Our Thorn Raven Adventure Tandem

[benstevens]

We recently upgraded to a S&S coupled version.  Couple of pics of the bike loaded up with camping kit during a weeks touring in the Ardeche, France


At the Pont d'Arc at the top of the Ardeche gorge.

During our day off from lugging the panniers around! Just in front of Aiguèze.

Really enjoyed cycling in the Ardeche, hills are interesting without being too steep, the landscape was varied and the people very friendly.  Next time plan to not forget camera (most of the phone camera pics where a bit disappointing).  Bike behaved impeccably as we'd come to expect from Thorn.

[Danneaux]

Hi Ben!

My, what wonderful pair of photos with picturebook scenery, and of course, a "picturebook" tandem!

As a tandem owner, I am particularly intrigued and attracted by the nice, clean architecture of the drivetrain. With a single drive chainring, the timing chain is on the same side, making it impossible to soil both pant-legs with grease. Really nice when combined with the out-of-phase cranks.

The geometry looks "just right" for a size-divergent couple, and each rider's compartment is very well-proportioned. The direct-lateral frame design is my personal favorite for structural rigidity with a comfortable ride.

And, the icing on the cake: All beautifully kitted-out; well done! A truly clean, neat load.

Thanks for posting your photos, Ben; they're a too-rare treat for the tandem enthusiasts here.  May you have many more wonderful adventures together on the bike, safely filled with joy and adventure!

Best,

Dan. (who'll be back for a few more look-sees)

[Etienne]

    sounds great .... mine is not yellow but green ....
and I miss those marvellous time ....

Tks for posting.
Cheers
Etienne Belgium would love to discover Ardèche, Limoges, Tour ... one day

[il padrone]

Really nice when combined with the out-of-phase cranks.

A question about this for Ben. I recommend out-of-phase cranks for a touring tandem but others posting on here have suggested the Rohloff does not shift at all well with this - something about the lack of a 'dead-spot'. How do you find the shifting?

[benstevens]

A question about this for Ben. I recommend out-of-phase cranks for a touring tandem but others posting on here have suggested the Rohloff does not shift at all well with this - something about the lack of a 'dead-spot'. How do you find the shifting?

We find that the hub works well for us like this. Occasionally the hub doesn't really want to shift and I find in this configuration it is easier for me to "stall" the pedals enabling the hub to change. This is particularly changing from 7 to 8. I found that this is the same regardless of how we have the pedals.

Dan: I think that Thorn ought to have you writing copy for the sales brochure!

[benstevens]

A couple more from us:

After lunch at the Hartside cafe on our C2C ride over 3 days of the jubilee weekend.  It didn't feel like June!

And at the finish on Roker seafront (bit more summery):


Up in Northumberland having just returned across the causeway from Lindisfarne (outbound speed ~25mph not pedalling, returning ~6mph pedalling hard!)

[Danneaux]

Oh, now Ben, this is just too great!

Absolutely wonderful tandem-tour photos you've just posted, and it looks like such fun despite the weather. Boy, you must've really had the wind for those speeds to apply each way on the causeway from Lindisfarne, and you both still look fresh and happy!

So glad the weather cleared a not for you at Roker -- shirtsleeves, at last, and what one would hope for June.  <-- Sympathies; our weather has been as depicted in your first photo and it is pouring as I write this.

And of course...the bike looks fabulous. What a pretty load atop it, too; neat as a pin and all corners buttoned-down like in the picture-books and brochures. You can be proud. Makes me hunger to get out and tour on my own tandem once again.

All in all, it looks like a wonderful time, and I'm so glad you were able to find the time away for the trip. Looking forward to future installments, and wishing you safe, happy, fun travels.

Best,

Dan.

[benstevens]

Been a bit busy of late, just got round to writing up our tour of the Western isles (from July!) on crazy guy on a bike:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=11705&v=1h


Harris's coastline

[Danneaux]

Ben!

I'm thoroughly enjoying your Hebrides tour report on the installment plan in-between working on other things -- it is my little reward between some "must-do" tasks. A real treat, and I thank you for sharing the writeup and photos.

Ben...how did you power your GPS for continuous tracking? Did you use a buffer battery to keep it going continuously? I find I always have problems with tracks skipping around the 8-9 hour mark, as the onboard batteries deplete, and powering the GPS by bike helps, but doesn't completely overcome the problem of skipped tracks.

Very nice transfer of the gpx to GoogleMaps.

All the best,

Dan. (...who thinks you have an absolutely lovely tandem)

[benstevens]

Hi Dan,

These GPX tracks weren't actually from a GPS, they were generated on mapmyride.com, exported as gpx tracks and then uploaded onto cgoab which will then plot them on a map.

However we did have a hub dynamo that we used to recharge phones and that was made using a board from forumslader.  This worked well.

Current using a LG Nexus 4 to create GPS track logs, todays 5 hour ride seemed to use ~35% of the battery so were hopeful that we should get full days out of it on our next jaunt, Thailand and Cambodia, flying on 18th of this month.  Will try to be a bit better at writing it up.

[Danneaux]

These GPX tracks weren't actually from a GPS, they were generated on mapmyride.com, exported as gpx tracks and then uploaded onto cgoab which will then plot them on a map.

Brilliant, Ben; thanks so much!

Very much looking forward to your next write-up after you return from Cambodia and a report on how the LG phone did on tracking.

I really enjoyed your story. The photos were terrific, and they --- along with the narrative -- nicely conveyed the fun and enjoyment you both had, despite whatever adverse circumstances. Glad the stove found a good solution, and hoping the mailed-home "sickie" was healed in the fullness of time thanks to some replacement parts. Y'can't have too many stoves (or bikes).

Best,

Dan.

[benstevens]

Some pictures from Cambodia.  Cycling on dirt roads next to the Mekong river from Kratie to Kampong Cham


The famous bamboo bridge in Kampong Cham


A temple at the Angkor Wat site (can't remember the name)


Unfortunately we didn't do as much cycling as we had initially planned due to it being 34C rather than the 27C that we were expecting!  Also didn't get round to tracking our rides on the phone bar one because I'd be trying to make sure that we had everything and would only remember half way along.

[sg37409]

Not as dramatic a setting as your photos, but a significant day for us: We were back on the tandem, and the kids were on their solos. Only out to my local bike shop along the path, but *WE* were on the tandem again. Possibly 1st time in about 12 years. Brilliant.

[Danneaux]

Ben, Steve,

Simply terrific photos from both of you. It is so nice to see the tandems represented so nicely on the Forum, and makes me itch anew to find a riding partner for mine. You all look so happy! Wonderful! Such a nice thing to see and share in via your photos.

Best wishes for many delightful rides for you all,

Dan. (...who thinks it is "better" together)