Paintwork

[Manuel]

Any feedback on the paintwork on recent Thorn Nomad's? I've come across a few posts on the web claiming that there have been some problems.

[brummie]

You may have read about the old UK built ( & 'wet' painted ) derailleur geared model ? some of which were known to have delicate paint - The Taiwanese painted ones are durable powdercoated.

[john28july]

Any feedback on the paintwork on recent Thorn Nomad's? I've come across a few posts on the web claiming that there have been some problems.

Hello
You should read more! 
John

[Manuel]

Hello John,

I don't find your answer very helpful - it even seems quite defensive. Where should I read? I was actually asking for people's recent experience. What does the finished job look like? Any early problems - bad paintwork problems usually surface pretty quickly - or any more technical information, like how, exactly, are the various coats applied, how many etc.

Unfortunately, there is little about this on the Thorn pages.

[expr]

Manuel,

there have been differing views on the paint on Thorn cycles in the past, some are suggesting that it chips very easily etc. I have an Expr of which my only criticism is the clearcoat is extremely hard with no flexing in it. This gave me trouble around the seat post area where it started to become de- laminated from the base coat, not a major problem but still annoying. I have since resprayed the area with a single pack lacquer which has eliminated the problem altogether.

The overall attention to detail is very high, and the paint is applied and cured to high standard ( I do spraying myself on cars etc)

The best advice I could give is to also ask to buy a small tin of touch up at the time of ordering and use it whenever required. If you want a perfect finish then applying by Air brush is best, it depends how far you want to go. I did a small modification to my bottom bracket where I tig welded removeable insert bosses to it and i spent around 14hrs on it just on the paint to create a seamless blend of the paint and polishing a very deep gloss back in to it just because that's what I prefer.

 http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=169024701&photo_id=1892111382#1892111382



I would have thought a few more people may have come forward to give their views to give you a little more help, may be give it a few more days as the forum moves quite slow at times.

[Andre Jute]

I don't know anything useful to Manuel but if I ever need welding on my bike, I'll be giving Expr a call! -- AJ

[john28july]

Hello John,

I don't find your answer very helpful - it even seems quite defensive. Where should I read? I was actually asking for people's recent experience. What does the finished job look like? Any early problems - bad paintwork problems usually surface pretty quickly - or any more technical information, like how, exactly, are the various coats applied, how many etc.

Unfortunately, there is little about this on the Thorn pages.

Hello
Thorn bikes. Hard powder coated frames as stated in the advertising. Nobody is complaining about the paintwork. The old models about 15 years ago had enamel paintwork and as such the modern cyclist complained that Thorn paintwork was not as good as Dawes etc. No problem at all these days. Buy a Mercian or other similar 'handbuilt' bike. The paint will fall off daily? Enamel is enamel. Thorn paintwork is powder coat. I stand by my original staement-read more!
John.

[Blacksail]

The paint on my dropouts flaked off within six months and on the areas that are exposed to washers (the rack, cage and mudguard bosses) I'm not overly worried by this and on the bosses you wouldn't really notice. The frame and forks are fine.

[brummie]

The serrations on wheel QR´s will always cause some damage to the paint on dropouts - So the Thorn Ravens have stainless steel rear dropouts - to prevent rusting.

[Manuel]

Thank you John for your fuller reply. One of the reports I did read was this from 2007, on a Taiwanese made frame: "Our test bike came in matt green, with military-style stencilled logos. But it's not as tough as the gloss black version, having flaked and chipped in a few places." So, not such an old report, and presumably powder coating. Unfortunately, what they say is vague, with no specifics, and left to the imagination - is it on the dropouts? the frame? the forks? - they don't say. Is it a big flake, or tiny? No mention - poor reviewing really.

[onmybike]

Thorn bikes. Hard powder coated frames as stated in the advertising. Nobody is complaining about the paintwork.

I am. The powdercoat on my 2008 Nomad is beyond laughable. Orange peel, chipped, flaked and scratched in a manner that would be disappointing on a bike from a supermarket let alone an upmarket tourer.

[peter jenkins]

I have a (blue) Club Tour purchased new in 2006. The paint work is no better than average. It's showing a lot more chips and scratches than my much older Trek 7000 MTB, which has seen a lot of use on unsealed roads, fire trails and the like here in Australia, which the CT hasn't.

Cheers,

pj (32 deg. Celsius outside... looking forrward to my ride home from work)

[john28july]

I have a (blue) Club Tour purchased new in 2006. The paint work is no better than average. It's showing a lot more chips and scratches than my much older Trek 7000 MTB, which has seen a lot of use on unsealed roads, fire trails and the like here in Australia, which the CT hasn't.

Cheers,

pj (32 deg. Celsius outside... looking forrward to my ride home from work)

Try looking after the bike instead of chucking it about!
John

[sg37409]

Yeah, the paintwork on thorns still falls short of what you can reasonably expect. Its very frustrating that they can get so much right with the bikes and fail on something which should be easy. Its doubly frustrating as this has been a problem with their bikes for a long time.

[Relayer]

Try looking after the bike instead of chucking it about!
John

I do, and that is why my Mercian Audax is immaculate after 12 years!