defiantly not safe to fit a 1.75” tyre under mudguards set for 1.5”. If you want the option SJS will fit them higher if you ask. While on the subject, do yourself and your chain a favour and fit a deep mudflap to the front mudguard.
Your gearing looks a bit high for me, it’s a personal thing, but worth checking you’ve done the calculations right. Blackburn racks have a good reputation, but I have a thing about ugly racks, I think they can spoil the look of a bike, so I went for Tubus.
I’m also a fan of hub dynamos, with your list of things you’re going to use the bike for some night riding looks inevitable. I know it’s a big upgrade pricewise, but a lot cheaper than adding one at a later date, I got a Schmidt but the new Shimano have had good reviews and are half the price. I wouldn’t be without, it means the bike is ready to use anytime without thinking about lighting.
Have fun when you get it[;)]
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I agree with the tyres and dynohub comment as i have the Schmidt (in black to match the Rohloff)and its faultless with a great output, plenty for my commuting using some unlit paths. Panaracer Hi Road were fitted when it left Thorn and in my opinion are poor, i now have Schwalbe Marathon which are better; everyone has a different opinion on tyres and its a great topic to read on. Its a 1.75" on the rear and i was able to adjust in the necessary clearance for the guards.
I have the 44*16 gearing as well but was originally unsure and specified a 42 front, when the shop considered my main use (very similar to yourself) "we" changed to 44, no regrets on this, mine has just turned 2000 miles since it hatched 1/3/06.
I am confident you will get on well with your RST - good luck and keep posting.
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I considered the Schmidt a while back for my audax bike but decided to invest in a Dinotte front LED with rechargeable batteries.A "brilliant" option for dark lanes. The reason being that I could switch to any bike 700C/26" when I need to. Also I don't commute as I work from home, so although I would like a Schmidt for the convenience I can't justify the cost at the moment. If in the furture I start being out regularly in the dark I'll invest in one.
Good point about tyres and mudguard clearance. Thorn and I discussed this because I want a good roller on the roads but with some grip when off road. We settled for the 1.5" Tourguard for the winter with the P45 mudguards set as high as possible. I have no experience with Tourguards but am happy to give them a go and replace if I don't like them.
As far as the bars are concerned, I like drops for road riding. However I don't want drops with a Rohloff so this is my biggest area of concern and experimentation. Like alot of others I think. I did about 80 miles on a Moulton once with straight bars/bar ends and got on OK and have read good things about Cane Creek. I'll keep you posted.
44*16 I am guessing this will be about right. Plenty of low gears and sufficently high. I know what they say about gear 11 should be the most used but round here (very hilly)I use them all! so I've gone for a good spread. Chainring easily changed though if I've got it wrong.
Thanks for comments.
Cheers
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Hi Steve, my RST looks spec'd very similar to yours (I got green frame with silver blackburn rack and black rohloff). I got the cane creek bar ends and love them. I also got the Thorn carbon bar ends (inboard), which while good, probably aren't that useful. I thought long and hard re: gearing and went 40*16, I mainly ride on bike paths, credit card touring, commuting and shopping runs and decided that a few lower gears were better than more higher gears. My highest gear is 96" which gives me over 40km/hr peddling, fastest downhill so far with peddling and assisted gravity is 67.4km/hr so I don't need any higher gears. I find 8th is around 18-20km/hr which is what I ride at on the bike paths (gotta watch those pedestrians!), and I do use down to 2nd and 3rd when touring up hills (have yet to really use 1st, other than initially trying it out, but good to know it is there for my Tassie trip (lots of big hills and long slow assests).
cheers,
Simon
ps: I got rid of my other touring bike (a cannondale T2000) as this bike does it all for me
pps: if you change your chainring you'll need to drop a few chain links as well
ppps: I got a rohloff chain, pretty impressive and no mudguards
forgot to mention I use this site http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/internal.html to calculate my gear inches, just plug in chainring size, etc. and you can enter 40, 42 & 44 and compare them at the same time.
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Hi Simon,
Any chance you could post a photo of your bike as I'd like to see what one looks like in green?
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Hi Simon, Thorn are saying there isn't enough room "to fit inboard and outboard bar ends on any bar with a Rohloff shifter" quote from the order form. This obviously wasn't always the case. I thought inboard bar ends could be a good solution to try and replicate riding on hoods but probably not so good for climbing. So I thought I would try the Cane Creek and see how I get on and see how much space there actually is when I get the RST.
I'm interested in other peoples experience and solutions for comfort with flat bars over distance. I've seen various photos on this site of a multitude of "horns" sticking out from some bars and although they don't look very nice to me they may be functional.
As for gears, I used the "Living with a Rohloff" article on the Thorn website to guestimate. I can't see when I might need a gear below 20" so went for a fair spread.
What do you like about the Rohloff Chain Simon ?
Cheers
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I got inboard bar ends on flat (comfort) bars with ergon grips. I've not really used the inboard bar ends as much as I thought I would -they are not much use when climbing unlike normal bar ends and I don't feel they are spaced wide enough for decent steering. They are good on straight downhills when you want to tuck in. I measured a 0.8 mph increase due to the improved aerodynamics on one long constant downhill. I find the ergon grips with the comfort bars very good and have had no fatigue problems on long distances.
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Hello all,
In respect of some points mentioned, I have a Raven Tour presently fitted with chainset 42 teeth and 16 tooth cog at the rear. I did not take SJSC comments and chose the ratios related to the gear ranges on my other bikes (Thorn). After a couple of weeks use I yesterday ordered....a 38 tooth chainwheel to replace the 42! Good old Thorn, correct again. I was using gear 9 and 10 the most. I hope to be now using gear 11 the most.
The bars. I am used to drop bars and admit the upright MTB style bars take some getting used to. I have very short (now cut down) bar ends. I cut the bars down narrower and find them OK but not anywhere as good as drops. The angle of my wrist is not the same. I think with time and further adjustment I may get comfortable with them. I could fit drops as I have the correct short top tube but do not think that the Rohloff shifter works to its best fitted this way.
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
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I went out on my audax bike today for a couple of hours. A very strong westerly wind was blowing and I found that into the wind I spent most of my time in the granny ring with my head down. But going with the wind I was flying along. I'm not a strong rider who could push a 100 inch gear very long unless it is down hill or with the wind behind me, but I do like to do it when I can, it puts a big grin on my face. I'm not going to load up with a mountain of luggage and I'm not going up the side of a cliff off road. I thought if I had a good spread of gears, 19.9" to 104.9" it would be 99.9% OK for all my riding with the RST. If I end up in the noisiest gears all the time and my ears can't stand it I will go lower on the chainring (within the 100 days hopefully).
My ride today reminded me how much I like drop bars, all the different hand positions and getting your head down into the wind. But the RST will be more mixed riding road/off road and I'll experiment with different ideas 'til its acceptable most of the time.
Cheers
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Hi Swislon, I only ordered my bike a few months ago, and Thorn recommended both bars (inboard and outboard). I'll try and post a picture (can anyone advise how ?) of my bar ends. I find there is plenty of room for both, but the inboard one is onl really useful when riding on a straight road, as they are close togethor and your hands are away from the brakes.
re: the gears, with the rohloff having a 13.5% increase in gear inches, the larger the gear inch, the larger the 'gap' or 'jump' between gears, so when I worked out my gears I decided on the highest gear inch that I really would use (for me this was 95") and worked from there. The difference between a 40tooth and 44tooth in the lowest gear is 18.1" and 19", so less than 1", but at the top end, the differences is 94" and 105", so I reckoned by going with the 40tooth I had less jumps in the gears in the larger gear range (if any of that makes sense), and had gears that I would use. Also I worked out that 10th and 11th were going to be my most used gears on the road.
re: the chain, I am no chain expert, but the rohloff just seems a substantial chain. I compared it to my mates 27speed and his looked like dental floss!
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Photos of the bar ends and the green frame
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/simonsydney/RST-BARS.jpg
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r250/simonsydney/RST-1.jpg
ps: looking at those photos my chain needs adjusting !!
pps: the green is quite dark and in shadow looks almost black, but a very nice colour, not real obvious, understated
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Steve
Thanks for the acknowledgement and congratulations again on your choice: just to testify to others following this thread, Steve's decision was the culmination of at least a couple of months of thorough research, having had access to some pretty decent bikes to trial in the process by the sounds of it. My decision to purchase on the otherhand was simply based on spotting the RST in a Thorn C+ advert, looking around for any equivalents and deciding pretty impulsively "I want that one". So I'm most interested to hear your eventual verdict.
I'd say your choice of gearing is about right for the Yorkshire Dales and Moors (assuming a degree of fitness from regular cycling which from all accounts you have). My first proper sortie on the RST (with 44 front 16 rear, SJS kindly having accomodated an initial error of judgement in having asked for 38) was from Harrogate to Gunnerside via Grassington, Buckden and Askrigg (entailing lengthy 25% gradients in climbing onto Askrigg Common). I found that this gearing range was pretty much perfect in accomodating extreme gradients, even trail climbing to 11,000ft in Andalucia. If you're not bothered about being being able to pedal to a max speed on more than gentle descents, the gearing should be perfect.
Such is the extent that I've been impressed with braking responsiveness I'd say that the upgrade to LX brakes is probably worth it, but have to admit that I don't really know how this compares with the standard deore option.
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Thanks for the photos Simon. I phoned Thorn up today and got to talk to Andy Blance himself. He said there was just not enough room for inboard bar ends on a straight bar as well as outboard bar ends. Maybe there is more room on a Comfort bar. He himself favours Ergon grips with Cane creek bar ends on a straight bar, particularly for audax. This is the set up I'm going to start with and hopefully wont need to change.
It is a good point you make about the bigger jumps in the higher gears. We are spoilt these days with 10 speeds and STIs. I know, as others have mentioned it, I will be looking for "half" gears until I adapt. I am now tempted to change to a 42 or 40 or maybe just wait and see. Fred and DaveFife have 44*16 and are happy with their set up so I think I'll give it ago. It's not too far to send for a lower one, even just to try if I want to.
Cheers
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My experience of Rohloff gearing ratios closley matches Simons, even with 40/16 I sometimes find the gap between 12-13 and 13-14 to be a bit wide. But like I said we're all different and to give it a bit of perspective, a chainring costs £15.99.
I cut my straight bars down to almost the same width as my drops. It wasn't that I didn't like them wide, I just found the difference hard to adjust too (either way) after I'd been riding one for a while. I'm still not sure I've got it right, the heels of my hands ache a bit after long days.
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Simon, thanks for posting the photo's. I really like the green colour, I am now seriously tempted to go for green on mine rather than stealth black.
Wish I could get away with not having mudguards, but not really an option in the UK.
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"I have ordered standard brakes and chainset and am wondering whether I should upgrade or whether I would notice the difference."
I have the XTR brakes on my RST. My previous bike has Deore brakes, I can really feel the difference, the XTR brakes don't half stop me in a hurry. Whether it's £135 better is hard to say.
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I am going to upgrade the brakes to Deore LX for £20 as it sounds like a good value upgrade.
I bet I end up cutting down my bars as well PH, but on my Moulton I got used to flat bar and bar ends for the road but it isn't as comfy as drops. The purpose of the RST for me is not just road riding so whatever bike I was going to get it wouldn't have had drops anyway. My bar decision was more between Thorn comfort, riser or straight and accept the compromise. Though obviously I want to get it as comfortable as I can.
Cheers
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Goosander, I was undecided between the black and green as well. I like the green, it is a classic colour and in different light you get different shades of green, which I like. Good luck with your choice, I think both colours look great !
Swislon, I upgraded to the LX brakes as well, and while I don't have anything to compare them to, they stop very well indeed. I have a steep hill near me that I ride down almost every day at >55km/hr and at least once a week cars pull out of side streets in front of me, and my brakes stop me each time (great way to get the heart started in the morning !!).
You're right, I have the comfort bars, not the straight bars, and really, I don't think you are missing anything with not having inboard bar ends. I really like the cane creek ergo ones though.
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Hi Swislon,
Congratulations on deciding on a Sport Tour - it really is an excellent bike.
- Brakes - I would go for the upgrade. Personally I feel that the brakes are the most important part of a bike. (Get Kool Stop Salmon pads if you can.)
- Hub Generator - I wish I had got on my bike! A good investment if you decide on one.
- Gearing - It's really hard to specify what gearing will be right or wrong for another cyclist there are just too many variables. I use 42 by 16 normally and 42 by 17 on tour. If anything I would say my gearing is on the high side. Note that using small gearing will NOT reduce the jumps in the range. If you are peddle 80'' on the flat then the next gear up will be ~ 91'' no matter what the chain ring size is.
- Drops - If you are happier on drops I would thing very seriously about switching to a bar. Personally I don’t notice that shifter position anymore yet I benefit every day from having drops. (I agree that the shifter looks 'ugly' on a drop and that an integrated shifter would be better.) Why not try the drops during the 100-day period. If you do find that the shifter position is a problem then you can always get the bar and frame switched.
Best of luck,
Stutho
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I'd just like to say thanks to all who have contibuted to this thread as it has finally prompted me to take the plunge and order a Sport Tour. Particular thanks to Simon for posting the pic of his bike (it persuaded me to go green) and also to davefife who let me have a shot on his bike earlier in the year.
I have been after a Raven for ages now and it has been a struggle to decide which bike, never mind colour & spec. I was almost tempted to get a City Slicker instead of the Sport Tour because it has disk brakes and can be a MTB with a change of tyres, but in the end I decided that the Sport Tour was much better suited to my needs and being cheaper allowed me to dip in to the options list a bit.
This is what I have gone for -
Sport Tour 561L in British Racing Green
Straight bars & those Ergon grips with the integrated bar ends
Black Rohloff, 42x16 gearing.
Hope front hub
Mavic XC717's shod with Conti Sport Contact 1.6's
LX brakes with XTR levers
Carbon seatpost & Brooks B17 titanium saddle in brown
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Excellent news goosander, well done and keep in touch we can run out on our rohloff equipped rst's!
best wishes
David
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Hi goosander, It's a great feeling to take the plunge and yet I'm now feeling a little apprehensive as well. I've just received the invoice and I can see I'll have to phone tommorrow to fine tune. Silver rims and silver QR levers with black hubs doesn't seem quite right to me, or am I being anal ? I thought Thorn would have adjusted things like that, but it was a Friday late into the afternoon.
Hope hub goosander ? I am interested to learn why Hope, which one and what was extra price ?
stutho, I have decided on brake upgrade to LX but stick with standard levers. I have also decided to change chainset to 42*16 as a compromise. However, although I prefer drops for road riding, as this bike will be doing other things as well and as it's a Rohloff I know I don't want to go down the drop route. Just riding some small bridleways round here I prefer straight bars and quick access to the brakes.
Cheers
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I know what you mean exactly what you mean about the silver rims & black hubs. Before deciding to go for a green frame I was planning to go for silver rims with the black frame but felt that black hubs might look a bit odd particularly at the front, so was thinking about getting a gun metal grey Hope hub.
I quite like all black disc specific rims but am less keen on black rims which have a silver machined braking surface but in the end I decided to go for these as I think black looks good with the green frame. For a black frame I think the silver rims add a bit of contrast, though the black/grey ceramic rims also look very good but are ridiculously pricey. As for the skewers, I didn't think about them as I intend replacing the standard ones with pitlock skewers ASAP.
I have seen enough pictures of Thorn bikes with a mix & match approach to silver & black components to suspect that you will probably get whatever is to hand unless you explicitly specify component colours.
I chose the Hope hub (£35 upgrade, so not cheap) over the Shimano ones because it has cartridge bearings and I want the bike to be as easy to maintain as possible - I hate messing around with cup & cone bearings almost as much as I hate adjusting brake pads (hence the LX brake upgrade).
I'm still wondering if I should have gone for drops as I can see the advantage of the multiple hand positions, but I have never had a drop barred bike before so can't be sure if it would really suit me. Not having the shifter to hand is a disadvantage but maybe not a huge one, as the only time I have ridden a drop barred bike with STI shifters, I didn't like them all that much as they seemed very awkward to use (especially on the hoods) in comparision to MTB shifters. I might try and borrow a bike with drops this weekend and see how I get on with it.
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I'm another person going thro the pleasure and agony of speccing up a RST - the pleasure being the host of tempting extras and the agony being deciding what to delete when the bottom line is revealed!!
My current dilemma is whether or not to buy the RST with S&S fittings. I'm buying the bike as an early retirement present to myself and like the idea of the freedom to easily transport a bike by car, bus, train or even air to new cycling 'pastures' ... but the S&S fittings, even pre-fitted in Taiwan still add £350 to the cost [£450 if retrofitted in Bridgewater).
I'd appreciate any views comments on this S&S dilemma. I have no previous experience of using the couplings -- indeed I have never even seen a bike fitted with the coupling so it feels like a lot of money to jump into the unknown as it were!
Must say the messages posted on this forum have been invaluable in helping to navigate through the option choices.
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quote:
Originally posted by nnnmvg
I'm another person going thro the pleasure and agony of speccing up a RST - the pleasure being the host of tempting extras and the agony being deciding what to delete when the bottom line is revealed!!
My current dilemma is whether or not to buy the RST with S&S fittings. I'm buying the bike as an early retirement present to myself and like the idea of the freedom to easily transport a bike by car, bus, train or even air to new cycling 'pastures' ... but the S&S fittings, even pre-fitted in Taiwan still add £350 to the cost [£450 if retrofitted in Bridgewater).
I'd appreciate any views comments on this S&S dilemma. I have no previous experience of using the couplings -- indeed I have never even seen a bike fitted with the coupling so it feels like a lot of money to jump into the unknown as it were!
Must say the messages posted on this forum have been invaluable in helping to navigate through the option choices.
Hello, I assume that you have had an enjoyable time! I too hope that you have taken time to look at my Thorn bikes?
http://www.pbase.com/john28july/the_bikes
John.
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I don't know much about the S&S couplings but I haven't heard anything bad about them either, so I guess it comes down to whether or not you consider the benefit to be worth the cost.
Personally I wouldn't bother because the folded size of the bike is still going to be much larger than that of a small wheeled folder such as a Brompton, so it wouldn't be worth it to me. The money might be better spent on a decent bike bag, car rack, or even a folding bike.
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The final spec is:
Stealth black, 561L,
Straight bars
105mm stem
Ergon grips and Cane Creek bar ends
XC 717 rims
Black Rohloff, 42*16
Hope standard front hub in black
1.5" Tourguards, silver mudguards
Blackburn Mtn carrier
Brooks B17 Champion special honey
Deore LX brake upgrade, standard levers
Chainset standard
Chain, standard with chain link.
Thats it.[:D]
Until I ride it in a couple of weeks and hopefully don't need to change anything. All black and silver.
Thanks for your input everyone.
Cheers
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Ref S&S couplings: an interesting idea and think i've read that they don't affect the bike's peformance at all but I'm not convinced that they are that useful. Having given some thought to what would be the advantages, if you're a small car owner or need to use a car to carry several bikes to access rides, I guess they could be useful and merit the cost. Useful for not having to prebook bikes onto trains too I guess.
If you want to use the RST for credit card touring abroad however, this means carrying a bike bag (unless you're returning to your start point at the end of a trip and can persuade your hotel to look after the bag) which in my mind defeats the purpose of owning an RST and credit-card touring, travelling light. I've always managed get around this by contacting a local bike shop a couple of days ahead of my homeward flight and procuring an appropriately sized cardboard bike-box. A gamble I admit, but has never failed me yet. Will be interested to see how many self-declared takers there are of the new RST S&S pre-fitted bikes/frames. Maybe there's something I've overlooked?
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Swislon, you have made the leap.. I am still sitting on the fence with a very similarly spec'ed bike. For my part, I am considering the Brooks 'Champion Flyer' seat (B17 on springs), pre-aged so I don't have to break it in. I am also considering the Schmidt SON front hub dynamo; Pitlock skewers and comfort bars.
Very interesting following this thread in clarifying my own ideas.
'nnnmvg' (what is the history behind the name?), I am also very interested in S+S fittings. The option of being able to sling it into the back of a car is very tempting. I emailed 'TeamTriplet' in another thread, because he has an eXp with these, but I have had no reply...
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S&S Couplings: I have no personal experience. They are supposed to be very strong, even making the frame stronger than without them, but I'm not an engineer so I can't explain why. You see alot of American riders with S&S coupled solos because I guess they often take internal US air flights. Tandems often have couplings, look on the Santana website(http://www.santanatandem.com/StowawayAssembly.pdf) to see how they can break their bikes down for travel or into the back of a car. But they have 6 couplings to break it down real small, not 2 or 3 like Thorn.
I split my moulton ( now gone to a new home to help finance RST) once to pack in the car when we went on holiday. It was still a large, heavy (30lbs)and fairly unwieldy package and I wouldn't have liked to travel regularly on a train with it. But every now and then would be OK.
If you want easy to transport on a regular basis I would consider a folder first as goosander says. I really like the Airnimals and the folding society website www.foldsoc.co.uk/ has tons of information including rohloff equipped folders.
But then again they are not RSTs !
Cheers
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quote:
Originally posted by nnnmvg
even pre-fitted in Taiwan still add £350 to the cost [£450 if retrofitted in Bridgewater).
I know it sounds a lot, but you'll soon forget the cost. I've had my Raven two years, without looking at the receipt I couldn't tell you how much it cost. If you're going to spend over a grand on a bike, it's too late to start compromising[;)] If you think you're going to get the use out of them, go for it.
I know a few people with S&S couplings on tandems, no problems and if they're strong enough for a tandem you'll have no worries on a solo.
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quote:
Originally posted by Swislon
The final spec is:
....
All sounds good, it'll be a long two weeks for you[;)]
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Hope Hubs
I too have one of theses, laced with DT Revolution spokes (black) onto a black Mavic 717 ceramic rim. It has seen about 3000 miles and still looks new. One thing to watch though - I am using an XT quick release skewers (black) which I forgot to grease it, is now badly corroded.
I have the choice of two front wheels the other is a XT hub (grey) / DT Competition spokes (silver) and Mavic 717 (Silver) rim. This is my touring / off road wheel. Both wheels are excellent. Obviously the advantages of the Mavic / ceramic wheel is better braking and (maybe) less maintenance however it costs 3 time more than the standard wheel.
Both wheels have require zero attention so far.
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I think with their 100 day money back, it is not really much of a leap. Keeping the budget reasonable is the difficult part. I could easily have added £400/£500 no problem, but wanted to make sure this is The Bike and how my riding evolves.
I've tried Hope hubs and they are a great piece of kit, and look quality & well engineered plus made in Britain. Goosander reminded me, so thanks for that.
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Swislon,
First time for me on this forum so bear with me.
I've had a Raven Sport Tour since Aug 05 also after much dillydallying about spec and the merits of rohloff gears but it's been brilliant straight out of the box and I've done nothing with it since apart from a change of oil,brake blocks and regular chain cleaning.
My spec is same as yours with regard to rims,chaingear and tyres [1.5 conti sport contact] and I use it for commuting.
Tyres not suitable for off roading as thin and slick but rims suitable with change to knobblies assuming yyou would remove mudguards as quite a tight fit.
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Hi hux,
Thanks for comments, sounds like you are another RST fan. I've gone for Panaracer 1.5" Tourguards for winter which should have some kind of tread. I am not going to go genuine mountain biking on it but forest trails, bridleways etc. I know I will meet some mud on these, as we did on our tandem on Sunday, but all manageable. If not, I'm not adverse to getting off and walking the worst bits, as a last resort of course.
I'm looking forward to mine now, should be just over a week, if lead time given was about right.
cheers
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Hi all, just ordered (today) an almost identical specd RST to Swislon. I was told that the LX brake upgrade was not available any more. I have gone with the standard brakes.
Can't wait for it to arrive now. Here's to our RSTs.
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I think us new RST guys ought to post our first and subsequent impressions on our new steeds and pictures of course. It will be interesting to see how we all get on. Heres hoping they live up to our expectations.
Cheers[:)]
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I'm another expectant RST owner.
Took the plunge and put my order in today -- now a 4 week wait before delivery. There is a good chance that the bike will be put to the test in cold and possibly icy conditions -- I live in Sweden.
My bike is also Matt Black and specd much the same as everyone elses except I bit the bullet and ordered the XTR brake upgrade.
Thank you all for your news and views which have very helpful contributions to my decision making process.
Will report my first impressions in due course.
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Hello, Enjoy your Raven when you get it. I enjoy mine. Heres a new picture of it.
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
(http://k43.pbase.com/g6/13/97613/2/69954805.rtNm95ai.jpg)
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http://www.pbase.com/john28july/image/69954805
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[:D]
http://picasaweb.google.com/Swislon/ThornRST
It should have arrived Saturday morning but the courier was playing games, so I got it this morning. I haven't had much time to play (10 miles) but here are my first observations.
Only had to straighten bars and lower seat a fraction.
Love the colour.
Slightly heavier than my 631 Bob Jackson audax. Weight is at the back. You can feel it when you lift the bike.
A brilliant ride. Everything feels "tight". Must be the frame.
B17, very slippy, but has more "give". I think I'm going to like it.
42*16 seems about right for me.
Rohloff noise..... What noise ? The freewheel makes more noise !
Gear 8 to 14 feel fantastic, no noise, no friction.
Gear 1,2,3,4 I haven't used yet
Gear 5,6 very little noise a little "friction" feeling
Gear 7 a little more noise, bigger "friction" feeling.
This feeling of friction/wirling cogs feels a little odd but it also comes & goes so i think its the hub doing its job. It certainly doesn't bother me.
The shifter is very positive and is a joy to change gear. It is so quiet and no trimming required.
I don't know if I will get on with the Ergon grips. They are nice place to rest the hands but after a while my palms ached. I'll perservere and see how I get on.
Tyres seem to roll well but again I need more miles.
It felt slower up the hills but I was playing with the gears so not a good test.
Current assessment. I think I'm going to love it [;)]
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Great bike and some nice pics. Glad the noise is OK on your Rohloff, mines definitely getting better but still a 'friction' feel in 6 and 7th. Reports suggest they are quite variable.
Try twisting the Ergon grips down toward you a bit -mine felt odd at first. Aching palms might just be part of adjusting to the new set up -more of your weight resting on front than before?
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Hi Steve
Good (and relieved) to hear that you and the RST have had good first impressions: the beginning of a rewarding long-term relationship from the sounds of it.
Ref Slow up hills: I'll be surprised if you maintain this viewpoint for long, particularly once you've become accustomed to the intracacies of the Rohloff and done a few long climbs/rides. If you're racing, fair enough, you might find that you don't always find the optimum ratio due to the spacing, but as stated previously in this forum, the smoothness/reliability of the Rohloff will ultimately make those telling climbs noticeably less wearing on the legs. Look forward to hearing further progress reports!
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Congratulations Swislon,
'It felt slower up the hills' - Both others and I've noticed that the RST 'feels' slower than it actually is. Kind of like how 70Mph feels much slower in a Mercedes S class than it does in a Ford Fiesta. Try timing a few climbs you may well be surprised.
Happy cycling,
stutho
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Glad you like the bike, looks very nice in the flesh. The matt black colour looks much lighter (more grey/black) than I would have imagined from the SJS brochure.
Mine should be delivered on Thursday, so not much longer to wait for me either.
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I like the colour, a kind of stealth matt black. I didn't know if I would but I'm pleasantly surprised. My wife thinks it makes it look expensive in an understated way. (She does know what it cost so maybe she is trying to tell me something, though she is not normally so subtle!)
Thursday's nearly here goosander, I'll be interested in your first impressions.
I will need to ride a few more hills but as I was playing with the gears it was perhaps unfair to say it felt slower. Interesting comments you make though and I'll look forward to more comparisons. I haven't been out on it today, too busy and the weather has turned foul. Very wet and windy.
I thought you'd be interested in what I thought Fred, but you needn't have worried. Thorn's 100 day money back guarantee is amazing and so far their service has been fantastic. They clearly believe in their product and I wish other organisations went to such lenghts.
My wife & I are going to see the Al Gore film tonight, so I bet I be spending more time on the bike in the next few weeks !![:D]
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Swislon, congrats on your RST. Mine has around 1,000km on it now, and while there is still friction feeling in 7th and a bit in 12th all the other gears are very quiet. The loudest noise is the freewheel !
When I first got mine I thought I was going slower than my previous bike (a cannondale T2000 touring bike), but when I looked at the computer I was doing the same speed or a bit faster.
I find I am riding this bike more as well, just for the sake of going for a ride. I think it is because of the 'style', the flat bars, gear change, etc.
Enjoy the Al Gore film, I saw it a month or so ago in Sydney and have bought a number of tickets to it for friends as Christmas presents. I think our respective Governments shoud put the movie on for free, to help educate us all on what is going on. I have definitely used my car a lot less since watching it!
Merry Christmas to all (the forecaste is 36celcius for us on Christmas day, off to the beach I think)
cheers,
Simon
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The film is amazing and very sobering. I agree it should be required watching for everyone, in schools, work place, tv etc . Why isn't it ?
36c on Christmas Day & seasons greetings to you Simon! We can't forecast in the UK what the weather is doing tommorrow with any accuracy. But after seeing the film everthing is going to get more screwed up.
We might even have a heatwave ourselves !
The RST is definitely going to get even more miles than I had planned for it and do we really need two cars ? Sobering.
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quote:
Originally posted by Swislon
The RST is definitely going to get even more miles than I had planned for it and do we really need two cars ? Sobering.
Hello,
Its great to read all this environemental talk. Firstly I must add that I own three bikes (all Thorn) and a Volvo Estate 2.5 litre! My annual mileage the past two years has been a whopping.......3280 miles. Indeed the poor car sits in the garage 6 days a week. It only comes out for the 10 mile trip to Sainsburys to stock up on food. Don't say I shouls cyle to the store-my wife comes to do the looking and paying!
Anyhow to the Thorn Raven. My view now I have done a few miles on it. If you are looking for an enthusiasts bike, ie:- one that you can pose on, tinker with, generally spend days maintaning, cleaning polishing and all the assorted enthusiasts doings. You have got the wrong bike! The Thorn Raven Tour needs no fiddling or maintaning or even anything. Most disapointing in this respect. I am looking forward eagerly to next year when I can change the oil in the hub.
I suppose sooner or later I will need to adjust the tension of the chan and wash the bike, but thats no fun at all.
Maybe I should get out and ride my Audax 853 to get some maintenance done?
Its all good fun you know!
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
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I agree with you John, I've done very little to mine in 800 miles. I've replaced the brake blocks as the shimano defaults were gouging lumps out of the rims, switched to Schwalbe tyres, oiled the chain...that's it! It's an ideal everyday bike as well as a great tourer. I only have room to store one bike so it had to be an allrounder and it has certainly done every job I've asked of it very well.
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Little maintenance is one of its big attractions to me. I'd rather be riding. [:D]
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Too right, its not about the bike ............but a good one helps!
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Agree with Geocycle's assessment that if you're only going to have only one bike for all purposes, you can't really do much better than the RST. Liked Stutho's analogy of doing 70 mph in a Mercedes or Fiesta and the impact on perceived speed.
I've been approached for confirmation of my RSTs make/model on several occassions on my London commute and so have found myself wondering what would be the equivalent of owning an RST in car-terms, given the interest it generates and its style, comfort, performance, versatility etc. Not being a car owner, I'm not particularly knowledgeable but had previously concluded, like Stutho, that it was like owning a Mercedes (merc owners seem to take great pride in the engineering and reliability of the engines ), one of their more upmarket sports/touring coupes.
Possibly a slightly ludicrous analogy given the politics of car v bike ownership but a useful one in the context of explaining the joy (and expense)of RST ownership to non-cycling friends.
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quote:
Originally posted by Fred A-M
Agree with Geocycle's assessment that if you're only going to have only one bike for all purposes, you can't really do much better than the RST. Liked Stutho's analogy of doing 70 mph in a Mercedes or Fiesta and the impact on perceived speed.
I've been approached for confirmation of my RSTs make/model on several occassions on my London commute and so have found myself wondering what would be the equivalent of owning an RST in car-terms, given the interest it generates and its style, comfort, performance, versatility etc. Not being a car owner, I'm not particularly knowledgeable but had previously concluded, like Stutho, that it was like owning a Mercedes (merc owners seem to take great pride in the engineering and reliability of the engines ), one of their more upmarket sports/touring coupes.
Possibly a slightly ludicrous analogy given the politics of car v bike ownership but a useful one in the context of explaining the joy (and expense)of RST ownership to non-cycling friends.
Hello,
As an owner of a Thorn Raven Tour I must agree with the mention above of comparison with motor car. I now own an 850 Volvo Estate car. Prior to this I owned alongside my super Thorn Audax 853 and my Thorn Nomad, a Mercedes 190 E.
Both motor cars are/were great, but I much prefer my cycles.
Happy Christmas all.
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
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I think I would compare my RST to the little known Subaru Forester (turbo). The forester is 1/3 4 wheel drive 1/3 estate and 1/3 sports car - a good match to the RST. It looks a bit odd and to be fair my RST (although beautiful to me) is a not classically pretty bicycle. The Forester has unbeatable reliability and their owners love them so that all fits too.
Of course the RST is better than the Forester - 250bhp uses a outrageous amount of fuel.
PS My wife and I share a small car, using a bicycle has probable saved us £8000 in the last 4 years
PPS why not a Merc? Well while a C class is great eating up motorway miles it defiantly won’t hack it on a forest trail!
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quote:
Originally posted by stutho
I think I would compare my RST to the little known Subaru Forester (turbo). The forester is 1/3 4 wheel drive 1/3 estate and 1/3 sports car - a good match to the RST. It looks a bit odd and to be fair my RST (although beautiful to me) is a not classically pretty bicycle. The Forester has unbeatable reliability and their owners love them so that all fits too.
Of course the RST is better than the Forester - 250bhp uses a outrageous amount of fuel.
PS My wife and I share a small car, using a bicycle has probable saved us £8000 in the last 4 years
PPS why not a Merc? Well while a C class is great eating up motorway miles it defiantly won’t hack it on a forest trail!
Hello,
Just as a matter of interest to all 'Green' cyclists. My annual car mileage last twelve months is/was 3280!
John
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My New RST arrived yesterday and I though I'd share my first impressions.
The bike generally looks very smart though the large quantity of spacers under the stem make it seem a little gawky at the front, but I'll probably lower the bars and/or get a stem with more rise. I had a nightmare time deciding between stealth black and green but I love the green colour and since my old bike is matt black its nice to have a change.
I've only done a few miles so far but first impressions are that the ride and handling are excellent - it feels nicely balanced with quick steering and feels comfortable over bumps, nicer than my Marin hybrid which has a pretty decent triple butted steel frame.
I went for 42x16 gearing with the aim of getting slightly higher gearing than my old bike but the gearing actually feels pretty similar, so I might change to 44x16 for the summer. The hub seems quite quiet in the upper seven gears and isn't too bad in the lower range except for 7th gear, in practice I can't hear it over wind & traffic noise anyway and it will only get better with time, so no worries there. As far as I can tell the hub doesn't add any noticeable drag in the upper seven gears but there is perhaps a little additional drag in the lower gears, particularly gear 7. Essentially it is as good as deraillieurs and is much more efficient than the Nexus 8 hub geared bike I used to have which was quite unpleasant to cycle up hills. Speedwise the computer indicates that there is no difference between the RST and my deraillieur bike.
So far I'm pleased with the specification I ordered, the LX brakes with XTR levers feel smooth and powerful with none of the squealing & grinding I usually expect from rim brakes (though how long that will last I don't know). I like the Ergon grips though I'm not sure how often I'll use the integrated bar ends and the carbon seatpost and titanium railed B17 seem OK so far, though time will tell. The last (standard) B17 I broke in was purgatory for about two months though I didn't have padded cycling shorts back then.
I took some photos of the bike in its pristine state, so I'll post a link this evening.
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Hi goosander, congrats on getting your new bike. It sounds like we are having pretty similar experiences with our RSTs. Not surprising as they are similar spec.
I agree with the front end looking a little gawky with all those spacers. I'd rather they weren't there but I'll probably not cut mine down even if I find lower bars more comfortable. I think I'll keep it as it arrived, you never know I might want to raise them someday.
7th is definitely the one that feels like it is dragging but I'm not sure it is, just feels like it. I went out in the wind & rain the other night and the bike felt great. Plus I wouldn't have gone out on my derailleur bike, too worried about the mess it would have got into & big cleaning job needed after only 10 miles.
This for me is the biggest advantage of the RST. Jack of all trades, Go for a ride whatever the weather and also off road if I want to.
I was worried my normal rear panniers might catch my heel (SJS recommend universal or front panniers on the rear) but I tried them this am and they were perfect. Pretty well sorted now.[:)]
Looking forward to your photos.
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Its not the best of pictures but here she is:
(http://81.168.10.81/photo/convert.php?currname=RST.jpg&currdir=Raven%20Sport%20Tour)
(Edit - sorry can't get image to display) but more images can be found be clicking here (http://"http://81.168.10.81/photo") and navigating to the Raven Sport Tour folder.
Although Thorn state that the RST is better suited to smaller panniers, the wheel stay length isn't particularly short so I reckon it will be OK with normal sized panniers provided your feet aren't huge. Having said that I've decided to not fit a rack to the RST as I find panniers to be too much of a nuisance unless you need to carry heavy loads. For occasional heavy loads I'll use my old bike, but if I ever go touring I'll fit the panniers to the RST or maybe even try out a trailer.
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Looking good goosander. How do you find those bar ends ?
I've the Cane Creek ones and so far so good.
Sunny today but quite cold so I wrapped up and rode 35 miles. Enjoyed myself, bike felt great and was really very quiet except in 7th. I think quieter than my derailleur which seems to rattle a little more on gear changes. None of that with the Rohloff.
The front brake seems to "modulate" especially coming down hill and braking hard. Is this what you call bedding in or is something else going on ? I'll do a search and see if its been mentioned before.
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Nice pics Goosander and a great bike-I've not seen a front brake behind the fork before, is there a particular reason for that position?
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Swislon - So far I quite like the bar ends, I don't think they give any advantage in climbing but they do give an alternative hand position which helps prevent aches & pains. I've never been a fan of traditional bar ends in the past, but decided to get these as an experiment, OK so far. I haven't had any issues with brake modulation, they seem just fine.
I also went for a 35+ mile ride today, though I hadn't planned on doing more than 20 miles, but unfortunately the train times didn't work out well so I decided to cycle all the way home. One of the most noticeable aspects of the bike is its silence, sure you get some gear noise but there is none of the rattles & chain slap you usually get when going over bumps.
I reckon I spend about 90% of the time in the upper seven gears, about 5% of the time in gear 7 and the other 5% in the lower gears. On the one hand its a shame that when I need to use the lower gears, it tends to e gear 7 that is most used but on the other hand the use will hopefully encourage it to bed in quickly. Gear 6 is very quiet and gears 1 - 5 seem OK but I don't seem to need to use them much.
geocycle - I'm not sure if there are any performance benefits from having the brakes mounted on the rear of the fork, but you certainly get neater cable routing with V brakes. Until recently, I hadn't realised that in many other countries, the front brake is operated by the left hand brake lever, so most front V brakes are designed for cable routing to the left hand lever, hence the awkward routing you get when the brakes are mounted on the front of the forks on UK bikes.
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I reckon I spend about 90% of the time in the upper seven gears, about 5% of the time in gear 7 and the other 5% in the lower gears.
Hello Goosander,
Regarding the time spent in certain gears.
I did say that the 38 chairing was best, did I not?
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
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I agree with the quietness and the lack of rattles when going over bumps I guess it is like riding fixed but with the benefit of having 14 gears to chose from. I really like this as I hate rattles of any sort as it always worries me that something has worked itself loose even though I've checked things over. This for me adds to the quality of the ride.
I've also not used gears 1 to 4 yet. Gear 5 & 6 were useful yesterday with some sharp little hills.
I didn't know about the V Brake cable routing before, its a neat solution. I wonder if fitting them to the rear of the fork could be the cause of my "modulation" ? It feels like a kind of pulsating as if the brake had ABS fitted !
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quote:
Originally posted by john28july
I did say that the 38 chairing was best, did I not?
Thats very much down to personal preference and fitness. You also have the Raven Tour, so I presume that you sometimes ride with it heavily loaded in which case I'd agree that the 38T is probably a sound choice.
For me I have no intention of lowering the gearing as the 42x16 is mostly OK though I sometimes wouldn't mind an extra gear at the top. If anything I might increase the gearing to 44x16 as this would give me the extra gear I occasionally want and would hopefully mean that I would end up using gear 6 more than gear 7. If I do make this change I'll probably wait until summer as I really only want the higher gear for decent downhills and on my normal commuting route the downhills are nearly always accompanied by a stiff headwind especially in winter.
Given that most people probably don't use the lower gears much unless heavily loaded or off road, this makes me think that there would be a market for a second model of Rohloff hub. If Rohloff could come up with a 10 speed hub with the gearing arranged as a single range of 10 gears rather than 2 ranges of 5, they would be on to a winner especially if they could make it £100 cheaper.
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I'm also happy with my 42*16 set up and wouldn't want to go lower even if I use 6th or 7th more often. More use will make them quieter anyway.
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Modulating brakes sorted. Loose headset !
I didn't check headset when I turned bars when I took bike out of box.
Plonker springs to mind.[:o)]
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Glad its sorted.
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Agree with Goosander ref gearing. I'm running 44X16 and that has seen me through every demand I've managed to impose on the RST including mountain trails. If anything, thinking of upgrading to 46 simply because I can't believe that I'll ever quite do anything quite as challenging again as this summer's tour of Andalucia.
Of course optimum gearing ratios are down to fitness and personal preference but I'm smoker of 20+ years, not to mention a liking for beer so I'm far from being super-fit. Even laden to the max (as opposed to the usual 10-12kg on rear panniers), I imagine that 44X16 would be fine for most regular riders for anything other than the most demanding touring circumstances.
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Hi All
I have a 44 X 16 setup.
My 13 miles to work is downhill, I could do with a 46 X 16
The 13 miles back is uphill, I could do with a 38 X 16.
If only someone could come up with a front chainwheel arragement that you could change to a different gear at will!!!!!!
Seriously I find 44 X 16 OK, except when its windy and I have been down up to 3 gears recently.
Where I live (Halesowen, West Midlands) I have to admit I have used the 1st gear occasionally. Especially after a hard day at work and I have to go up Hagley when its dark and windy.
regards
paul
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Mine's a 40 x 16. I've only used the bottom 2 gears on a couple of occasions (once offroad loaded touring in Scotland and once loaded on a 20% hill in the Yorkshire Dales come to mind) but they give an insurance against having to push. I've never missed not having a bigger gear than my current 14th as I am happy to freewheel down the hills and pootle along at 14mph on the flat in 11th. For me getting the direct drive 11th right was as important as the extremes, and that depends on individual circumstances. Note my bike's a raven tour not a sport tour, so will not be as sprightly on the hills anyway.
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In choosing my gearing I did attempt to make 11th my most used gear, but I'm not really sure if it has worked out that way as I seem to change gear more often than I used to.
The upper seven gears are all pretty quiet so I can't usually tell what gear I am in unless I look at the numbers on the shifter.
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Is that not simply because the Rohloff is so reliable? I certainly put my increased usage of gears down to that. I think I'm on the 11th or thereabouts, possibly equally 12th depending on wind conditions.
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I don't really look at the gears but I know when I'm in 7th !
Sometimes when using derailleurs and I know I should be shifting on the front, I can't be arsed, especially if I can see ahead that I'll be doing it back in reverse in a few moments. You don't have to think like that with the Rohloff.
I think thats why you may be going faster over the same journey, because you do change gear and keep the momentum up. I noticed this today (sun was out so thought I'd do a mid day "commute", one advantage of working from home)as I sped along.[:D]
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quote:
The 13 miles back is uphill, I could do with a 38 X 16
I know what that feels like Paul. Every day I use every one of the 14 gears on my Rohloff. For me (living at the top of a hill) 42 * 16 is just about perfect, but when the wind and rain is in my face cycling up the final hill I would really like that extra low gear.
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quote:
Originally posted by john28july
quote:
Originally posted by stutho
quote:
The 13 miles back is uphill, I could do with a 38 X 16
I know what that feels like Paul. Every day I use every one of the 14 gears on my Rohloff. For me (living at the top of a hill) 42 * 16 is just about perfect, but when the wind and rain is in my face cycling up the final hill I would really like that extra low gear.
Looks to me that you are indeed in need of 38 x 16 gearing if you could do with that extra low gear. I must also say that if you NEED the bottom gear on your setup now, you are at the top of a VERY steep hill/ not so fit/ or as I think in need of alternate gearing. The Rohloff 1st gear is so low I cannot think I should ever really NEED it!
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
HAPPY CHRISTMAS.
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quote:
Originally posted by geocycle
Having got your new bikes make sure you look after them. I had a very close shave last night when I went on my RT to watch the Al Gore film on climate change (great BTW). On returning to the bike stand I found that someone had stolen the back wheel from the guy's bike next to mine - a bling MTB. Fortunately I'd taken both my d-locks and the combination of these and the stealth styling discussed above seemed to have saved the day. Given the nature of the film and what I considered to be a safe location it was quite a shock. Look after those rohloffs!
Hello,
I never ever leave my bikes anywhere outdoors! Yes I do take my bikes into Public Toilets! I have numerous locks plus an alarm system wired to my home from my workshop/shed storage. Its sad that life is made so difficult. Its a shame that most people need to leave their bikes locked but unattended. I am lucky I generally have no need to.
John.
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quote:
Yes I do take my bikes into Public Toilets!
John, You have a fetish !
You need to seek help[:D]
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An understatement and a half methinks. John, do you own an RST amongst your collection? I'm slightly confused given the frequency of your contributions to this thread, which would otherwise appear to be from RST owners wanting to share their experiences of the RST. The appearance of massive picture of a non-RST smack bang in the middle of the thread is more bewildering still!
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My new RST has arrived and I am very pleased with it. It is however locked away until Christmas, so I only managed to glance at it before leaving this morning. Can someone explain the situation with the front QR skewer with the Son Dynohub. It appears not to be QR or maybe I was mistaken. I paid for an upgrade to Titanium rear swewer but not (apparently) at the front. I am a little confused, can anyone explain what the situation is with the Son hub and QR skewers, i.e. what is standard and is there any benefit in upgrading?
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quote:
Originally posted by Fred A-M
An understatement and a half methinks. John, do you own an RST amongst your collection? I'm slightly confused given the frequency of your contributions to this thread, which would otherwise appear to be from RST owners wanting to share their experiences of the RST. The appearance of massive picture of a non-RST smack bang in the middle of the thread is more bewildering still!
I own a Thorn Nomad, a Thorn Audax 853 and the mentioned Raven Tour.
I love my bikes so much I just need to show you (all).
John.
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Welcome to the RST owner's club Wal but can't shed any light on your dyno-hub issue I'm afraid. I hope that your new acquisition becomes a rewarding feature of a balanced lifestyle however.
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Hi wal, hope you enjoy your new Christmas Present!
With regard to the skewers, I seem to recall reading somewhere that SON hubs come complete with some form of security skewer, so maybe that is what is fitted? I can't be sure though as I don't have one.
I ordered pitlock skewers with my bike and they came fitted on the bike but the conventional skewers were included in the bag of odd & ends that come with the bike. Indeed judging from the pics on the SKS web site it looks like the spare skewers they shipped me are actually the titanium skewers rather than standard ones, they are certainly very nice whatever they are.
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Hi wal, what a wonderful Christmas present. Can you not sneak it out when no one is looking. I couldn't keep my hands off it if it was mine.
No info on SON hubs, sorry.
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quote:
Originally posted by wal
Can someone explain the situation with the front QR skewer with the Son Dynohub. It appears not to be QR or maybe I was mistaken.
It is QR as opposed to a nutted axle. It isn't a cam type QR, it needs an allen key to undo. At least this is what my two came with. It can be replaced with any standard QR.
EDIT - There's a couple of photos on the SON website showing the hubs fitted.
http://www.nabendynamo.de/gallery.htm
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Hi John - sorry for the late reply. Yes I could sometime do with an extra low gear on the Rohloff BUT I spend FAR MORE time in 14 than I do in first. On the flat (no wind) and I am normally in 11 or likely 12 gear. I live in a hilly (and windy) area and my daily commute involves one large hill and a long flat section along an estuary - very exposed to the wind. Like I said in my earlier post “I use every one of my 14 gears every day” - QED 42*16 is the correct gearing for me. (I am not claiming it is right for you or anyone else.)
Incidentally I can also set my bike up with a 42*17 - I have only done this twice for touring. This set up is NOT low enough for me when caring load, however it is to low for my normal use.
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quote:
Originally posted by stutho
Hi John - sorry for the late reply. Yes I could sometime do with an extra low gear on the Rohloff BUT I spend FAR MORE time in 14 than I do in first. On the flat (no wind) and I am normally in 11 or likely 12 gear. I live in a hilly (and windy) area and my daily commute involves one large hill and a long flat section along an estuary - very exposed to the wind. Like I said in my earlier post “I use every one of my 14 gears every day” - QED 42*16 is the correct gearing for me. (I am not claiming it is right for you or anyone else.)
Incidentally I can also set my bike up with a 42*17 - I have only done this twice for touring. This set up is NOT low enough for me when caring load, however it is to low for my normal use.
Hello,
The terrain you mention is very similar to the area in which I do most of my riding. I must admit my Raven Tour gearing suits it and me very well. No need for any change when I go off camping early in 2007.I have only ever used 1 to 5 gears to test that they were actually available and functioning!I will no doubt only use them when loaded.With the ratios I have I generally ride in.........gear 11 or 12 too. However I must say that my Audax 853 is faster and much easier up hills!
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july
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Well, I will confound you all and say that I use 39 / 16 on my Raven Tour - and it suits me fine. Sheffield is pretty hilly, and after a return to cycling after a gap of several decades (the bike was my 60th birthday present) I doubt if I could or should manage a bigger gear . . . I have only rarely wanted a bigger gear, and probably use the lower gears more than most contributors so far.
Lewis
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quote:
Originally posted by lewisnoble
Well, I will confound you all and say that I use 39 / 16 on my Raven Tour - and it suits me fine. Sheffield is pretty hilly, and after a return to cycling after a gap of several decades (the bike was my 60th birthday present) I doubt if I could or should manage a bigger gear . . . I have only rarely wanted a bigger gear, and probably use the lower gears more than most contributors so far.
Lewis
Amazing! I was born on Mona Avenue, Crookes, Sheffield, 10. in 1950. So I do know your terrain. I was in Sheffield 3 years ago-simply to show my 16 yr old daughter the house I was born in-No 20.
Enjoy your rides,
John.
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44 x 16 for this fifties RST owner (nineteen-fifties, or just fifties).
I calculated my most-used gear on my old hybrid/mtb as about 71 inches, that dictated 44x16 for direct gear 11. It's proven to be the right choice for me. Occasionally I've looked for gear 15, but I've never missed anything lower than 1st. Generally I keep my cadence above 80.
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quote:
Originally posted by PH
quote:
Originally posted by wal
Can someone explain the situation with the front QR skewer with the Son Dynohub. It appears not to be QR or maybe I was mistaken.
It is QR as opposed to a nutted axle. It isn't a cam type QR, it needs an allen key to undo. At least this is what my two came with. It can be replaced with any standard QR.
EDIT - There's a couple of photos on the SON website showing the hubs fitted.
http://www.nabendynamo.de/gallery.htm
Thanks for the info. Do they use these to keep opportunist thieves at bay or for some other reason? I presume that needing an allen key means that they are more difficult to nick than with a simple lever type skewer.
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quote:
Originally posted by Joatamon
44 x 16 for this fifties RST owner (nineteen-fifties, or just fifties).
I calculated my most-used gear on my old hybrid/mtb as about 71 inches, that dictated 44x16 for direct gear 11. It's proven to be the right choice for me. Occasionally I've looked for gear 15, but I've never missed anything lower than 1st. Generally I keep my cadence above 80.
Same here, my most used gear on my old hybrid was also 71" but I decided to go for 42x16 rather than 44x16 because I felt that the 105" top gear of the 44 tooth setup was too high, however -
If I have done the maths correctly it looks like the figures Thorn give in their table are based on a tyre circumference of 208cm which is somewhat larger than the 200cm diameter of the tyres on my bike, so in reality my gearing is similar to the 40x16 in the Thorn table. If I change to a 44T chainring I should get the gearing I was expecting from a 42T chainring.
For the benefit of any prospective purchasers reading this, I suspect that Thorn based their gearing table around a bike using 26x1.75 or larger tyres, so it may be worth going up one size of chainring if you intend using smaller tyres especially if the tyres are small for their size (e.g. Conti Sport Contact 1.6's are more like 1.45" in width).