Thorn Gravel Bike?

[yorkshirethorn]

Hi All,

I am considering getting a Thorn 'Gravel' bike (Club Tour in gravel spec) and would like to know members thoughts.
I have several other Thorn bikes (including a Sterling which I use for 'proper' mountain biking) and a 'racy' cyclocross bike so this would be used almost exclusively for longer day rides on trails and easy off road terrain, with possibly an odd overnight event I am attracted by the longevity offered by the frame (not sure I want a carbon gravel bike!) but I do like the sporty feel of my cross bike. Has anyone rode one or owns one? just not sure how the ride would compare? I would have a disc brake set up I think.


Kind Regards
Matt
 

[leftpoole]

Hello,
I owned Club Tour for some years! In fact it was so loved that I sold and bought a new one after some years use,
I have now sold it as I see no use for it anymore as I am aging disgracefully! Touring and camping they were both brilliant.
I think the Club Tour set up for this so called new wave 'gravel' would be just fine.
Best regards,
John

[John Saxby]

this would be used almost exclusively for longer day rides on trails and easy off road terrain, with possibly an odd overnight event

I have used my Raven in settings like this, and it was quite at home.

[PH]

I have no doubt the Club Tour would be immensely capable as an off road tourer.
I do have doubts that it'll give you the sporty ride you seem to be looking for - Whatever clothes it's wearing it's still a tourer.  The long chainstays/front centres/wheelbase, tall headtube for an upright position, predictable steering geometry, these are all desirable when the objective is to get where you're going with the minimum of fuss while carrying enough luggage to get you round the world.  Some may be looking for the same attributes in a "Gravel" bike, but they're usually designed to a different criteria. 
I'd consider if the Audax Mk4 with discs, 35mm tyres and no guards might better suit your needs. 

[yorkshirethorn]

Thank you for the replies guys, I called Thorn today for a chat, it seems that they have not, as yet, built an Audax MK4 as anything resembling a 'gravel' bike but have supplied a good few Club Tours as such (including a nice example with 650 wheels (there is another dilemma).
My only 'reservation' about the Audax would be the lack (relatively speaking) of tyre clearance, otherwise it is beginning to sound very attractive, possibly being a little lighter and 'sharper' than a Club Tour on the rough stuff.
 Or, I could pehaps give in to my advancing years and have a Club Tour and a cheap cyclocross bike for shorter blasts!

[PH]

Thank you for the replies guys, I called Thorn today for a chat, it seems that they have not, as yet, built an Audax MK4 as anything resembling a 'gravel' bike but have supplied a good few Club Tours as such (including a nice example with 650 wheels (there is another dilemma).
My only 'reservation' about the Audax would be the lack (relatively speaking) of tyre clearance, otherwise it is beginning to sound very attractive, possibly being a little lighter and 'sharper' than a Club Tour on the rough stuff.
 Or, I could pehaps give in to my advancing years and have a Club Tour and a cheap cyclocross bike for shorter blasts!

Interesting - They didn't see any reason not to go for the Audax in off road spec?  Would that take 650B wheels?  Or would the chainstays still restrict the tyre size?
When I was thinking what to do with my last audax bike (Not Thorn) I considered smaller wheels, it would have gone from 28s to 38s with decent clearance, but the brakes were an issue, I ended up not keeping it.
For me - the requirements for a bike to ride all day and a bike for a quick blast are different, even on similar terrain.   At some point the joy of the sharp handling turns into fighting the bike... or the pleasure of riding along without a care while looking over the hedge can start the day feeling a bit boring... Choose your compromise, or keep buying more and more bikes in the hope that one will do it all 

[aggs]

I own a Club Tour and used it for over  2 years in gravel spec , i.e  stripped down of racks and mudguards  and with 35mm or  40mm more gravel orientated tyres.
It was very capable in this spec and I trained for  and rode the Dirty Reiver 200km on it around kielder Forest. (mines in the pic in the brochure. )
I bought mine with Cantilever brakes, and found them ok, but  I did push the boundaries of where the bike could be ridden and thus braking too which could be fun in the wet!!
I would say stick with 700c wheels , there is loads of clearance on the Club Tour, and you could even leave mud guards on as well.
My Club Tour is now back in road spec as its used as my commuter and shopping bike/ Touring bike/Winter Audax bike , and I bought a disc brake gravel bike, I very nearly bought another Club Tour , as was going to have one in road spec and gravel spec, but with mudguards on it will do both jobs really well and did ride it like this for a while with gravel tyres on.
Its not particularly sporty feeling , but its not supposed to be.
An alternative could be a Mercury , I had one of these, it rides really  well, feels sporty handling, and the Roholf would suit gravel dirt,
I had mine built up as a lightweight build and without discs , and wish I had chosen a heavier build and discs, my rim brakes would not take tyres above 28mm . But the Rolholf is not a sporty gear change unless you go for the new trigger shifters so descending fast on a gravel road taking the hands of to change gear not that easy, fine on tarmac. I do miss this bike.
I sold the Mercury and a mtb and cx bike to fund a gravel build,  at the end of the day any bike can be ridden on gravel as long as the tyres are over 35mm to 40mm, having the low gears on a Tourer should not be underestimated esp if you plan to carry any kit, something most current gravel bikes miss completely.
( My cx bike was carbon and so stiff it was a not ideal for gravel riding but good fun and was great for short rides  , a great bike did the True Grit in Yorks  on it a few years back on its first running , , but was a touch too small for me frame wrong size and on Cantilever brakes too ) , but riding the steel frame after this bike made me realise how comfortable the Club Tour is.)
Hope that helps a bit.
The Club Tour is a really versatile bike.