New Thorn Mercury owner

[Marcc72]

It's taken a while, a few months shy of my 50th birthday, I gave in after years of finding reasons why not, obtained a Thorn Mercury.  It's taken so long because of the riding I have been doing, mostly sportive style stuff on much lighter steel frames.  I have to say that my 853 Genesis is now going up for sale.  I love this heavier slow style of riding.  I have after a few winter weeks clocked up 500km on my Mercury.  That's even with the heavier front fork and rack. I have in this short space of time, let my times go.  It was a hard concept to get my head around, but I have stopped recording on Strava, left it in the past.  I now just want to enjoy my rides for the sake of cycling!  My only regret was waiting so long.  It's the most amazing ride I have ever experienced, and I have owned a few bikes.  My Thomson seat post and stem which I have had on 3 different bikes really made this my ride from the get-go.  Gave it that familiar feeling my muscles knew .   It's my first experience of a Rohloff, I am very taken with it, it seems to punish you if not in the correct gear, it will need a few thousand kilometers to get totally use to it I am sure.  They do get up to speed with ease thou!   Anyway, I felt like I should post, say hello.  If you see a Grey Mercury around the Salisbury Wiltshire area, be sure to say hi.  Marc.

[in4]

Welcome! Lots of recent comment about the celebrated Mercury. Great to see some photos. Happy riding. 🚴

[R Bailey]

Welcome Marc

Hope you get as much enjoyment out of Thorn ownership that I already have - great bikes with good after sales help and service in my experience

go well with you adventures

Russell

[Danneaux]

All congratulations on the new bike, Marc! Looking forward to seeing photos of it in the gallery. Grey? My favorite bike color!

I have stopped recording on Strava, left it in the past.  I now just want to enjoy my rides for the sake of cycling!

One of the best things I ever did...and I rode longer and stronger as a result! Early in my cycling "career", I joined a mileage-logging club and soon found that drove my cycling -- to my detriment. Though I was logging high mileage, I was also riding when sick or tired or doing laps of known circuits just to improve my times or post the distances I felt I "should". I broke free, removed my odometer (pre-bike computer days) and just enjoyed riding whenever. It was very zenlike, gaining by letting go and highly recommended. Later, I added a bike computer and enjoyed it very much because it was no longer the prime motivator.

Rohloff shifting will soon become second nature, I'm sure. Enjoy every ride!

Best,

Dan.

[mickeg]

Your old bike, keep it for another year.  You might find that for some things you want to use one bike and a different bike for other things.  I regularly ride several derailleur bikes and one Rohloff bike.  The bikes are all great, but for some things one is better than the others.

After a year you will know if you want to keep it or not.  But you don't want to sell it if you might regret that later.

[JohnR]

Your old bike, keep it for another year.  You might find that for some things you want to use one bike and a different bike for other things.  I regularly ride several derailleur bikes and one Rohloff bike.  The bikes are all great, but for some things one is better than the others.

Welcome, from the other end of the county. I bought my Mercury in mid-2020 and clocked up 7800 miles in 17 months. However, it's currently gathering dust as explained here http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14396.0 .  As noted above, it's horses for courses and those miles demonstrated that, while the Mercury gives a very pleasant ride, it becomes a disadvantage when not needing to carry any significant baggage and others in the group are faster whether due to bike or fitness.

[PH]

Welcome to the club 
What spec and wheel size?  This is likely to influence your impression as much as anything else.  I've been a fan of the Rohloff since my first in 2003, but it doesn't make the bike, I never really gelled with the first one I had it in.
Was the Genesis an Equilibrium?  Nice bike, I'd be inclined to agree with mickeg about keeping it for the contrast, though there may be reasons you can't.
On any day ride, I ride as fast on my Mercury as I have on any bike I've owned (Which has never been that speedy) and that includes some Sportive/Audax bling bikes, though never an out and out road bike.  It's only on shorter rides, maybe up to 50 miles but more commonly 20, where I've been faster on other bikes, I do sometimes miss having one, though not often enough to do anything about it.
Give up Strava 
I like to record everything, just love the numbers, and a record of routes, Strava seems as good a place to do so as any.  Though it's easy for it to become a master rather than a tool, I felt this was happening a few years ago and temporarily turned my account private, doing so broke the competitive element.
Have fun on the new bike, plenty of opinion on this forum, not all of it in agreement which is a healthy thing, please do continue to add yours and looking forward to the photos 

[John Saxby]

Hey Marc, welcome!  Enjoy your Mercury and getting-to-know the Rohloff.  Wise choice, to go more slowly and to see and feel more. (Some of us have no choice but to go slowly...)

And especially, enjoy Salisbury and surrounds.  We lived there ages ago for a couple of my childhood years, and I found it magical - the cathedral, Sarum, the 'henge.  Have revisited a few times since, but never enough.

Safe journeys, John

[Mike Ayling]

Welcome to the Mercury world, Marc.

Mike

[Marcc72]

Your old bike, keep it for another year.  You might find that for some things you want to use one bike and a different bike for other things.  I regularly ride several derailleur bikes and one Rohloff bike.  The bikes are all great, but for some things one is better than the others.

After a year you will know if you want to keep it or not.  But you don't want to sell it if you might regret that later.

It's going, I made my mind up on that.  I don't need or want it any longer!  I find the Mercury has so many options and builds, it's really a multi-purpose cycle.   I set it up with Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite 700 X 32 Tyre.  Plus my already owned Thomson seat post and stem I have had for years.  Seat wise I am running a GILLES BERTHOUD Galibier (Titanium rails).  These are all parts I had on the other Derailleur that I am selling. Once I obtain the lighter 853 forks, remove the racks for Audax, it will move even better.  Touring, then I will kit it back up with racks, heavy front forks,  35mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus.  I will be doing the King Alfreds way at some point in the summer, so on with 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround, XLC Comp Link Suspension Seatpost.  Audax, road touring, Gravel touring.

[Marcc72]

Your old bike, keep it for another year.  You might find that for some things you want to use one bike and a different bike for other things.  I regularly ride several derailleur bikes and one Rohloff bike.  The bikes are all great, but for some things one is better than the others.

Welcome, from the other end of the county. I bought my Mercury in mid-2020 and clocked up 7800 miles in 17 months. However, it's currently gathering dust as explained here http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14396.0 .  As noted above, it's horses for courses and those miles demonstrated that, while the Mercury gives a very pleasant ride, it becomes a disadvantage when not needing to carry any significant baggage and others in the group are faster whether due to bike or fitness.

I have set it up to run fast at the moment.  Yeah, I am already up to 704km in a few weeks.  Its heavy, but the ride is great.  It really has a floaty ride to it.  I ride solo so don't have to worry about others. Sorry to hear you are not on your bike, hope you are again soon :-)

[mickeg]

If you anticipate this bike being a do-everything-bike that sometimes is unladen and sometimes is loaded down with camping gear, you might want to change your gearing depending on activity.

I have the Nomad Mk II and my Rohloff sprocket is 16T.  For riding around near home unladen, I use a 44T chainring.  But loaded touring, I want lower gearing for hauling heavy loads up steep hills so I remove four chain links and put a 36T chainring on the bike instead.

I also have a 40T chainring, but never found a need for it yet.  But, might some day.

[Moronic]

My only regret was waiting so long.  It's the most amazing ride I have ever experienced, and I have owned a few bikes.

Interesting comment, Marc. Helps me understand why I feel the same way, even though I've not owned all that many bikes.

I think it's especially interesting that you've reached this conclusion after owning what I imagine is an excellent 853 road frame with a light build (but help me out here - I am not familiar with the Genesis range).

And yes, the versatility is a big part of my appreciation too for this design. Like you I have the touring fork. I didn't think I'd need an 853 fork as well but I am starting to believe I will get one eventually if they get more built in my offset and grey.

As I get stronger (from doing more riding on this rewarding steed) , the idea of having a stripper version available for certain events becomes more appealing. One (far off) day I might even invest in a second Rohloff and wheelset. 

Great to hear you are having so much fun on your Merc.

[PH]

Once I obtain the lighter 853 forks, remove the racks for Audax, it will move even better.  Touring, then I will kit it back up with racks, heavy front forks,  35mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus.  I will be doing the King Alfreds way at some point in the summer, so on with 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround, XLC Comp Link Suspension Seatpost.  Audax, road touring, Gravel touring.

I have both the ST and the 853 forks (I have two Mercurys  ) There is a difference, but I'm not sure it's significant enough to be changing back and forth.  Better tyres will make more of a difference and you could get a lot of rubber bling for the price of an 853 fork, or invest it in going tubeless which apparently makes an even bigger difference (I have no experience).  If I was going to swap forks for occasional fast riding, I'd be more inclined to choose carbon (Assuming your frame suits the common 44 -46 size) The only reason I didn't go carbon is I'm paranoid about damage in transit, I take my bike on the train a lot, I'd have no qualms about riding.

35mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus

IMO they're the best way to spoil any ride, I really don't get the idea of having a comfortable frame and putting stiff tyres on it. I used them when I had a commute where a puncture would mean missing a train and an hour wait for the next, but I'd never use them in any other circumstance. There's plenty of good alternatives with decent puncture protection.

[JohnR]

I have set it up to run fast at the moment.  Yeah, I am already up to 704km in a few weeks.  Its heavy, but the ride is great.  It really has a floaty ride to it.  I ride solo so don't have to worry about others. Sorry to hear you are not on your bike, hope you are again soon :-)

You mis-understood me. I'm not incapacitated because I had assembled another bike as explained in the thread I had linked to. However, I'm becoming a bit of a wimp and haven't been out on any bike since Saturday as I know that my hands will freeze up despite thick gloves.

There's plenty of good alternatives with decent puncture protection.

Plus the tubeless option which you mentioned. They might not be very puncture-proof but normal punctures will quickly seal and often won't get noticed. However, getting some tyres to seal tubeless on some rims can be a challenge in which case an alternative is a lightweight tyre with sealant in the inner tube.