Thorn Sterling

[jp06]

Here's my Sterling.  A good bike and been running in various guises for about 6 years - however I will be selling the frame and fork in the near future.

[tt2cycletours]

The Sterling frame pictured above was purchased by me, and the new build is pictured here!  Plan is to get a rohloff hub soon and then switch the rear wheel for rohloff (identical rim) for audax and light touring and then use the single speed wheel shown for commuting. 

[Danneaux]

H tt2!

Lovely build in either guise.

I like the cat you've added in the current build.

All the best,

Dan. (...who is "an animal person")

[John Saxby]

Nice versatile bike, tt!  Cat seems slightly "interloped", no?

[tt2cycletours]

Yep, the cat was not on the original build plan; did meet a French women a year last summer touring in Norway with her Labrador in a trailer!  Despite my user name I have done more than 2.

High-lights are:

Schmidt 28 hole front dynamo: did limit choice of rim for front
50x559 Schwalbe Kojaks (actually measure 47mm at widest): lots of grip and light, also got super-light inners
Van Nicholson's Rohloff ready handlebar which splits in two to allow mounting supplied shifter; still cheaper than buying the special shifter
180mm IRD cranks; will this make a difference???
CSS rear rim, albeit second-hand.
Philips 60 lux (waterproof) headlight; don't think I can go back to lower illumination now.  If it lasts only 2 years it will be better value than B&M lights be far.

One catch of switching out Rohloff wheel will be keeping gear cables from flapping about and making a sleeve or similar to stop dirt getting in the ex box.

Once I have a rohloff, could this be one bike to rule them all?

(Apart from an expedition bike).

Thanks, TT

[Donerol]

Looks great!

How do you find the VN bars?  They come with an adjustable stem, don't they?  How secure is it? Some adjustable stems such as Zoom and Kalloy seem prone to slipping whereas the Ritchey design is very secure.

[tt2cycletours]

The bars are great; I did find a blog of someone/shop (BLB??) who cut a regular handlebar and inserted a reinforcing bar.  Probably would have been fine but felt a bit Heath-Robinson.

I thought the adjustable stem too ugly and unnecessary so I have switched it for a normal one from bx (on CRC).  It was 24 euros cheaper to get the adjustable stem.

It looked the business but I haven't used it, and intend to sell.

[Donerol]

Thanks for the info. At the moment I'm using Origin8 bar ends on a flat bar, which works quite well, but if the euro keeps dropping I might treat myself to these VN bars.