Audax Mk4 due first week of May 2019...

[Danneaux]

...according to Thorn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BvUPGmBlS1r/

Dave, any details yet?

Best,

Dan.

[rualexander]

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/frames/500-thorn-audax-mk4-disc-frame-gunmetal/

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

What we have is here https://www.thorncycles.co.uk/bikes the brochure lacks any pictures as of yet, because we don't have them to photograph, we have around half a dozen orders ready to build when they arrive so I should have a fair few pictures to choose from.

[geocycle]

Looks a very flexible set of options.  Rohloff ready as well! Looking forward to seeing pictures.

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

[Danneaux]

Many thanks, Dave; a picture is truly worth a thousand words.

Best,

Dan.

[PH]

Nice, though I'm finished with frames that'll only take 28mm tires.  I like the idea of disc brake rear and rim brake front, it's what I went for on a Mercury and although I was a bit sceptical I'm now a convert...

[John Saxby]

I'm finished with frames that'll only take 28mm tires

Not shopping for a bike just now, PH, but I'm with you on the wide tires.

[rualexander]

It takes 32mm tyres.
35mm with disc brakes and no mudguards.

[PH]

It takes 32mm tyres.
35mm with disc brakes and no mudguards.

Do you mean with a disc brake? For a DD caliper the brochure says:
It has clearance for some 32mm tyres (all 28mm) when used with a road brake.
The Supremes are known to be undersized, mine measured 30mm on a 17mm rim,  so I changed to 35's which measure 33!
You won't get a genuine 32mm tyre under deep drop brakes with adequate clearance for guards*, even if the frame is made to optimise the full drop of the brake.
The difference in clearance between a caliper and a disc will only be the space the caliper occupies.  The Mercury has a really simple but clever fitting on the frame which alters that clearance depending on brake type, effectively a spacer to lower the caliper if not using a disc.

* Some may have different ideas about how much that is, 10mm IMO.  There's a thread here somewhere from last year of an Audax MK3 supplied with 32mm Supremes that Thorn obviously thought were OK, but the rider didn't and changed them for 28's.

[rualexander]

Here

[lewis noble]

Re tyre size post, it was me.

My Audax Mk 3R, supplied in December 2017, came with mudguards and 700-32 Supreme tyres, my choice.  Clearance was very tight, though it was set up very well and never chafed or jammed.  I didn't measure the clearance, but it was much less than PH suggested.

But at the time, many of the roads in / around Sheffield were being re-surfaced, a huge project, and there was a lot of tyre/guard noise from gravel etc - more than I had had before.  Nothing ever jammed, but I felt significant vibration / chafing from road dirt at times.

So I changed to 28s. Initially continentals, then Schwalbe One which I like and give a better ride in my opinion.  I was lucky in that my wife needed new tyres, she had the Supremes .

All these tyres have given excellent puncture free service.  I think the Supreme 32s were the best, but I would only put them back on the Audax if I was sure of excellent surfaces or running without guards.

All above is my personal opinion . . . .

Lewis

[RST Scout]

Interesting what you said that about the tyre clearance Lewis. My Audax Mk3 (Bettina) has 32mm supremes on and I found the front mudguard rubbed. I’ve taken it off which helps getting the bike into my car but I noticed a chip out of the paint on the underside of the down tube. I obviously need to put the front mudguard back on Do you really rate the Schwalbe One tyres? I was swayed by Andy's argument for wider tyres in the brochure.

Janet
PS. The new frame looks great. Wish I’d have waited.

[leftpoole]

As someone who can make a great job of fitting mudguards (blowing my own steam) I can honestly say that I tried 32mm Conti Gatorskins and they fitted fine. I tried the wheels as an experiment (taken from Club Tour) and actually use 28mm on all bikes.
John

[mickeg]

...I like the idea of disc brake rear and rim brake front, it's what I went for on a Mercury and although I was a bit sceptical I'm now a convert...

I have that on one bike, although it was totally unplanned.  I got a great deal on a new titanium frame that took disc brakes, but the fork was not included.  The disc brake fork was another $300 USD, but I had a rim brake fork in storage with very similar fork rake and axle to crown length, thus I saved over $300 by using a fork that I already had with a rim brake on front.

I have no complaints with it and I would do it again, but only because the circumstances were right for it.  It is my only bike with a disc brake.  It is one of my favorite bikes to ride, but not because of the brakes, I like the ride and feel of the bike.

I have had some confused looks from others that were curious why the bike is set up that way.  I need to come up with some obnoxious sounding nerdy reason to tell them.