Club Tour frames still available?

[Mike Ayling]

In the meantime CSS rims with modern V brakes give me the modulation and braking power i need with no maintenance.

We have these on our tandem and they are very effective.
Also both the blue pads and the CSS rims seem to have a very long life.

Mike

[il padrone]

Still on original CSS rims and first set of Swisstop pads after 18,000kms. Yes, long life indeed.

[geocycle]

Still on original CSS rims and first set of Swisstop pads after 18,000kms. Yes, long life indeed.

Yes, I'm at a similar level more than 12,000 miles on the same pads.  The pads are getting close to needing replacing.  No idea about the rims which superficially look fine.

[Pavel]

Well I for one have always had my eye out for the club tour.  Ive read what thorn has made a strong, shall we say "mocking" long term stance about disk brakes and have always valued that stance.  The merits of their philosophy are not the point for me.  It is the refreshing aspect, that a company, and now a pretty upscale company, has the panache to swim against "me too" tide.  I respect that ... not to mention that I don't want the complexity of disk brakes myself.  Yeah, Thorn has sold me. Sold me on the semi custom and no Disk brakes or features of the weeks stance. Name another company like that?

So, sadly ... if there is a new Club tour, and it has disk brakes on it - I know that Ive been conned.  No matter how it is spun ... to me, from then on Thorn would be a company bankrupt of principle.  And my principles are that I don't deal with companies like that whenever possible.  Heck I have to deal with the US government ...so that is enough holding my nose. 

First the cutting down of sizes.  Makes economic sense to do that ... but the semi custom blurb went out the door.  Now disk brakes?  Heck no. 

But of course this is all academic.  Right?  That will never happen.  Heck .. read the brochures.  Disk brakes are evil! No.  Won't happen.  Right?

Right.

And I know the price won't go up. Dems tough economic times here.  And Andy loves us! Can't ya just feel it when you read the brochures?

 

[Pavel]

I am btw biding my time to purchase another or two more bikes.  I'm waiting for my daughter to stop growing (though not too soon - she wants to be 5'11" ) and then buy her a real nice bike.  If it becomes that we ride mostly dirt and off road then I want to get her a Nomad, the lighter version of the frame, and if we get into more road stuff then we both need something to suit and the Club tour is high on my list.  She has grown three inches since our 2012 tour so perhaps another year or two ... and I want to splurge on whatever is the best ... fer my girl.

They just better not jam Disks on a traditional British Tourer!

[horizon]

Even Thorn have to swim with the tide occasionally. The frame AFAIK will be disc optional so you can still have rim brakes but it will probably have to be a thicker/stronger one. Basically, people are moving to discs - that is inescapable. And Thorn could admit they were wrong without having to be a company without principles. Sometimes it takes a long time for an innovation to prove itself; sometimes it just sits alongside the old like bar ends and STIs. As long as we have the choice, it shouldn't matter. At least Thorn have something to be wrong about (if they are wrong) unlike most larger companies who have nothing to say about anything.   

[leftpoole]

Well I for one have always had my eye out for the club tour.  Ive read what thorn has made a strong, shall we say "mocking" long term stance about disk brakes and have always valued that stance.  The merits of their philosophy are not the point for me.  It is the refreshing aspect, that a company, and now a pretty upscale company, has the panache to swim against "me too" tide.  I respect that ... not to mention that I don't want the complexity of disk brakes myself.  Yeah, Thorn has sold me. Sold me on the semi custom and no Disk brakes or features of the weeks stance. Name another company like that?

So, sadly ... if there is a new Club tour, and it has disk brakes on it - I know that Ive been conned.  No matter how it is spun ... to me, from then on Thorn would be a company bankrupt of principle.  And my principles are that I don't deal with companies like that whenever possible.  Heck I have to deal with the US government ...so that is enough holding my nose. 

First the cutting down of sizes.  Makes economic sense to do that ... but the semi custom blurb went out the door.  Now disk brakes?  Heck no. 

But of course this is all academic.  Right?  That will never happen.  Heck .. read the brochures.  Disk brakes are evil! No.  Won't happen.  Right?

Right.

And I know the price won't go up. Dems tough economic times here.  And Andy loves us! Can't ya just feel it when you read the brochures?

 

Absolute full agreement!
John

[bike_the_planet]

Well I for one have always had my eye out for the club tour.  Ive read what thorn has made a strong, shall we say "mocking" long term stance about disk brakes and have always valued that stance. 

I don't think that Thorn have ever said they are totally against disc brakes per se. The new(ish) Thorn Mercury frame has a rear disc mounts as does the Nomad mk II. If I have understood correctly, what Thorn have issue with are front disc brakes on a steel fork.

Traditional tapered-blade, curved steel forks don't have the necessary blade diameter (and therefore shear strength) to cope with the much larger forces associated with disc brakes. The blades need to be thicker which probably does mean some loss of comfort.

Here in Australia there is a tourer called the Vivente World Randonneur. The designer has thoughtfully provided both cantilever bosses and disc rotor mounts on the same front fork. That way, those who prefer cantis/V brakes can still continue to use the frame and fork with 'traditional' brakes, but allowing those who want to move to discs to do so.

That to me seems the logical way forward.

Cheers,

Tony

[leftpoole]

Hello all and sundry!
I have been thinking! Has anyone at Thorn said anything about the new coming version of Club Tour yet? Speculation is one thing. Reality is another?
John

[horizon]

I don't think that Thorn have ever said they are totally against disc brakes per se. The new(ish) Thorn Mercury frame has a rear disc mounts as does the Nomad mk II. If I have understood correctly, what Thorn have issue with are front disc brakes on a steel fork.

Traditional tapered-blade, curved steel forks don't have the necessary blade diameter (and therefore shear strength) to cope with the much larger forces associated with disc brakes. The blades need to be thicker which probably does mean some loss of comfort.

Here in Australia there is a tourer called the Vivente World Randonneur. The designer has thoughtfully provided both cantilever bosses and disc rotor mounts on the same front fork. That way, those who prefer cantis/V brakes can still continue to use the frame and fork with 'traditional' brakes, but allowing those who want to move to discs to do so.

That to me seems the logical way forward.

Cheers,

Tony

Steel itself isn't the problem so I never understood that bit on the website PDF. I have a steel Sardar with provision for discs. I presume they meant (as you say) narrow steel forks as opposed to heavier ones. I thought carbon forks were more problematic. The issue arises that even if you don't use the forks for disc brakes you still have to use the heavier fork unless of course there is a choice of fork. 

[bike_the_planet]

Steel itself isn't the problem so I never understood that bit on the website PDF. I have a steel Sardar with provision for discs. I presume they meant (as you say) narrow steel forks as opposed to heavier ones. I thought carbon forks were more problematic. The issue arises that even if you don't use the forks for disc brakes you still have to use the heavier fork unless of course there is a choice of fork. 

Inevitably, a steel touring fork designed to cope with a disc rotor would have to be heavier. I am suspicious of any steel fork fitted with disc mounts that uses tapered blades. The shear forces at the disc rotor radius are around ten times that of rim brakes - right at the point where the fork blade diameter is at its smallest.

Anyway, this is all supposition. Until Thorn announce this expected new model we don't know what the spec for brakes will be. My hunch is that they will continue to do what they have done on the Mercury and the Mk 2 Nomad: rear frame disc mounts, but none on the front steel fork. Maybe they will also offer an optional carbon fork with disc mounts for use if you want to go Audaxing on it.

Cheers

[leftpoole]

     I do not know what Thorn are up to, but feel that they are concentrating on Rohloff bikes and just messing about changing colours etc on derailleur geared bikes. No obvious need for changing the Club Tour because it is great as it is!         

[il padrone]

Inevitably, a steel touring fork designed to cope with a disc rotor would have to be heavier. I am suspicious of any steel fork fitted with disc mounts that uses tapered blades. The shear forces at the disc rotor radius are around ten times that of rim brakes - right at the point where the fork blade diameter is at its smallest.

Tout Terrain do one for their Silk Road, a very highly regarded expedition tourer, and I have not heard of a rash of fork failures. It is an assymetrical fork, so yes, it will be heavier but the weight is in a stronger larger diameter left blade. Also note the altered alignment of the dropout entry.

[leftpoole]

Tout Terrain do one for their Silk Road, a very highly regarded expedition tourer, and I have not heard of a rash of fork failures. It is an assymetrical fork, so yes, it will be heavier but the weight is in a stronger larger diameter left blade. Also note the altered alignment of the dropout entry.

Ghastly!

[il padrone]

Ghastly!

You're looking at one aspect, of one component, in isolation. Looking at the total package it blends into a touring package that, I believe, works very well. There is quite a lot of real innovation in Tout Terrain's frames.





Sorry about going OT, but I am just pointing out that such a fork can be made to work, safely and effectively. Appearance is something else I guess, but I don't find it too repulsive.