Rohloff hard tail touring bike/mtb

[Clive.]

Hi, Advice wanted really. I am going on a supported tour (so limited luggage) with a fair amount of off-road. The organisers strongly recommend an mtb so as to have front suspension, and the most common regret of previous participants is apparently not to have had suspension. The trip is (at least) a year and a half away so I am in no great rush to sort a bike, but it's never too early to start! I'd like the bike to work for trail riding/gentle single track when not away.
I ride a Mercury 610 at the moment, so I am a definite rohloff enthusiast, and pretty keen on Thorn. My plan was to wait until a Sterling came up for sale, and after waiting six months or so I finally managed to buy one. Transglobal Express/DHL were engaged to ship the bike to me, and have managed to 'lose' it at their warehouse!
I'm not sure how long I will have to wait for another, so I thought I would ask if any forum members might have any advice as to possible alternatives?
I think I'm looking for an mtb suitable for fairly gentle trail riding, and comfortable/efficient for a full day's riding, but no great luggage carrying capacity needed. Any suggestions?
Thanks for any responses,
Clive.

[macspud]

Hi Clive,
Commiserations on the loss of the Thorn Sterling, bad luck.
Will you be using frame bags (bikepacking) or using panniers?
Is it the used market you're looking at?

 

[Clive.]

Used preferred, but willing to consider new or to build up from a frame (I have a Van Nicholas Zion Rohloff as a potential donor bike). I'm not looking to carry that much - this would only be for supported touring, so 5 to 10 kgs or so. I'm 210 lbs myself mind you, so weight bearing capacity needed, just not for luggage! I had in mind a rack-top bag or a single pannier, plus a very small bar bag for camera/map/phone.

[macspud]

Would the Van Nicholas Zion Rohloff with bike-packing bags (frame bag, handlebar bag, and seat bag) not suit your purposes?

I am guessing from your Mercury 610 and your wanted ad for a Sterling M/L or a Nomad Mk2 590L, that you are somewhere about 6'1" - 6'2"? so that would mean that you have a wide range of bicycles available to you, which believe me, is a plus.

Whereabouts are you planning on touring?







 

[Tiberius]

I have a Van Nicholas Zion Rohloff .

Use that - 

[Clive.]

Yes, I'm over-thinking this aren't I! The Zion is actually too small once I've been on it a couple of hours, but that's a separate issue. I just need to see whether stem/bars/seatpost can fix that for all day 'sat down' riding or not. The trip I'm looking at is West Africa en Velo in 2022 organised by the Tour d'Afrique team in Canada.
Thanks both for your sensible advice - appreciated.
Clive.

[PH]

This might suit , though not sure how the sizing works.
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=139471

You'll have to be quick at that price, I'm fighting the urge to buy it myself...

[leftpoole]

This might suit , though not sure how the sizing works.
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=139471

You'll have to be quick at that price, I'm fighting the urge to buy it myself...

Very good value. I am certainly thinking on this one. But it is a long journey and I am supposed to be reducing and not increasing volume!
I live alone and I am telling myself N+1 is too many!
John
However,,,,,,,,,,  just kidding! It is not for me.... I think that it would look nicer with those mudguard attachments.

[Clive.]

Thanks for that PH - coincidentally I saw a Catalyst same size similar price on ebay yesterday - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thorn-Raven-Catalyst-Rohloff-hub-Reynolds-853-Large-mens-touring-MTB/124266303449?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144 Unfortunately my height is all in my legs so if anything I need an XL frame with a shorter reach if anything, so the direct opposite of this Medium Large Extra Long sizing! I think an Enduro 589 might be second only to a Sterling on my wish list though. Thanks for the suggestion.

[macspud]

A Catalyst 588L would suit your needs better than the Enduro 589L.

[Clive.]

Well, my Sterling eventually turned up, and un-damaged too - I had given up hope when DHL confirmed it as lost. I thought I'd mention it here for two reasons - one is just so that you can share my happiness, the other is that I have now learnt that it is better to arrange shipping in your own name if it is your own property you are moving. It's just so much more remote if you are trying to sort something when the shipper doesn't see you as their customer ie I should have arranged the courier to collect rather than leaving the 'sender' to arrange for me. It keeps the line of communication much shorter! A useful lesson learnt, so I thought I'd share.

[PH]

Excellent news, it's probably had an adventure of it's own.
On your second point -  A word of caution, it changes the point at which you take ownership, you might be happy with that, but there's equally good arguments for not doing so.

[macspud]

Happy for you.   

[leftpoole]

Well, my Sterling eventually turned up, and un-damaged too - I had given up hope when DHL confirmed it as lost. I thought I'd mention it here for two reasons - one is just so that you can share my happiness, the other is that I have now learnt that it is better to arrange shipping in your own name if it is your own property you are moving. It's just so much more remote if you are trying to sort something when the shipper doesn't see you as their customer ie I should have arranged the courier to collect rather than leaving the 'sender' to arrange for me. It keeps the line of communication much shorter! A useful lesson learnt, so I thought I'd share.

Regarding your comment about arranging shipping oneself rather than the sender, I fully agree. I am currently waiting (6 weeks) for a package from DHL. It has been signed for by someone with a different name and in a different Town to me! DHL just keep repeating 'delivered'......