Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Thorn General => Topic started by: Slammin Sammy on May 17, 2013, 06:24:52 PM
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Fellow Thorn fans,
I am building a yellow Nomad, and want a bit of eye candy for my money. Do you think the bike ( with black rims, spokes and mudguards) will look better with black or red hubs ( and Edelux headlight)?
Please help me decide! ??? (Any photos of the red option would be greatly appreciated.)
Thank you all,
Sam
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Hi Sammy!
Very nice job on the poll. My vote goes for red hubs and light 'cos it is a quick route to eye-candy and makes the bike distinctive (and easy to identify). Yes, it is a third color, but ties in nicely with the HB bag and will look like few others. I could swear I've seen a yellow bike/red hub combo in our gallery or on GoogleImages, but am pressed for time at the moment or I'd try to find it for you. I do recall it looked both unusual and striking.
That said, my favorite of the two is yellow/black, but red is distinctive, so gets my vote!
As for the yellow Nomad/black hub combo, one of the nicest I've seen in photos belongs to NZPeterG in his "Tom" gallery. See: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4418.0
Hope this helps, and thanks for including us in the fun of spec'ing a new bike!
Best,
Dan.
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Black, mixing such strong colours can look strange. To be completely honest, I don't like the Nomad Yellow at all and so my personal choice would be a black frame, in which case red hubs + light could look fantastic.
Philipp
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oh yellow and red are born for each other stunning.i just cant remember the team in the tour that was riding cannondale red n yellow. but yeah looked class.
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Yes, Dan. I could have sworn I've seen a yellow Nomad with red hubs somewhere on this forum, or on Ron W's Loaded Touring Cycles photo galleries site. But I can't seem to re-discover it despite numerous attempts at searching - it appears that no one has posted the photo and description together!
On the subject of photos, I have seen NZPeterG's bike and blogs before. He's not only a kindred spirit, but we're practically neighbours just across the "big ditch" - (Tasman Sea!). But when I tried using your link to revisit that thread, I could see his text but not his photos. Do they get taken down after a certain period of time?
I'll certainly be providing photos of my build as it comes up. My frame is due in from Thorn on or about next weekend! (Trouble is... it's the missus' birthday on Saturday and I'm taking her down to Sydney for the weekend, so I'll be missing my first opportunity to get started! Oh, the exquisite torture...!)
She's already put her vote in - she's for black. So come on, all you red-hubbers! Gimme a boost! I'm trying to sway her opinion or I'll never hear the end of it! ;)
Thanks everyone for your input,
Sam
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I have seen NZPeterG's bike and blogs before...But when I tried using your link to revisit that thread, I could see his text but not his photos. Do they get taken down after a certain period of time?
Hi Sam! No, the photos stay up with no time limit, but attachments are visible only to members and not guests. So, it is possible you (or your browser, if the cache got cleared) weren't logged in at the time you viewed his gallery. Try again, and if you have problems please let me know and I will look into it further for you. Gotta see those piccies! ;D Oh, the exquisite torture...!
Yes, sweet agony! I hope the time will soon pass for you.
Not to sound morbid, but if there's any chance you're gone at time of delivery, perhaps you can have someone standing by to accept delivery or you can go collect it. Be sure to take a camera to document any box damage for the carriers in the unlikely even there is a problem "inside". It is so easy to forget such things in the excitement of the moment, but can save hours later in case there is a problem.
I'll keep an eye open for the yellow bike-red hub combo and let you know as soon as I find some examples.
[EDIT: I've gone through all the galleries on the Forum and don't see a yellow-red combo, so it must be we saw it elsewhere.... the closest I can find for you is a yellow Fixie with red hubs. Not the same, I know, but the colors are close. See:
http://www.bikebuyers.com/images/prestige_yellow_hub_f.JPG
http://www.bikebuyers.com/images/prestige_yellow_hub_r.JPG ]
All the best.
Dan. (...who hopes time passes quickly for you!)
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The yellow Noamd with the red hub was one that was for sale - The link to it should be in the bikes for sale forum - I will take a look and see if I can find it.
If it was me I would go for a black hub and look for some bling on something that is easier and cheaper to change.
A black hub will go with any colour of bike
Andy
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Here is the link to the pictures:
http://www.sfauphotographs.com/Places/bike/28062132_tMRDnw#!i=2370542143&k=6NwR4Z6
Andy
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Fine, fine job, Andy!
Best,
Dan.
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And the advert for sale:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=6087.0
- Thanks Dan - I am sure it is only because I am looking at the bikes for sale
Andy
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Practically, red pannier bags will wear out before the yellow and black bike, so they should not determine matching on hardware.
Aesthetically, I would not put red onto a bike that is already yellow and black, unless, as Jags implies, you want to give the impression that it is a racer. I'd make the hubs black, sell the red Ortliebs on, replace them with yellow or neutral colour Ortliebs. On a yellow and black bike, black panniers would be a match, and grey or beige or tan panniers would be neutral.
However, if you are not pinching for a penny, and you are patient, there is something stunning and tasteful that you can do with those hubs beyond black: get them anodized the same yellow as the frame. For that consult your plater before you buy the hubs: he may prefer to receive either plain ali or pre-anodised hubs for some reason (for instance, anodized components are generally better finished than those left plain, which could be a saving in polishing prior to finishing).
Andre Jute
Author of "Colour for Professional Communicators (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Professional-Communicators-Graphic-Computer/dp/0713470887/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368872908&sr=1-17)" etc
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Does anyone have a link to a black nomad with red hubs?
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Does anyone have a link to a black nomad with red hubs?
There's one on the first page of the Raven brochure... it's a different bike of course, but should give you an idea of how it looks:
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornRavenTourBroLoRes.pdf
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Does anyone have a link to a black nomad with red hubs?
A killer combination! -- AJ
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That black and red picture looks amazing.
I think it still needs just a little more red, perhaps the seatpost collar needs to be red and just a tiny bit near the top of the handlebar stem.
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That black and red picture looks amazing.
I think it still needs just a little more red, perhaps the seatpost collar needs to be red and just a tiny bit near the top of the handlebar stem.
The seatpost collar is part of the frame on Thorn bikes, so unless you are painting this yourself, that probably isn't an option. If you have some spare cash and want some security for your bike, you could get atomic22 security skewers + top cap, it comes in different colours, including red: http://atomic22.com/ahead-stem.aspx
Alternatively, assuming you are getting a Brooks saddle, get a Randi Jo saddle cover in red: http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/57864228/custom-waterproof-saddle-cover-for?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=saddle+cover&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=saddle+cover
From what I hear they are strong enough to use them while cycling and waterproof enough to keep your saddle dry when you leave it outside. I ordered one the other day, it'll take a while to get here, so no first hand experience yet.
And the third option would be accessories: Red bell? Red handlebar grips? Red bottle cages? Red bike computer (not sure if that exists though)? Red Panniers, handlebar bags, saddle bags, frame bags, etc.? Your choice.
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Wow! Thanks everyone for the response.
Where to start? Dan, as usual you were spot-on. I wasn't logged on when I went looking for that thread.
Thanks, Andy. While that isn't the bike I thought I had seen, it's a good start. But that hub looks NOTHING like I expected the red to look!
Contrast the colour of the Rohloff red shot from the Bike24 site here: http://www.bike24.com/i/p/2/8/12582_00_d.jpg with the colour of sfau's hub here: http://www.sfauphotographs.com/Places/bike/28062132_tMRDnw#!i=2370544795&k=ZqDTb89&lb=1&s=XL
I don't know if the difference is due to digital photographic aberration or weathering from the rich original, but If that's what I will wind up with, it has swung me back 180 degrees to black!
Getting back to my original preference, as Dan said, I am looking for a distinctive machine, and I believe a few red highlights judiciously distributed around the otherwise yellow-black bike would look fine, as long as the red was consistently the same colour for each component. Hence, the choice of the Son and Edelux, as Schmidt is purposely trying to achieve an identical colour to the Rohloff. If I could find a stem and perhaps a seat post collar the same colour, that would complete the effect.
Andre, your suggestion of YELLOW hubs is very intriguing, but don't you think it risks turning the bike into a true Tonka Toy? Then again, my wife has brand new yellow Ortleibs that I could swap with my reds. Now THAT would complete the bumblebee look, wouldn't it. ;D I'll sleep on that one!
Candy-coloured city bikes are very vogue at the moment. Maybe I should look for some coloured sidewall tyres to suit? But that might look silly with a 61 year old at the helm... ???
Please keep 'em coming, guys. This has been fun! :D
Sam
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I don't know if the difference is due to digital photographic aberration or weathering from the rich original...
HI Sam! The earlier red Rohloff hubs were powdercoated; the later ones are all anodized. That is what accounts for the difference in color. The later anodized reds all match -- Rohloff, SON, and Edelux -- and have the richer, "deeper" finish and hue.
Best,
Dan. (...who is hurrying to beat the rain at the moment)
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Andre, your suggestion of YELLOW hubs is very intriguing, but don't you think it risks turning the bike into a true Tonka Toy? Then again, my wife has brand new yellow Ortleibs that I could swap with my reds. Now THAT would complete the bumblebee look, wouldn't it. ;D I'll sleep on that one!
I drove sunflower yellow Porsche until I started creaking every time I sat down into car, so might say yellow is my favourite colour. I think yellow on your bike could be your statement, especially yellow in an unexpected place, like the hubs and the lamp, not that you'll run into other Thorn owners all that often, or even Rohloff riders, but the ones you do run into will instantly know. And you'll know. But the red just dilutes the impact of the yellow and the black. It says, I'm colourful, but it could be mistaken for, I'm accidental, whereas the yellow, if enough details are yellow, says, I've thought about this and made a decision and you're looking at it. Yes, I think you should swap panniers with your wife. Mind you, that could open up a precedent: you'll just have finished your black and yellow bike and be standing there admiring it when she'll say, "Remember when you took my yellow Ortliiebs? Now it's my turn. I'll have the black and yellow Nomad. Thanks!"
Andre Jute
I shoulda ordered that yellow frame I saw at Christmas...
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Isn't the colour question usually linked to the theft question?
I would love a yellow frame but went for black to 'blend' in.
Thoughts folks?
:-\
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Hi Matt!
I went for "all black" for the same reason, figuring it would look a bit more plain to the general thieving community. Still, I guess if it is going to get stolen the color wouldn't help much, and it seems to attract almost too much attention as it is. Everyone seems to spot it has no derailleurs and gets intrigued from there.
When it boils down to it, I didn't really get all-black 'cos of fear of theft or what others might think, but because I liked it, it was vastly different from any of my other bikes, and I'd never had a black bike before Sherpa, let alone an all-black bike including components. I once owned a 1970 Schwinn Varsity 10-speed in Kool Lemon (a very 1970s color closer to Ferrari's 102 Fly Yellow), so I felt like I'd done that already and black was "new" to me. I liked it so much, it was an easy choice for the Nomad follow-on.
Best,
Dan. (...who thinks color choice is one of the most fun -- and most agonizing -- aspects of choosing a new bike)
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Well I figure that anyone who is going to get a Thorn bike or something similarly valuable will protect it with a good lock and other means. So really opportunity thefts shouldn't happen and I doubt that a blend-in colour would help much with "professional" bike thieves. I think it's almost the other way round: The more a bike stands out, the less attractive it becomes for a thief, because it is easier to recognize when they are trying to sell it (although I guess a lot of bikes will just be taken apart for components).
I also think it's safer to be on the road with a flashy bike. The one area where a blend-in bike has a huge advantage is stealth camping though.
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Thanks for reminding me, Peddrov. I forgot to mention the important point about safety. It wouldn't hurt a bit to stand out in traffic, or in the Australian bush, for that matter!
My approach to security is like safety management. 1. Avoid the risk if at all possible. 2. Engineer for risk reduction to minimize the remaining risk. For the latter, I'm planning to use several layers of defense, including a frame lock with cable, n'lock steering lock, pitlock skewers, Ortleib locks and cables, etc. If someone wants to bodily carry a floppy-steering, seized-wheel bike with hard-to-remove components and weighing 50kg badly enough, they will find a way. That's where insurance comes in.
This has been a great exercise, however, I still haven't made up my mind! ???
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I think a blue Rohloff would be great with a yellow frame ...
http://www.rohloff.de/en/news/news_rss/news_in_detail/archive/2011/06/august/article/25_Years_Rohloff_AG/index.html
But maybe you need to buy a certain Dutch brand of bike to get one?
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That's where insurance comes in.
May I ask what kind of policy you have? I am covered while keeping the bike at home and secured.
Out on the road?
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I think a blue Rohloff would be great with a yellow frame ...
<snip>
Fan-bloody-tastic, mate! What a gorgeous colour!!!!
I wish Thorn still made some distinctive colours (beyond yellow). I fear the new Raven red wouldn't be a good match for the Rohloff red. But the blue and yellow might work, IF I had blue Ortleibs or something. Blue and red would also work, but look kind of... candy?
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May I ask what kind of policy you have? I am covered while keeping the bike at home and secured.
Out on the road?
Good question, Matt. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure there are policies that will cover my bikes on my tour. I have read about others purchasing cover on CGOAB. Search for Hugh and Pauline Symonds' tour diaries - Pauline discusses the insurance issues in some detail.
I will update this forum when I have done my own research.
Cheers,
Sam
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This is all good stuff, guys -- thanks for bringing up the question, Sam. My Raven Tour -- yet to be ordered -- will be black and silver, but your exchange with Dan about the red Rohloff tilts me towards that as an accent on the rear wheel. (Had been thinking black, as a way of not drawing attention to the hub.) The anodized red Rohloff also matches my other RT, a mid-80's BMW airhead.
For your Nomad, I'd be inclined to work with only two main colours -- & the yellow/black combination seems to have momentum. Might get a bit "busy" with a sizeable splash of red as well.
All this will surely crank up the anticipation quotient, no?
J.
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This is all good stuff, guys -- thanks for bringing up the question, Sam.
<snip>
All this will surely crank up the anticipation quotient, no?
J.
John, really... Can the anticipation quotient go any higher?! I'm responding to this at work, for goodness sake! ;D
But it's time to make some decisions. Closing time for this poll will be 9:30am Monday , Bridgwater time. That's when the sales staff get to work at SJS, and that's when I will have my decision.
So there. 8)
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Well Well,
I got a Yellow Nomad (Tom) because in a lot of places almost all bikes are Black (or Dark Green) ie: Africa :( and if your Bike goes for a walk No one will notice ???
So I got my Love in Yellow!
Hub's Black or Red?
If I was to building up a Mountain Bike or a Road bike with a Rohloff Hub I would get a pair of Red Hub's. The new Rohloff Red is very nice :-* My friend Chris (from Puresports) this a pair on one of his Rohloff bikes.
I would only think about going with Black on a Touring Bike as the hub's will Stand out too much!
Here is My Tom
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8522965003_bb6ba11e45_c.jpg)
Pete . . . . ;)
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Well Well,
I got a Yellow Nomad (Tom) because in a lot of places almost all bikes are Black (or Dark Green) ie: Africa :( and if your Bike goes for a walk No one will notice ???
But... but...
I would only think about going with Black on a Touring Bike as the hub's will Stand out too much!
Pete . . . . ;)
Huh?? ??? I thought you wanted to stand out? :D
I hear what you're saying. You're obviously not alone in your view, Pete. The All Blacks have it by over 3 to 1 (as well as the World Cup Rugby Championship :'()
On another matter, I notice you've gone for the Topeak DeFender mudguards on your steed. Howizit for keeping the grit out of your teeth?
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I notice you've gone for the Topeak DeFender mudguards on your steed. Howizit for keeping the grit out of your teeth?
Yes ;D
Your Right
Yes the yellow stand's out But so done's a full set of Panniers! I got black! But only because there is only Black Panniers made from Canvas by Carradice
Pete 8)
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Here is My Tom
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8522965003_bb6ba11e45_c.jpg)
Pete . . . . ;)
That's a really tasty bike, Pete. Looks good enough to eat. -- Andre Jute
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That's a really tasty bike, Pete. Looks good enough to eat. -- Andre Jute
Hi Thanks Andre
;D
Pete 8)
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Well... The final score was 10 for black, 3 for red. I guess good taste is rare in human nature ;).
While good points were put forward by the erstwhile denizens of this forum, regarding esthetics, security and the like, alas it is a more mundane consideration that has determined my final choice.
You see, whilst I have lusted after the Edelux for years, which like the SON 28 can be had in the three Rohloff finishes, I have recently been turned by the B&M Luxos IQ2 U, which reportedly casts a better beam and includes a USB port and cache battery. It only comes in black, which weakens the effect I was seeking to achieve by mounting red hubs.
So, black hubs it is. I have no doubt the hub/light combo will look classy nonetheless, and has the added benefit of being compatible with the (wholly unreasonable) position adopted by my better half! >:(
Thanks again to all you Thornians for your valuable, and valued opinions.
Slammin!
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I have recently been turned by the B&M Luxos IQ2 U, which reportedly casts a better beam and includes a USB port and cache battery.
What's the latest on this light? I heard there were production / supply problems?
I like the idea of a USB port.
Supplied from Germany? Or is there a UK agent?
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What's the latest on this light? I heard there were production / supply problems?
I like the idea of a USB port.
Supplied from Germany? Or is there a UK agent?
I thought we were promised beam photographs by a member of the forum who volunteered himself as an early adopter. Did I miss them?
About supply, SJS is sure to have the top BUMM light if it is available. But if they don't, ask when you decide to shop in Germany, and I'll give your the names of reliable dealers; I shop on the Continent, mostly in Germany, by mail-order all the time, components and up to whole bikes; my last three bikes were bought on the Continent, sight unseen.
Andre Jute
Seeing eye cyclist. Woof.