Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Thorn General => Topic started by: leftpoole on March 11, 2013, 12:16:51 PM
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Hello all,
I am so pleased with my Mk 3 Audax bike that I want to build myself another! Yes I think I need two. One for summer with lighter specification components and another (the one I already have) with Dynamo hub lighting etc for Winter.
Limited stocks until late May. Not a person who likes to wait!
Colour choice frameset my size are in :- Pink/Matt Black/ Tonka Yellow.
I cannot really say that I like yellow, I am uncertain about matt black and favoured at present is the pink for some reason.
I know black components would help tone down any colour but what do YOU think?
Answers please ASAP of course.
PS its snowed today here in sunny Dorset 1 mile from the sea....
John
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I was so tempted with tonka yellow when I ordered mine. In fact I think the only reason I didn't have one is that they didn't have a frame in the right size in stock. Second choice of those would have to be black. I rather like the idea of a stealth bike, with black frame, groupset, rims, spokes, etc. only silver showing would be the chain.
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I saw a stealthy build with black frame and all black components which looked tidy.
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Hi John!
Go for the pink. It is different, distinctive, and will stand out. Suitable for summer months as well. I recently saw a local racer's pink-framed bike, done up with black componentry; the effect was striking -- really outstanding.
I see your Brompton was pink, so that leaves a hole for the color in your stable. Time to fill it!
Best,
Dan. (...who wore his pink-and-blue Polti Lamballe jersey when touring Europe and received many compliments as a result)
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My money is on the Tonka yellow but that may just be me
Andy
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I vote for Pink frame and black everything else.
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How about Pink with clashing "hot" colours eg. Orange bar tape, Yellow cables, Ritchey Wet Red seatpost & stem..topped off with a not so "hot" Turquoise Brooks Colt?
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Hi mfolks,
I am interested in the answers as it shows diversity which surprises me. I expected most to go for the matt black but it seems no concisive answer. Maybe I will stick to the wait until late May. There is a delivery which includes the colour which replaces the Green (a shame as I would have liked Green), it is a Gunmetal colour. Not black but not my choice either really. I really wanted another blue or possible the red.
John.....................
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BLACK, for god sake stay away from pink that colour is great if your an italian stud ::)
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How about Pink with clashing "hot" colours eg. Orange bar tape, Yellow cables, Ritchey Wet Red seatpost & stem..topped off with a not so "hot" Turquoise Brooks Colt?
Oh golly! How revolting! (sorry). I go for black bar tape every time. The only other choice from a black saddle too is a honey colour saddle. I like a clean looking quality look.
Sorry again, you were serious were you?
John
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BLACK, for god sake stay away from pink that colour is great if your an italian stud ::)
Italian stud? Food for thought.
I must admit I never had any really comments about the pink Brompton except kids (teenagers and young ones at that) other grown up people liked it. But I just feel like Jags that it is a bit not, manly? Maybe the Black or yellow but I am not keen on either when it comes to the crunch.
John
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Oh golly! How revolting! (sorry). I go for black bar tape every time. The only other choice from a black saddle too is a honey colour saddle. I like a clean looking quality look.
Sorry again, you were serious were you?
John
Yes i was - Kind of like the idea ! Also like Blues & Greens together too...
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John matt black is a fantastic colour (If you can call black a colour ::)
tan brooks saddle and bartape /gold chain /brass bell /black rims stainless spokes.
man you would be the bell of the ball. ;)
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What jags said...kind of the old John Player Special livery Lotus used back in the day when racing in F-1.
Best,
Dan. (...Black 'n' gold...hard to beat, and class, class, classy!)
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Dan do you find it hard to clean the nomad it being a matt black.
myself i love a high gloss paint job i would spend hours cleaning and polishng my sherpa ,
i know i know i'm a sad person but what can i say. ::) ;D
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Dan do you find it hard to clean the nomad it being a matt black.
My secret: Compressed air. After yesterday's long ride on gravel, I revved up the compressor once I got home and gave it a good spray, blowing off any dust and being careful not to direct compressed air near any bearings or seals. After that, all it took was a soft cloth with a spritz of non-alcohol/non-ammonia window cleaner ( prefer the "Spic'n'Span" brand) and I'm good to go.
It does get a tiny bit "shiny" momentarily if I rub it with a bare arm or leg (skin oils transfer) and I expect that with continued use it might grow a bit more reflective in high-wear areas, 'cos it is the clear coat that has the flattening agent. Overall, though, no fuss or bother!
I like it very much. I chose it for Sherpa and had grown so fond of it, I didn't have to think twice when choosing the same for the Nomad. Touchups with aftermarket paints are invisible.
Kinda hard to go wrong with any of the available Thorn colors; they're all well-chosen and present very nicely.
Best,
Dan.
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have you ever tried the stuff they use for car vinal like bumpers back to black pretty good stuff. ;)
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have you ever tried the stuff they use for car vinal like bumpers back to black pretty good stuff.
Mmmyeah...no. Not on the bike. The silicone makes the tires slick, and if it gets on the paint, it is very hard to remove for a nice touchup (the silicones cause any touchup paint to leave "fisheyes" in the paint.
So, while I've found it terrific on the car...not so hot on the bike.
All the best,
Dan. (...whose uncle ArmorAll'd the saddle of his motorcycle, and when he cranked-on the throttle, it shot out from under him. A bit startling when you're in your early 80s...)
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I must say, I was wondering when Dan said a pink bike he rode in Europe attracted favourable comment how he failed to notice that the men who made the comments seemed unable to distinguish between "gym" and "home"...
There a deep purple bike in town. It used to belong to me; I gave it to a dealer when it became surplus to requirements, and he sold it. eEery time I see it, I wonder what people thought when they saw me on it.
There's also a pink bike in town, ridden by a surly sod who doesn't respond to greetings. It makes me wince every time I see it.
I saw a bike that was suitably pink not so long ago. It was a brand I am partial to, as it happens, a Utopia, a small crossframe "Wave" style, a swoopy sort of girl's bike, ridden by a serious lady tourer from Germany. Everything on the bike clashed with the pink. She'd given on coordination, and I didn't blame her. It would impossible to color-coordinate bike gear with pink.
I vote for the Tonka yellow, followed by, you guessed it, the black.
Andre Jute
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Dan said a pink bike he rode in Europe attracted favourable comment...
Ehm, it was a pink-and-blue jersey, rather than bike (my Miyata 1000LT wearing an understated "light metallic smoke [metallic grey] pain job). Still, I received a lot of compliments on the jersey, but I think it may have been the team rather than the team colors -- or the team colors evoked the team...or?
The leader/winner of Italy's Giro d'Italia wears a pink jersey.
Interesting the connotations we associate with color. Pink, for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink#Clothing
...and...
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2831/was-pink-originally-the-color-for-boys-and-blue-for-girls
In the early 1900s, pink was considered a more many color than blue; times change.
I used to tutor Saudi students in my doctoral program, back in the day. All went well until I wore my bright yellow shirt to our meeting. I was met with expressions of grave concern, much to my bafflement until I asked why: "Because you are wearing yellow; the color of illness".
Of course, the leader/winner of the Tour de France wears yellow.
I kind of wish Thorn would consider the wonderful pale green used on classic French touring bikes of the constructeur era...but that color may be so closely associated with the French bikes as to be unusable by a British firm, much as many shades of dark green are often referred to as "British Racing Green" even when used by others. I'd love to see a metallic silver become available; from dark pewter to bright, silvertones can look very classy.
And, of course, you can never go wrong with yellow. When it came to choosing my Thorn, I'd already had (in childhood/adolescence) a red bike, a metallic green bike, and one in bright chrome-lemon yellow (called "fly yellow" when used by Chevrolet on their Corvette). As an adult, I had a bright silver, pearlized maroon, ice blue metallic with dark blue head tube, light metallic smoke, white with turquoise panels, and a Mercedes Glasurit red (tandem). I chose matte black in part because I'd never had a black bike before, because I thought it might help keep me stealthy when wild camping, because it is easy to touch up, and doesn't attract a lot of attention. Didn't expect to like it so much.
I really like the gunmetal color used on jags' Sherpa; it has greenish undertones, brought our by his recent taping with Brooks green leather handlebar tape.
Poor John has a tough job ahead choosing the "best" color, but oh! what luxury when the hardest choice comes down to color 'cos the bike is "right" in every other way!
Best,
Dan.
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IMHO it's no contest.
The Pink is the only choice. It looks like it's really more magenta than pink in the brochures and is reminiscent of the Telekom days.
So many bikes are black, black and red, or black, white and red that you need something to stand out.
Catrepillar Yellow would be my second choice if my 'only' choice sold out.
Enjoy it John.
pj
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Hi gang!
I have viewed your responses with interest. I do not think however that I am going to be able to go with any of them........................
I do not think that matt Black would be a good choice due to the chance of it being a shiny colour in disguise! In other words, wipe it over with the gevenera purpose 'oily rag', and hey ho it has a glow (or shine).
Pink enough said I will not take the chance as I want a bike for life not two rides of comments!
Tonka yellow? If Thorn had called it simply yellow or Thorn yellow or even Buttercup yellow I may have chosen. But TONKA!
I think that (at this moment) I am going to need to wait until late May and get the colour I really would be happy with, either another matching blue or indeed most likely red. I should really have loved green but it is not being made anymore which is a shame. But Andy Blance thinks he knows best (sales targets/levels etc)............
I will continue to ponder the yellow but .........
John
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Can't go wrong with black but...pink is something different and it shows a certain "hah I make up my own mind" if a bloke cycles on a hard pink bike ;D
(also, maybe less attractive for thieves? resale value may be less...or maybe more! hard to say)
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Can't go wrong with black but...pink is something different and it shows a certain "hah I make up my own mind" if a bloke cycles on a hard pink bike ;D
(also, maybe less attractive for thieves? resale value may be less...or maybe more! hard to say)
IF I go and buy a PINK frameset and I get scornful looks or comments or teenagers laughing, you are in trouble.
IF I buy a black frameset and it looks grubby with finger marks quickly then someone else is in trouble.
IF I buy a yellow frameset I guess it will not atract any unwanted attention, other than the usual 'oh you have a Thorn, nice' then it will be a good choice.
BUT if I wait until late May, I could the colour of my choice and be 100% happy!
Tough going here guys!
John
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I was really torn between yellow, red, and blue when I picked mine. In the end I had to discount the yellow (As I dont think they had any) and picked the blue. I'm still not sure I made the right choice!
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I was really torn between yellow, red, and blue when I picked mine. In the end I had to discount the yellow (As I don't think they had any) and picked the blue. I'm still not sure I made the right choice!
I have the blue and really love it. I think that it is the colour of choice, which is why having to either buy a colour of second or even third or fourth choice is so difficult.
In order of preference, Green (Not made now), Blue, Red, Yellow..........so you really can see it has been tough.
SO what colour am I going to buy?
I THINK I shall just wait which will take some doing.
I guess St John St should have more built each time? Maybe they are concentrating more on Rohloff hubbed bikes to the detriment of derailleur?
John
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I wouldn't be surprised if it's because there is an Audax mk4 in the works as they do seem to be refreshing the range recently.
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I wouldn't be surprised if it's because there is an Audax mk4 in the works as they do seem to be refreshing the range recently.
I already confronted Andy Blance with just that question. He said simply that Thorns future lies with Rohloff. I think it an error of judgement, but who am I to wonder/
Regarding colours. I know that green has finished, replaced by a Gunmetal colour. I just reviewed the way the in or out of stock system works and I feel that the yellow may be obsolete also.
Just a feeling viewing stock left.
I have sadly, considered a Spa Cycles Audax frameset which is shiny black with Carbon forks for £305:00??
John
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I was really torn between yellow, red, and blue when I picked mine. In the end I had to discount the yellow (As I dont think they had any) and picked the blue. I'm still not sure I made the right choice!
As a matter of interest, what size is your bike?
Cunning plan taking hold here.......
John
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Blue size 550 with ambrosio carbon forks
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Blue size 550 with ambrosio carbon forks
I know about the forks because I have the blue ones from the Club Tour fork exchange with you.
I want a size 550 believe it or not.
Maybe I buy a new yellow for you and we swap frames?
John
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Doh, of course! I'd be up for that if you're serious, black or yellow would be fine actually - Im getting more enamoured with the idea of a black stealth bike with red bar tape....
I'm actually going to be in Bournemouth in a few weekends time (the 24th I think...) to meet some friends and go cycling so if you want to get the frame to me before then I can bring the blue one down!
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Doh, of course! I'd be up for that if you're serious, black or yellow would be fine actually - Im getting more enamoured with the idea of a black stealth bike with red bar tape....
I'm actually going to be in Bournemouth in a few weekends time (the 24th I think...) to meet some friends and go cycling so if you want to get the frame to me before then I can bring the blue one down!
Hi!
Good oh. Tell me in open Forum so I have witnesses ;D and I will agree to purchase the colour frameset you want. You will visit my area before the end of the month with your blue frame in good order (obviously not new) and I will exchange your chosen colour with you. Agreed, handshake?
I will order once you say what colour. Of course if you do accept yellow and it turns up here looking oh so good..
AH! Just re read your post. You need the framset first to swap over components.....
John
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Sounds good, though if I could ask a favour. Would you be willing to order and let me get the frame beforehand (I can go and collect as its just up the road). I only ask because 1. I'm having the bike in the workshop at my LBS this weekend as I'm changing the chainset, and 2. I'm meant to be going riding on that weekend in Bournemouth so need a fully functioning bike!
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Sounds good, though if I could ask a favour. Would you be willing to order and let me get the frame beforehand (I can go and collect as its just up the road). I only ask because 1. I'm having the bike in the workshop at my LBS this weekend as I'm changing the chainset, and 2. I'm meant to be going riding on that weekend in Bournemouth so need a fully functioning bike!
I will give Dave at Thorn a call in a moment to ascertain if that could be done.
John
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thank you
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thank you
I am talking with Dave now. Slight problem in as much that if as is obvious, I pay by card, the purchase must be sent to my address.
So it has to come to me and then be sent to you which is fair enough.
Where do you live as a matter of interest as I forget?
Maybe we should continue the conversation through message side of the Forum.
John
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Im in Taunton. I bought my frame by card last time and was able to collect. Maybe that was because it was my card though...
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Im in Taunton. I bought my frame by card last time and was able to collect. Maybe that was because it was my card though...
Yes it was because you were Card owner.
I have sent a personal message to you.
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'Can't wait to see how this all turns out...
Best to all,
Dan. (...who is waiting with 'bated breath)
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This is like the Bikers bersion of 'reality TV' ;D
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'Can't wait to see how this all turns out...
Best to all,
Dan. (...who is waiting with 'bated breath)
So sorry to let you down Dan! honesty has a frame but no forks because he has carbon and wishes to keep them.I have forks but they cost me and I would then have a colour I like but at extra cost and not new! I am not prepared to have a used frame in return for a new frameset! So no deal is going to be made. It was also proving a little troublesome to pay and let honesty take delivery.
I am not worried anymore. I have wheels, saddle, stem, seatpost, mudguards, Sti shifters but need crankset, pedals, cables, bars and so I shall wait! Grrrrrrrrrr
Of course there is an outside chance that I might buy a colour I do not like, to satisfy my thirst!
John
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Which is a pity as I was starting to see my mart black bike with red chainstay protector, red bar tape, red BB, and a red Chris King headset ;)
I completely understand leftpoole's decision though, he'd either be out a fork, or have a black one with a blue frame.
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John,
Sympthies and empathies, John.
In the meantime, several quotations on "waiting":
• He that can have Patience, can have what he will- Benjamin Franklin
• All things come to him who waits – provided he knows what he is waiting for. -Woodrow T. Wilson
• I want patience, and I want it now -- Unknown
• Waiting is the hardest part -- Tom Petty
• I ordered it ten minutes ago; where is the delivery truck?!? -- Danneaux.
Best,
Dan.
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Been thinking about it and i can probably kick in 50 quid for the black forks if you want to still go ahead...
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theres a guy on boards.ie selling 2 sets of 1inch carbon forks. ;)
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It may be worth seeing if Thorn has a green fork in stock. Then buy a black frame with green fork and then swap the forks over in the deal
Andy
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It may be worth seeing if Thorn has a green fork in stock. Then buy a black frame with green fork and then swap the forks over in the deal
Andy
'honesty' has a blue frame with carbon fork. He wishes to retain forks. Got that part?
I have no frameset.
'honesty' wishes a black frame for his black carbon forks.
I wanted a blue frame but I am unwilling to buy a NEW frame and exchange it for a used frame without forks, got this part?
Now the difficult part:- I swapped a Club tour fork in blue for a Mk3 set in blue, from' honesty' a short while ago, this was so that I had a spare set for my blue Mk3 which I actually own. The Club tour set I paid money for in the region of £60. If I exchanged as described I would indeed have a blue set of forks (new) to go with the blue (used) frame.
BUT I thought why should I spend money buying a new frame PLUS £60 for forks? Why when I can in fact simply buy a new frameset in black myself or wait a few months for colour of my choice?
I hope that this settles the mind of anyone who had not quite grasped the plan suggested....?
John
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Hello gang!
Completed transaction with St John St Cycles.
I ordered and paid for a new Audax Mk3 frameset, to be delivered tomorrow.
Colour, oh I guess you want to know the colour?
BLACK
I have black rimmed wheels and some black/silver components, but more special is a beautiful toned Honey colour Brooks B17 special to sit on it!
John
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Brook honey leather bartape then? ;D
Can't go wrong with black on a bike...very solemn. Dutch roadsters traditionally were all black or dark green...realms of black sober bikes parked outside on a Sunday morning outside church...
(One day...a pink bike? ;)
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Brook honey leather bartape then? ;D
Can't go wrong with black on a bike...very solemn. Dutch roadsters traditionally were all black or dark green...realms of black sober bikes parked outside on a Sunday morning outside church...
(One day...a pink bike? ;)
Hi,
Black bar tape. I really wanted a Green one but it is discontinued as it was not popular.
With all the parts fitted it should look pretty good, but the main thing is that I know how it will ride. I will have two! Set up with differing parts but still the same good frameset.
I would make a comment, that I get toe overlap with the front mudguard, something that I am not keen on.(Only when at slow manouvering speed).
John