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Hi Robin,
Thanks for that.
By the way after my mini « Tour de France » I use my RT every day to and from work and it is as always spot on and simply the best!
So, keep up the good work, you are doing a great job for the environment, the health of the population and the economy, not to mention all that cycling pleasure… you know someone really should nominate you for a knighthood!
Kind regards,
Andrew Blackburn
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Thorn Raven Advanture
Dear Robin and team at Thorn Cycles.
I thought we should let you know about our new blue Thorn Raven Adventure.
It arrived safely on August 6th, carefully packed and beautifully prepared.
Our initial wobbly ventures were soon transformed into exciting journeys -maybe not expeditions - but definitely longer trips than I had thought we would be capable of in the first stages of this new venture! We have found the Adventure to be a particularly stable platform, and very forgiving. It has definitely helped our confidence to grow. My wife, Sue, who is Visually Impaired, has really enjoyed the ease with which she has become a cyclist again. The Rohloff took a little while to get used to - the gear changes were much more precise than I had bargained for! We're now getting used to it, and particularly appreciate the ability to change gear while standing still. Yes, there is a running noise in the lowest gears, but nothing like I had feared after reading some reviews; and the range of gears has seen us going up hills that it was probably better Sue didn't see before we attempted them!
We're now looking forward to more, and longer trips and would definitely recommend this tandem to others. Thankyou for the time taken to get the specification right, and for the polite efficiency of your service.
Regards
Bob and Sue Ashman Derby
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Thorn Club Tour
Dear Andy and Richard,
Just a quick note to say thanks for suggesting the Club tour bike. IT IS FABULOUS and I did the coast to coast at the weekend and am proud to say I got up Hartside, so that shows a great improvement on last year. The frame size is exactly right and I have no aches or pains only a couple of grazed knees as I haven't quite mastered the quick release of my cleats yet. Once again many thanks
Mary Waugh
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My Audax 853
"rode fantastically all the way from lands end to john o groats in 8 days, it was great, thanks folks"
Many thanks and great bike and service!
Nick Wadey
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Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Thorn for making such a brilliant bike. Stable, responsive and sensitive.
Between 26th August and 3rd September I cycled from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower, a distance of 636 miles (via London) for Kidney Research. I left it a little late in buying the Thorn and only had a short time to get used to it, but that proved to be no problem at all! The bike performed extremely well from day one and as well as being agile and nippy through London during rush hour, it proved to be fast on the flat (to the surprise of a few carbon framed riders). I have become an instant convert to the Rohloff and this has been reinforced by a recent 'bad time' with my MTB and crud covered gears! It looks as if I shall have to return and add a Thorn MTB with Rohloff to the stable.
Thank you again to you all and the excellent service you provide.
Kind regards
Alistair Cope
C.O. Axe Valley Pedallers
Axe Valley Sustrans Liaison Ranger
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We bought our new Raven Adventure to replace a Thorn explorer that we had enjoyed for several years.
Although we had been thinking about it for a while the move was finally prompted by our gear changing experiences whilst riding the Walney to Wear route in August. Basically we could never seem to select the correct gear for the sudden (and not so sudden) steep hills we encountered. Occasionally we lost the chain when the front mech overshot. This could be funny or at times potentially dangerous not to mention inconvenient.
We had read about the Rohloff system and talked to users in the tandem club - all the feedback was positive, so we decided to upgrade to a Raven Adventure with S&S couplings. The new bike cost started to mount up as we chose parts we felt "we deserved", to the extent that we started to think that S&S couplings were just beyond our budget. Fortunately we took the plunge and have been so pleased.
The run in period for the Rohloff gears were exactly as described in the Thorn brochure, but what a difference in operation and ease of use over derailleur.
In our opinion far superior for a tandem and with a bit of communication far better than a derailleur, especially on "sudden" hills.
Another real benefit for us has been the S&S couplings. To be honest, I didn't really think that we would make much use of this aspect of the bike, but they were always there if needed, couldn't be retro fitted and so were worth having if at all possible.
Our experience looks like being exactly the opposite. Much earlier in the year we had booked a weeks holiday in Majorca for October and had expected to hire bikes over there. Dare we take our expensive new tandem on the plane instead? We asked the Airline (Palmair, Bournemouth) and they said no problem, as long a the "bikes" (easier than trying to describe 2 halves of a tandem) were bagged and max 6 feet long.
Also the bikes would be part of our normal joint baggage allowance of 40k.
Not being particularly mechanical I worried that although splitting the frame would not be a problem, could I get the tandem in the two bags, that we had bought, without damage and then put it back together again. We removed the rack and rear wheel and bars etc and carefully wrapped everything in bubble wrap and padded the bags with camper mat and hoped for the best.
I must say that to see a brand new £2000 bike disappear through the x-ray machine was a bit worrying but no one else seemed to think it was out of the ordinary.
When we got to Palma I expected that the bike would come out at the designated cycle reclaim. As it happened it came out on the normal carousel and we loaded the bags onto a normal trolley. We got a lift by car to our casita with the bike, still in bags, in the back. We opened the bags with some trepidation but need not have worried. 30 minutes after arriving at the casita the bike was assembled and we were exploring. I couldn't believe how easy the bike was to put back together and the Rohloff gears are ideally suited to this. I have to say, I felt pretty smug.
The week flew by and we clocked 280 miles - not bad for us. Fellow tandemers (tandemists?) will appreciate just how good it feels to ride your own tandem in this way and our arms got quite tired with all the waving - tandems seem to strike a chord with everyone. The return journey was equally uneventful and the bike wasn't even weighed at Palma.
Our week in Majorca has demonstrated that we can now take this bike anywhere.
John & Sue Sutton
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Adrian,
picked up my bike from Dan on saturday - thought the stem was a little too long so he changed it and set the bike up perfectly for me.
only had a little spin round the block so far due to work but will take it out for a proper ride tomorrow.
Impressions?
quite simply, the best bike i have ever sat on, period.
I own a tailor built indy fab titanium mtb and have had many many bikes but this one, the finish, the feel, the ride, the build, the frame and probably most important, the second to none service from mike, mark, richard yourself and dan.................just don't get it from anywhere else.
Almost wish i didn't have my indy so i could buy a raven!
whatever you do at SJS, Please don't change what you do so well - big thanks to you all, and i shall send as many as my dairy crest collegues to you as i can.
Nick Wadey
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For a someone with a long torso and short legs, the long frame has an adequately long cock pit. The shallow seat tube angle (compared to racing bikes of today) moves the center of gravity forward which is good for loaded touring with a carradice saddle bag - no wheelies in even the steepest alpine ascents.
The bike is not super-light but a huge improvement over my previous touring bike and traversing all famous alpine passes I can confidently say that I wasn't held back by it. The tight clearance of the fenders stops the spray very well and the fenders are mounted so well that there's absolutely no annoying rattle on even the roughest roads.
I do all my errands and training rides and commute on the Thorn Audax 853 and it's the closest to a perfect all-rounder I've ever had.
Jan Lindström
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Hi Robin
"I bought a Thorn Nomad last year. I took it recently to the US and did a 1400 mile tour and was disgusted with the reliability of it - after 700 miles I had to put air in the tyres... Seriously, it's a wonderful bike that stays balanced, safe and comfortable no matter the terrain, load or alertness of the rider. The wheels stayed true even with my 15st and full panniers, the paint refused to chip when the bike was leaned, dropped and sometimes kicked. If I needed another one anytime I'd buy one!!!" Thanks. Neil
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"The Rohloff was a huge success over in the Cape Epic in particular the first couple of stages where mud and rain dominated the days and made the going very tough indeed. The first day saw many teams suffer from mechanical faults with derailleurs and clogged up cogs and worn brake pads. It was unquestionably the most miserable day I have ever spent on a bike but the Rohloff just kept going and going. It was perfect. Everyone who rode near me had very favourable comments to make and were very impressed. I was told that it was the first Rohloff in the Cape Epic."
"And I am proud to say that both the bike and its rider survived the gruelling 8-stage event. The Fox Vanilla fork performed flawlessly taking up all the bumps of roots, rocks and rough terrain that the course threw at riders. It worked like a charm, and I was amazed at how well it took the beating." Lake
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"As arranged (see below) I did come and see SJS Cycles on the 14th February and test-rode and ordered a Raven Tour. It arrived last Friday and I've since done 250km on it in all conditions (including snow!). Every aspect of the experience has been exceptional. The service at the shop, from your assistant Dan, was excellent: he was patient and answered my quesitons fairly and honestly. Subsequent small alterations to the order were all dealt with very efficiently and the bike arrived in perfect condition on the day and at the place appointed. Most importanly it is an absolute joy to ride - laden or unladen, at speed or just pottering about. It has clearly been put together with the greatest of care. The Rohloff Speedhub is magnificent in all ways. The whole bike has more than exceeded my great expectations of it."
"As you can tell I'm really rather pleased with it!"
Oliver U I
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"You guys rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bike is just fantastic. It is so rare anymore to have people do things right and staright away you guys did a great job. The bike was boxed perfectly. The bike itself is a work of art and most importantly it rides like a dream. This is all coming from a guy that most people consider to be very demanding and perfection oriented.
I truly believe that among my stable of bikes (Litespeed, Colnago, Time, Rocky Mountain, Della Santa and a Land Shark) this will turn out to be my favorite bike. My initial impression is this bike wants to be ridden lots and lots of miles. Really what I am trying say here is thanks for taking pride in what you do and delivering beyond expectations. You have earned a loyal customer that will make future purchases and encourage others to do the same!!!!!!!"
John P |
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| "I am seriously impressed by the Raven, which is now starting to build up some miles. All the little things that used to niggle me about drop handlebars and derailleurs have ceased to exist! For me it was definitely a good move. Congratulations on being forward thinking enough to put out such a radical (retro!) design." |
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"The Raven is an absolute joy to ride in all conditions and laden or unladen. I've done about 450km on it so far, and am still finding that it amazes with every ride. It handles so magnificently as well. The Rohloff has revolutionised my concept of bicycle reliability and convenience. Being able to change into whichever gear whenever, and almost instantaneously too, is a complete revelation. I can't imagine ever owning a bike with derailluers again. I use it on the daily 20 mile commute in London and am planning to use it on Audax rides too. I'll be taking it on holiday in the summer when we plan to traverse Switzerland from North to South." |
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| “So how come we didn’t get one single puncture from the Conti Top Touring 2000s? Where were the loose spokes and wobbly wheels as we bumped endlessly over unmade roads and landslides? I was looking forward to adjusting some gears or tightening a headset or something, but no. The 2kg of tools and spares were all a waste of good pannier space.” |
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“Over some real mountain bike terrain and atrocious landslides they performed superbly. They felt comfortable from the start, and the choice of wheels and gears was just right.”
Mr. M and Mrs. E, after completing a six month tour through India, Turkey, Pakistan and back to England on a pair of Thorn Nomads. |
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“I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the bike. I didn't quite know what to expect as I have never actually seen one in the 'flesh', but can honestly not fault it. First impression is that it is a thoroughbred; it feels and handles flawlessly and looks great. The carriers in particular are stunning."
"I was also a bit anxious about the fit, but obviously I got the measurements accurate as the fit is just perfect."
"Even after just a short ride, my old bike feels like a dog in comparison.”
Mr. M |
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“Bottom line: it's a fantastic bike - by far the best I have ever owned - and I really can't think of anything I would do to improve it. It's a joy to ride for any kind of riding I normally do.”
Mr. S, USA - commenting on the Thorn XTC |
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“I have had my Thorn EXP for about a month now and have done about 600 miles. I am writing to say that this is the best allround bike I have owned since I started cycling in 1968. I don’t remember having another bike which did not shake its head when carrying a load. I can also confirm that it is very comfortable under all of the conditions I have been out in so far.”
Mr. P |
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“The Brevet is everything I hoped it would be. It is very comfortable over long distances, yet spritely enough to go Sunday morning club riding!”
Mr. T |
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“The Thorn Discovery is a beautiful design, superbly made and expertly assembled.”
Mr. J |
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“I cycled across the USA July/August 1998 on a Thorn Nomad - fully loaded, bike so heavy I couldn't lift it. 4200 miles in 54 days - heat waves, violent storms/floods, dirt roads - you name it. Bike was totally reliable - I'd use one to go round the World.”
Mr. B |
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“I bought my custom XTC last summer and I was so impressed I bought one for my wife at Christmas time. They have both performed faultlessly. It is not just the absence of problems but the sheer pleasure of riding our bikes that have greatly increased our anticipation of cycling. I have had to do almost no maintenance beyond the routine.”
Mr. S |
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“I bought a Thorn Nomad about two months ago and have to tell you that it may be the best bike I have ever owned, and I have owned many bikes in my life. It is simply superb in all that it does (from geometry, load carrying, braze-ons, etc); AND it's cost is remarkably low (even with shipping here to Pennsylvania in the USA); AND it is beautiful (and I ride and race a Hetchins which is my "other bike"!) I’ll tell all my friends about my Thorn, and I plan to buy ANOTHER Nomad for my wife in the spring. Atfer all, it will only take ten days for it to get here (not to mention every time I had an email question about the frame I was sent a rapid reply)!”
Mr. R, USA |
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