New Thorn Mercury 40 announced on Instagram

[Danneaux]

Hey All!

Here's a screenshot from Thorn's Instagram page today, announcing...

...the Thorn Mercury 40 , our newest edition celebrating 40 years in business , here is a sneak preview .

You can configure it with 650B wheels and a steel thru axle disc fork , or a QR carbon disc fork with 700C wheels.
You'll be able to run Rohloff and a Gates belt drive or derailleur gears .
The frame sizes will be available to accommodate drops or straight bars, you choose .
The Test model will be ready soon .

Best, Dan.

[PH]

That looks interesting Dan thanks for sharing.  It looks like I was expecting from the hints Robin Thorn posted here a while ago, a cross between the Audax and the Mercury.   

[in4]

A very interesting prospect. Thinking about belt/chain tensioning: It'll still have an EBB? I dont know anything about belt drives!

[WorldTourer]

Thinking about belt/chain tensioning: It'll still have an EBB?

If you zoom in, you can see the screws under the bottom-bracket that are used for keeping an elliptical shell in place.

[Matt2matt2002]

Thinking about belt/chain tensioning: It'll still have an EBB?

If you zoom in, you can see the screws under the bottom-bracket that are used for keeping an elliptical shell in place.

I am unable to view the picture. Do the screws pierce the soft EBB or clamp it?

Matt on tour in Thailand at the moment with limited net access.

[Mike Ayling]

Only Gates belt, no chain option?

[UKTony]

Only Gates belt, no chain option?

The Thorn instagram post suggests  there’ll be a splittable gate in the frame, similar to the Mk3 Nomad I guess, allowing chain or belt drive.

[PH]

I am unable to view the picture. Do the screws pierce the soft EBB or clamp it?

Looks like the clamp type as on the current Mercury and Nomad.
It's also V and disc brake compatible, with the same seatstay mountings as the current Nomad.
I suspect the belt and V-brake options will have required a stiffer rear triangle than the current Mercury, it also looks to have less tube manipulation, be interested to see how much difference that makes to the ride in reality.   No mention of tubeset, I'd be surprised if it wasn't Thorn's own branded, rather than Reynolds 853.

No one's mentioned this is the 40th anniversary model, with the ups and downs of the cycle industry over that time, Thorn deserve some congratulations for still being around!

[Mike Ayling]

Only Gates belt, no chain option?

The Thorn instagram post suggests  there’ll be a splittable gate in the frame, similar to the Mk3 Nomad I guess, allowing chain or belt drive.

You don't need a splittable gate in the frame for chain drive.

[UKTony]

Yes agreed,  poorly worded.

[oysters]

Any idea when this frame will be available?

Also wondering what the tyre clearances are like... particularly 650b with mudguards.

Looks good though. Hopefully the price is closer to the current Audax price rather than the Nomad/Mercury price given the likely cheaper tubeset

[PH]

Hopefully the price is closer to the current Audax price rather than the Nomad/Mercury price given the likely cheaper tubeset

I have no insider information, but my money is on it being a similar price to the Nomad.  Both are likely to be Thorn branded tubes, and will share many components that make them so versatile, like switchable drop outs and reversible V brake bosses, both frames have an EBB. 
The Nomad frames had a big price increase post Covid, about 30%, the Mercury and Audax frames currently available are from a time before that increase.  If Thorn re-stocked those, it wouldn't be at the price they're currently available for. 

[JohnR]

Also wondering what the tyre clearances are like... particularly 650b with mudguards.

For guidance, my 2020 Mercury with 650b wheels was fitted with 50mm tyres and mudguards.