My Raven Tour. 3500 miles on (11,000 miles on)

[freddered]

Wow, I'm really warming to a tour in France next northern summer! Thanks for the heads-up! It looks amazing.

If I had 2 weeks I think I'd
- head for St Malo (on overnight ferry so you can spend the evening in the bar, get a sleep in a cabin and arrive for breakfast).
- Spend the first week heading slowly up the west coast to Cherbourg
- via Dinan
- bypass Cherbourg and head to Barfleur
- head down the east coast to visit the D-Day beach towns
- head to Le Havre via the seaside towns of Deauville and Honfleur.

I'd spend a couple of nights near some towns, such as St Malo and Dinan, Deauville and Trouville then Honfleur.

[Matt2matt2002]

I did that run 30 years ago.

Only thing is, I was on a motorbike.
I had not discovered the joys of cycling.
But great area for a tour.
Matt

[playlord]

What a wonderful 'Fred' - I'd have paid to read this...release it as an eBook!

Thank you. I've learned a lot

Joe

[freddered]

Well, who would have thought?

It was 10 years ago that this turned up in a big cardboard box.



and today, just over 10 years later (Actually a different frame... swapped under 100 day warranty by SJSC when I didn't get on with Flat Handlebars).



..and doing what it does best, transporting you and lots of luggage about, with the minimum of fuss.




To my shame I haven't ridden it since November 2014.  2015 was devoted to Paris-Brest-Paris so no camping trips.  This year will involve a couple of short lightweight ("credit-card") tours in France.

It may be unridden another year which is criminal really, considering it's now a £2300 RRP bike.

[Danneaux]

Freddered!

So good to see "anniversary" photos of your lovely RavenTour.

It has been nice to read of your tours on it, but no less so to read of the Brevets you've taken together.

All best wishes for many more happy rides together.

Dan.

[Raven_Roller]

I have just spent a most enjoyable hour reading this whole thread and looking at the lovely pics, along with a cup of coffee and a danish pastry.  Life could only be better if I was somehow able to have read it whilst on my Raven!

Thanks freddered.

[geocycle]

I have just spent a most enjoyable hour reading this whole thread and looking at the lovely pics, along with a cup of coffee and a danish pastry.  Life could only be better if I was somehow able to have read it whilst on my Raven!

Thanks freddered.

Yes indeed. I bought my Raven at a similar time to Fred so learnt a lot from his experiences. Glad the bike is still doing its job!

[freddered]

Well, it's with great sadness that I have decided to sell my Raven Tour.

I don't want to Ebay it, I'd prefer someone on the Forum to buy it (that sort of guarantees a good owner I feel).

My cycling has changed so much since I've owned it, I managed to accumulate way too many bikes and my Raven Tour is a lot of bike to have waiting around for an occasional camping trip.

It needs to be used rather than become a wall hanging.

I don't think I need to do a sales pitch, this whole thread should provide any potential owner with enough details about what the bike is good at.

From a care point of view it hasn't even been wet for about 3 years that I can remember.

Anyway, check out the For Sale section.  I'm in no rush so feel free to come over to Hampshire to have a look and a ride. 

I'll give full details on the For Sale item but I'm 5'10" and I think it would suit 5'8 -5'11" ish.  It's impossible to know until you sit on a bike I find.

I feel it's the end of an era just typing this.

Fred.

[John Saxby]

Fred, that must feel like the end of a major stage in your life :-(   You and your Raven Tour have always been a source of fine photographs and good stories.  Your setup of your bike was a very useful reference point for me as I was ordering my own New Raven in 2013.  But if as you say you weren't using your RT much -- well, these bikes are made to be ridden, aren't they?

Trust you'll find a good home. £1400 strikes me as a good price, especially for that nice dark green.

Cheers,

John

[freddered]

Well the Raven Tour has moved on.

10 years of trouble-free ownership (apart from the seat post sticking that one time).

Hopefully the new owner, Alex, will have as much fun and adventure as I did.

I took it for one last (2 mile) ride this morning, to check it was running OK.. of course it was.  I forgot just how solid and reassuring they are, pot-holes are just a  distant dull "thud" rather than teeth-smashing affairs.  I wish I had a reason to use it and keep it but I really don't.


Sooo... I really hope my posts have helped people decide on whether the Raven Tour was for them or not.  I knew that I loved looking at owners' Thorns in various situations and it seems my ongoing gallery has helped others cope with dull days in the office and/or conference calls.

Bye for now.

Freddered (Actually LEE, on YACF Cycle forum)

[Danneaux]

All congratulations to buyer and seller alike.

Freddered (as we know you here), you've done a great service with your long-term thread. It surely was a factor in my own purchase.

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

well done Fred the new owner is getting a class bike for sure fair play to you for keeping it in pristine condition always helps when your selling.

anto.