Pair of Thorn Audax on Gumtree

[bikerta]

Just spotted these two bikes on Gumtree. Older models, but brilliant price if sizing any good.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/thorn-adult-touring-bikes-pair/1043869113

Only posted on Gumtree an hour ago.

[fast but dim]

I've sent them a tentative message and had a reply (after a week!): the price looks too good to be true!

[jags]

bit big for me but yeah good price indeed ,mind you there are 12 years old  so that might have something to do with price.
although having said that i would want a hell of a lot more for my Class Raleigh 753 which is around 28 years old

[in4]

I think I've seen them previously on Gumtree. That said for £600 its in the 'tempt me range' with a bit of retro thrown in.

[fast but dim]

£300 per bike sounds good to me, but I am new to thorn bikes. Retro doesn't bother me one bit.

My only suspicion is why have they not sold?

[jags]

yeah hard to know why they havent sold might be a good reason

[Donerol]

I imagine bar end levers will put a lot of folk off - also the 'old-fashioned' horizontal top tube.  

[Danneaux]

This pair resemble most of the bikes in my stable and I like mine so much I can't bear to sell even one.

Quill stems, lugs, horizontal top tubes...they are really classic, fine bicycles anyone could be proud to ride into the future.

Best,

Dan.

[donnieban]

My fingers and toes are crossed for the larger framed of the two. A nice warm home waiting......in Skye.....if it ever stops raining.

donnieban

[Danneaux]

Welcome to the Thorn Cycling Forum, Donnie; nice to have you with us, and you're welcome whether you own a Thorn or not.

I wish you all good luck in your Quest to Ownership. Those are each lovely bikes, and in a superb color as well!

Best,

Dan.

[jags]

yes welcome just watching  Coast on tv scotland sure is a pretty place ,hope you get that bike sounds like a great deal .

[donnieban]

Hello and thank you for the welcome Dan.  

Can you confirm that these 2002ish frames are 725 tubing? I think 853 launched some time after circa 2005?

Cheers jags, weather hasn't been particularly kind (he says, staring down at his webbed feet).

Three dry days last week, probably since August last year. 

 
donnieban

[jags]

same here in sunny ireland 

[Danneaux]

Can you confirm that these 2002ish frames are 725 tubing? I think 853 launched some time after circa 2005?

Hi Donnie!

I'm afraid I can't confirm...the best I can do is point you toward the 2003 brochure here: http://web.archive.org/web/20030810005913/http://www.sjscycles.com/thorn/700solobrochure/audax853.htm

It shows the Audax "853" is made from...853, but that's hardly definitive (I believe a non-853 model was extant then as well). Rather, it is the earliest online brochure I could find to place in the archives. There's gaps due to the scheduled scans by the search spiders at the Internet Wayback Machine.

I'd suggest a call or email to SJS Cycles/Thorn or a query to Dave Whittle from Thorn Workshops to check for sure.

Meanwhile, with these turning up from time to time, I'll check magazine reviews and comparos to see if I can find something more definitive. [EDIT: Unfortunately, many of the links to magazine reviews on Thorn's site ( http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/reviews.html ) are no longer available. I'll keep looking and post something in the brochure archive links if I find it.]

Best,

Dan.

[donnieban]

Thanks Dan,

Nothing certain in this life bar taxes and rain, sunny Eireann excluded it would seem eh jags...

donnieban