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Thorn General / Re: Mid 1990's Club Tour Frame Size and date identification

« Last post by B cereus on November 10, 2025, 07:46:07 AM »

Thorn’s present frame numbering system is a comparatively recent innovation. Adrians Club Tour dates from a time when frames were still being hand brazed in the UK.

I think May 1995 could well be correct. As far as I can discern, the frame number of my own CT is 01477. That’s a little speculative because the numbers are difficult to read due to the thickness of paint. If correct it would indicate April 200I, frame number 77, which is in good agreement with the Shimano date codes.

For comparison here’s a picture of my bike: https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12508.0

Thorn General / Re: Mid 1990's Club Tour Frame Size and date identification

« Last post by John Saxby on November 09, 2025, 10:45:36 PM »

Quote

Just to explore our area (Dorset) more and go camping on a bike.

Welcome, Adrian!

Trust the comments by Andyb1 and B Cereus will help you date your spiffy bike

On other matters, where are you in Dorset? I have fond memories of the Isle of Purbeck -- was born in Swanage, & came to consciousness in Corfe. (My dad was with the Tanks, based in Bovington.) And, I spent happy times over the years with a favourite aunt, who lived in Charmouth just east of Lyme. Too long since I last visited...

Cheers, John

(dialling in from Ottawa, Canada)

Thorn General / Re: Mid 1990's Club Tour Frame Size and date identification

« Last post by Andyb1 on November 09, 2025, 10:49:45 AM »

This one may be different but the Sherpa and Raven serial numbers stamped into the steel under the BB - you would have to turn the bike upside down to see them. The pattern was Frame size (3 x digits), L or S for top tube length then digits giving the frame number.
Nice bike.

Thorn General / Re: Mid 1990's Club Tour Frame Size and date identification

« Last post by B cereus on November 09, 2025, 09:46:01 AM »

Quote from: AdrianStone on November 03, 2025, 08:45:38 AM

An edit… is the build date likely to be May 1995? (595XXX) and assume 808 would be the build number?Anyone?

Your bike looks a very similar vintage to my old Club Tour. I dated mine to around the end of the millennium by using the two letter date codes on the Shimano components. They can be a good indicator to the age of a particular bicycle. Be aware that an older bike may well not have all of its original components.

Briefly:

The first letter indicates the year, starting with A in 1976 through to Z in 2001. The whole process repeats on a 26 year cycle, so 2002 begins again with A.

The second letter indicates the month.
A=Jan, B=Feb. C=Mar, --------- L=Dec

Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) / Re: Irish soda bread

« Last post by Jags on November 09, 2025, 02:05:01 AM »

No bother to you Andre.to you to rattle up a tasty meal.

Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) / Re: Irish soda bread

« Last post by Andre Jute on November 09, 2025, 01:41:28 AM »

Now you're talking, Jags!

Actually, soda bread is my second fave Irish bread. There's another one, called "swamp bread", that was available only from one shop in a lane off the Main Street, baked by the wife of the owner. It was a flat round bread made without yeast, with slices of tomato in it. Haven't been able to get it for many moons, since the shop closed. Big loss that. No idea whether it was only a local specialty, or maybe something the lady perhaps picked up from the Traveller community -- I say that because even more moons ago, I ate with a family of gypsies in Hungary, and they gave me bread very similar that they cooked on stones heated by their fire.

Some dishes I like cooking are at http://coolmainpress.com/andrejutefoodindex.html, for those who haven't seen them yet.