Whither the future: Thorn's derailleur vs Rohloff bikes

[Andre Jute]

If you really need discs, Bill, and you want them on a bike you already have, and you're an experienced restorer, surely it's a pretty small project on your scale of things to either have a disc brake tag fitted to the frame and repaint it, or to swap in a disc fork.

I have bike a high-end Gazelle, a first series Toulouse "vakansiefiets" (a bike a Dutchman saves for his holiday...), with a disc brake in the front and one of the older, limper Shimano roller brakes in the rear. Aside from the fact that I hate disc brakes for their tiresome demands for service and expensive pads, and their general lack of gradation (compared to my fave Magura rim hydraulics), that was a very agreeable setup because it distributed the braking effort right even in full on emergency stops. 90% of braking is done by the front wheel anyway, so you don't need a disc in the back.

[jags]

Why would a quality road bike be useless in your area hills i'de imagine .
i'm 62 a lot of my routes are hilly  my Terry Dolan carbon  beauty makes for easier cycling.
like u my sherpa was a dog on hills the audax i had was great but to big for me.
why in gods name do u want disc brakes  the pro's hate them.
853 Thorn audax with ultegra groupset and good set hand made wheels  your away in a hack .

jags.

[Andre Jute]

Happens that the guys had a bare set of forks in older unsold stock, and that I can get those for $100 -- painted by (read this and weep, you lot) Guiseppe Marinoni's shop in Montréal.

Full bragging rights there, John! Congratulations.

But [GRINS FOXILY], I have to ask you, did you get coach lining? Like this:
http://coolmainpress.com/AndreJute'sUtopiaKranich.pdf
Handpainted by Meester Kluver who worked on the line back 1936 when my bicycle was first built, honored on his 90th birthday (and still working on the line) by Volkswagen as a master craftsman:click on the photo to see the video here:
http://coolmainpress.com/ajwriting/cycling-history-personified-on-his-90th-birthday-my-bike-builder-is-honoured-by-volkswagen/

Enjoy!

[Bill C]

If you really need discs, Bill, and you want them on a bike you already have, and you're an experienced restorer, surely it's a pretty small project on your scale of things to either have a disc brake tag fitted to the frame and repaint it, or to swap in a disc fork.

  i hope i haven't given the impression i'm an experienced restorer,
it's purely for my own pleasure, i only bought the compressor and spray guns as i really enjoyed doing the xTc classic,
 i still had the xTc fillet brazed and also the other Thorn(no idea of true model if it is a model and not a custom)
i knew i would have to redo the classic sometime as i only used halfords rattle cans last time,
i figured what with all the frames and a load of my stove collection in need of painting it would be better in the long run to learn how to use proper paint and equipment, got to admit spraying is a doddle with the right kit and real paint, next is learning to use my airbrush

as for forks with a disk i have looked at the surly disc trucker forks in 26" on the sjs website and have considered getting the frame adapted, but by the time i pay to get the forks and raw steel them to match the frame,send the frame away both lots of postage to and throw, cost of labour and the disk fittings, i'd be well on the way to custom

[Bill C]

Why would a quality road bike be useless in your area hills i'de imagine .
i'm 62 a lot of my routes are hilly  my Terry Dolan carbon  beauty makes for easier cycling.
like u my sherpa was a dog on hills the audax i had was great but to big for me.
why in gods name do u want disc brakes  the pro's hate them.
853 Thorn audax with ultegra groupset and good set hand made wheels  your away in a hack .

jags.

hi Jags
my last road bike, promise not to laugh  was a halfords carrera magnesium alloy jobbie with carbon forks some ritchey gear if i remember right and all shim 105 (cost a few quid so wasn't totally naff, i think merida frame)
hated the harsh ride, didn't feel safe with carbon forks, and the gearing was stupidly high, add in the hills and i didn't find it fun riding, and to me it has to be fun, unless of course your fully loaded then it's grit your teeth and stop bitching 

nearly forgot i was always kicking the front wheel and that gets to be a pain

[jags]

Bill the thorn audax is a crackin bike  no toe overlap, but im a midgit  little feet  .the carbon forks are safe as houses i hit over 60mph going down a mountain pass in spain rode it over rough tracks  all kinds terraine  fear not you wont break them.
but  go for 853 forks if you dont fancy carbon.
a light fast bike makes for easier cycling ,most of my rides are 3 to4 hours long  and i have a dodgy back i still manage to come home fresh.

i love steel bikes my son rides my old raleigh 753 and he loves it.
(he was a crackin good racer few years back,rode   carbon bikes all the time   but could not believe the ride my raileigh gave him  when he sold all his bikes.)

anyway good hunting all you need is lots and lots of money buy any frame your little heart desires 

[jags]

here u go if it fits.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thorn-Audax-MK3-bicycle-/281869430415?hash=item41a0ba2e8f:g:Tg0AAOSwAKxWWaae

[Bill C]

hi Jags
naaaa can't see me converting wheel size, and road brakes 

I NEED stainless and disks or no point in changing what i already have, as it's pretty much perfect
and you know what NEED does to a wallet

[jags]

i certainly do Bill if i buy another frame it had better be a tourer because the doll (wife) will most defo fire me out off the house

my only hope is to win the lottery or ask sjs cycles to take a fiver a week for a  new frame some chance of that happening. .

anyway im away to me bed im knackered.

jags.

[macspud]

Hycle (hydraulic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmHcUqaDVYs

Here is a real hydraulic drive bicycle, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuzRifvfQGg
I think a Rohloff may be less expensive, fair play to the lad though.

Man, what a thoroughly entertaining evening of viewing this post caused me to have, youtube took me off on all sorts of tangents. 

Though not a bicycle, it did start off being pedal powered:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ifVqN_7iPk
Dan, do you fancy going for a pedal in that?

[Danneaux]

Dan, do you fancy going for a pedal in that?

If it can be fitted with drop' handlebars, yes!
 
All the best,

Dan.