history of the XTC and what current models does it precede?

[JWestland]

...so I bought a second hand XTC on e-bay. Happy days, stable as mad, and if you take all the panniers etc. off zippy enough for a bit of asphalt ripping too. Whoever bought it put a 52/42/32 ring on it, so they must not carry a lot of live in mad hill country.

From what I could find out the eXP was what is now the Raven eg Thorn's Rohloff model and they seem to have been made around the same years. But what is the XTC the ancestor of? The old Thorn catalogs are gone for it.

The Club Tour/Audax has 700C wheels, is the XTC the daddy of the Sherpa?

[Danneaux]

is the XTC the daddy of the Sherpa?

Umm, maybe not so directly as the eXp and the earlier, derailleur-geared (original) Nomad. Both those were aimed more at heavy touring, insofar as I can see, and more likely begat the Sherpa.

According to my 2001 Edition of Open Road's Encycleopedia, the xTc (Ecstacy?) was described as "...a light all-round tourer, suitable for long day-rides, moderate off-road use, and lightweight cycle-camping". In contrast, the eXp was described as "...a true workhorse, perfectly balanced with a full load of luggage".

At the time, the line also included the Nemesis, "...an ultra-lightweight sports tourer for those who want a quick-handling, multi-function machine. With a short wheelbase lugless sealed-tube frame, it responds with lightning-quick, road-racer handling -- yet it's tough enough to perform manoeuvres you'd never think of attempting on a racer. Couriers, apparently, love it!".

Other models at that time included the Nomad, Audax, Brevet, Club Tour, six tandems, and two triplets.

Best,

Dan.

[rualexander]

I think the XTC was a sprightlier bike than the Sherpa, and they were both available at the same time for quite a while back when the Sherpa was made from Reynolds 525 steel tubing rather than the current 4130 cro-mo steel, alias Thorn 969.
Possibly the XTC was a forerunner of the rohloff specific Raven Sport Tour.

[Pavel]

I'm just curious ... how did you come to find that 4130 is the same as Thorn 969?

[Danneaux]

how did you come to find that 4130 is the same as Thorn 969?

Pavel,

4130 is the standard designation for chrome-molybdenum steel. The "969" refers to the wall thickness -- 0.9mm at the butts and 0.6mm wall thickness at the middle sections.

For comparison, my Centurions employ Tange Champion #2 cro-mo tubing, which has .9/.6/.9 wall thickness as well. The difference with Sherpa is the tubing is larger in diameter and conical on the top tube -- larger at the head tube and smaller at the seat tube. In contrast, my Miayata 1000LT has cr-mo tubing made, drawn, and formed in their own mill, and it is spline triple-butted; the interior is rifled with spiral reinforcing ribs (splines), and the butts are differential.

If you want to have some fun, tap your top tube with your fingernail and listen for a different tone as you work your way from one end to the other. The butts on Sherpa's TiG-welded top tube are fairly long and transition pretty abruptly. In contrast, the butts on my brazed-lugged bikes are much shorter and transition more gradually. The tone will change in part due to the difference in diameter as you work your way down the conical tube.

Best,

Dan.

[Kuba]

Possibly the XTC was a forerunner of the rohloff specific Raven Sport Tour.

My understanding exactly, I remember seeing such a suggestion in one of the earlier RST brochures.

Also, Andrew who used to work (or still works?) at SJSC once posted this on the Forum: "The Thorn Raven Sport Tour is available from 1299 GBP for Audax, light touring commuting etc. (think XTC with a Rohloff)". http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=132.0

[kwkirby01]

Here's all the information on the xTc. Later on the frame was upgraded to Reynolds 853, so yes, it was very similar to the Raven Sport Tour but with derailleurs.
Hope this helps.
Kevin

[Danneaux]

Outstanding, Kevin! Well done!!

Best,

Dan.

[il padrone]

Many of our customers say ... “I want an exciting lightweight cycle that I can go for a blast on in the summer evenings, that I can ride, lightly laden, over long distances briskly, and that I can also use for my annual touring holiday.” ...

Sounds pretty much like the description of the typical lightweight tourer from years ago, but Thorn have stretched and widened it a bit.

The funny thing is, I'm doing just this sort of riding.... on the Nomad Raven  

[JWestland]

Ah long live The Way Back Machine tx for the brochure

I can't find anything on the Thorn Nemesis it must be as rare as "hen's teeth"

So far happy as a pig in mud, the XTC is now used for touring and new brake pads (salmon kool stop) and cables made a nice difference. Now can I get a speeding ticket on the way to work...30 MPH on the flat is needed