Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Member's Gallery => Topic started by: FrogPrince on August 28, 2013, 08:40:54 PM
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I've been reading the forum for a few weeks and finaly took the plunge and ordered my New Raven today. I will post a picture when i get it on Sept 20th. :) :) :).
For now a question.
What is the distance between the mounting holes for a rear light on the thorn rear carrier??
I wan't to get a B+M Top Light and don't know whether to grt 50mm or 80mm spacing.
thanks in advance for any help you can give............I'm very excited :) :) :) :)
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Hi FrogPrince, and welcome to the Thorn Cycling Forum!
Congratulations on your decision to order a (new) Raven -- I can just feel the new-bike excitement in the air and am delighted for you!
I just measured the removable back plate on my Thorn Expedition rear rack. It comes with holes drilled on-center for 90, 85, and 80mm.
To mount my own B&M Toplight Line Plus taillight (50mm centers), I simply used the center hole in the Thorn plate and drilled another next to it, leaving enough room to also mount a Portland Design Works Radbot 1000 LED blinky. For photos, see: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4523.msg22085#msg22085
If you wished, drilling two holes 50mm apart would allow you to center a 50mm light in the upper portion of the bracket. The bracket is designed to accommodate a variety of lights and still allow easy customization by drilling where needed.
Hope this helps. Congratulations and welcome once again! Can't wait to see the photos of your new steed. Oh, waiting is such sweet agony, isn't it?
Best,
Dan.
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Thanks for the info. I'll go for the 80mm. I like the idea of the new 'brake' light ....any comments?
http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a63764/toplight-line-brake-plus-led-rear-light-80mm.html
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super tail light i have one on the sherpa well pleased.
i have the same set up (rear) as andre jute check out his photos .
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Hi FrogPrince,
I think this has been discussed before, You have a choice of seeing which lights will successfully attach to the Thorn rack mounting bracket or sourcing an alternative mounting bracket that accommodates your choice of lights, upto and including a choice of bespoke mounting bracket.
From experience I am not so convinced that the B&M "brake tec" technology is actually worth the extra pennies.
But I think it is definitely worth investing in dynamo-hub driven lights for a Raven.
My current preferred option is a dynohub + Philips Saferide Dynamo 60-lux + B&M line-plus rear light
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IanW
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Have been shopping around and now have lights and pedals and bottle cages :). Have Ortlieb Front roller classics to go with my Crosso rear paniers. Latest from Thorn is that the bike will be ready some time next week ;D............ I might get a short trip to Hereford at the end of the month ::)
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Latest from Thorn is that the bike will be ready some time next week...
Ooh! New-bike Tingle of Excitement!
It's cominnnnnnng...!
Very excited and pleased for you, and can't wait to see photos after arrival.
Best,
Dan.
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Picked up my New Raven today and after lots of tweeking, a longer stem and a different seat post and at least three test rides and a very patient Steve, from the workshop.......... I rode home in a torrential downpour along a very muddy canal towpath. So some pictures when I've had a chance to clean it up.... AND DO SOME MORE TWEEKING :) :) :) ;D
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Picked up my New Raven today...
Well! This is the red-letter day!
All congratulations, Frog' and may this be the start of many adventurous rides for you.
No worries; it will soon be sorted and feel like the old friend you expect for many a journey near and far.
Just delighted for you, and looking forward to photos of your new steed.
Best,
Dan. (...who is guessing The Wait seemed like Forever!)
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you certainly gave it a good test if it were me i would have hired a taxi .get my new bike dirty not on your nelly. ;D ;D
well done post plenty photos.
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Congrats on your purchase Frog., looking forward, like no doubt the others, at seeing some pics of the new baby. Bring 'em on ;D
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Can't work out how to add pictures. Is there a tutorial somewhere??
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Can't work out how to add pictures. Is there a tutorial somewhere??
Guide for pics here http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4313.0
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Thanks for the tutorial.
I spent the day tweeking the bar grips and bar ends and adding comuter,GPS, and lights.
Hope to do 50miles or so tomorrow which should be a real test
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Yey.....it worked :)
Here are a couple of pictures of the cockpit.
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Great snaps. I am a fellow Raven rider and was interested to see your mirror position.
Please describe your reasoning for fitting so close to centre of bike rather than out on a wing.
I would have thought the view would be restricted?
I have a T bar fitted so could follow your example.
Also, I see a memory map GPS.
Thoughts please since I almost splashed the cash on a Garmin Edge.
Nice bike.
Matt
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Most excellent, Frog'; outstanding photos of a great cockpit from the riders point of view. Seldom seen and most welcome!
My, what a beautiful bicycle; just stunning!
All best wishes for many happy rides.
Best,
Dan.
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very nice well class actually safe riding and keep her clean. ;)
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Matt
Not possible to fit the mirror on Ergon GP5-L bar ends so Andy B suggested I try fitting it to the accessory bar.
I think it will work and as I've broken two when fitted to the handle bars it might be a good idea.
The memory map was chosen for the larger screen and a cheap deal price. Took ages to work out how to use it as instructions were hopeless. I like it for walking and cycling. Using power conservation measures the battery will last all day and I charge it each night with a large back-up battery....I wouldn't necessarily recomend the Memory Map but I'm used to using it and find Garmins difficult to see and harder to use. I'm going to get a USB-Werk to help with charging. I still like to use the cateye computer for speed, milage etc as it's easy to access.
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New Raven Ride Report.
Today I did almost 50miles on the lanes of the Somerset Devon border covering some of NCR 3 used by many LEGOGers.
The general ride characteristics are great. The Ergon grips and 2" Dureme tyres combined with the steel frame gave a very comfortable ride. No more the nerve pain and numbness in the hands and neck and shoulder soreness I suffered with my previous bike. (shopping only for that one now). There is a chance I may reduce the width of the bars a little as they feel a little wide when using the bar ends.(full width including the ends is 600 mm and the bars spec should have been 590mm ...I think 580mm will be a bit more like it ) The Grizzly rims and the 2" Duremes roll really well on smooth roads but come into their own on the wet ,slippery, gravel covered, pot-holed back lanes that I mostly ride on. The XT V brakes are awesome!
Surprisingly the steering felt a bit more lively than I was expecting .......I've always had this problem with my bikes and I think it's to do with the geometry necessary when you have the torso of a six footer and legs that make you 5ft 5 inches tall :) It will be interesting if loaded front panniers will correct this or I might try a steering damper. The gearing was about perfect (44 front 19 rear ) Gear 11, direct drive was great for normal riding on the flat and I was comfortable with 8-14 on flat to undulating terrain. 7-3 got me up most hills and I only used 2 and 1 on the most extreme hills as I crossed into Devon. I may need to go for a smaller chainwheel if I find fully loaded touring too hard. Walking up the occasional killer hill is not a bad thing. I didn't spin out till I was doing 28-30 MPH down hills so that was fine as I'm too chicken to go faster than 30 MPH anyway.
I used the lights on senso in the dark lanes and people said the Top Light Line Plus was really bright and visible in daylight. The Lumotec IQ Cyo R senso plus hasn't had a real test on a dark road at night .....in town and on lit roads it's fine ....I will find out if it was the correct choice for me as the nights drawn in.
Matt
The mirror position was not great. It was OK in town for checking the traffic but I need to use it when I'm leading group rides and in that position I couldn't see very far back. ( My 65 year old arthritic neck won't allow me to look round) I'll have to think about a different solution.
I'll post another report when I've ridden it loaded.
For now I'm a really happy bunny ;D
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Colin!
This is just fabulous, and an absolutely terrific owner-rider photo for the gallery in the bargain!
My! The bike just looks stunning, and a good match for the rider as well.
If it is any help as a data point, I find it usually takes me about six months for a new bike to "settle in" with the little changes and modifications make. After that, they remain static for 20 more years! I feel sure you'll get this one dialed-in soon enough. Meantime, it's great to hear the gearing is doing well. Any changes needed there will be inexpensive and easily accomplished. I think you'll like the lights in total darkness, and the mirror can be sorted as well.
Meantime, you've surely got a marvelous new ride, and I wish you the best while exploring your lanes and byways. 50 miles is a great start!
All the best,
Dan.
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Bike and Pilot looking good scottie fantastic set up yeah they sure know there stuff when it comes to making a bike thats all day comfort.
i had a night spin planned for tonight but its blowing a gale so its feet up at tv me thinks. ::)
i have tried severl different tyres over the years and found the schwalble supreams by far the best as good as a slick great on wet tarmac and comfy.
anyway best of luck with the new baby for god sake get a good lock. ;)
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.......................any advice on a good lock??????
The problem is the good ones are so bloody bulky and heavy!
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yeah i know i bought the kryptonite new york lock weighs a bloody ton, never once used it outside but i do use it to lock my 2 bikes together inside the house if i'm away for any lenght of time.
all i use now is a good lenght of cable and a good padlock.
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...any advice on a good lock?
Hi Colin! I've had good luck with the AXA Defender on my Sherpa, and others have successfully used the Abus Amparo 4850 on their Nomads. You can find all the threads devoted to each by entering (no quotes) "AXA Defender" or "ABUS Amparo" in the Forum's search engine.
Both these locks are ring-locks, permanently mounted to the bike, and each will take a plug-in cable or chain as well. The ring-lock secures the rear wheel to the frame, making it difficult to wheel the loaded bicycle away (it would have to be carried, which would be more difficult if the bike is loaded for tour).
*However*, as much as I like my ring-lock, I do consider it to be secondary protection and still carry my U-lock (A Kryptonite Evo2000) and a cable when in sketchy areas or leaving the bike for any time at all. I am looking into purchasing Atomic22 wheel locks to secure the SON dynohub and Rohloff as well. Others on the Forum have been very happy with their Pitlock security wheel skewers. Andre Jute and Julian (JulK) have gone with a stem that rotates freely when disengaged, and this renders the bicycle unridable when desired and so reduces theft potential greatly. I would have one myself if I didn't have other uses for the steerer and/or needed a unique stem for fitment purposes. You can read all the threads about them by entering "N'lock" (no quotes) in the Forum search engine.
I made up a little tutorial on how to easily and effectively search the Forum's posts; it is available here: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4390.0
<nods> Yes, it is terribly unfortunate we need locks at all, and yes they are surely bulky and heavy, eating into the ease and fun of cycling. A necessary evil, it seems. Still, best to lock the steed securely else it can wander (with help).
Best,
Dan.
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Interesting you find the new raven skittish. There are a few reports of that about the old RST but never the RT which is as steady as you can get. Given the new raven is a sort of hybrid of the two it's interesting that characteristic has gone down the gene line.
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Love your cockpit, Frog. As Jags says, a class act.
About a mirror, it's a very tricky thing to mount on a Rohloff-hubbed bike. There are three strategies that I've used successfully. The first is not to mount the mirror on the bike at all but on your helmet. Bell makes helmets that take mirrors. I have had the Bell Metro and currently have the Bell Citi, both now out of production but still available in some shops; just be sure you can get the right mirror for them, and buy a set of spare pads as well, though my pads still look like new after several years. (Maybe I'm just very clean, or so fit I don't sweat. I wish!) Second strategy is to get a truck mirror on a long arm. My LBS used to sell one that had a crude loop of metal suitable for mounting it to a bicycle handlebar. Crude but actually very efficient. You mount it inside your Rohloff rotary control, brake lever and in my case the heart rate monitor control whose buttons I need to reach with removing my hand completely from the handlebar. The long arm and the shape of the mirror then permits it to see past your upper arm. It works. I had several of those over the years. I saw them advertised on fleabay the other day, so they're still made. The third strategy is to use a plug=-in mirror on the end of your handlebar. Zefal's Dooback is a superior, but fragile and vulnerable (a footbride that I enter at about 30kph with an inch to spare on either side has claimed four of mine as the entrance price for misjudgement) and expensive to replace. The reason I mention it all the same is that if you're a careful sort of rider, it is the best plug-in mirror out there, bar none. I now use a roadie's mirror made by Cateye that costs under a fiver. It is round and, unlike the Dooback which is shaped to give the heel of your hand plenty of space, you can't use it pointed up from the plug at the end of the handlebar, you use it pointing down. It works a treat, isn't vulnerable because it just folds back under the handlebar when it gets banged, and is anyway cheap to replace. The model number is Cateye 300G and I get mine from Wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-bm-300g-race-mirror/ Mmm, it looks like mine has lasted so long, inflation has caught up with it. No longer under a fiver... Still a bargain, and highly recommended for the money as a working solution to the problem of a crowded handlebar. There is a fourth strategy but I haven't tried it, as I wear different sorts of spectacles on different days, and not all of them will focus down at the tab of the front wheel: the fourth strategy is a mirror attached to the fork roundabout the hub
If you're going the U-lock route, and I suppose you'd better set an example to the younger folk riding behind you, the European equivalent of the look Dan was talking about is the Abus Granit 54X U lock. The likelihood is that you need the 30cm length. (There's also a 230mm but the idea is to get the rim, tyre, at least one tube of the bike, and a fixed post or small tree or cast rail or something inside the U of the lock, and the 230 is just too small.) The thing weighs over three pounds but it comes with the best clip in the business, a quick release, quick return springloaded clip I carry on the seat tube just under the side so I can grab it to defend myself against carelessly driven Range Rovers in the narrow ways I ride in. There's a choice of clips but only one comes in the box, and all the others are less convenient in use, so buy the kit with the right clip in the box. Also, buy a hefty chain; Abus makes several that match the lock) and are locked up/unlocked with it.
The n'lock is convenient and is all I use, but I live in a low-crime area. In the sort of situation where even a broken bike, which is what the n'locked bike appears to be, may be stolen by someone with a truck, or where the bike may be stripped of components, one needs the 54X anyway, and the hefty chain that accompanies it, rather than the relatively lightweight cables that work with the n'lock. (That's given me an idea. Gazelle gave me a hefty chain in a canvas sheath to plug into the ring locks on my Gazelle Toulouse and Trek Smover; I think I'll see if the pin on it doesn't work with the n-lock; that would be terrifically convenient.)
That red on your bike is really very racey!
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Thanks for the info
I did explain I can't use a bar end mirror with the Ergon bar ends. That is what I've done up until now and I've found the Mirrycle mirror to be the best of several tried. I'm thinking of trying a helmet mirror...........I'll see if I can borrow one and see how I get on with it.
I live in a rural area and rarely if ever leave my bike unattended in town so the choice of lock is a tricky one as there is always a risk. At the moment I use a cable lock when stopping at tea rooms and cafes so I will think more about that.
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Thanks for the info
I did explain I can't use a bar end mirror with the Ergon bar ends. That is what I've done up until now and I've found the Mirrycle mirror to be the best of several tried. I'm thinking of trying a helmet mirror...........I'll see if I can borrow one and see how I get on with it.
I live in a rural area and rarely if ever leave my bike unattended in town so the choice of lock is a tricky one as there is always a risk. At the moment I use a cable lock when stopping at tea rooms and cafes so I will think more about that.
One lock issue you might need to consider is what your insurance demands. Mine insists on gold secure rating for bikes >£1500. Because of that I got an Abus 401 mini gold. The lock fits in a saddle bag so can be carried on day rides. It is heavy but also small so the overall weight is ok. The only tricky aspect is getting the frame near enough to a solid object. I sometimes have to use a wheel (which are pitlocked). I leave a bigger Abus granit at work as my every day lock.
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there was a lot of bikes stolen at the Mildenhall rally in August.i was to go to that but no money as per usual ;D ;D maybe it was just as well ::)
the helmet mirror is very good i don't have one but 2 lads i know have them and they really like them .
the kryptonite is excellent but way to heavy to take on a 50 miler :o
so did you try a night spin yet interested to hear your views on your lights ;)
jags.
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I use this little mirror that hooks to my glasses. I use glasses with swappable lenses, dark or clear etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Bike-Peddler-Cycling-Eyeglass-Mirror/dp/B001VTQNVO
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Here's another mirror suggestion - the Zefal Spy. The mirror clips onto bar ends via a 'rubber' band, I use one on the drops for my Sunday Morning bike and mrs sdg has one on the top of her RHS bar end. Having tried a few mirrors - the Spy does appear to be more stable than some of the others.
sdg.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/zefal-spy-mirror/
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The Zefal Spy mirror looks like a possibility but it may not work with the upper hand position on the Ergon GP5-L grips.
Not sure I'd want to mount a mirror on my specs but I'm still thinking of trying a helmet mirror.
Thanks for the suggestions
Colin (FrogPrince)
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Went out for a night ride along some pitch black lanes and my verdict on the Lumotec IQ Senso plus R is that it is adequate. The sharp rectangular cut off and central hot spot will take some getting used to. I was not sure how best to position the beam ....if I raise it to get more distant lighting it may still dazzle on-coming drivers. I did not feel safe going faster than 20 MPH down hill. Perhaps I would have been better off with the 60 Lux version??? I've been using a magicshine battery light that is far brighter but not very kind to motorists as it is designed for off-road use.. As it is bar mounted it is possible to dip the beam by hand when I see an on-coming motorist. The main advantage of the dynamo light is there is no worry about the battery running out on a longer ride. However I think the Top Light Line Plus rear light is excellent. The best rear light I have seen.
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ah good stuff on that review on your lights, i more or less have the same set up dynamo light kindly donated by Andre and cateye which is a much brighter light,
i'm happy enough with the lights but if i thought the new B&M headlight was as bright as battery lights i would be saving up to buy it. ;)
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Thanks for your lighting report, Colin.
On mirrors: I've used a helmet mirror for years. Current one is a "Third Eye", I think it is. There are quite a few on the market here in N America.
I've found no "ideal" solution to The Mirror Thing. Tried a couple of bar-end mirrors on my drops: these were sturdy, but never showed me the traffic behind me as well as the helmet mirrors. I also tried a mirror fitted to my left-hand brake lever (you peel back the hood to fix it in place.) ("Left-hand" brake, as we ride on the right here.) This gave me good rearward vision, whether riding on the drops or the hoods, but was forever getting knocked out of alignment, so I removed it.
Through all my experiments with other mirrors, I kept the helmet mirror. Now, that's the only one I use. They seem to be a bit more fragile, though the current ("third Eye"?) seems well enough made. The small mirror has to be readjusted fairly frequently, depending on where you place your helmet after you take it off, etc., etc., but that's not much of a bother.
One caution: I used to use a Bell mirror (I think it was) which had two ball-and-socket joints, one for the arm-to-helmet mount, and the other for the arm-to-mirror fixture. A good idea in principle, but the joints were made of plastic, and the arm-to-mirror fixture in particular wore out rather quickly--lasted no more than two seasons. Mind you, it only cost me $9.98, so what did I expect? More than two seasons is what I expected...
Hope this experience is useful -- good luck.
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I've had one of those Bell helmet mirrors for years, John. But mine is in no danger of wearing out. I use it only as an emergency mirror when my handlebar mirror has scarificed itself agains a wall or a carelessly driven car. I have another problem with it, viz the speed with which my eyes refocus on the road in front of me...
Frog, don't get Dan and me started on the shortcomings of that generation of BUMM's IQ lights... And no, you don't want the 60 lux version. That one has the same flat cutoff, the same hotspot, and zero light near you, so you'll ride over every broken bottle and into every ditch you come to. I had one of those, in fact the early, desirable series without the hotspot, and sold it on because it was dangerous at the speed I like to ride in the narrow lanes with broken verges and instant transitions between road and ditch, keeping the 40 lux nearfield Cyo, also the first series without the hotspot. But, because my bike is now electrified, I currently run an IQ Fly designed to operate on 36V, and that hotspot (same optics as you have) is a constant IRRITATION. See http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGbuildingpedelec6.html
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Thanks everyone for your comments
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A couple of weeks on.
Looks like the mirror problem is solved with a Zefal Spy Mirror. Not a perfect solution as it slightly compromises the hand positions on the right Ergon GP5-L grips ....but not totally. I can get a good enough view behind me to see that I haven't left a group of six or eight cyclists behind. The quality of the mirror is good enough. SJS was cheaper than anywhere at £9.99
Appologies for the rubbish picture but you get the idea
A word about quality control >:(
I very quickly became aware of a regular ticking noise when applying my back brake. On investigation I discovered a step (offset alignment) in the rim join. This was making a noise each time it went through the blocks. I can't see how, firstly, Rigida would let this pass QC and also do not understand why Thorn's wheel builder did not reject the rim at the time of building my wheel.
Result
I phoned the workshop and arranged to cycle in (30mile round trip) for them to check out the rim. I was given quite a lot of reasons why these rims could be like this but I played the cracked record and they agreed to rebuild the wheel with a new rim while I waited ....about an hour. The chap from the workshop showed me a few rims so I could choose one I was satisfied with.........there were others with the same problem. Must have been a bad batch !!!!!
A satisfied Customer
Anyway in an hour I had a rebuilt wheel and no noise ....and that's good customer service.
I would have been pretty fed up if this had gone out across the globe to me in NZ or the US and I had discovered this problem.
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A slight misalignment in the rim joint is fairly common on pinned rims, usually it can just be filed/sanded smooth, and it soon wears itself in anyway, but it is annoying to feel it when you brake.
Good service to get the wheel rebuilt onto a new rim while you waited though.
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mirror problem is solved with a Zefal Spy Mirror ..... can get a good enough view behind me to see that I haven't left a group of six or eight cyclists behind.
Good news - and strangely enough keeping an eye on groups behind me is what I find mine good for ... I lead SkyRides, so as long as I can see a row of yellow bibs with the other leader's blue shirt at the end I know I'm not dropping anyone.
sdg.
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"A slight misalignment in the rim joint is fairly common on pinned rims, usually it can just be filed/sanded smooth. "
I didn't want to do this as it was a CSS rim.
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Did a 100k charity ride in the pouring rain yesteday ....the New Raven performed fautlessly on all sorts of terrain, on and off road ...........not sure I did! Rather stiff and sleepy today :)
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Hello Frog Prince,
I could not believe it when I read through the above post. I have fallen onto a gold mine! I too am 65yrs., have a six footer's back and a 5'5"er's legs. I now enjoy my seat lower than the bars. I have read through twice, but could not find a frame size. Could you please state the frame size and pedal length? Sorry if you had and I missed it.
Tom
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Frame size 500L
Crank length 165 cm
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Thank you Frog Prince,
I was thinking along the lines of 565s, but now realize I was pretty far off.
Much appreciated,
Tom
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1000 miles done!
I love the Click-Stand
The Bike Alarm on the seat post is a bit of a toy :-) It cost £2.70 inc. postage from China! I do have a much heavier lock and cable to use in high- risk situations ....not needed when out with the club.
What you can't see is the USB-Werk fixed to the steerer. It keeps my battery hungry, big-screened, Memory Map GPS charged up all day leaving about 80% left in the battery when I get home. It's going to be perfect on tour.........and I can charge my other bits and pieces.
I now have a full set of luggage ....front, back and bar bag. I'll show a picture when it's loaded up for my next trip in the spring.
I was trying to describe the difference between riding this and my 700c hybrid to a friend recently and I came up with this -
When on the hybrid I feel 'ON' the bike ......i.e. on top of it and a bit unstable.
On the Thorne I feel 'IN' the bike ....i.e. lower Cof G ,very stable and just at one with the machine ;)
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I was trying to describe the difference between riding this and my 700c hybrid to a friend recently and I came up with this -
When on the hybrid I feel 'ON' the bike ......i.e. on top of it and a bit unstable.
On the Thorne I feel 'IN' the bike ....i.e. lower Cof G ,very stable and just at one with the machine ;)
Excellent organic description of the difference between a perfectly good bike and a great bike.
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Oh, boy -- pittsures! ;D
The bike is looking fantastic, and so nice to see the updates. Thorn's red always looks so nice in photos and you've set yours up beautifully.
So glad to hear all is working out so well with it, and you've become "one" when riding. Nothing better!
Thanks for sharing, and very much looking forward to future installments and photos.
Best,
Dan.
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What a class looking bike great when you have a bike thats set up to perfection as you said just like been part of the bike no efford needed 8)