Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Thorn General => Topic started by: revelo on October 23, 2012, 01:17:00 AM
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1. Only design problem was the nylon rim strip. This got wrinkled up somehow when I was replacing the tire, and the sharp edge then later abraded my inner tube. I replaced with Velox cloth rim strips. I think Thorn should offer cloth rim strips as an upgrade. Based on this experience, I strongly advice against thorn (as in goathead thorns, not Robin Thorn) protection liners, since these are even more likely to get installed crooked than a rim strip. Use sealants instead if goatheads are a problem. My full writeup on the subject of goathead thorns is here: http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_flatprevention.htm (http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_flatprevention.htm)
2. I cycled in wet conditions and never found a front fender or crud catcher necessary, partly because my typical speed is under 15 mph and that is not enough to fling much dirt up, partly because the down tube is so thick on the Nomad that it provides a good deal of protection by itself, but mainly because I get so filthy from perspiration and not bathing while touring that a little dirt from the road is hardly going to matter. Rear fender is definitely unnecessary when touring, because the rack bag protects me. Fenders might be needed for people who are freshly showered and wearing clean office clothes and who are traveling at higher speeds than what I can manage while touring.
3. I went with the 42/17 front/rear sprocket combo and that is working fine, but I'll probably switch to 40/17 since my existing gear 13 is almost as good as 14 for my purposes, while there might be some situations where I can use a lower gear than my existing gear 1. Low gears are more valuable than high gears for dirt road touring as far as I'm concerned. Also, I spend a lot of time in gear 7 now and moving to 40/17 might allow me to spend more time in the quieter gear 8.
4. Chain wheel takes a beating when dragging the bike over boulders. I haven't noticed any damage to my chain wheel, and these Thorn chain wheel are from the high-quality 7075 alloy rather than cheapo aluminum, but they are still aluminum. Anyone broken their chainwheel teeth from banging on rocks? Anyone gone with the steel Surly chainwheel as a sturdier alternative?
5. Though an IGH like the Rohloff greatly reduces the need for a clean and flexible chain, some maintenance is still needed if traveling in very dusty areas. If sticking to paved roads, I could probably just ignore the chain for months at a time with a Rohloff IGH. My scheme for cleaning the chain in the field or motel parking lots is as follows. Bring along a toothbrush, 250ml bottle of citrus chain cleaner, some paper towels and a bottle of silicone lube (White Lightning Epic Ride). Dip the toothbrush in the bottle of chain clean and then wipe it against the chain. Then wipe the chain with a paper towel. Finally, apply new lubricant. Be sure the top to the lube bottle is secure. Avoid the prolink Gold bottle, since it will leak due to changes in atmospheric pressure as you go up and down mountains.
6. The 640mm wide Thorn flat-track handlebars work nicely, but are just barely wide enough for me (I'm 182cm tall). I think Thorn should make the bars slightly wider to accommodate taller riders. Wide handlebars are essential on descents on rugged roads.
7. I've changed the Rohloff oil twice so far and the procedure is much easier than I expected.
8. Pedro's Vice whip is expensive, but makes removal of the Rohloff sprocket much easier than using a chain whip. "Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten" applies to this vice whip just as it does to the Rohloff hub and the other high-quality components of the Nomad. Another adage to keep in mind: "Only a rich man can afford cheap tools". Also, writing off the Vice whip over 20 years makes the price much more bearable.
9. If going with the Shimano PD-MX30 pedals, make your decision about long or short screws BEFORE the screws get filled with mud, because then they will be impossible to remove (the tiny allen wrench goes inside the screws). The long screws give better traction but I nevertheless went with the short screws, because the long screws cut my leg while I was pushing the bike. Better to have my feet slip now and then than tear up my legs and pants.
10. I rest the bike on its right side each night while touring, since my Mirrcycle mirror is on the left side. (We Americans drive on the right side of the road.) This causes some oil leaks out that side (sprocket side). British cyclists who have a Mirrcycle mirror on the right side might rest the bike on left side, in which case oil would leak onto the EX box. Anyone had a problem with this?
11. I noticed some abrasion to the inside of the chain stays, right where the tires pass. Not sure what this is from, since there is plenty of clearance between the chain stays and tires. anyone else had this problem?
(http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_nomad2012_paintabraded.jpg)
12. In general, I am very happy with my Nomad. I was a bit apprehensive at first about the Rohloff, but now I have complete confidence in it. The sturdy Rigida Andra CSS rims and well-built wheels mounted with Schwalbe Mondial 55-559 tires also give me tremendous confidence. And there is little wear on either the rims or the brake pads, despite riding the brakes constantly while descending mountains.
13. The only thing I would possibly change is to go with the lighter Nomax-X frame. I use the 590M frame size, my max load is 40KG (10kg gear and bike spares, 7kg food, 23kg water) and I weigh 80kg including clothing and boots. I'm not counting racks or panniers as part of my gear. Rather, I consider them part of the bike itself, which thus weighs about 20kg. Anyway, this is right at the limit of the Nomad-X capacity. If my frame size were smaller, I would definitely go with the Nomad-X and if my frame size were larger, I would definitely stick with the Nomad. Anyone used both the Nomad and Nomad-X who could comment about a situation like mine? I have no plans to order a new frame, but I would like to be more informed about this issue so I can advise other people better.
My full writeup on the Nomad is at http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_nomad2012.htm (http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_nomad2012.htm)
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Thanks, Frank, it's really great to get such reports - detailed, and based on pushing the bike hard.
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Great post
So much to take in
Interesting point about inside chain stay wear.
Wonder if anyone will come up with the answer?
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I think PeterNZ on here has a Nomad and his friend has a Nomad x so he has ridden both. He seems more than happy with his choice. May be worth you having a look at his thread in the Gallery.
Andy
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I think PeterNZ on here has a Nomad and his friend has a Nomad x so he has ridden both. He seems more than happy with his choice. May be worth you having a look at his thread in the Gallery.
Andy
I looked in the list of members and didn't find any PeterNZ. Maybe that's his real name and his user name is different?
[Edit: never mind. NZPeterG. But he didn't have that much too say on the subject from the posts I could find, other than the weights were similar and he could hardly tell the difference. Maybe that's the right answer. To wit, once you load a bike up with gear and heavy tires and rims, 500g frame difference hardly matters, assuming both frames can actually carry the load.]
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Here you go, Frank, a link to NZPeterG's gallery page here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4418.0
Best,
Dan.
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Yes, thanks Dan, I found that just before you posted.
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Hi Frank!
I've delayed responding about your scuffed chainstays because I've been putting a lot of thought into the matter. Like you, I have a 590M Nomad, but the difference is I am running 26x2.0 Schwalbe Duremes. Mine shows no similar damage, and I keep looking to see what could possibly cause the problem.
Please, can you tell us a little more about the scuffing? What I'd like to know a bit more about is...
1) Is the scuffing on both inside chainstays, or only the right side (I think that's the left side in the photo?). It sure looks to be only on the tire side, and right where the chainstay swells closest to the tire. Can you correlate the scuffing with a particular part of the sidewall? In other words, is it where the tread-cap meets the sidewall, or further down, where the sidewall swells out?
2) As far as you can tell, was it a one-shot occurrence, or has it recurred (wondering if you might have touched-up the area with paint, only to have it scuffed again).
3) Any sign of similar scuffing on the insides of the rear v-brake arms? (wondering if whatever caused it whipped around to the top as well).
Whatever has caused it, it must have resulted from a repeated scuffing to have removed the paint so thoroughly. Thinking about how the goathead thorns penetrate and stick in the tires...could something else have gotten picked up and rotated a few times by the tire before it fell out? [EDIT: I wonder...could some sun-warmed tar have come loose from the road and stuck to the tire long enough to grind on the 'stay as the wheel rotated? I've sometimes had this happen on the tread itself, and it makes an awful racket inside my fenders (mudguards) till it fall off. I suppose it might be the culprit if it stuck to the side of the tread cap...].
This looks so much like when a hub quick-release becomes loose in ramped dropouts and the wheel is pulled askew by pedaling torque, but of course that is impossible in this case, thanks to Thorn's use of vertical dropouts.
I'm currently reading an anthology of "locked room" mysteries that includes stories written as far back as the late-1800s. I don't think any of them are as baffling as this problem!
Best,
Dan. (....not "Elementary"...so far!)
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Here you go, Frank, a link to NZPeterG's gallery page here:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4418.0
Best,
Dan.
Very good Dan,
But here it the right link.. http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1208.msg24727#msg24727 (http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1208.msg24727#msg24727)
Because the "X" is almost the same weigh as the STD Nomad, I think that the L are better sized for offroad cycling then M size frame's.
As for the wear to the paint inside of the chain stays, this has always been around as long as MTB's have been around (late 1970's)
Pete.....
:D
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The paint rub on your chainstays - I'd agree with Danneaux, this is one of the more obscure frame damage problems. Vertical dropouts make tyre rub impossible. Maybe on you 6000 dirt rd kms you have picked up a lot of mud on your tyres at some stage and been riding through with it? The mud might cause such abrasion - depends on the dirt composition.
However I have had such mud build-up on my old Giant Sedona (vertical dropouts) to the point that the wheels would not turn, and I've just checked the chainstays..... no paint rubs there. Same with my Thorn Nomad Mk 2, after 1600kms in the outback.... no paint rubbed off. So I don't have an answer for you :-\
Incidentally, re mudguards and water/mud I have to make a couple of comments - I would fairly rarely get much above 15mph (25kmh) on a loaded tour unless there was some gravity or wind assistance, but I certainly find water gets flung from the tyres at this speed. True, the Thorn frame and your touring load will stop much of the water, but your feet will cop a pasting and I hate drenched shoes. Also one of the main advantages of mudguards is that they keep your bike significantly cleaner, always something to value on a long trip.
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Very good Dan,
But here it the right link.. http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1208.msg24727#msg24727 (http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1208.msg24727#msg24727)
Because the "X" is almost the same weigh as the STD Nomad, I think that the L are better sized for offroad cycling then M size frame's.
As for the wear to the paint inside of the chain stays, this has always been around as long as MTB's have been around (late 1970's)
Hi Pete. Could you elaborate on that last statement?
There's less than 1cm of space between the 55-559 Mondials and the chain stays, so I suspect what is happening is that mud is being scraped off there and it eventually abrades the paint. I haven't cleaned the bike since I got back and there is a coating of mud on the inner chain stays where the abrason occurred previously, with vertical lines in this coating of mud, as if something had been scraping that mud. Mostly I ride in dry weather, but even dry dirt and dust clings to the tires and some of inevitably circles all the way around and comes off on the chain stays. 6000km is a lot of revolutions of that rear tire. So I'd tend to agrees that this has always been a problem with MTB's.
As for L and M frames, my previous bike before the Nomad had geometry like a 565L and it was definitely less comfortable for me than the 590M before it forced me into a more bent over ("aggressive") posture than I prefer. I like being in a more upright position for long distance touring, whether on paved or rugged dirt roads.
Anyway, regarding the Nomad and Nomad-X issue, I think the differences would be minor for a 590M. But still, no need to add weight unnecessarily. So the question becomes, assuming a typical load of 30kg and a max load of 40kg and rider weight of 80kg including clothes and boots, would going with the Nomad-X rather than Nomad for the 590M result in frame damage? I'm not worried about a little wobbling when loaded with 40kg, because the bike is already cumbersome to use on rugged roads at that weight simply because it is so heavy. A little extra wobbling is hardly going to make a difference to me. I'm mainly concerned with permanent damage to the frame, like cracking of the welds. Anyone feel free to throw in opinions on this subject, whether informed or not, and I'll weigh the results (wisdom of crowds approach).
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Incidentally, re mudguards and water/mud I have to make a couple of comments - I would fairly rarely get much above 15mph (25kmh) on a loaded tour unless there was some gravity or wind assistance, but I certainly find water gets flung from the tyres at this speed. True, the Thorn frame and your touring load will stop much of the water, but your feet will cop a pasting and I hate drenched shoes. Also one of the main advantages of mudguards is that they keep your bike significantly cleaner, always something to value on a long trip.
I found the contrary to be the case. The mudguard and crud catcher both collect mud and then make it that much more difficult to clean the bike. The mudguard, in particular, can be a menance in heavy mud, since so much mud collects that the wheels won't turn. I had this happen to me the very first time I used the mudguards. The Mr Crud crud catcher didn't have this problem, but on balance it didn't seem to do much good, which is why I discarded it. Many people say rim brakes don't work in the mud and that has always been one of the major arguments for disk brakes. My experience, in the same sort of mud that would have jammed the wheels if I was using mudguards, is that the rim brakes quickly cleaned themselves off without my having to stop and clean the mud off with a stick or similar. Typically, I only encounter patches of mud, such where a dirt road dips down and water collects in a puddle after rain and mud forms. The tires and brakes get muddy when I pass through these patches of mud, but then the brakes clean themselves off with a few squeezes. I have no experience of non-stop mud (and don't want any such experiences either! :) )
As for drenched shoes, that is of no concern for me while touring.
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Can you tell us a little more about the scuffing? What I'd like to know a bit more about is...
1) Is the scuffing on both inside chainstays, or only the right side (I think that's the left side in the photo?). It sure looks to be only on the tire side, and right where the chainstay swells closest to the tire. Can you correlate the scuffing with a particular part of the sidewall? In other words, is it where the tread-cap meets the sidewall, or further down, where the sidewall swells out?
2) As far as you can tell, was it a one-shot occurrence, or has it recurred (wondering if you might have touched-up the area with paint, only to have it scuffed again).
3) Any sign of similar scuffing on the insides of the rear v-brake arms? (wondering if whatever caused it whipped around to the top as well).
Whatever has caused it, it must have resulted from a repeated scuffing to have removed the paint so thoroughly. Thinking about how the goathead thorns penetrate and stick in the tires...could something else have gotten picked up and rotated a few times by the tire before it fell out? [EDIT: I wonder...could some sun-warmed tar have come loose from the road and stuck to the tire long enough to grind on the 'stay as the wheel rotated? I've sometimes had this happen on the tread itself, and it makes an awful racket inside my fenders (mudguards) till it fall off. I suppose it might be the culprit if it stuck to the side of the tread cap...].
This looks so much like when a hub quick-release becomes loose in ramped dropouts and the wheel is pulled askew by pedaling torque, but of course that is impossible in this case, thanks to Thorn's use of vertical dropouts.
I'm currently reading an anthology of "locked room" mysteries that includes stories written as far back as the late-1800s. I don't think any of them are as baffling as this problem!
No scuffing on the seat-stays or V-brake arms, because there is much more clearance there. The scuffing is right where the tread meets the sidewalls. On the mondials, this is the widest point of the tires and does collect dirt and mud. And the scuffing is on both chainstays. I touched up the area, but it is now covered with mud. It is definitely not from the wheel mounted wrong or getting untrue, because I am very alert to any rubbing of the rear brakes. Indeed, that is one of the things I check daily, by lifting the biking and spinning to check for brake rubbing. The brakes would rub the rims long before the tire was pushed far enough to the side to actually rub the chain stays.
As noted above, I agree with NZPeterG that this is always going to be a problem with MTBs using tires wide enough that there is little clearance between tire and chain stay. The tire simply picks up mud and dirt and pebbles and then flings some of this crud at the chain stay. Do this long enough and you eventually abrade the paint. A mudguard would make things worse, since that would cause additional crud to hit the chain stay from ricocheting off the mudguad.
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Hi, Frank!
Thanks for the fuller explanation of the rubbing and areas where it occurs. Yes, it surely sounds like dirt and mud, carried by the tires and then rubbing with successive revolutions of the wheel.
As a suggestion to ponder, perhaps a small bit of black tape applied to the area after painting would provide a bit more abrasion resistance and prevent a recurrence while protecting the area.
Regarding the suitability of the Nomad X for your proposed use, it might be worth sending an email inquiry to Andy Blance to get his take on things. As designer, he would be most likely to provide an informed opinion, and might be intrigued by your proposed use. If you do check with him, can you let us know his reply? I'm sure others have similar questions related to similar use. As an aside, I see Andy himself rides a 590M with straight 'bars. It is pictured on page 14 of the Autumn Update 2012 edition of Andy B's Living With A Rohloff downloadable brochure, available here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/thornpdf/ThornLivingWithARohloff.pdf
Best,
Dan.
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No scuffing on the seat-stays or V-brake arms, because there is much more clearance there. The scuffing is right where the tread meets the sidewalls. On the mondials, this is the widest point of the tires and does collect dirt and mud. And the scuffing is on both chainstays. I touched up the area, but it is now covered with mud. It is definitely not from the wheel mounted wrong or getting untrue, because I am very alert to any rubbing of the rear brakes. Indeed, that is one of the things I check daily, by lifting the biking and spinning to check for brake rubbing. The brakes would rub the rims long before the tire was pushed far enough to the side to actually rub the chain stays.
As noted above, I agree with NZPeterG that this is always going to be a problem with MTBs using tires wide enough that there is little clearance between tire and chain stay. The tire simply picks up mud and dirt and pebbles and then flings some of this crud at the chain stay. Do this long enough and you eventually abrade the paint. A mudguard would make things worse, since that would cause additional crud to hit the chain stay from ricocheting off the mudguad.
Thanks that is the point I was trying to say, But after working 11+ hour days! it's just to hard to think and write after working.
Trying to save for my next tour ;)
Pete..
::)
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I found the contrary to be the case. The mudguard and crud catcher both collect mud and then make it that much more difficult to clean the bike. The mudguard, in particular, can be a menance in heavy mud, since so much mud collects that the wheels won't turn...
No, I'm not talking about heavy, tyre-clogging mud, just the typical road dirt and grime that you get all over the bike when riding on wet roads, whether gravel or tarmac. This throws a lot of grime all over the bike if you don't have mudguards. With mudguards the bike stays much cleaner. Just my experience.
As for drenched shoes, that is of no concern for me while touring.
It starts to become a concern when the temperatures are dropping and you begin to lose feeling in your toes :-\
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I dont know if you can still get them but I remember in the late 80's there being a combined chain slap guard and "sharks fin" that was designed to clean this mud off the tyre thereby protecting the frame? Not sure if it was a good idea or not or if still available but is food for thought.
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4. Chain wheel takes a beating when dragging the bike over boulders. I haven't noticed any damage to my chain wheel, and these Thorn chain wheel are from the high-quality 7075 alloy rather than cheapo aluminum, but they are still aluminum. Anyone broken their chainwheel teeth from banging on rocks? Anyone gone with the steel Surly chainwheel as a sturdier alternative?
Andy, I used a 50t surly chainring for a while, but it bent when I hit a boulder! Now I'm happily using a 48t Thorn.
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I used a 50t surly chainring for a while, but it bent when I hit a boulder! Now I'm happily using a 48t Thorn.
Hi Pete! I've had good luck protecting my chainring (and leg, from grease) through use of a crank-mounted bashguard. The one I am currently using is a Thorn, as here: http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/page/find/?name=thorn&page=1#filterkey=cat&cat=504&page=1 I'm using the 44T bashguard with my 40T chainring.
It uh, seems to be working. Though I didn't strike a rock, one struck me, having flipped off my front tire (and somehow past my mudflap -- how?!? ???) on a recent fast downhill on a very steep logging road in the Coast Range. It chipped the finish on the bash guard, then glanced lightly off the point where the right crack arm blends into the mounting spider. Good news? I found Toyota's Black Metallic TY 01566/204 is a dead-on match for Shimano's Deore HollowTech II "starry night" micro-metallic black crank paint.
Earlier, I used a BBG Bicycle Bash Guard (made in Portland, Oregon) on my Sherpa: http://www.bbgbashguard.com/Mountainbike.html , specifically this one.
My main reason for running a bash guard is to keep my right leg clean of greasy oil when touring (and, on Sherpa, to keep the razor-sharp profiled teeth on the outer chainring from tearing my calf when the chain was elsewhere). Let's look at this scientifically: The interior of a clean sleeping bag is the most effective known method for automatically removing chain oil from bare legs. Effectiveness positively correlates with purchase price and increases when applied in pitch dark and catalyzes in the cold, harsh light of dawn. Since one might slide into the bag on entry, removal action includes a bonus grease redeposit on fresh cycling jersey(s) on subsequent nights. Product includes a bonus language course at no extra cost.
Best,
Dan. (Bash guards prevent a host of ills...)
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I remember in the late 80's there being a combined chain slap guard and "sharks fin" that was designed to clean this mud off the tyre thereby protecting the frame? Not sure if it was a good idea or not...
Good memory, Andy, and accurate, too!
That would have been Shimano's patented adhesive Sharkfin chainstay protector, shown properly installed in a later version using a securing zip-tie here: http://www.jensenjensen.com/img/xbike/1040_shark_fin.jpg
In truth, it didn't work so well as a mudscraper because it worked too well! All the mud it scraped was deposited directly on the innermost and middle chainrings, making things a bit worse for the installation.
They worked better as a means for preventing chains run on double-pivot rear mechs from getting pulled down into the chainstay-tire gap by tires with aggressive side-knobs. This problem was ultimately solved with greater clearances and increased spring tension in the rear mech. Shimano's new Shadow series of single-pivot mechs does an even better job.
For a truly horrendous picture of a mud-doused Rohloff that kept on going, see this example, owned by Martijn Raap in use on his recent tour of Northern China using an Idworx: https://picasaweb.google.com/100505759840318911139/2012China#5802971869831792898
...and the filthy pair of Maguras at the front: https://picasaweb.google.com/100505759840318911139/2012China#5802972089894777026
For the full slideshow of his wonderful journey, go to:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100505759840318911139/2012China#slideshow/5803113154593418418
All the best,
Dan.
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I'm resurrecting this thread because I've since done some more touring and the scuffing/abrasion problem to the inner chain stays has not reoccurred. The initial tour was in Spring of 2012, and there was some mud at that time. I suspect it was the mud that caused the abrasion. This didn't occur to me initially because I was thinking that the rim brakes would have wiped all the mud off. But the rim brakes only touch the rim (duh..) and not the tires. So the mud (and grit inside the mud) that collected on the outsides of the tires would have been carried around and wiped against the chainstays and that is what caused the abrasion.
My subsequent tours were in dry weather. There was plenty of dust, but no mud. Upon inspecting the inner chainstays today, I noticed the touch-up paint I applied to those abraded areas after that initial tour is still mostly intact, though there are some scratch marks, perhaps from pebbles carried in the knobs on the sides of the tire.
Anyway, this clears up the mystery. I don't think this sort of abrasion can be avoided. My general feeling at this point, after 5000 miles and several months of touring on rugged dirt roads, is I don't really care if the frame or rear racks and other supposedly unlimited-lifetime components wear out eventually. Just buy replacements. Bicycles are cheap in the grand scheme of things, even expensive bikes like Thorn and expensive components like Rohloff. Certainly far cheaper than motor vehicles, houses, medical insurance and other big ticket items that some people buy but I am able to avoid buying.
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I'm resurrecting this thread to reflect some new experiences that might be of interest to other people. My most recent tour was 80 days, 1929 miles in the Lassen National Forest of Northeast California, in the United States, from July to September 2013. Odometer is now at 7271 miles, or 11706 km. There were also some other tours since my previous update of this thread.
- Hebie chainglider failed to protect chain from dust, started to add drag as it became clogged with dust itself, and finally chainwheel began catching on the chainglider plastic, bending it out of shape and causing a rattling noise, which was annoying plus it might mask sounds of other bike components. So I threw the chainglider in the trash. This happened after exactly 3 weeks and 642 miles of riding on rugged dirt roads. Based on my experiences, I cannot recommend the Hebie chainglider for expedition touring.
- Thorn chain guard is an alternative for protection from getting pants dirty. However, now I've gotten my chain cleaning routine down pat, the chain is never really that dirty anymore, and thus getting my pants dirty is no longer a major concern, so I've decided not to get the chain guard at this point. (My pants are black, so I was only ever concerned about major amounts of grease, not trivial spots.)
- Chain cleaning routine no longer requires paper towels and also uses less chain cleaner. Dip a toothbrush in a 125ml Nalgene bottle filled citrus chain cleaner, wet down chain a little at a time while running it backwards, rinse chain using water bottle. Takes only about 15ml of chain cleaner, which means I only need to fill the Nalgene bottle every 8 cleanings. If I clean the chain once every week (about 200 miles), then I only need to refill the bottle once during a typical 2500 mile tour. A 900ml bottle of citrus chain cleaner costs only $3 at Walmart, in the auto parts department, versus about $10 for half that amount at the bike store. Of course, in either case I end up throwing most of the cleaner away, given that my Nalgene bottle is only 125ml. After cleaning and rinsing the chain, let it dry, then apply white lightening epic ride or similar silicone based lube to each link of the chain. The handles on toothbrushes nowadays are flimsy, so I carry a spare.
- When I returned from this tour, I measured the chain (which was new when I started the tour) and it had only stretched by .75%, which is the point at which conservative users are advised to replace their chains when using a derailleur system, though some people don't replace until the stretch is 1%. Because I'm running an internal gear hub, I could get by with a chain that had stretched way beyond 1%, but that would risk damaging the chainwheel and sprocket. So I replaced the chain with another SRAM PC830. So far there is very little wear on either chainwheel or sprocket. The chainwheel is new, since I replaced that after my last tour, but the sprocket is the same one that came with the bike originally.
- Difficulty turning eccentric to get new chain to fit, whereas it was easy to turn previously. Evidently, some of the Lassen dust has gotten inside the eccentric shell.
- Upon returning from the tour, I raised the saddle and handlebars by 2.4cm each and also modified the pedals to give better traction, to provide added power for ascending steep hills in the future. The pins I've been using on the Shimano PD-MX30 pedals were the short ones, so that my feet tended to slip unless I positioned the pedal under the middle of the foot. But that was causing me to lose much of my power. The reason I used these short pins was because the long ones cut deeply into my calves when I bumped them while pushing the bike during an early shakedown ride (see above in these notes), and I wanted to avoid that on tours. My plan now is to place a home-made pedal cover around the pedals to protect myself when pushing. Because I had lost the long PD-MX30 pins, I had to order new pedals. The PD-MX30 has been replaced by the PD-MX80, which is a much better design. The screws on the PD-MX80 are adjusted with a T15 torx wrench, and so won't get clogged by dirt like the tiny allen wrench hole in the PD-MX30 pins. Also, Shimano includes 8 spare screws and 16 spare spacers with the PD-MX80, whereas there were no spares with the PD-MX30, just one set of short pins and one set of long pins. I removed the spacers from 8 of the screws on each side of each of the new pedals, to provide maximum grip. The only screws which I did not adjust (and thus left at medium length) were those at the outside front corner of each side, since these are the screws most likely to hit my legs when pushing. I will carry the spacers and T15 torx wrench on my next tour, in case I decide the long screws cause problems.
- After about six weeks, I noticed my leg muscles were becoming unbalanced because I was only pedaling and never pushing. So I made a point from then on of pushing 2 miles (about 35 minutes) per day. During desert tours, there will probably always be sandy stretches where pushing is required, so I won't have to deliberately force myself to push on those tours.
- By the end of the tour, rear tire was showing some cracking in the sidewalls due to flexing, so I swapped with the front tire, which has no such cracks, presumably because it flexes less due to being less heavily weighted. Both tires have some nicks on the sidewalls from hitting sharp rocks, but the kelvar belts have prevented these nicks from penetrating deeply. And there is plenty of tread left. So I have little concern about using them for another 3000 mile or less tour. These Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 55-559 tires are great. The Schwalbe inner tubes are also great. I only had to add air twice during this trip. Ordinary tubes would have required weekly adjustment to keep the pressure up.
- I had no flats and didn't notice many goathead thorns during this tour, perhaps because I'm getting pretty good at recognizing goathead thorn areas and avoiding them. I'm going to experiment with tire liners on my next trip instead of putting sealant in the tubes, though I'll carry sealant in the repair kit. There was still some liquid sealant in the tubes. I've considered going tubeless, but that seems like a big hassle, though maybe not. I've never tried tubeless. Updated my webpage on this issue (see http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_flatprevention.htm (http://frankrevelo.com/hiking/biking_flatprevention.htm)).
- Before performing the post-tour oil change, I first drained the existing oil, but very little came out. Evidently, the oil had mostly leaked out during the tour because of how I store the bike on its right side at night. I don't think this is a problem. I cleaned around the sprocket about halfway through the tour, and then it got oily again soon thereafter, so evidently there was still free oil in the hub at that point. Which means at most the hub was empty of oil for half the tour. But Rohloff says it is possible to run the hub for 5000km with no free oil, just whatever oil clings to the gears. So I'm probably okay.
- Rear rack is being abraded away by the bouncing of the panniers. There's been some discussion on this form of installing tape to stop this abrasion. I tried that but the tape only lasted a few days. Heavier tape might work, but then it would make the panniers hard to install and remove, which I do several times a day (install in morning, remove at lunch so I can access them while using the rest of the bike as a back rest, reinstall, remove again at end of day). Racks should last at least 7 years at my current rate of abrasion (about 500 hours of riding per year). Cost of new racks is about $150, including shipping. Divided by 7 that's $21/year. Trivial issue. Front racks show no abrasion, because I'm using home-made fabric panniers there.
- Checked spoke tensions with my Park TM-1 Spoke Tension Meter. All tensions at least 117kgf. Both wheels continue to be true and I did not tighten any spokes.
- No evidence of rim wear and brake pads showing minimal wear. These are the original pads that came with the bike.
- The Velox rim strips appear to have shifted on the rear rim somewhat, perhaps because of heat melting the glue as Andy Blance suggested might be a problem, but not enough to uncover any of the spoke holes. I'll keep a watch on this and perhaps switch back to the nylon rim strips at some point.
- At this point, my only suggestions for improving the bike would be: (a) wider handlebars for persons taller than me (I'm 180cm); (b) possibly allow Velox cotton rim strips rather than nylon rim strips as an option (though maybe not, based on how these Velox rim strips shifted since I installed them); (c) use 73x113mm rather than 73x110mm as the standard bottom bracket, whether or not user orders chain guard, to allow later retrofitting the chain guard without replacing the bottom bracket, given that the weight difference in these two bottom brackets is trivial; (d) make shifter cable housings identical lengths, so that spare shifter cables will be the same length, avoiding possible confusion during emergency repairs.
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Thanks a zillion, Frank, for sharing all this experience! I dream of the sorts of adventures that you embark upon with remarkable regularity. Well, I got an overnight trip in this month, so I getting a wee bit beyond mere dreaming! But it is a great help in planning to learn from the experiences of others.