Yellow Nomad, Black Wheels and Bars, Red Ortleib Bags - Which hub colour?

[Peddrov]

That black and red picture looks amazing.

I think it still needs just a little more red, perhaps the seatpost collar needs to be red and just a tiny bit near the top of the handlebar stem.

The seatpost collar is part of the frame on Thorn bikes, so unless you are painting this yourself, that probably isn't an option. If you have some spare cash and want some security for your bike, you could get atomic22 security skewers + top cap, it comes in different colours, including red: http://atomic22.com/ahead-stem.aspx

Alternatively, assuming you are getting a Brooks saddle, get a Randi Jo saddle cover in red: http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/57864228/custom-waterproof-saddle-cover-for?ref=sr_gallery_13&ga_search_query=saddle+cover&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=saddle+cover

From what I hear they are strong enough to use them while cycling and waterproof enough to keep your saddle dry when you leave it outside. I ordered one the other day, it'll take a while to get here, so no first hand experience yet.

And the third option would be accessories: Red bell? Red handlebar grips? Red bottle cages? Red bike computer (not sure if that exists though)? Red Panniers, handlebar bags, saddle bags, frame bags, etc.? Your choice.

[Slammin Sammy]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the response.

Where to start? Dan, as usual you were spot-on. I wasn't logged on when I went looking for that thread.

Thanks, Andy. While that isn't the bike I thought I had seen, it's a good start. But that hub looks NOTHING like I expected the red to look!

Contrast the colour of the Rohloff red shot from the Bike24 site here: http://www.bike24.com/i/p/2/8/12582_00_d.jpg with the colour of sfau's hub here: http://www.sfauphotographs.com/Places/bike/28062132_tMRDnw#!i=2370544795&k=ZqDTb89&lb=1&s=XL

I don't know if the difference is due to digital photographic aberration or weathering from the rich original, but If that's what I will wind up with, it has swung me back 180 degrees to black!

Getting back to my original preference, as Dan said, I am looking for a distinctive machine, and I believe a few red highlights judiciously distributed around the otherwise yellow-black bike would look fine, as long as the red was consistently the same colour for each component. Hence, the choice of the Son and Edelux, as Schmidt is purposely trying to achieve an identical colour to the Rohloff. If I could find a stem and perhaps a seat post collar the same colour, that would complete the effect.

Andre, your suggestion of YELLOW hubs is very intriguing, but don't you think it risks turning the bike into a true Tonka Toy? Then again, my wife has brand new yellow Ortleibs that I could swap with my reds. Now THAT would complete the bumblebee look, wouldn't it.  I'll sleep on that one!

Candy-coloured city bikes are very vogue at the moment. Maybe I should look for some coloured sidewall tyres to suit? But that might look silly with a 61 year old at the helm... 

Please keep 'em coming, guys. This has been fun! 

Sam

[Danneaux]

I don't know if the difference is due to digital photographic aberration or weathering from the rich original...

HI Sam! The earlier red Rohloff hubs were powdercoated; the later ones are all anodized. That is what accounts for the difference in color. The later anodized reds all match -- Rohloff, SON, and Edelux -- and have the richer, "deeper" finish and hue.

Best,

Dan. (...who is hurrying to beat the rain at the moment)

[Andre Jute]

Andre, your suggestion of YELLOW hubs is very intriguing, but don't you think it risks turning the bike into a true Tonka Toy? Then again, my wife has brand new yellow Ortleibs that I could swap with my reds. Now THAT would complete the bumblebee look, wouldn't it.  I'll sleep on that one!

I drove sunflower yellow Porsche until I started creaking every time I sat down into car, so might say yellow is my favourite colour. I think yellow on your bike could be your statement, especially yellow in an unexpected place, like the hubs and the lamp, not that you'll run into other Thorn owners all that often, or even Rohloff riders, but the ones you do run into will instantly know. And you'll know. But the red just dilutes the impact of the yellow and the black. It says, I'm colourful, but it could be mistaken for, I'm accidental, whereas the yellow, if enough details are yellow, says, I've thought about this and made a decision and you're looking at it. Yes, I think you should swap panniers with your wife. Mind you, that could open up a precedent: you'll just have finished your black and yellow bike and be standing there admiring it when she'll say, "Remember when you took my yellow Ortliiebs? Now it's my turn. I'll have the black and yellow Nomad. Thanks!"

Andre Jute
I shoulda ordered that yellow frame I saw at Christmas...

[Matt2matt2002]

Isn't the colour question usually linked to the theft question?
I would love a yellow frame but went for black to 'blend' in.
Thoughts folks?
 

[Danneaux]

Hi Matt!

I went for "all black" for the same reason, figuring it would look a bit more plain to the general thieving community. Still, I guess if it is going to get stolen the color wouldn't help much, and it seems to attract almost too much attention as it is. Everyone seems to spot it has no derailleurs and gets intrigued from there.

When it boils down to it, I didn't really get all-black 'cos of fear of theft or what others might think, but because I liked it, it was vastly different from any of my other bikes, and I'd never had a black bike before Sherpa, let alone an all-black bike including components. I once owned a 1970 Schwinn Varsity 10-speed in Kool Lemon (a very 1970s color closer to Ferrari's 102 Fly Yellow), so I felt like I'd done that already and black was "new" to me. I liked it so much, it was an easy choice for the Nomad follow-on.

Best,

Dan. (...who thinks color choice is one of the most fun -- and most agonizing -- aspects of choosing a new bike)

[Peddrov]

Well I figure that anyone who is going to get a Thorn bike or something similarly valuable will protect it with a good lock and other means. So really opportunity thefts shouldn't happen and I doubt that a blend-in colour would help much with "professional" bike thieves. I think it's almost the other way round: The more a bike stands out, the less attractive it becomes for a thief, because it is easier to recognize when they are trying to sell it (although I guess a lot of bikes will just be taken apart for components).

I also think it's safer to be on the road with a flashy bike. The one area where a blend-in bike has a huge advantage is stealth camping though.

[Slammin Sammy]

Thanks for reminding me, Peddrov. I forgot to mention the important point about safety. It wouldn't hurt a bit to stand out in traffic, or in the Australian bush, for that matter!

My approach to security is like safety management. 1. Avoid the risk if at all possible. 2. Engineer for risk reduction to minimize the remaining risk. For the latter, I'm planning to use several layers of defense, including a frame lock with cable, n'lock steering lock, pitlock skewers, Ortleib locks and cables, etc. If someone wants to bodily carry a floppy-steering, seized-wheel bike with hard-to-remove components and weighing 50kg badly enough, they will find a way. That's where insurance comes in.

This has been a great exercise, however, I still haven't made up my mind! 

[Relayer]

I think a blue Rohloff would be great with a yellow frame ...

http://www.rohloff.de/en/news/news_rss/news_in_detail/archive/2011/06/august/article/25_Years_Rohloff_AG/index.html

But maybe you need to buy a certain Dutch brand of bike to get one?

[Matt2matt2002]

That's where insurance comes in.

May I ask what kind of policy you have? I am covered while keeping the bike at home and secured.
Out on the road?

[Slammin Sammy]

I think a blue Rohloff would be great with a yellow frame ...

<snip>

Fan-bloody-tastic, mate! What a gorgeous colour!!!!

I wish Thorn still made some distinctive colours (beyond yellow). I fear the new Raven red wouldn't be a good match for the Rohloff red. But the blue and yellow might work, IF I had blue Ortleibs or something. Blue and red would also work, but look kind of... candy?

[Slammin Sammy]

May I ask what kind of policy you have? I am covered while keeping the bike at home and secured.
Out on the road?

Good question, Matt. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure there are policies that will cover my bikes on my tour. I have read about others purchasing cover on CGOAB. Search for Hugh and Pauline Symonds' tour diaries - Pauline discusses the insurance issues in some detail.

I will update this forum when I have done my own research.

Cheers,
Sam

[John Saxby]

This is all good stuff, guys -- thanks for bringing up the question, Sam.  My Raven Tour -- yet to be ordered -- will be black and silver, but your exchange with Dan about the red Rohloff tilts me towards that as an accent on the rear wheel.  (Had been thinking black, as a way of not drawing attention to the hub.)  The anodized red Rohloff also matches my other RT, a mid-80's BMW airhead.

For your Nomad, I'd be inclined to work with only two main colours -- & the yellow/black combination seems to have momentum.  Might get a bit "busy" with a sizeable splash of red as well. 

All this will surely crank up the anticipation quotient, no?

J.

[Slammin Sammy]

This is all good stuff, guys -- thanks for bringing up the question, Sam.  

<snip>

All this will surely crank up the anticipation quotient, no?

J.

John, really... Can the anticipation quotient go any higher?! I'm responding to this at work, for goodness sake!  

But it's time to make some decisions. Closing time for this poll will be 9:30am Monday , Bridgwater time. That's when the sales staff get to work at SJS, and that's when I will have my decision.

So there. 

[NZPeterG]

Well Well,
I got a Yellow Nomad (Tom) because in a lot of places almost all bikes are Black (or Dark Green) ie: Africa    and if your Bike goes for a walk No one will  notice  

So I got my Love in Yellow!

Hub's Black or Red?

If I was to building up a Mountain Bike or a Road bike with a Rohloff Hub I would get a pair of Red Hub's. The new Rohloff Red is very nice   My friend Chris (from Puresports) this a pair on one of his Rohloff bikes.

I would only think about going with Black on a Touring Bike as the hub's will Stand out too much!

Here is My Tom



Pete . . . .