Thorn Nomad Mk 2 - £1,600The Thorn Nomad Mk2 - Rohloff equipped touring and expedition bike from the bike touring geniuses at Thorn Cycles (St John’s Street Cycles) located in Bridgwater in Somerset, UK.
This bike is presented in immaculate ‘as new’ condition having covered very few miles since new.
This is the ultimate bombproof expedition bike for adventure touring from the World’s most revered and respected bike builders - Robin Thorn and Andy Blance at Thorn Cycles.
The Thorn Nomad is a 26" Rohloff Speedhub equipped bike, with flat track trekking bars that can carry very heavy loads with ease. This makes it the perfect ‘do-everything’ machine for commuting, shopping, day trips - right through to huge global adventures. Many Nomads have been around the planet and survived to tell the tale.
It’s a very, very strong frame - no carbon flyer this, but that’s not its mission, it’s made specifically for long tours in the toughest terrain. It’s built to last and give you minimal technical issues to worry about. The Rohloff is virtually maintenance free and the V-brakes are super simple to fix on the roadside. There really is very little else that can interrupt the pure joy of the ride - even punctures are rare when running decent Shwalbe tyres. The wheel set is very strong with top of the range Andra 32 spoke CSS hardened rims. To break these you would need to plunge off the top of K2. And that is exactly what this bike is all about - durability and endurance. Give it a little love and the Nomad will give you a lifetime of reliable service.
The Nomad Mk 2’s stays have sufficient clearance for 2.4" tyres. The Steel fork will take 2.25" tyres. That gives a lot of cushioning off road. But if that’s not enough, the bike is compatible with 80 to 120mm suss forks. I really think that is overkill when loaded but it’s an option if you plan to do extreme technical off road routes.
It has top quality stainless fittings, including oversized (6mm) carrier bosses all over the frame, it’s festooned with bosses to carry bottles, racks, mudguards and anything else with a 6mm bolt. Attention to detail is meticulous with every bolt lock-threaded at the workshop. It comes with SKS Chomoplastic extra width mudguards to accommodate the 2” tires.
All Nomad Mk 2s have rear ISO disc mount and V brake bosses and the perfect cable routing for the Rohloff exchange box. There is scope to move to disks but, personally, I wouldn’t want to do that. Hydraulic failure on a tour can be terminal. Popping in fresh blocks is a five minutes fix and you are away again into the adventure. It’s the right choice for serious tourists, particularly where your route takes you into remote areas.
What can I say about the Rohloff hub? It’s all been said a million times. This German masterpiece of engineering is an utter joy to ride. Gone are jammed chains, bent mechs, missed gears and tedious deraileur adjustments. What you do get is ultra reliable smooth shifting and you can even skip a bunch gears at a time when the trail kicks up with crisp, precise and intuitive changes, you can even shift when stationary - a god send when you haul her up at a junction, simply shift and go in the right great every time. It has a huge range that will keep your legs spinning even up those 15% nightmare climbs lugging a complete set of fully loaded front and rear Ortliebs. It needs an oil change once a year (£20) - that’s it. Just ride.
Here is the Thorn spec sheet for this absolute gem of a bike:
Small frame - fit 5’ 3” - 5’ 9” - I think it’s the 50S frame - I’m guessing a bit here so check measurements on the website or message me and I will get out my tape measure. Or, better still, come and try her.
Thorn 969 tempered steel everywhere - stays, forks and frame - are at the heart of the bike’s bullet proof build quality from the masters in Bridgwater
Long stays and stable geometry designed for ultimate ride stability.
Stunningly beautiful black satin finish frame with the unique reinforced double crowned Thorn expedition forks
Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 with 19T rear sprocket and Exchange Box with perfect cable routing.
High quality British made Hope Front Hub 32h
Tried and tested Thorn Flat Track Bars with Ergon GP5-L Grips
Rock solid Andra 32h CSS Rims
Shimano Deore XT V brakes front and rear with Trekking levers and Swisstop pads offering great stopping power and modulation.
Reversible 43 T front chainring gives incredible longevity.
Thorn MKV Low Loader Rear Rack rated for even the heaviest loads
FSA Orbit Headset
Gorgeous Brooks B175 lace-up saddle with anatomic cut out - short nosed for comfort (Brooks state this is a model designed especially for women).
Shinano PD A530 single sided touring pedals - clip in or ride in flats (my preference on long tours)
SKS Chromoplastic full sized mudguards that can accommodate wide tires with ease.
Eccentric bottom bracket for chain tensioning with Thorn adjustment tool to keep your chain at optimum efficiency and reduce wear - super simple and very effective.
Comes with original detailed sale receipt from SJS 28/8/18.
These bikes retail for over £3k today in this spec and this one was £2,775 in August 2018. A new Nomad frame alone now without fork or BB is £1,000. Add a Rohloff Speedhub and you are looking at another £1,300 before you add any of the extra tech loaded onto this bike.
If you are reading this, I guess you know the Thorn story. If not, I really do urge you to check out the Thorn Touring Bike Bible -
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/thorn_mega_brochure.pdf - it’s provides a fascinating and inspiring insight into the artistry and engineering excellence that underpins the brand’s reputation. A glance through that amazing free book (written by the bike designer Andy Blance himself) will show just how deep these guys go. They are the best of the best bike builders anywhere.
This bike is listed elsewhere, so the auction may not run the full 10 days. If you want this amazing British made beauty you need to move fast as they don’t come up in this condition and at this price very often. You will never regret your purchase. It’s a rare chance to get into the absolute joy of bike touring and bikepacking, with a machine engineered specifically for the most demanding riding you can chuck at this long-haul warrior. A true bike for life.
I now own three Thorn Rohloff bikes and I don’t regret a single penny invested. Until I rode my own Nomad, I didn’t get what the all the buzz was about. Now I get it (I really get it) and you will feel the same from the very first pedal stroke. Yes, Surly, Koga and the rest make great bikes but here you can invest your hard earned cash in the finest British bike money can buy. It’s a genuine sale at a very fair price.
I really want to see this bike go to someone who values the pure excellence of the engineering and will get her back on the trail where she truly belongs.
Original catalogue:
https://effectif.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/ThornRavenNomadBroHiRes-z18ZpYJoYs.pdfOpen to reaosnable offers! The bike will be listed on eBay shortly, so first dibs to true officanodos.
