how rough is rough?

[ahconway]

When considering the Raven Tour (which I eventually bought and now love), one of the key selling points for me was that it's robust enough for "rough stuff". I was thinking about that today as I was bombing along the River Lee Navigation in Herts, since the path quite rutted and puddly in spots.

I've also done various off-roady unpaved paths, and the Raven has always handled it with aplomb. (Okay, I did take a spill today resulting from a bottomless puddle at 17mph, but I blame this on my own bravado combined with fully-inflated Paselas!)

Most of the pics of Raven Tours on this site seem to be kitted out for touring and long distance - so I was just wondering what kind of off-road expeditiony riding others do with theirs?

[Ratty]

Commuting and touring mostly but also similar to you.

I find the term bridleway brings the right picture to mind although there are no bridleways near here.  Dirt roads, trails and paths that are a bit bumpy but nothing that I would call technical.

In adition the roads in Oslo are riddled with potholes which makes life interesting.

I also commute throughout the winter which means heavy snow, ice and worst of all snow that people have walked through leaving footprints which then thaw a little in the day and freeze again at night.  These are bumpy and icy.

The bike handles it all well and there is room for mudguards with enough clearance to not get bunged up with snow.

The bike thorn gave me is a little big so I would like to be closer to the ground in the winter though.

Anthony

[David Cox]

Greetings,

I have a Thorn Raven Tour and it handles single-track and trails very well.  Bombing down hill, cross-country, and even a few jumps--no problem.  It's a great all-round bike.  In fact, I might even try a tour with it.  

All the best,
David
Portland, Oregon
USA

[Andrew]

Unladen my Tour handles great off-road, the longer wheelbase makes it very stable downhill. Single track is good too, in a retro-MTB-handling kind of way!
Andrew

[georgeidf50]

My Thorn Raven Catalyst with 45 kg BOB Ibex trailer loves the ripio roads in Chile and Argentina, waves, potholes gravel and all top speed 42 mph to win a bet.
Take  off the trailer and off I go into Torres Del Paine mountain range.
george

[TonySmith]

Mostly use mine for commuting and utility rides but try to get at least one camping tour in every year. I've ridden on mettaled roads with loads of camping gear, a 3 year old passenger on the top tube and all the games, books etc. that go along with her. I've also taken a full camping load without passenger over the Cambrian mountains on a bridleway that dissapeared into nothing, crossing a small river twice! Eventually had to hang the front panniers off the handlebars and push through long grass interspersed with bogs and rocks. After a wet and windy night on the mountain I set off the following morning along rough forestry tracks with ease and continued 70+ miles home on tarmac. Only damage to bike was paint rubbed off the fork crown from hanging bags on the bars and a cut sidewall in the front tyre. I'm no mountain biker so tend to keep the speed down on the rough but I reckon the loads I carry make up for it!