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[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Some spy shots from inside the Thorn workshop, this should be a £999.99 commuting bike when we finish it, just needs a chain and mudguards fitted and it will be on the website.  We can do this to any Raven Tour or Raven Sport Tour frame currently in stock. Whilst the 8 speed Alfine has no where near the range of the Rohloff its an ideal comuting hub if looked after and still better than nasty cassettes    We cant do this with an 11 speed for a sensible price before anyone asks! We got a good deal on the 8 speed hubs hence the bargain price, remeber this is a £700 Reynolds 853 frame!





Any q's just ask!

[Andybg]

Now that is very tempting. The range from the Alfine is certainly enough for unloaded use and it should make a very nice quiet low maintenance bike at a very keen price.

Andy

PS - Just cos cassettes have lots of teeth it don't make them nasty

[in4]

Every time I drop by this forum I get itchy wallet syndrome. Red RST; I can see it now. 

[Matt2matt2002]

Fantastic to see the work shop
Can you post some more pictures of the back rooms please?

[JWestland]

Yay!

If you look at Charge Bikes site, they do a lot of hubgeared commuters these days.

Hub Gear + Disc Brakes is the current "rage".

I got a nasty cassette and ancient canti's

[ratzakli]

If I can get them to upload, here are a few pictures I took when I visited Thorn in October 2012 for a fitting...

[benstevens]

I have a 8 speed Alfine on my commuter - whilst it lacks the refinement of the Rohloff it is exceedingly good value.  I have a Reynolds 520 frame, discs and drops (with a Versa shifter) which was £1000 - thankfully under the cycle to work scheme.  The above looks like a bargain.

[ianshearin]

Thanks for the photos Dave.

Does this scenario make any sense.......

I am planning to go on a long Tour at the end of this Year, my plan is to buy a Thorn Nomad or Raven around the Summer when finances are better, currently I have a cheap bike which I have put a Brooks B17 on to wear in but the truth is the bike is too small and I dont particulary enjoy riding it.

Does it make sense to get one of these bargains now and then buy a new wheel and rohloff hub at the end of the Year for the trip, keeping the old wheel to change back to for general commuting when I get back.

Are there any problems with this idea that you can foresee?

Ian

[Danneaux]

Would this be Thorn's Fauxloff bike?  

Does it make sense to get one of these bargains now and then buy a new wheel and rohloff hub at the end of the Year for the trip...

Ian, the basic plan sounds good, and occasionally used Rohloffs become available at jaw-droppingly good prices on Bay Germany.

...keeping the old wheel to change back to for general commuting when I get back.

I don't think it likely you'd change back to the old wheel from the Rohloff once it was fitted and used.

All the best.

Dan. (who thinks once you make the switch to Rohloff, you'll stay there...)

*Wonderful shop pics, much appreciated!

[ianshearin]

That makes sense Dan, probably more sense to get a Rohloff hub and just replace the alfine. Might even get a few quid on ebay for the alfine.

Some serious thinking to be done........

Got to say I really enjoy this planning stage 

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

All finished 

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/thorn-raven-sport-tour-586l-cobalt-blue-alfine-commuting-bike-new-prod30923/

[martinf]

Dan. (who thinks once you make the switch to Rohloff, you'll stay there...)

Not neccessarily. My Nexus 8 Premium (basically a less refined Alfine) has enough gear range for local use. The hub and the old frame to which it is fitted are only worth a fraction of the price of my new Thorn Raven, which means that I am much more comfortable with leaving the bike locked up in the street on shopping trips, etc.

[energyman]

Hope they remember to rub off the ROHLOFF decals !!