Hello and question about Thorn mountain bikes

[Mark Manley]

Firstly hello from the Southwest of England, not too far from SJS cycles who I have popped in to visit on a couple of occasions.
I have yet to own a Thorn, I currently have a Roberts Roughstuff which is a great bike and a Surly Troll which is OK but I would like to try the components from this bike on a Thorn frame.
Both bikes are hub geared, disc braked and have 26 inch wheels which is a specification I am happy with and I am interested in the mountain bike frames which from what I can gather were sold as the Sherpa Enduro and Ripio, is this correct and are there more to look out for?
I realise that both of these models are out of production but am looking for something a little lighter than the Nomad and Sherpa both of which sound like heavy duty tourers, something my Roughstuff does perfectly well, any advice appreciated.
Mark

[macspud]

Hello Mark, welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will hear from others but in the mean time.

The Ripio was designed as a derailleur frame. I'm not sure which hub gear you are using but the Raven frames are designed for the Rohloff Speedhub of which there are the Thorn Raven Sterling, Thorn Raven Catalyst, and the Thorn Raven Enduro, all of which seem to fit your intended use ?. All of these are now discontinued but come up on the used market from time to time.   

The Raven Enduro http://web.archive.org/web/20050331170711/http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornEnduroBroLoRes.pdf is disc brake only while the Raven Sterling http://web.archive.org/web/20091007191718/http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/Thorn_Sterling_lowres.pdf  is both disc and/or rim brake and the Raven Catalyst http://web.archive.org/web/20050331170517/http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornCatalystBroLoRes.pdf is rim brake only.
The Ripio http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornRipioBroHi-Res.pdf has ISO disc mount and open hose guides + removable V brake bosses.

If you do a search of the forum you should find threads with info on all of them.

[mickeg]

On this forum, we are Thorn bike owners and users, but not Thorn staff.  If you were looking for something at SJS, you might want to contact their sales staff directly.

[lewis noble]

I think it's also important to remember that the Sherpa and Raven are not necessarily bikes that are unduly heavy.  Yes, the frame weight is fixed (for size), and are capable of taking a lot of punishment and a wide range of uses.  But careful choic of components can make the total bike a lot lighter than people expect . . . . yes, at a cost above the 'headline' price.

My Sherpa has lightweight wheels, 1.6 Supreme tyres, and a lightweight Vega rack - I can't recall the exact weight, but it is a lot lighter that many of the standard 'touring' cycles on sale at comparable prices in the shops.  Equally, if I fitted heavier duty wheels, tyres, forks and rack, it would be fine for heavy touring. 

All the bikes mentioned above were excellent ion their way, I had a Ripio for 2 years and loved it, only sold it on when my riding became more lightweight / road focused.  But they only appealed to a niche market of people looking beyond the price at the quality and versatility - a shame.

Good luck

Lewis

[Mark Manley]

Thanks for your replies, it looks like I am after a Sterling or Raven Enduro although I would consider a Sherpa or Raven if neither of theses turn up in the near future. I have some nice components to go on it, my Surly is almost entirely Hope equiped with a Shimano Alfine hub but it is nowhere near as comfortable as the Roberts so it is time to try another frame.

[Bippers]

Hi Mark.
Just read through the list of suggestions for you and all worth taking note of, but I have something no one has come up with. Actually I have never seen a Thorn with one fitted.
The item in question is a Hebie steering damper. It dampens the effect of the steering becoming very unstable when parked and with loaded front panniers. Its also excellent when riding loaded stabilizing the steering. A brilliant bit of kit and cheap.

I hope your enjoying your Nomad, I love mine.