Raven Tour 390 Step Through

[martinf]

I finished building up the Raven Tour 390 Step Through I bought a few weeks ago.

This bike is for use by visitors to our island flat, and by my wife when we use the flat ourselves.

I built it up with a Nexus Premium 8 speed hub and Chainglider for low maintenance.

Bars are what I call "sit up and beg", giving a very upright position.

Although the frame is small and short, I can ride the bike myself, and have done about 60 km of shakedown rides to try and eliminate any post-build issues, it will also be tested by my wife before I let the visitors use it.

[martinf]

Low and high positions

[Danneaux]

Very helpful, Martin.

I especially like how you've clamped the lower half of the spacer stack so you can quickly juggle handlebar height if needed/desired on the uncut steerer without affecting headset adjustment.

You could even substitute a longer reach stem to "open" things up a bit for larger riders.

Well done.

All the best,

Dan.

[martinf]

After tests by my wife, she decided to keep it for her own use. I fitted a slightly longer stem to adapt the bike to her preferred riding position.

So for the small visitor bike at our island flat, I took her old non-Thorn Nexus 8 Premum bike and adapted it, adding a Marathon Plus rear tyre and Chainglider

[Andre Jute]

I imagine you chose the Marathon Plus for its ability to absorb endless abuse rather than its comfort.

[martinf]

I imagine you chose the Marathon Plus for its ability to absorb endless abuse rather than its comfort.

I don't want visitors messing about trying to repair a rear wheel puncture on a wheel with hub gear and Chainglider. I left the lightweight Marathon Supreme tyre on the front as I reckon the only thing they can mess up is the Shimano dynamo connector, which is cheap to replace.

In the 40 mm nominal width I use on this bike, Marathon Plus is less horrible to ride than in the 28x700 size on the old visitor bike, quite accceptable for the short distances on the island.

I also changed the rear tyre on the other visitor bike, 50 x 559 Dureme to 50 x 559 Marathon Plus. This bike has a roller brake and tensioner (not possible to fit a Chainglider), so the same logic of trying to make it idiot-proof applies. Last year the Dureme rear tyre suffered a puncture, I was lucky, because the visitor knew how to repair it without removing the wheel.