Club Tour frames still available?

[leftpoole]

Those 853 forks are bloody expensive, the way these bikes are going up in price a fella would want to take out a second mortgage to buy one.
mind you i suppose it gives a fells good bragging rights when someone asks how much did you pay for your bike.

Hello and welcome to 'my opinion',
Maybe Taiwan has cottoned on to the 'fact' that the Thorn frames are manufactured on a production line, but are sold as handbuilt. Are prices in Taiwan increased due to this fact? Are the Taiwan manufacturers 'blackmailing' Thorn? Taiwan might be telling Thorn to stop bragging about handmade or we tell all?Taiwanese built frames do not cost what the UK is expected to pay. The cost of a frame is miniscule compared to the UK prices!!!!!!!!
Before anyone kicks off about my comments, I own love and ride and stand by Thorn and promote Thorn. I am however not blind to the fact that it is I and others making Millionares of others.
Happy Christmas and New Year to all includine the Thorn posse.
John

[jags]

John i couldn't answer your question  but i know all the big names in bikes are made in Taiwan  where the labour costs are much cheaper, so i guess the cost must come from tax no idea to be honest.

[leftpoole]

The SJS website if I am right has "ghost" panels now for the new Mark 4 Club tour frames. These will be in gunmetal grey and red/blue diagonals. Siziing appears to be different as well. No further details apart from price - £499 for the frame as opposed to £489 currently for frame and forks. Given the above posts it is hard to see Thorn not making provision for at least some disc braking and the rest of the frame one could reasonably expect to be in the Thorn tradition.

Except for the colours ... 

Thorn do an amazing blue and an amazing red - everyone seems to like them. Why combine them? I know they've done it before but I think that's ghastly!

Obviously..... I love the red and blue that I had on my Audax 853, but the red and blue were 'different' red and blue colours.
John

[honesty]

The descriptions of the new mk4 frame definitely list a Thorn steel disk fork. Would love to see more detail on this, but cant find it yet in the catalogue. Looks like a definite for me as a frame replacement for my tourer/commuter bike (currently a Dalesman with a thorn fork!) when I get the money together.

[leftpoole]

The descriptions of the new mk4 frame definitely list a Thorn steel disk fork. Would love to see more detail on this, but cant find it yet in the catalogue. Looks like a definite for me as a frame replacement for my tourer/commuter bike (currently a Dalesman with a thorn fork!) when I get the money together.

'Looking forward' to seeing a Thorn disc fork! Not my style at all. I am much more traditional when it comes to Touring bikes.
John

[honesty]

Yeh, in general Im not that bothered either myself, but an all weather commuter (which is what it gets used as at the moment) with a 3 year old on the back I'm really beginning to wish I had brakes that worked in the wet!

[leftpoole]

Hello all,
I am thinking that it is a bit of a poor show from Thorn/ St John St Cycles inasmuch that whilst the 'new' version of the Club Tour is fairly well acknowledged, no information either on the Thorn site nor SJSC is showing.
On the Thorn site there should at the very least be an updated PDF version surely? As to size choice on the SJSC site there is no picture no size chart.
Why is the company so far behind with the detailed updates which some eagerly await?
John

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Hello all,
I am thinking that it is a bit of a poor show from Thorn/ St John St Cycles inasmuch that whilst the 'new' version of the Club Tour is fairly well acknowledged, no information either on the Thorn site nor SJSC is showing.
On the Thorn site there should at the very least be an updated PDF version surely? As to size choice on the SJSC site there is no picture no size chart.
Why is the company so far behind with the detailed updates which some eagerly await?
John

Working on it currently, theres alot to do with bikes to Photo for it, only 1 colour is in stock currently too, we have spec's to be decided on and costed, etc. but we will get there soon, please be patient!

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Maybe Taiwan has cottoned on to the 'fact' that the Thorn frames are manufactured on a production line, but are sold as handbuilt. Are prices in Taiwan increased due to this fact? Are the Taiwan manufacturers 'blackmailing' Thorn? Taiwan might be telling Thorn to stop bragging about handmade or we tell all?

Complete nosense with no facts to back it up, we dont have enough of any one model or size made at a time for them to be built on a production line, somewhere I have pictures of them being handmade in the factory I will try and dig them out soon if you can't belive this.

I am however not blind to the fact that it is I and others making Millionares of others.

Theres no millionares here! Making bikes doesn’t make us loads of money, in fact, depending on how you apportion property and other fixed costs, it may make none!!

Dave

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

'Looking forward' to seeing a Thorn disc fork! Not my style at all. I am much more traditional when it comes to Touring bikes.
John

1 Spy shot  and for reference, we didn't want to make this fork and still don't recomend it, its more a case of market demands for a steel disc fork, even if it is heavy and uncomfortable, its as light and comfortable as we could make it though.

[horizon]

Hello all,
I am thinking that it is a bit of a poor show from Thorn/ St John St Cycles inasmuch that whilst the 'new' version of the Club Tour is fairly well acknowledged, no information either on the Thorn site nor SJSC is showing.
On the Thorn site there should at the very least be an updated PDF version surely? As to size choice on the SJSC site there is no picture no size chart.
Why is the company so far behind with the detailed updates which some eagerly await?
John

John: one thing we appreciate about Thorn is it's personal service. I've had emails personally and promptly answered by Andy Blance regarding quite minor details about the Sherpa. You just won't get that with a big company (time is money) and yet for us it's vital as bikes are such particular machines. If we all get on the "instant customer service" bandwagon we will drive firms like Thorn out of business. As far as I am concerned the situation is perfectly acceptable (although I too am waiting for news). Thank goodness that Thorn are human like the rest of us.

[honesty]

1 Spy shot  and for reference, we didn't want to make this fork and still don't recomend it, its more a case of market demands for a steel disc fork, even if it is heavy and uncomfortable, its as light and comfortable as we could make it though.

looks good to me. Just what i need to stop me and my 3 year old in the current rain! Looks like rather a lot of tyre clearance there as well, what can you squeeze in?

[leftpoole]

Dave
Thank you. This is a result!
Pa
Patience is a virtue but when one hears on things new.............
I am very happy that questions are being answered. I a really looking forward to the R & B colour.
Best regards,
John.

[leftpoole]

Complete nosense with no facts to back it up, we dont have enough of any one model or size made at a time for them to be built on a production line, somewhere I have pictures of them being handmade in the factory I will try and dig them out soon if you can't belive this.

Theres no millionares here! Making bikes doesn’t make us loads of money, in fact, depending on how you apportion property and other fixed costs, it may make none!!

Dave

Dave,
I am happy to retract suggestions. I am also looking forward to pictures of the Thorn frames being built by hand! I did converse with Robin some years ago when he explained about the cost of making suitable jigs.
If indeed as you say, the frames are indeed hand built, then I can honestly say that the tig welding is superbe.
Regards,
John

[leftpoole]

John: one thing we appreciate about Thorn is it's personal service. I've had emails personally and promptly answered by Andy Blance regarding quite minor details about the Sherpa. You just won't get that with a big company (time is money) and yet for us it's vital as bikes are such particular machines. If we all get on the "instant customer service" bandwagon we will drive firms like Thorn out of business. As far as I am concerned the situation is perfectly acceptable (although I too am waiting for news). Thank goodness that Thorn are human like the rest of us.

Hello,
Agreed to a certain point.
I have spoken with and met on numerous occasion both Andy and Robin. Both business men earning money.
You failed to really grasp my point which maybe I was not too clear about?
Website shows Club Tour frame listing with sizes but NO size chart no pictures either. This in my opinion is not good for Thorn or us as customers.
I am and have been for many many years a Thorn customer. I am never going to buy any bike other than Thorn!
I do have a Brompton..................
John