New Sport Tour

[geocycle]

Great bike and some nice pics.  Glad the noise is OK on your Rohloff, mines definitely getting better but still a 'friction' feel in 6 and 7th. Reports suggest they are quite variable.

Try twisting the Ergon grips down toward you a bit -mine felt odd at first.  Aching palms might just be part of adjusting to the new set up -more of your weight resting on front than before?

[Fred A-M]

Hi Steve

Good (and relieved) to hear that you and the RST have had good first impressions: the beginning of a rewarding long-term relationship from the sounds of it.

Ref Slow up hills: I'll be surprised if you maintain this viewpoint for long, particularly once you've become accustomed to the intracacies of the Rohloff and done a few long climbs/rides.  If you're racing, fair enough, you might find that you don't always find the optimum ratio due to the spacing, but as stated previously in this forum, the smoothness/reliability of the Rohloff will ultimately make those telling climbs noticeably less wearing on the legs.  Look forward to hearing further progress reports!

[stutho]

Congratulations Swislon,

'It felt slower up the hills' - Both others and I've noticed that the RST 'feels' slower than it actually is.  Kind of like how 70Mph feels much slower in a Mercedes S class than it does in a Ford Fiesta.  Try timing a few climbs you may well be surprised.

Happy cycling,
stutho

[goosander]

Glad you like the bike, looks very nice in the flesh.  The matt black colour looks much lighter (more grey/black) than I would have imagined from the SJS brochure.

Mine should be delivered on Thursday, so not much longer to wait for me either.

[Swislon]

I like the colour, a kind of stealth matt black. I didn't know if I would but I'm pleasantly surprised. My wife thinks it makes it look expensive in an understated way. (She does know what it cost so maybe she is trying to tell me something, though she is not normally so subtle!)
Thursday's nearly here goosander, I'll be interested in your first impressions.
I will need to ride a few more hills but as I was playing with the gears it was perhaps unfair to say it felt slower. Interesting comments you make though and I'll look forward to more comparisons. I haven't been out on it today, too busy and the weather has turned foul. Very wet and windy.
I thought you'd be interested in what I thought Fred, but you needn't have worried. Thorn's 100 day money back guarantee is amazing and so far their service has been fantastic. They clearly believe in their product and I wish other organisations went to such lenghts.
My wife & I are going to see the Al Gore film tonight, so I bet I be spending more time on the bike in the next few weeks !![]

[simonsydney]

Swislon, congrats on your RST. Mine has around 1,000km on it now, and while there is still friction feeling in 7th and a bit in 12th all the other gears are very quiet. The loudest noise is the freewheel !
When I first got mine I thought I was going slower than my previous bike (a cannondale T2000 touring bike), but when I looked at the computer I was doing the same speed or a bit faster.
I find I am riding this bike more as well, just for the sake of going for a ride. I think it is because of the 'style', the flat bars, gear change, etc.

Enjoy the Al Gore film, I saw it a month or so ago in Sydney and have bought a number of tickets to it for friends as Christmas presents. I think our respective Governments shoud put the movie on for free, to help educate us all on what is going on. I have definitely used my car a lot less since watching it!

Merry Christmas to all (the forecaste is 36celcius for us on Christmas day, off to the beach I think)

cheers,
Simon

[Swislon]

The film is amazing and very sobering. I agree it should be required watching for everyone, in schools, work place, tv etc . Why isn't it ?
36c on Christmas Day & seasons greetings to you Simon! We can't forecast in the UK what the weather is doing tommorrow with any accuracy. But after seeing the film everthing is going to get more screwed up.
We might even have a heatwave ourselves !

The RST is definitely going to get even more miles than I had planned for it and do we really need two cars ? Sobering.

[john28july]

quote:Originally posted by Swislon
The RST is definitely going to get even more miles than I had planned for it and do we really need two cars ? Sobering.

Hello,
Its great to read all this environemental talk. Firstly I must add that I own three bikes (all Thorn) and a Volvo Estate 2.5 litre! My annual mileage the past two years has been a whopping.......3280 miles. Indeed the poor car sits in the garage 6 days a week. It only comes out for the 10 mile trip to Sainsburys to stock up on food. Don't say I shouls cyle to the store-my wife comes to do the looking and paying!
Anyhow to the Thorn Raven. My view now I have done a few miles on it. If you are looking for an enthusiasts bike, ie:- one that you can pose on, tinker with, generally spend days maintaning, cleaning polishing and all the assorted enthusiasts doings. You have got the wrong bike! The Thorn Raven Tour needs no fiddling or maintaning or even anything. Most disapointing in this respect. I am looking forward eagerly to next year when I can change the oil in the hub.
I suppose sooner or later I will need to adjust the tension of the chan and wash the bike, but thats no fun at all.
Maybe I should get out and ride my Audax 853 to get some maintenance done?
Its all good fun you know!
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july

[geocycle]

I agree with you John, I've done very little to mine in 800 miles.  I've replaced the brake blocks as the shimano defaults were gouging lumps out of the rims, switched to Schwalbe tyres, oiled the chain...that's it!  It's an ideal everyday bike as well as a great tourer.  I only have room to store one bike so it had to be an allrounder and it has certainly done every job I've asked of it very well.

[Swislon]

Little maintenance is one of its big attractions to me. I'd rather be riding. []

[geocycle]

Too right, its not about the bike ............but a good one helps!

[Fred A-M]

Agree with Geocycle's assessment that if you're only going to have only one bike for all purposes, you can't really do much better than the RST.  Liked Stutho's analogy of doing 70 mph in a Mercedes or Fiesta and the impact on perceived speed.  

I've been approached for confirmation of my RSTs make/model on several occassions on my London commute and so have found myself wondering what would be the equivalent of owning an RST in car-terms, given the interest it generates and its style, comfort, performance, versatility etc.   Not being a car owner, I'm not particularly knowledgeable but had previously concluded, like Stutho, that it was like owning a Mercedes (merc owners seem to take great pride in the engineering and reliability of the engines ), one of their more upmarket sports/touring coupes.

Possibly a slightly ludicrous analogy given the politics of car v bike ownership but a useful one in the context of explaining the joy (and expense)of RST ownership to non-cycling friends.  

[john28july]

quote:Originally posted by Fred A-M

Agree with Geocycle's assessment that if you're only going to have only one bike for all purposes, you can't really do much better than the RST.  Liked Stutho's analogy of doing 70 mph in a Mercedes or Fiesta and the impact on perceived speed.  

I've been approached for confirmation of my RSTs make/model on several occassions on my London commute and so have found myself wondering what would be the equivalent of owning an RST in car-terms, given the interest it generates and its style, comfort, performance, versatility etc.   Not being a car owner, I'm not particularly knowledgeable but had previously concluded, like Stutho, that it was like owning a Mercedes (merc owners seem to take great pride in the engineering and reliability of the engines ), one of their more upmarket sports/touring coupes.

Possibly a slightly ludicrous analogy given the politics of car v bike ownership but a useful one in the context of explaining the joy (and expense)of RST ownership to non-cycling friends.  

Hello,
As an owner of a Thorn Raven Tour I must agree with the mention above of comparison with motor car. I now own an 850 Volvo Estate car. Prior to this I owned alongside my super Thorn Audax 853 and my Thorn Nomad, a Mercedes 190 E.
Both motor cars are/were great, but I much prefer my cycles.
Happy Christmas all.
John.
www.pbase.com/john28july

[stutho]

I think I would compare my RST to the little known Subaru Forester (turbo).  The forester is 1/3  4 wheel drive 1/3 estate and 1/3 sports car - a good match to the RST.  It looks a bit odd and to be fair my RST (although beautiful to me) is a not classically pretty bicycle.  The Forester has unbeatable reliability and their owners love them so that all fits too.

Of course the RST is better than the Forester - 250bhp uses a outrageous amount of fuel.

PS My wife and I share a small car, using a bicycle has probable saved us £8000 in the last 4 years

PPS why not a Merc?  Well while a C class is great eating up motorway miles it defiantly won’t hack it on a forest trail!

[john28july]

quote:Originally posted by stutho

I think I would compare my RST to the little known Subaru Forester (turbo).  The forester is 1/3  4 wheel drive 1/3 estate and 1/3 sports car - a good match to the RST.  It looks a bit odd and to be fair my RST (although beautiful to me) is a not classically pretty bicycle.  The Forester has unbeatable reliability and their owners love them so that all fits too.

Of course the RST is better than the Forester - 250bhp uses a outrageous amount of fuel.

PS My wife and I share a small car, using a bicycle has probable saved us £8000 in the last 4 years

PPS why not a Merc?  Well while a C class is great eating up motorway miles it defiantly won’t hack it on a forest trail!

Hello,
Just as a matter of interest to all 'Green' cyclists. My annual car mileage last twelve months is/was 3280!
John