Advice on choice of Thorn

[Paulson]

Hello all, I am currently considering purchasing a thorn bike.  What I want is your views, as owners, on the best choice.

I currently ride a road bike, which I intend to keep. 

I ride 30-50 mile day rides, maybe 50 miles a week in winter and double that in summer.  I ride with a brooks saddle I intend to use on any new bike I might buy.  I also hope to do a bit of 'credit card' touring in the future as well, but not really anything massively heavyweight.

My initial thoughts are either a Raven Tour with drops, the advantage being the rohloff hub.  But the expense involved makes me wonder if the rohloff is really necessary for my style and distance of riding.

The other one I am considering is the club tour/audax, whose lighter weight and skinnier wheels would probably be suitable for what I want.  I do hope to extend the mileages in the future, but again, probably day rides mainly, and a bit of audax.

I do envisage having a set of panniers for touring, but won't be looking to load them with heavy stuff.

What are your views?  I'd be particularly interested to hear from any club tour/audax owners and anybody who does similar rides to me.

Thanks!

[rualexander]

Given your intended use and if you are only going to have one bike, I would probably suggest the Club Tour which will do everything you want from it and more. The Audax Mk3 might be a bit lighter and faster but not greatly, and the Raven Tour would probably be significantly heavier and slower than you might want. If you really wanted to go with a Rohloff hub then the Sport Tour would be better, but more expensive. I have a Mk3 and a Sherpa, both are great bikes.

[travelling]

Always difficult

truth is most thorns that are built like the raven tour are meant for long distance and touring and so may be over engineered for your use however if you have the money and want it why not

agree with rual in that probably a audax might be more for your use

ask around to see if anyone has a thorn near you? might be lucky to ride it before you buy it

[Paulson]

Thanks guys, useful info. 

Well, I have taken the plunge and gone for a mk3 audax frame and fork, with the intention of transferring the kit from the road bike onto it (105 groupset, american classic wheels, brooks saddle).

Looks like it will fulfil my needs, i.e. the ability to fit wider tyres for increased comfort, which the orbea does not have.  And it's capable of doing the kind of light touring I am looking to do.

I went for blood red, which looks like the most striking colour, too.

Report will eventually follow!!!

[PH]

I was going to suggest the Audax best met your criteria, but that you'd find it too similar to your road bike, you've got round that!
I'd be tempted to spend some of the money you've saved on a good handbuilt touring wheelset and keep the American Classics for best and not too far from home rides.

[Paulson]

Thanks for the advice all.  One further question; I agree that longer term I probably will get some touring wheels made up - I know SJS make mavic open sport rims with deore hubs sp maybe worth a look (any suggestions anyone?) - but I will be using the amclassic road wheels initially.  What I might do though is trade up to a set of 25c tyres on these rims for comfort purposes - do people recommend the panaracer paselas or should I consider something like marathon plus' as I now have the luxury of extra clearance?

Thanks again....

[rualexander]

Go for the Paselas, 25 will be fine for everyday unladen use, if you decide to stick some luggage on get 28's, (not tried 32's but suspect they may just fit the MK3). Marathon Plus are twice the weight of Paselas and not as flexible and you will probably feel it, they might be worth putting up with if you are commuting and want extreme puncture protection, but I would get Paselas.

[Paulson]

Thanks - I assume these will be ok on my road rims (the american classics)?  They run 23c's quite happily, I realise that they wont have the comfort of a pair of thorn-made rims......

But longer term I think i'll buy a pair of proper touring rims and fit 28c tyres.