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Raven (updated 07/10/2005)

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Stijn:
This is how I build up my Raven. At the moment it is still being using, to tour the many miles of the English country side Bridle ways. Hopefully it is going to take me a bit further a field in the future.

The bike was build up to offer "unlimited" on/off-road touring, which is a bit of a compromise against speed and lightweight (16.5Kg). To me it is a great bike, the only down side it that I want to be riding it all the time. [:D]

(updated picture, spec has changes from discussion below 07/10/2005)



Many thanks to everyone at SJS Cycles, for their help and for offering a great range of bike products.

Current build (as per 07/10/2005):
-Thorn Raven tour Frame MkII,  size 512L, in Rosso red
· Suspension fork: Magura Vidar 80mm 2005
· Headset FSA Orbit XLII black.
· Stem 70mm 20degree rize four bolt clamp black.
· Front wheel: Shimano XT 32 hole central locking hub on a Mavic 618 rim with DT Champion spokes.
· Rear wheel: Rohloff 14 speed hub silver, 16teeth sprocket,  on a Sun Rhyno rim. DT competition spokes 240mm.
· Brakes: Avid Single Digit 7 V-brakes with Wrangler cartridge pads and Avid speedial levers
· Front rack: Faiv Hoogar in Black
· Mudguards: SKS 55mm black with suspension fork fitting kit
· Handelbar:, Thorn Carbon anatomic Exp/Tandem, riser bar, 18 degree
· Grips: Ergon MR-1
· Speedometer: Cateye Enduro 8
· Seatpost: Cane Creek Crudbuster, with neoprene cover
· Saddle: Brooks team professional + Brooks rain cover
· Bottom bracket: tapered Shimano 68mm 118mm LX (UN53)
· Crankset, Old Shimano LX tapered 5 arm 110PCD 170mm
· Peddles: Dual sided, SPD and normal, Shimano PD-M324
· Chainring Bashguard Thorn 110PCD
· Chainring: Thorn reversible 110PCD 40 Teeth.
· Chain: SRAM PC48
· Rear rack Tubus 26inch Cargo black.
· Rear light
- Bottle cages: Profile and Minoura large PET bottle cage
· Tires, Vredestein Scarab 2004 1.75Inch
· Innertubes: Swalbe Schrader

Things I'd like to change:

- Change the Cable esambly on the Rohloff hub to have an external cable house.
- Replace the front wheel with a strong 36spoke wheel.
- Some other tires, maybe the Schwalbe Marathon or XR's

Sprocket:
Nice shiny Raven, Stijn. Those don't look like V brakes, are you using hydraulics? I wondered how much a completed Raven may weigh, but I didn't think it would be as much as 16.5 Kg. I am guessing that it is the adventure tour frame, am I right?. Enjoy it!

Stijn:
Hi Sprocket.

The brakes are Magura HS33's, lots of stopping power. They are fit and forget, until they break down which could be a bit harder to fix then normal V-brakes. With these brakes it takes me less then 5sec., to change the pads. I’ve fitted then about 1500Km ago and haven’t had to re-adjust them yet.

The adventure tour frame, apparently, is only about 200gr heavier then the normal frame. The main weight penalty has gone into the tiers, Swalbe Marathon XR are a hefty 850Gr each, the rims are Sun Rhino's which weight in at about 700Gr each. The (40 spoke) Son hub weights about 650Gr, the brooks saddle about 600Gr, front carrier about 700Gr.

2 kilo's could come out of the wheels, but that would make the bike less versatile. And if it had to be really light weight, I could get rid of the lighting, mudguards, rear carrier etc., which would probably save another 1.5 kilo.

It’s all about personal preference.

Michael Falk:
Stijn,
a very pretty bike! Some very long lasting componentry.

Just as a matter of interest:

What chainring size did you choose (& cog size if it isn't 16t)?

Any particular reason for the Tubus instead of the Thorn rear rack?

40 spoke front hub seems unusual choice, obviously for strength but just that it's different to rear. Unlikely for a problem to arise though.

Michael Falk

Stijn:
Hi Micheal,

The chain ring and sprockets are 36/16, it’s beyond the warranty limit of Rohloff but don't think this going to be a problem since I'm not that strong a cyclist. This ratio means I top-out quite quickly, leaving my top speed down hill to about 35-40Mls. I don’t mind this since this is fast enough for me anyway, I’d rather keep on spinning up hill comfortably.

I always liked the Tubus Cargo and it has a good track record, it comes in two sizes for 700CC a 26” bikes. This lowers the center of gravity, which is a good thing. The Tubus feels really solid. With all respect to Andy’s SJS rear carrier design, it’s a wide platform which makes panniers stick out even further, but Andy claims it’s even stronger then the Tubus and easier to mend in remote places.

With regards to the wheel. I was lucky to be able to buy a second hand one for a good price. This wheel was probably build for a tandem that’s why it’s got the 40 spokes But I’m thinking of changing it for a lighter front wheel without a SON hub. It feels like the SON hub makes the bike a lot slower, and it quite heavy, I don’t use the light that often either. I don’t need the extra strength (fingers crossed), since I don’t like a heavy load in the front carriers any way. The big advantage of the chunky Run Rhino front rim is that the heat dissipation on a long downhill is excellent/reassuring.

Cheers,

Stijn

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