Is the Nomad the Fastest bike?

[Danneaux]

Hi Pavel!

So nice to read of your continuing saga with Thorn ownership. Again, congratulations!

With regard to wiring a taillight, may I suggest: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3896.msg17113#msg17113 and http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3896.0;attach=1030 Warning: It does involve three zip-ties on the downtube (nearly invisibly places) and one on the left chainstay near the BB. This was the approach I took after some planning. If you wish to try an alternative route, you may wish to look at this thread: http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=2273.0 My past attempt to wire bike lights with self-adhesive flat speaker wire (it comes on a roll, like clear electrical tape, but with two copper conductors) worked fine, but looked more unsightly. See: http://www.21st-century-goods.com/categories/Flat-Wire/Flat-Wire/ Smaller quantities are available elsewhere for lower cost, and I do remember Radio Shack carrying it in the past. Anyone for a Thorn with decorative copper lining? Didn't think so.

With regard to hard Deore XT brake pads, may I suggest Kool-Stop Salmons (unless you're running CSS rims)? They are much kinder to rims than Shimano's offerings and offer terrific, long-lasting performance wet or dry.

With regard to Tubus racks...yes, one has to drill out the mounting holes if your bosses require 6mm bolts. Tubus racks are factory-supplied with 5.1mm holes, made a smidge smaller by the powdercoat when factory-fresh. A 15/64" drill bit will get you close fractionally if you don't have a metric, numerical, or letter-designated bit.

Hope this helps.  May you ride safe, far, fast, and joyfully. You seem to have a handle on all that already!   Wonderful!

Best,

Dan.

[Pavel]

Thanks for that reply and info, Dan - concise as per usual!  You know aside from zip ties I'm chagrined with the whole crude state of bike wiring in its entirety!  There should be something commensurate with the ownership of a fine dyno.  I have both the flimsy and stiff cable that comes with Bush&Muller as well as the coax cable, which is much more confidence inspiring that you Schmidt lights come with - but neither is perfect.  I've got everything for a good soldering of all the connections but both styles have "issues"  The better Schmidt, for example is, as best as I've been able to manage, impossible to make completely water tight and strong.

There should be some kind of super cool connector which gets soldered without any funky splicing patching up to do, and then should be able to be connected and disconnected with a smooth click.  Ok, perhaps I'm over-doing this (what a shock!) but still ....

Peter white sells some fabulously expensive gold plated connectors ( http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/wiringinstructions.asp )that seem like a step up but before I spend that kind of money I want to think through if there are any alternatives.  Any thoughts anyone? I guess I should take this kind of stuff to the pertinent thread category though, so I will. 

[Danneaux]

There should be some kind of super cool connector which gets soldered without any funky splicing patching up to do, and then should be able to be connected and disconnected with a smooth click.

Pavel,

Gotcha covered there: polarized gold-plated Dean's micro-connector (Model 2NB, P/N 1002/1225 http://www.wsdeans.com/products/plugs/micro_plug.html ), used in radio-control (R/C) models. They work terrifically well on bicycle wiring, are secure and weatherproof. I've used them for everything from light wiring to splicing two computers to a single pickup lead so both tandem computers get the same readout. Cheap, too.

Don't forget the hi-dielectric silicone grease on the connectors, esp. the ones on the dynohub else they'll be hard to remove.

Best,

Dan.

[julk]

Pavel,
Good to hear your new steed is running you in nicely…

Frames,
Yes the Thorn steel frames are rigid enough for a very heavy load, but still feel alive.
My old Dawes had the jelly feel when fully loaded, my Thorn is so much better.

Brakes,
I found KoolStop salmon best for wet conditions, pink/black combo best for all round use on Sun Rhynos. I am now using KoolStop black CSS on my CSS rims after giving SwissStop blue CSS ones a try, they worked well in the dry but they let me down in extreme wet conditions.
I have had no difficulty changing the blocks in the XTR brakes.
If you are running alloy rims, not CSS, then get rid of any Shimano blocks - they chew the rims up as bits of alloy get embedded in the blocks, KoolStop seem to be a lot better.

Rohloff hubs,
My second one runs smoother and changes gear slicker than my first one - maybe there are improvements we don't hear about, or it is just pot luck.

Dynamo lights &  wiring,
I use a SON dynohub and Supernova lights and gold connectors, E3 non dazzle at the front, E3 connected rear rack light (small with 3 leds).
The connection to the dynohub is standard spades which I only undo to take the wheel off, front wiring is ziptied to the forks.
The front light is Thorn accessory bar mounted with 2 sets of gold connectors, one set for the dynohub wiring with 2 males to 2 females, one set for the rear light wiring which is 1 male and female to its opposite 1 female and male from the rear light. The rear cable is wound round the gear and rear brake cables under the top tube then snakes along the under top of the rear rack with a few zip ties.
The dynohub feed is AC so either front light feed wire can connect ok, but the rear light is DC so you must get the right wires connected - the rear connectors will only connect the right way round and can also be done in the dark by feel.
The gold connectors are crimped, no soldering, but work ok - I have been using them for about 2 years and remove the front light about once a day. I live in an area where someone else will remove the front light from the unattended bike if I do not!

Safe riding,
Julian.

[jags]

Lads  can i just ask does it not make sense to go with one of the more modern head lights battery powered .like come to think of it how often do you ride your bike at night, and the new  battery lights can last hours no problem at full beam well so i'm told.
ok i know the son dynmo is the dogs but it makes for a heaver wheel and  you have all this hassle of running wires soldering and whatever.
yeah i know the dynmo can charge batteries as well but theres some good chargers out there that will do the job just as well 
i'm looking to make my sherpa a lighter faster bike i did concider dynamo front wheel but  i dont do to many miles at night to be honest .anyway am i talking throuh my bottom bracket as usual or do i make som sense.

[JimK]

does it not make sense to go with one of the more modern head lights battery powered

For me the great thing about a dynamo is that it is ready to go without preparation or planning. Batteries need to be managed. A battery that just sits idle for a year is probably a dead battery and maybe even a battery leaking corrosive goo which has destroyed the whole light.

I think a dynamo makes increasingly better sense the *less* often a person uses it! Commuting every day in the dark, it is easy enough to keep a flow of rechargeable batteries going. It's when one is out and unexpectedly caught by the dark that having a dynamo light is really appreciated!

I have a "shaker" flashlight in my car, for just the same reason. I only use it once a year or so. It is always a bit of a fuss to get it going, but then it works. Every time I would put a battery flashlight in my car... by the time I needed it, the batteries had corroded the thing into oblivion!

[julk]

Jags,
That is just what one of my sons does, he uses an IXON IQ front light which gives an impressive light beam, as good as my dynamo light on an unlit country road, but as Jim says it needs the batteries to be managed.

I leave my front and rear lights on all the time. Modern leds in lamps have a lifetime longer than mine so no worries that way.
The drag from the dynamo is insignificant and I have the knowledge that traffic should see me sooner.

For me, gone are the days of battery worries or bulbs blowing.
julk.

[jags]

 ok i can see your point about the convenience of a dynamo V batteries , but the cost of a new quality wheel build with dynmo and then you need to buy the head light to go with the dynamo
and i would only put the batteries in the light when needed.
so to be honest i think it will be battery light for me.

[JimK]

but the cost

Yeah, whenever it gets really thick my girlfriend brings out the ultimate trump card... "and you spent XXXXX on a BICYCLE?!?!?!"

Hey, I could have bought Greek bonds instead!

My entire logical edifice is built on a foundation of air!

[Pavel]

Yeah, whenever it gets really thick my girlfriend brings out the ultimate trump card... "and you spent XXXXX on a BICYCLE?!?!?!"

Hey, I could have bought Greek bonds instead!

My entire logical edifice is built on a foundation of air!

I'm confused.  Would it not simply be better to ask her about how many pairs of shoes she has - pointing out that the average male has, what, two pairs ... to seventy four. (and then ... run!)