Thorn Cycles Forum

Community => Member's Gallery => Topic started by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:01:39 PM

Title: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:01:39 PM
200 miles on, fully kitted out, ready for action!
Title: Raven Tour Post #2
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:04:02 PM
View of the front....
Title: Raven Tour Post #3 - Camera Mount Solution
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:07:00 PM
Manfrotto Nano-Clamp Solution
Title: Raven Tour Post #4 - Selle Anatomica
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:08:55 PM
Finally, a comfortable saddle (no more numb parts)
Title: Raven Tour Posts
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 06:18:31 PM
All,

apologies (if anyone is concerned) re: multiple Raven Tour posts. Since getting the bike last November, I've been working out various solutions - lights, bags, camera mount, saddle, etc - and this is what I came up with. I admit (freely) it looks over-done and under-ridden but it does what I need and I like it, so there :-) The camera mount needs improvement - I've just got to find the part to match the ballhead to the clamp properly - the brass piece there at the moment is a kludge. Somewhere in Manfrotto's parts list is the right double ended bolt I need.

This clamp is a great piece of engineering - and looks a lot smarter than the SJS solution. It costs around £18.

Only 200 miles so far, but my weight and heart rate are slowly going down, and stamina on hills slowly going up, so along with a diet, probably heading in the right direction.

Mike
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: Fred A-M on March 13, 2009, 06:39:18 PM
Blimey, a truly remarkable looking set-up.  I guess you're not planning to cycle anywhere incognito! 

Three questions Chadlington!  Do you have matching cycle outfit?  :o

Where are you planning to go on the Thorn!? 

And lastly, possibly a slightly dumb question but never having previously seen such an arrangement, what's the purpose of having the camera fixed to the handle bars?
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: Chadlington on March 13, 2009, 07:00:06 PM
Tee-hee :-)

As it happens, I did succumb to a red "thorn logo" vest and black tights that do finish it off :-)

I'm a keen photographer, and really wanted to experiment with a few things. First - how to carry a camera on the bike, and get to it very fast to take a picture. (Next step is a quick release mount, or electronic shutter release on the bars). Also, as cameras with GPS tagging become available, I rather like the idea of having the camera take a shot every 30 seconds, or some other interval along a ride, and tagging the GPS location. Imagine a bikely.com/sporttracks kind of application that can take the GPS output from the Garmin Edge, and the GPS tagged images from the camera.... So you're looking at a graph of speed/elevation/heart rate/cadence - and wondering what happened at various points. You can look at the map - and see a photograph of that point in the ride as well. Early days, just a thought for now.

I'm riding as the main part of a fitness programme, combined with dieting. Slowly building up circuits around where I live which has many hills. A local 20m circuit can have 500m of climb. Then, I plan to cycle from home to oxford, then oxford to reading, once a week or so to get to work in the spring/summer/autumn. I'd like to reach a point where by next year, I can easily do an all day ride and still feel human the next day.

cheers,
Mike
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: jags on March 13, 2009, 07:20:03 PM
mike your a genius what a fantastic bike, i think you really thought this build out
to the last detail. ;)all top notch gear  ,last forever.
did sjs, do the build or did you do it yourself,either way it class .
when you change those marathon plus for xr's or supreams your going to notice a big difference in the ride.
anyway great job ,proberly the best looking thorn i've seen so far.
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: Fred A-M on March 13, 2009, 08:24:59 PM
Dare I suggest some red/pink tyres for the ultimate effect!?   :D
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: freddered on March 13, 2009, 09:23:29 PM
I can't imagine what the barbag willl do to the handling stuck right out there.

I suppose it may act rather like a stabiliser on an archery bow and 'damp' any twitchyness (it could also steer you into a ditch I suppose). What does it feel like?
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: stutho on March 14, 2009, 12:07:07 AM
Chadlington,

I love the idea of taking photo continuously as you cycle - have you got a tour planed? 
StuTho

PS
I combined your topics into one thread
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: Chadlington on March 14, 2009, 01:51:47 AM
Fred,
well, for me it feels OK, but I don't know any different through lack of experience - this is my first serious bike in years. It hasn't thrown me anywhere yet, but it's not been really heavily laden, at most a camera, fruit, some tools etc. I didn't like the idea of having a bar bag that couldn't be got at amongst the brake/gear cables,  hence why the extension was there, so that the cables weren't at pressure. Now I've fitted the accessory bar above the handlebars I guess I could remount the bag direct to the bars. What would you recommend?

StuTho - I don't have any grand plans for a tour as yet, I'm not fit enough anyway and reckon at least six months before I could contemplate something over multiple days. I do have plans for a set of "Inspector Morse" inspired routes around Oxford.
Title: Re: Raven Tour Post #1
Post by: ians on March 18, 2009, 07:26:51 PM
well - they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - I've copied your idea Mike of sticking the bar bag out on the accessory bar.  So far - I like it.

ians