MY NEW NOMAD MK2 FRAME HAS ARRIVED!!!

[Donnydid]

I am looking at fitting the n'lock system to my Nomad MK2 but I am a little
confused to which n'lock I should buy.
Looking at the n'lock website, the graph shows for handlebars of 22.2mm
as a quill fitting, and according to the Thorn brochure the Straight Bar which
I have is also 22.2mm but its an Ahead fitting....can this be used on the Nomad?
Not sure if I am missing something here!

If you have an n'lock system fitted on a Nomad which n'lock are you using?

Looking forward to receiving your replys, thank you!

Cheers
Dave

[jags]

 

[Slammin Sammy]

Hi Dave,

The n'lock website is quite confusing. If you go to the "Buy It Online" link on the right hand side, you get a different page than the "Buy It" link on the left!

I am getting the Model 403-462-308 set, which is an Ahead stem, adjustable, for standard handlebars, PLUS the handlebar/cable PLUS a model 308 quill adaptor, which in my case is surplus to requirements. I might not use the handlebar either (if it doesn't suit ergonomically, and/or if the Ergon grips get in the way), so I've ordered the Model 102.451.000 1.5m cable, which I will carry with me. Andre's right - buying the set is the value proposition if you really want to assess the options.

Hope this helps.
Sam

[Andre Jute]

URGENT!

Slammin, you may want to check in a hurry what it is that you ordered. The 22.2 and 25.4 refer to steer tube internal diameters, not to handlebar sizes. If you would normally fit a 1-1/8in headset and stem, you need the 25.4 n'lock. Not the 22.2, which is for 1in setups. (If a Nomad has an-fashioned 1in OD steerer tube, nobody told me, and I apologize for the nuisance. But I suspect that Andy Blance will be issuing invitations to stilettos at dawn to anyone who believes he would design a boss touring bike with a 1in steerer.)

This is copied straight off my invoice from Franklin: "1 x   Set for city bikes, 25.4   99.84EUR" That's 403-462-309, not 308.

Andre Jute

[Andre Jute]

I might not use the handlebar either (if it doesn't suit ergonomically, and/or if the Ergon grips get in the way), so I've ordered the Model 102.451.000 1.5m cable, which I will carry with me. Andre's right - buying the set is the value proposition if you really want to assess the options.

The handlebar is standard Kalloy Uno North Road, as sold by SJS and fitted OEM by just about every European maker of mid and upper range city bikes; the only trick thing about it is the cable inside. However, it isn't the best Kalloy for Rohloff, because it has shorter grip lengths than the Kalloy/Uno I replaced. It does well, though. Very nice for an ali handlebar; I just happen to like steel.

You may still be happy for the quill, because it offers you the opportunity to raise your handlebars regardless of the length of steerer tube. I use mine to gain an extra 60mm in height, an amazing feat, and that is not the end of its adjustment by far. The n'lock is really intended for OEM fitting, so it comes without any instructions whatsoever. I don't mean to give offense by patronizing someone who may know more than I do, but this is face-plant, cracked skull territory, so, before you fit the quill, consult here. I've done it, and it works, but you have to understand that you're mixing different technologies and lock one off before you apply the second one.

You anyway need the long cable even if you keep the handlebar with the cable inside. While just turning the lock effectively immobilizes the bike because it becomes extremely awkward to push, and the short cable ties it to any convenient pole or railing, the long cable is required to secure the rear wheel and the expensive gearbox. I hardly ever use mine, in fact I use the short handlebar cable about twice a year, but I live in a low crime area. If you're going to leave the bike exposed for any length of time, you also need an Abus Granit 54X U-lock (or better, but the thing already weighs 1.5kg...).

Andre Jute

[Andre Jute]

You need the 25.4mm kit, Donny. The diameter is the inside diameter of the steerer tube, not the outside diameter of your handlebars. All those kits are for 22.2mm OD handlebars unless specifically stated otherwise. Probably be smart to wait a day or two until Sam sorts himself before you order, just in case there is something about the Nomad I don't know about.

Andre Jute

I am looking at fitting the n'lock system to my Nomad MK2 but I am a little
confused to which n'lock I should buy.
Looking at the n'lock website, the graph shows for handlebars of 22.2mm
as a quill fitting, and according to the Thorn brochure the Straight Bar which
I have is also 22.2mm but its an Ahead fitting....can this be used on the Nomad?
Not sure if I am missing something here!

If you have an n'lock system fitted on a Nomad which n'lock are you using?

Looking forward to receiving your replys, thank you!

Cheers
Dave

[Donnydid]

Hi Ya!

Thanks for the info guys, the n'lock website is certainly confusing for us guys without
the experience of many of the members on here.
It sounds a good idea to hang fire and see how Sam gets on with the n'lock he has
ordered.

Many Thanks
Dave

[Slammin Sammy]

URGENT!

Slammin, you may want to check in a hurry what it is that you ordered. The 22.2 and 25.4 refer to steer tube internal diameters, not to handlebar sizes. [b ]If you would normally fit a 1-1/8in headset and stem, you need the 25.4 n'lock.[/b] Not the 22.2, which is for 1in setups. (If a Nomad has an-fashioned 1in OD steerer tube, nobody told me, and I apologize for the nuisance. But I suspect that Andy Blance will be issuing invitations to stilettos at dawn to anyone who believes he would design a boss touring bike with a 1in steerer.)

This is copied straight off my invoice from Franklin: "1 x   Set for city bikes, 25.4   99.84EUR" That's 403-462-309, not 308.

Andre Jute

Thanks so much Andre! Spot on. The 403 for Aheadset is the correct model number for the n'lock itself, but the 308 designation is for the quill adaptor, which you rightly point out should be 309 for the larger ID of the steerer. Well spotted!

However, there is a method to my madness. Given the price, the quill adaptor is almost a gift. I'm not anticipating needing to use it on the Nomad. My steerer is as yet uncut, and I will finalise the height before installing the n'lock (which, btw, is adjustable as well).

Instead, as I am the proud owner of a gorgeous 1994 model Trek 520 with quill stems, I will keep the QA for future use as a potential upgrade.  

I have ordered and paid for the kit, but it has not yet been shipped. Just to be sure though, I have put a hold on it until I re-check measurements and re-think my options, so nothing is lost. But I salute you Andre, for your attention to detail and your knowledge, from which I have gleaned many useful tips. If our paths ever cross, I would be pleased to buy you a beverage of your choice!  

David, there is a useful flow chart for determining your correct n'lock here: http://www.nlock.ch/d2w/dispimagewin.asp?IdDocument=244&IdMaster=165

A data sheet with measurements: http://www.nlock.ch/default_en.asp/2-0-94-6-6-1/

Sam

[Donnydid]

Hi Sam

Thanks for the info regarding the flow chart and data sheet, I had checked out the flow chart
and that was what had confused me with it saying "what is the diametre of the handlebar".
The data sheet is spot on for what I want, many thanks.

Good luck with building your Nomad, it sounds a fantastic project to be doing, maybe one
day when I am more experienced I shall undertake a build too.
As others have said it would be great to see some photo's of your build.

Cheers
Dave

[Andre Jute]

I'll remember who's paying when we meet for a round, Sam!

The steerer on my bike is uncut too, but I had to take a fixed n'lock because the only adjustable one available was white. But even on top of an uncut steerer, I needed something more to make up for the height lost by going from an adjustable stem to a fixed one, and from bars with the right rise to bars with a few millimeters less, and then I grabbed some more to adjust for the stiffer back that comes with advancing age, and all in all, I ended up with the stem a good 60mm above where it was mounted previously, limited more by cable lengths  than by the quill, which still has plenty of adjustment left.

You of course know your own requirements best. But what happens when people get a Rohloff is that it becomes their all-purpose bike and their other bikes get neglected. (I haven't ridden another bike for three years; my other bikes are now in the loft, three floors up and I'm thinking of getting rid of them). If I were you, I'd get the quill the right size for the Rohloff bike and leave myself a good bit extra on the cables, give them an elegant fat curve, because another Rohloff effect is that the gearchange ease makes people want to sit more upright because cycling requires less effort, so that the bars creep up quite a bit more than you would expect, especially if your background is as a derailleur roadie. You can always buy another quill adapter locally and relatively cheaply; I like the one made by BBB, but Kalloy types, including a crude but safe one with a built-on toollessly adjustable stem (1), are avialble on Ebay.

Andre Jute
(1) I have a workalike, more elegantly designed and built by Royal Dutch Gazelle, that came as standard equipment on my Toulouse. http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLING.html I set my ton-up (truck-assisted) speed on an upright Dutch City bike on 38mm Marathon Plus, which chez Jute is a narrow tyre, by not even flipping my North Road Bars upside down, but simply dropping the adjustable stem to an acute angle with the steerer, and rotating the handlebars until the grips pointed almost straight at the ground, which, with some saddle height adjustment, brought my back down to perfectly horizontal for aerodynamic gain.

[Slammin Sammy]

Greetings, Thorn-boys and girls! Time for a Nomad-ic update:

1) n'lock arrived yesterday. It is one well made piece of kit! But Andre, I find it hard to believe it saved you weight on your previous stem. It feels heavy-ish. I'll weigh it when I get a chance, but it will absolutely do the trick. And the included bars (Kalloy Uno AL-78, I think - un-branded) are actually quite nice! They're very similar to the Thorn Comfort Bars, slightly lighter in weight and with only 45mm of rise instead of 60mm. I am quite prepared to use these, so I've saved myself the cost of the Thorns already! I purchased the n'lock trekking set, but got them to swap the 401 stem for the 403 (adjustable, with cable lock), and I bought a 150mm cable, which is also very well made. (The cable built  into the bars is quite short, and will probably wind up behind Ergon GP3s.)

2) I bought a cheap stem so that I can determine steerer tube length, as the n'lock caps the steerer, which cannot protrude above it. I want to experiment with the handlebar heights and stem angles, and don't want to cut the steerer until I'm good and ready to finalise the setup.

3) I've ordered the Schwalbe 26x2.0 Duremes, as I've had great use out of them on my commuter. I umm-ed and ahh-ed about getting Supremes (I use these on my Trek 520 tourer), but in the end, decided the Duremes will be superior in the wet. (I hear it sometimes rains in Cornwall...  )

4) I've pretty well got everything I need to start the build, but the hubs haven't yet arrived! (I have recurring nightmares of this going on for weeks, and having to take a different bike to Europe with me, while my wife gets to pick up a new Raven in Bridgwater. Aargh!!!  ).

With any luck, I'll be building wheels this weekend!! 

Sam

[Andre Jute]

1) n'lock arrived yesterday. It is one well made piece of kit! But Andre, I find it hard to believe it saved you weight on your previous stem. It feels heavy-ish. I'll weigh it when I get a chance, but it will absolutely do the trick.

My previous stem was Humpert's best adjustable stem, built like a tank survive at least a world war and probably a planet-destruction as well. Humpert thinks a weight weenie is a small American frankfurter.

I bought a cheap stem so that I can determine steerer tube length, as the n'lock caps the steerer, which cannot protrude above it. I want to experiment with the handlebar heights and stem angles, and don't want to cut the steerer until I'm good and ready to finalise the setup.

Smart thinking. Still, if you make a mistake, or if the complete uncut steerer still isn't tall enough, you can use the quill in the kit to regain or gain some any reasonable amount of height. (The process is to preset the headset bearing preset and lock in the steerer tube with a locking -- a seatpost clamp is good -- on top of spacers, then to insert the quill, and to attach the n'lock to the quill as if the top end of the quill is the steerer tube. That's the setup on my Kranich.)

I hope your hubs arrive in time.

Andre Jute

[Slammin Sammy]

I hope your hubs arrive in time.

Well, one week on, and still no hubs. Or cranks, or brakes.   There's a hole in the carpet where I've been pacing...

[Andybg]

its the most tense of times waiting for bikes/bike parts to arrive. All the promise of things to come.

I bet the frame is well polished though and ready to go?

Andy

[Slammin Sammy]

Friends, Thornites and Countrymen!

It is with the greatest of pleasure and anticipation that I announce (finally) the arrival of sufficient parts to commence the build of... Attila - the yellow Nomad!!!
I hope to cross the Danube many more times than his namesake (but with slightly fewer mouths to feed  ).

I will be a busy boy this weekend, but... just to give you a tease...

A thing of rare beauty...

Sam