I bought the S&S coupled Nomad 565L
I am about to buy the things I'll need for getting the bike back home (and for the tour)
Which one of these frame protectors fits the Nomad?
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/s-and-s-machine-cordura-frame-protection-padding-75-inch-width-per-10-ft-roll/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/s-and-s-machine-cordura-frame-protection-padding-9-inch-width-per-5-ft-roll/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/s-and-s-machine-cordura-frame-protection-padding-4-inch-width-per-5-ft-roll/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/s-and-s-machine-cordura-frame-protection-padding-55-inch-width-per-5-ft-roll/
I also plan to cut 2 pieces of plastic tube to put between the fork and the rear triangle with the QR axle to keep them from bending. What dimensions should the pipes be?
Also: do I need any tool for detaching/attaching the cable splitters or is that done by bare hand?
I do not use any of that S&S branded padding. I have used plastic shelf liner in pieces approximately 40 X 40cm and 40 X 80cm.
The first post in this thread, the second or third photos, where you see green, that is the plastic that I am talking about. It is very soft plastic. I only put it against the parts of the bike that are physically in contact with other parts, so that they do not chaff against each other.
Some people buy the padding that can be wrapped around tubes and secured with velcro, or padded tubing that can be slid over the tubes. But in my opinion, it is a touring bike, a few nicks in the paint are expected.
But if you want to give it a lot of protection, go ahead. That however could make it harder to fit in the case.
The plastic tubes that I use between the dropouts are 100 and 135mm in length, 135mm in rear. I would suggest against quick release levers for that, as that might be a good way to damage a lever if something pressed against it. On my Iceland trip, as I was packing up my bike to leave, two Italians asked me if I knew where a bike shop was that was open (it was on a Sunday), I did not know where any bike shops were and told them that. Both of them had front skewers that had been bent when their bikes were shipped. They were stranded until they could replace the skewers.
I use Halo brand XL skewers that require a 5mm allen wrench to open and close. (I carry a spare 5mm allen wrench with my spare tubes.) I mainly do that as a theft preventative measure, but there is no lever sticking out that could be bent in packing the bike. I think I cut the front Halo skewer to be shorter. The thick dropouts on the Nomad Mk II is why I bought the XL version.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hub-spares/black-halo-xl-hex-key-skewer-set/?geoc=USThere is only one spring on the Halo brand skewers, most use two. And one end has a tab, the tab goes in the slot of the dropout to keep the nut from turning, that tab can be bent if you do not make sure it is in the slot. So, the Halo ones take a bit of getting used to for installation compared to other brands.
If I recall correctly, there is only one cable splitter on the Nomad Mk II S&S frame. I think it is intended to be used with the rear brake. I do not use that splitter. I am pretty sure that no tools are needed to split it and re-connect it. I think it has a tiny little setscrew that uses a very small allen wrench when a cable has to be changed, but I have not looked at it for years, I could be wrong on that. I am more used to the Ritchey brand splitters.
If you are new to the Nomad Mk II, you may have seen comments on this forum that people found a need to replace the eccentric. I can only think of two reasons for that, (1) corrosion may have made it stick to the frame or to the bottom bracket or (2) it became grooved where the setscrews indent the eccentric in too many places.
In this posting, I describe how I adjust the chain to make sure that the eccentric does not become grooved.
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14475If you ever lose one of those set screws that Thorn uses to hold the eccentric in place, you might have trouble sourcing a replacement. I bought a spare to carry on tour, although I likely will never need it because of my "rubber bands" that prevent the set screws from vibrating loose and falling out.
Mine is a 590M, a bit bigger than yours. I suspect that yours will pack into a case easier than I do for that reason. And if yours is flat bars instead of drop bars, that should make it even easier.
If you do not have a small luggage scale, I suggest you get one. It will help avoid over-weight charges when you fly. I think the cheaper ones are as good as the more expensive ones, you mainly want a very tiny one that is easy to pack because on a trip you likely will only use it at the start and finish.
If you have to replace a shifter cable, Rohloff instructions use a metal tube that is 200mm long. I instead carry two pieces of plastic drinking straw that is 100mm each. But I also carry a cable that is cut to length. Last time I changed cables, I made sure that I had a third one cut to the right length for that purpose.
Some of the Rohloff specific screws use a T20 wrench. Buy one to carry on a tour in case the shifter comes loose from the handlebar. Also used in a few other places. They are quite cheap at a good hardware store.
Look at the Thorn video on changing Rohloff oil before you try it. I do not recall the link.
If you have CSS rims, they take special brake pads.
That is about all I can think of that you need to know. First time you pack the bike in a case, take lots of photos of how you unpacked it so that you can refer to the photos next time to refresh your memory on how it all goes together. It is an iterative process to get it packed, as different sized bikes get packed differently. Thorn says that the fork will not fit in the case, but I pack the fork in the case. When I have flown with my Nomad Mk II, I had two checked bags, some things would not fit in the bike case, like the rear rack. And the case and bike exceed the weight limits for airlines, so some of it has to go in the other bag.
Good luck.