Thorn Raven Nomad coming together

[il padrone]

Hi rifraf, I'm guessing you got the certified-correct 100% German owner's manual Should you actually want to read it in the Queen's English you can download the whole manual from the Rohloff web-page at no cost.



Meantime, anyone who wants the delights of a genuine German Rohloff manual, I have two for sale

[Mike Ayling]

It seems now that Rohloff are now doing a 36hole version of the hub.
I ordered the 36 hole, disk braked, external mech for OEM dropouts. . I ordered the plain silver version as the extra cost for anodisation seemed a little excessive

Sweet...

Our Thorn tandem arrived yesterday in the ever popular bright yellow as we like to be visible.

WE also got the plain vanilla silver version for the same reason re the anodisation cost.

WE also specced the CSS hard coated rims with the blue pads and so far in the dry they do a magnificent job of stopping us with the XT V brakes.

Re the 36 spoke hub now available - in their current sales literature Thorn were full on that 32 hole hubs were adequate even for tandem use. It will be interesting to watch their brochures in future!

The Thorn stuff is good gear!

Mike

[il padrone]

I can see the smile on your face from here Mike

[polishbiker]

Make sure the wheels on your tandem are built by someone who knows what they are doing.
On my recent trip i met a couple from Belgium, on a tandem who managed to break 4 rohloff hubs (cracked flanges or something from memory).
Luckily for them rohloff just keeps sending them new hubs for now charge
He mentioned he needs to re tension rear spokes every now and then so it seems the wheel is not built properly, i think!

[rifraf]

Hi Mike,
I spotted this page the other night. They offer a drilling service for Rohloff hubs to take them to 48H
http://www.rideyourbike.com/48spokerohloff.shtml

[Mike Ayling]

Re tandem wheels - Thorn claim to have their rims drilled with a slight offset to reduce spoke bend at the Rohloff hub flanges.

There are a number of posters on CrazyGuy who have travelled long distances on Thorn built wheels with 32H Rohloff Hubs and I can only assume that Thorn know what they are doing in the wheel building dept.

The 48 spoke tandem wheels are designed for deraileur hubs which are significantly dished and whereas I might consider an upgrade to a 36H hub shell I reckon that 48 for an undished Rohloff is over the top.

Mike

[Mike Ayling]

I can see the smile on your face from here Mike

You are not wrong there Pete!

The last time that I was as happy as this was when I got my Chartered Accountant's ticket a long time ago.

Mike

[rifraf]

Re tandem wheels - Thorn claim to have their rims drilled with a slight offset to reduce spoke bend at the Rohloff hub flanges.

There are a number of posters on CrazyGuy who have travelled long distances on Thorn built wheels with 32H Rohloff Hubs and I can only assume that Thorn know what they are doing in the wheel building dept.

The 48 spoke tandem wheels are designed for deraileur hubs which are significantly dished and whereas I might consider an upgrade to a 36H hub shell I reckon that 48 for an undished Rohloff is over the top.

Mike

No argument from me Mike, as I know nothing about tandems and merely offered the page out of interest.
I'm happy with my 36H version and am confident it should build into a wheel strong enough for my purposes.
Now if I could only make up my mind about what frame........

[redned]

Mike, I would like to think I would be a lot happier with the tandem than being a chartered accountant.

[Mike Ayling]

Mike, I would like to think I would be a lot happier with the tandem than being a chartered accountant.

Working as a Chartered Accountant has enabled me to purchase the Thorn.

Mike

[RonK]

Mike, I would like to think I would be a lot happier with the tandem than being a chartered accountant.

Working as a Chartered Accountant has enabled me to purchase the Thorn.

Mike

Then we can presume you did a comprehensive cost/benefits analysis and calculated the ROI?

Compared to other activities - golf f'rinstance, I think cycling would compare out pretty well.

[Mike Ayling]

Then we can presume you did a comprehensive cost/benefits analysis and calculated the ROI?

Compared to other activities - golf f'rinstance, I think cycling would compare out pretty well.

Yes, those club memberships can be a killer.

I read somewhere in regard to MAMILs that cycling was the new golf!

Mike

[il padrone]

So, Mike, how's the Thorn Rohloff tandem riding for you? Report/review of its performance and equipment would be great to read. Done any longer tours, or planning any?

[Mike Ayling]

So, Mike, how's the Thorn Rohloff tandem riding for you? Report/review of its performance and equipment would be great to read. Done any longer tours, or planning any?

Unfortunately Mary has been fighting a chest infection since we got the bike and the most she can manage at the moment is about 30km.

I am very impressed with the XT V brakes with the blue pads stopping the CSS rims, they are very powerful.

The Rohloff works well for us and I really enjoy no longer having to have to think about double deraileur changes when going for lower gears. We are riding 42X17 and it doesn't take much of a down hill to spin out but at our age we are not that much into fast descents anyway and the low gears are adequate.

A minor irritation that I discovered when I started to install the Tubus Duo racks that I use on the Surly is that the bosses on the Thorn are drilled for 6mm cap screws to support the Thorn proprietary front racks whereas the Tubus are drilled for 5mm cap screws. Some very careful drilling with a new sharp 6mm bit fixed the problem but I will have to keep an eye on them. Mind you we are not planning any heavy long distance touring loads so it should be OK.

No big trips planned, we would like to go to Adelaide when the weather gets a bit cooler and spend a week riding around the Fleurie area but I think the first overnighter will just be to take the train from Dandenong to Packenham then ride through to Drouin, not too onerous apart from the hill outside Longwarry.

Mary has never ridden a single bike and has only been riding tandem for about eighteen months so we are starting from a low base.

Mike

[rifraf]

Hopefully Mary will get well soon.

How bout some pics of the bike if you get a spare mo as I'm sure that many here would love a squiz.

[Mike Ayling]

Hopefully Mary will get well soon.

How bout some pics of the bike if you get a spare mo as I'm sure that many here would love a squiz.

Hope this works.

Tandem

Mike

[Baalzamon]

This one works

[il padrone]

Mike, you must have been doing some good training miles. Fantastic leg definition there, especially for an older bloke

The tandem looks sensational. Love the brilliant yellow. With that double marathon design Thorn sure build them tough. Do you have an EBB at both ends?

Speaking of KBTC tandem riders, how is John Weller keeping these days? And Maureen, is she still riding?

[Mike Ayling]

Mike, you must have been doing some good training miles. Fantastic leg definition there, especially for an older bloke

The tandem looks sensational. Love the brilliant yellow. With that double marathon design Thorn sure build them tough. Do you have an EBB at both ends?

Speaking of KBTC tandem riders, how is John Weller keeping these days? And Maureen, is she still riding?

Re leg muscles - the knicks are not as tight as they used to be but I try to ride as much as possible.

Double EBB - yes and it may be tricky to adjust but I guess that I do the back first then the front.

John and Maureen still ride but Maureen had a hip replacement and is not that mobile so they have a tandem with a low step through at the back. John gets around quite a bit on a leccy assisted single these days.

Mike

[Mike Ayling]

This one works

Thanks Baalzemon.

Mike

[rifraf]

Great looking bike Mike,
that tubing appears very stong and the yellow looks the business.
Do you and Mary have any trips planned for when she's better?

[Mike Ayling]

Great looking bike Mike,
that tubing appears very stong and the yellow looks the business.
Do you and Mary have any trips planned for when she's better?

See post on Jan 1, Rif Raf.

Mike

[rifraf]

Great looking bike Mike,
that tubing appears very stong and the yellow looks the business.
Do you and Mary have any trips planned for when she's better?

See post on Jan 1, Rif Raf.

Mike

Mind you we are not planning any heavy long distance touring loads so it should be OK.

No big trips planned, we would like to go to Adelaide when the weather gets a bit cooler and spend a week riding around the Fleurie area but I think the first overnighter will just be to take the train from Dandenong to Packenham then ride through to Drouin, not too onerous apart from the hill outside Longwarry.

Mary has never ridden a single bike and has only been riding tandem for about eighteen months so we are starting from a low base.

Mike

I really must look into those glasses the optometrist was waffling about......

[rifraf]

For anyone who is after a similar answer, SJS Cycles advised me that a 110mm JIS bottom bracket would be required.

Hi Pawel,
can you clarify that please? You bought a 110mm bottom bracket to use the outside chainring position? Or the middle one with an outside chainguard?
Cheers
Aidan

[il padrone]

Pretty sure I have a 108-68 on my Nomad and the chainring is on the inside position. Chain-line is great.