Hi Tony, and welcome to the Thorn Cycling Forum!
I'm afraid I can't advise you firsthand on whether the Nomad Mk2 will fill your needs for touring with your own weight *and* a camping load, but I can relate my experience with my own lighter weight and an expedition load as data points you might find helpful.
For comparison, I'm 53, stand 180cm/71in tall, and weigh 78kg/172lb. Unladen, my bike weighs right at 20kg/45lbs. Loaded for self-supported, solo, extended desert expeditions (and carrying extra food stores and as much as 26.5l of water), the bike weighs in at a maximum of 70kg/154lb. Total with my weight in this heavier configuration comes to 148kg/326lb. The only other similar bike I know of with a
published weight rating this high is Tout Terrain's Silk Road at 159kg/350lb maximum including rider weight.
I found the handling of my Nomad Mk2 even off-road and on logging roads and fire trails to still be good even at this weight. I even attached a trailer for an all-up weight of 83kg/183lb, though the trailer supported a portion of its weight, so not all was carried by the bike.
My Nomad Mk2 is a 590M; I chose the M frame so I could manage it with my preferred drop handebars. Tony, the problem is, you're taller than I, and would probably require a larger frame. Unfortunately, the weight rating of the Nomad goes down as the frames grow in size overall and in top tube length for a given size. If you take a look at the current brochure (
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornRavenNomadBroHiRes.pdf ) page 19, you'll see the 590L frame is rated for a lesser load than my 590M, and so on through the line. Andy Blance did us a tremendous kindness in adding these cargo limits to his brochure, but he has not mentioned rider weight beyond the notation you refer to (bike as exercise equipment for a larger/more powerful rider).
If I were in your position, I would give Andy Blance a call or send him an email asking for his advice and suggestions. He is a very pleasant and personable fellow to deal with, and I can't think of a better person to contact for definitive answers. He has a tremendous store of experience at his disposal and has experience working with a vast range of rider weights/heights.
When all is said and done, I *think* you might be able to use the Nomad for touring with a trailer rather than panniers. Yes, a trailer will have problems and drawbacks of its own compared to panniers, but the trailer also has the tremendous advantage of supporting a portion of its own load on its wheel(s), so less is carried by the bike.
Given your weight and fitness, I think it might be wise to inquire about the possibility of building a Nomad Mk2 with parts from Thorn's Rohloff tandem line -- perhaps some hub flange reinforcing rings or the possibility of a 36-hole rear hub and rim. I think you might enjoy greater component and wheel reliability if you're more inclined to pedal as a spinner rather than a masher (lower cyclic loading of components).
As a final data point, I have a Burley Rock 'n' Roll tandem with 26" wheels. When my Dutch friend came over for a tour, we loaded up the bike with four panniers, piled a load on the rear rack, attached one of my two-wheeled homebuilt trailers and headed off on the gravel logging roads up Mount June here in Oregon's Calapooya mountains. All-up, the rig weighed right at 272kg/600lb and we suffered not a single failure, puncture, or untrue wheel as a result, even riding on 1.5in road slicks. Tony, by some stretch even if it required a tandem to tour as you pleased solo, it would still be possible and you wouldn't be the first to do so. I've taken mine out for any number of 300km solo rides in hilly terrain and returned marveling at how the tandem gave remarkable service as a solo tourer. It weighs only 0.45kg/1lb more than my Nomad, so my assessment is not as surprising as it sounds.
Speaking for myself, it is terrific to see a larger fellow inquire about touring bikes. I have a number of friends much your size who have discounted the possibility of touring out of hand, and I remain convinced it is possible, safe, and reliable if one is willing to plan accordingly and take a little different approach to things. All encouragement your way, Tony; I can't wait to hear when you've acquired a bike and have some photos to share of the trips you'll be taking!
Best,
Dan.
