First real ride on my Thorn Audax

[fast but dim]

If you check the classifieds you'll see I recently bought a Thorn Audax mk3 off ctc to replace my Aluminium Hewitt Audax........

I've ridden a couple of 20 - 30 mile rides, but today I took it out for a proper ride:

http://www.strava.com/activities/136607325   ( I am Bally btw)

My initial thoughts are:

Sublime comfort over rough roads
Stable on 50mph decents
Relaxed ride
Fast enough to keep up with a Trek madone carbon, full dura ace
Gears galore to get up climbs

I could not be happier, after 65 miles ( a long ride for me) and 5000 ft I am fresh as a daisy and ready to ride tomorrow( I have a disc prolapse awaiting surgery)

I know I need to get some pics up

[jags]

isn't is class when something works just as you expect to work .feel the same about my thorn audax.

[nztony]

What a wonderful looking route -  I checked it out on Strava and on Google Street View - love those country lanes, stone hedges, the Ribble Valley District etc. And fascinated to see your comments - looking forward to your photos ASAP though.

What really interested me though is that now that I own my first new bike in 25 years (Thorn Nomad MK2 purchased Dec 2013) is that I am thinking it would be nice to add a faster bike to my collection and I have been reading the Audax  MK3 pdf.  The Nomad is great, and it didn't miss a beat on a recent 800km tour, (and the 4000km I have ridden it in total) but for daily riding it is a bit like driving a slow moving tractor. When I ride on main roads, guys on their 700C road bikes overtake me and disappear off into the distance way too quickly for my liking! So your report on the Audax MK3 is very promising  - although I must admit I am drooling slightly over another steel bike, but in fairness to Thorn, I won't mention it's name on their forum.

Tony