Major life decision - to travel the world by bike. But which bike?

[Sinnerman]

Hi

I'm new to the forum and fairly new to this level of cycling.  I come from Oxford, England, so have spent much of my life cycling, but never anything too serious.

3 years ago, I quit my job and set off to see the world, believing that life is too short to waste in the rat race.  I have traveled by every form of transport since then (including airplane, although I generally have a no-fly rule). 

Recently my girlfriend (Lala) and I have made the big decision to move into the future using pedal power, which ties in with our greater aim of living as self-sustainably and responsibly as possible.  We have no intention of returning to a conventional lifestyle, so see this step as a major (hugely positive) shift in the way we want to live our lives.

We are aware of the difficulties this life-change will bring and realise that there will be a painful 'breaking in' period, but we believe the benefits will far outweigh any of the hardships.  It feels like the perfect decision.

So this leaves us with the difficult (but quite fun) task of deciding what bikes and gear to get.

Clearly this is a huge subject with an infinite amount of options, so perhaps I'll save some of the finer details for future posts and leave this one for the main decision of which bike to buy.

A life-long adventure in the saddle clearly requires some good decisions if we want to avoid learning the hard way.  I am aware of the possibility of being viewed as having 'all the gear and no idea', but I feel that I am willing to ride through that perception in order to meet my preferred requirements of 'always being prepared' and using the 'right tool for the job'.  Whilst I am looking at all bikes, the Thorn brand seem to tick many of my boxes, in terms of promoting small business, quality workmanship and genuine customer service.

So my question to my new forum family is very simply, which bike would you buy?

- I am 36 and in good shape.
- I am 6'5'' and long legged.
- I am not the lightest packer - my rucksack weighed between 20 - 25kg (which was too heavy!)
- I intend to carry camping gear.
- I want to travel to as many corners of the planet as possible on a mixture of terrains.
- It is possible that I will want to occasionally transport the bike on buses and trains.

- Lala is 28 and in good shape.
- She is 5'5.
- She will probably be aiming to carry a lot less than me.

I can't think of any more info that would help, but if you can, please ask.

We would really appreciate any help you can offer and hope that we can add to the forum with our future experiences.

Cheers

Tom & Lala

[Paulson]

Welcome Tom & Lala.

I assume because you have posted the question on a Thorn forum, your meaning is 'which Thorn' model should I consider'....although some members do have non Thorn bikes as well.

If that is the case, then I guess the question would have to be, what ratio of time do you see yourself cycling in Oxford as opposed to cycling the varied terrains of the world?

I ask that because it's very easy to simply say 'buy a Raven Tour' as soon as one sees the word 'travel varied terrains', but this model might not be the bike for daily use.

My first thought would be that if you are investing for the long term, then seriously consider getting both bikes with the Rohloff 14 speed hub gear.  This is the bit of kit that will last a life time if looked after, long after deraillieurs have croaked.

That narrows it down to the Raven, the Raven Sport Tour, and possibly the soon to be available Mercury.  The Raven Tour is also available with a female spcific frame option, in I think two sizes.  Broadly speaking, the Raven is a serious, specialist touring bike with greater strength, carrying capacity and weight.  The RST is the 'fast touring bike' based on the Raven, but with a more road-oriented feel and a lower carrying capacity [tho' it can still be used for carrying], and the Mercury, well who knows, but it looks like an exciting 700c light tourer.

This is all assuming you're not going to be going everywhere together, in which case the tandem might be an idea!!

You'd have to check the brochures on the Thorn website http://www.thorncycles.co.uk to work out sizing, but it sounds to me like your best course of action would be to ring them, book an appointment and go and see them and the bikes in Bridgwater; they will be very frank with you and will help you make the choices and order.  You really cannot beat this approach in terms of getting the best fit.

Good luck.

[rualexander]

Paulson has omitted to mention the Thorn Nomad which is an even heavier duty touring bike and available with S&S couplings allowing the bike to be split in two for easier train and bus journeys.
A slight concern with Thorn bikes might be your height at 6'5", their largest frames are a bit small for someone your height in my opinion. I have the largest Thorn Sherpa frame and I'm 6'2" and feel that it could do with being an inch or so larger in the seat tube/head tube dimensions, although that is really just an aesthetic issue with the amount of visible seatpost and steerer spacers.

[Sinnerman]

Thanks to you both for your speedy responses.   The bikes will definitely be for seeing the world and not for cruising the streets of Oxford.  I left England 3 years ago with the aim of seeing as much of the world as I could and as time has gone on, I've come to realise that this is how I want to spend the rest of my life.  Not just travelling, but living in a variety of countries, climates, landscapes.  So whilst we might consider the possibility of returning to England someday, it won't be any time soon and wouldn't be to any sort of city life and would definitely involve country living and hills.  Therefore, we are looking for bikes that we can use EVERYWHERE.  My one concern was how biking could accomodate my desire to also trek in some big mountain ranges, but I guess I just pack a small rucksack somehow (ideas appreciated).

As for make of bike, I am feeling very swayed towards a Thorn, but we are open to all options, so unless it is going against forum etiquette, we'd be keen to get thoughts on all options.

And as far as size goes, that is worth knowing.  I thought Thorn did a really big frame (perhaps for the Nomad Mark2).  Not sure though, as I've only just started researching.

Please keep the advice coming, it's all going to help us make the best  choice.  I so wish I could pop into the shop, but unfortunately we live in Northern Thailand at the moment.

Thanks again

Tom
 

 

[RIH]

I bought a Nomad mk2 frame this spring and builded it up myself. I'm 6'3'', long legs and have the 620L frame without S+S. I think a complete bike is less vulnerable then a split bike, unless you have a suitable box or suitcase for it.
The seat tube might have been longer, I don't like a long seatpost sticking out and don't care about standover height. Total weight including racks about 15 kg.
Went to a mtb track with it, it felt good. Steep climbs and descents go well. I like the long chainstays, no frontwheel going up when it's steep. When I did my research I never found a frame with longer chainstays, unless you find a framebuilder who wants to make it.
Don't overlook the Nomad.

[rualexander]

....My one concern was how biking could accomodate my desire to also trek in some big mountain ranges, but I guess I just pack a small rucksack somehow (ideas appreciated).....

I always used to carry a 65l rucksack squashed flat on the top of my rear rack, which I used for occasional walking trips while cycle touring but also to make life easier around public transport. When getting a plane, train or bus, I would pack my panniers in the rucksack so that I only had two items to deal with and I could walk around with the pack on my back while wheeling the bike.
Alternatively you could consider a trailer and take everything in a rucksack to start with and not bother with panniers.

[geocycle]

I always used to carry a 65l rucksack squashed flat on the top of my rear rack, which I used for occasional walking trips while cycle touring but also to make life easier around public transport. When getting a plane, train or bus, I would pack my panniers in the rucksack so that I only had two items to deal with and I could walk around with the pack on my back while wheeling the bike.
Alternatively you could consider a trailer and take everything in a rucksack to start with and not bother with panniers.

This is important in what bike you choose.  If you go the trailer route you can afford a much lighter bike tahn one that has to carry the kitchen sink.  If you are after an allrounder I'd not hesitate to recommend the raven tour, with a nomad if you want very large loads on the bike.  If you go for a trailer then look in the light tourer ranges but remembr that it needs to be bomb-proof as a rtw bike.

[Paulson]

Paulson has omitted to mention the Thorn Nomad which is an even heavier duty touring bike and available with S&S couplings allowing the bike to be split in two for easier train and bus journeys.

That's because I'm a Rohloff snob and can only bring myself to recommend bikes with expensive hub gears!!!   

[rualexander]

Paulson, the Nomad is a Rohloff bike!

[Paulson]

Paulson, the Nomad is a Rohloff bike!

Sorry, you're absolutely right.  I've never really looked closely at that model, but it does indeed sport the rohloff - I have learnt something there!

[Crudson]

Lala is 28 and in good shape.

Is it advisable to go touring with one of the Teletubbies?
It might cause problems at border patrols?

[Sinnerman]

Crudson, you are absolutely right.  It does cause difficulties, the sniffer dogs are particularly troublesome, but it's worth it.  Not a conventional relationship, but one that is full of surprises and keeps kids amused everywhere we go!

T

[Sinnerman]

So let me get this straight...

It sounds as though the Rohloff gears are great!  I haven't used them, but I am aware that my bike frustrations in the past have mostly involved the gearing system.  Can Rohloff gears be put on any bike?

Either way, it sounds as though the Raven or Nomad are the obvious choices for our type of useage.

Can anyone explain the differences between the two bikes?  It seems as though weight carrying capacity is the main difference.  Any further advice would be appreciated.

Although the other thing that could swing me is the size.  Is there a big difference between the 612L of the Raven and the 620L of the Nomad?  As I said, I am 6'5'' and long-legged, but I'm not a giant!

Lastly, what do people think about the S&S coupling?  We don't know what our travels will bring or how we will need to travel across water, but no doubt we will need to move from one continent to another at times (preferably by boat not plane).  Either way, be it plane, train or bus, we will almost certainly need to transport the bikes now and then.  Do people think the S&S is worth getting, or is it unnecessary?  Also, does it affect the integrity of the bike?  I assume not, but thought I'd ask.  Is it expensive after all.

Thanks again, we really appreciate the advice and are getting really excited.

T

[julk]

T,
Yes, Rohloff gears are great. Can be put on most bikes , but without a dedicated frame with special drop outs and an eccentric bottom bracket you will need a torque arm fixed to the left chainstay and a chain tensioner similar to a derailleur.

I would describe the Nomad as a bit more rugged also capable of taking front suspension, a rear disc brake plus it is available with S&S couplings as an option.

I would suggest contacing SJS about sizing to see what they say.

The S&S coupling is nice to have, but you may never use it. It makes the bike much smaller to transport in pieces. Get it if you think you may need it, it costs a lot more to get a frame builder to add it later. It is stronger than the frame it joins.

Have fun choosing...
Julian.

[JimK]

On size... I think the most important thing to get right is the virtual top tube length. One can tweak that with stem length and moving the saddle back and forth, but these are limited measures.

I think another difference between the Raven Tour and the Nomad is that the Nomad uses the external shift box with the Rohloff. I wish I could explain the difference! I have a Nomad and it's the only Rohloff geared bike I have ever seen! I think the external box mechanism is a bit more robust but also a bit heavier.