Which Thorn?

[geocycle]

Hi All,

A Raven with 700c wheels would probably be perfect. (or even 650B... just saying)

I had a good long look at the Sherpa Andy and looks great but still 26" wheels.

The Mercury is expensive, probably another £800 to £1000 more than the Raven. If it had longer chainstays which would help the stability on the off road sections and luggage carrying (big feet and the RST could only take quite small panniers) then it may have been a contender. I am sure it would be strong enough even with lightweight wheels. Longerwheel base adds to the comfort factor and off road downhill stability.

The Raven (or Sherpa Mk3), Rohloff (or derailleur) I feel are the only Thorn possibilities at the moment. I think the Rohloff would be better off road where changing gear is so much more forgiving. That leaves me with the Raven but can I live with 26" wheels again?

Obviously I haven't answered that yet or I would have ordered one! Cycling shouldn't be this difficult.................

All the best

Steve  

I agree about a 700c raven, it would sell well.  The mercury really interested me but is very expensive for a bike that arguably has some limitations in its range of uses. I'd not want to do rough stuff on a £3.5k bike or use it as a commuter. I know it is designed as an audax or fast tourer and looks fabulous, but personally I'm not convinced this is the best use of a rolhoff. Whereas a 29er raven or something a tad lighter at a third less would be a serious proposition.

[Swislon]

Gosh Dan, there is enough reading on your link to keep me busy for hours!

A balloon bike 26", maybe, I quite like that idea. I also like the idea of of the potential of 650B.

Plenty to think about. Thanks guys.

Cheers
Steve

[Swislon]

Hi all,

The Sherpa is now catching my eye (thanks Andybg!).
How did those of you find riding it unloaded? Most of my rides will be just with a saddlebag for a while.
triaesthete says his was "rigid and unyielding….."
Any other views?

Best
Steve

[rualexander]

My size  610S Sherpa is very 'rigid and unyielding' too, but I guess it is meant to be in order to cope with full touring loads, loaded up it feels more comfortable.
2" tyres run at lowish pressures help to mitigate the stiffness unloaded.
Personally I wonder if it would be better if Thorn had just used standard oversize tubing on the largest size Sherpas instead of the extra oversize tubing that they do use.

[Danneaux]

Hi Steve!

I found my Mk2 Sherpa to be very nice for regular 200km rides unladen or laden up to about 10kg. Keep in mind, it was built with conical tubing and tubing diameters have been generally reduced with the Mk3 version, making it a better all-'rounder to ride unladen.

Compared to my more conventional touring bikes, I found the ride generally good provided I didn't pound too much air into the 26x2.0 Schwalbe Duremes when riding unladen. Unladen, F/R pressures of 29/34psi (2-2.3bar) were just about right for my 78kg/172lb. The bike worked particularly well for mixed use -- say, a ride with 75% pavement and 25% single-track. The ride would have been livelier with lighter rims and tires, say something like Rigida Grizzly's and 1.6in road slicks, but I found even my Andras loped along nicely once up to speed.

If I had it now, I might have fit a Thudbuster ST or LT to it, but it would not have been so necessary as on the Nomad, which has a more robust frame (intended for massive loads, as I sometimes carry) and transmits road shocks more harshly when ridden unladen on really rough surfaces. The seatpost made up the difference for me on the Nomad and the bike is fine pretty much anywhere and anyhow I'd care to ride it.

Steve, this bit (cribbed from a post I made in my Nomad gallery: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4523.msg48907#msg48907 ) might be helpful in evaluating the ride of a Sherpa:

There is reason to have more than one Thorn. They are exceptionally versatile bikes, but still each one excels for a given purpose. If you choose one at each extreme -- say a Nomad and an Audax -- then you'll have two versatile bikes that contrast greatly and really put the spark in riding; no boredom when you can switch from one to another and really feel the difference. Handy topics for those considering multiple Thorns are here:
Audax or Sherpa: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=6607.0
Sherpa or Club Tour: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4669.0
Sherpa or Nomad: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=5581.msg30381#msg30381
A little chart I made showing how Sherpa and the Nomad compare to my rando bike in carrying capacity, comfort, and feel:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4713.msg23329#msg23329

Hope this helps.

Best,

Dan.

[Swislon]

Hi Dan,

Once again thanks for all the links and reading material.
I shall now consume with relish.

Best

Steve

[mickeg]

I have no idea which version size 610S Sherpa I have, I bought the frame and fork used.  But I found it to handle a 60 pound load very nicely.  Have used for a couple of week long tours on gravel with 2.0 width (50mm) Dureme in front and Extreme in rear tires and one 500 mile tour that was predominantly on pavement with 1.5 width (40mm) plain Marathon tires.  I also have ridden it extensively unladen and it rode very nicely.  Since I usually have 2.0 or 2.25 width tires on it while at home, most of the riding is on gravel since I instead use a 700c bike with narrower tires for most of my pavement riding.

That said, if I only had one bike instead of half a dozen, I think I would pick my Sherpa.

[Swislon]

The decision is made after a discussion with Andy Blance.....

The new Club Tour!

A few weeks to wait though before the frames land.

Thanks for all replies and I may have a few more questions relating to spec but i'll start another thread.

Steve

[jags]

ok spill the beans why did you choose the club tour what was it that andy said to make you  settle on the clubtour.
just dead curious.

jags.

[Swislon]

Hi Jags

700c wheels
35mm tyres
853 fork
rear disc brake (V brake and cantis still an option)
gunmetal imron finish
derailleur gears
geometry similar to Mercury but longer chainstays

All the things I wanted in my next bike.
It must be Christmas!!

Plus it's a Thorn!

Steve

[jags]

yip steve that would do it alright i'm still drooling about the lovely blue audax 
fair plat i hope you get it on the road very shortly great bikes thorn thats for sure.
keep it clean.

[gaz46]

Hi Steve

Congratulations on the decision!

The RST got a good summer of use up until recently when back problems stopped me getting on any bike. But hopefully I shall be back on it soon. As the anaethetist was sending me under on Monday he said 'Think of something nice..' and what should flash up in my mind before everything went blank…. the RST riding through the Surrey Hills… A pleasant start to any op!

Gareth

[Danneaux]

Wonderful preview of things to come, Steve; thanks and congratulations -- can't wait to see it, and love the color!

Man, Gareth -- hope you'll be feeling better soonest! Perhaps a sus-seatpost might help when you feel well enough to get back on the RST?

Best,

Dan.

[Swislon]

Sorry to hear you've got back issues Gareth and I wish you a speedy recovery.

I'm am really pleased you've been enjoying the RST. Your photos did make me wonder if I'd made the right decision!
My wife is really enjoying hers so much I can't get her to go on the tandem anymore!

Hey Dan, a very happy Thanksgiving!!!

Steve