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Thorn Audax.

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redsturgeon
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Thorn Audax.

#329268

Postby redsturgeon » July 28th, 2020, 9:44 pm

I always fancied one of these bikes and when I saw one for sale locally I had to buy it. It is a great mid 90s Reynolds steel frame bike with all original groupset still fitted, an interesting mix of Shimano Ultegra and LX! It has been well maintained and apart from needing a new bottom bracket looks in tip top condition.

Mine looks the same model as this one but in much better condition

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 3&t=411628

Researching a bit online I found this amazing resource from the manufacturer, SJS cycles.

http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/thorn ... ochure.pdf

I'm looking forward to fixing this beauty up.

John

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#329290

Postby servodude » July 29th, 2020, 12:08 am

That looks the business!

Love steel frames of that era - something by Robin Thorn would have been aspirational (been on one of his tandems)

My daily ride for years was a Raleigh Dune Dancer; 501 tubed early mountain-ish thing (EDIT for link: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 2&t=262825), that I kept going for years by upgrading every thing except wheels and frame.
Stolen out the back yard when I was out for a pub lunch.
I'd been in the process of taking the parts off to move to a newer bike, so all the cables were cut; I hope it cost them their teeth, when they realised it had no brakes.


-sd

redsturgeon
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Re: Thorn Audax.

#329343

Postby redsturgeon » July 29th, 2020, 9:01 am

I have a few(many) bikes, ranging from the early 90s to the present day. I have my trusty 1990 CroMo Rockhopper and a really nice Joe Murray Kona Cindercone of the same era that is my next project after the Thorn. It is amazing how tough these old bikes are though, they never seem to break like modern bikes.

John

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#329346

Postby servodude » July 29th, 2020, 9:12 am

redsturgeon wrote:they never seem to break like modern bikes


Certainly not in the "and that's the carbon end of your stay snapped" way (I'm looking at you Felt!)

The older I get the more I appreciate the flex in steel.
A friend of mine rides a 60s French thing with a proper suicide shifter (short lever on the front derailleur - not just a downtube friction shift) and it's the kind of thing you can go on forever it's so bloody forgiving of bumps.

I think it's time to retire my Edinburgh Cycles alu job (it's done me about 40k miles - but I've got replacement wheels) and get something older ;)

-sd

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#329353

Postby redsturgeon » July 29th, 2020, 9:29 am

My first proper bike was a Carlton Cobra, five gears, so only one downtube shifter to worry about. Rode it six miles to school every day for seven years.
Completely chrome plated frame, lovely thing, cost my dad a week's wages.

Some bastard nicked it at year 5, I recovered it but it had been trashed and the rear derailleur smashed so I stuck a fixed cog on the back and rode it as a fixie for the next two years.

John

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#331099

Postby redsturgeon » August 5th, 2020, 1:17 pm

After a bit of a check over of brakes, gears etc I took the Thorn out for a spin on Sunday. I had removed the mudguards and rack also to save weight and aero drag...I need all the help I can get!

Mrs RS says", Come out with me and Rach. It's a flat route and a great coffee stop halfway."

So I get up at 7 on Sunday morning and follow the girls out.

Some 35km later we stop for coffee. And 65km later after 700 metres of climbing, we return.

Ouch!

Good try out for the bike though, brakes good, gears tricky since the rear derailleur is set up completely the opposite way to most others I've every ridden, it naturally springs down to lower (easier) gears rather than the reverse which seems true for 99% of other bikes I've ridden! Also the gears are a bit lazy, suggesting a sticky cable (I look and see that the previous owner has misrouted the cable guide under the bottom bracket so an easy fix.

What the ride does tell me is, while the seat is good (no aches down below), the handlebars are set too aggressively low for someone of my age and the result is neck and shoulder ache that night.

The next day I look at raising the quill stem, a beautiful polished piece of aluminium by 3TTT — Tecnologia del Tubo Torino, an Italian maker of lightweight racing parts, I find I can only raise it by half an inch so look on eBay to see if there is a longer version. There isn't but I could buy the same part as I have for a mere £135...blimey I only paid £200 for the whole bike.

Next job is to look at re-lubing and tightening the headset which again is a polished aluminium thing of beauty which seems to need a special tool to remove. I spend a morning trying to track down exactly who makes this headset and apparently it is a Stronglight JDX94
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... 2&t=294920
and you can't get the tools anymore! Oh well will have to improvise on that one!

Only other thing I need to do is to put some wider tyres on it to cope with the bumpy Hampshire lanes, 23c is a little harsh even with the nice steel frame and 28c will roll better, be more comfy and more puncture resistant.

Looking forward to a few more decent rides over the summer on my new (old) steed.

John

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#331120

Postby Mike4 » August 5th, 2020, 2:25 pm

redsturgeon wrote:I have a few(many) bikes, ranging from the early 90s to the present day. I have my trusty 1990 CroMo Rockhopper and a really nice Joe Murray Kona Cindercone of the same era that is my next project after the Thorn. It is amazing how tough these old bikes are though, they never seem to break like modern bikes.

John


They've been saying that for the last 50 years....

redsturgeon
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Re: Thorn Audax.

#331149

Postby redsturgeon » August 5th, 2020, 3:19 pm

Mike4 wrote:
redsturgeon wrote:I have a few(many) bikes, ranging from the early 90s to the present day. I have my trusty 1990 CroMo Rockhopper and a really nice Joe Murray Kona Cindercone of the same era that is my next project after the Thorn. It is amazing how tough these old bikes are though, they never seem to break like modern bikes.

John


They've been saying that for the last 50 years....


:D :D :D

Unfortunately the modern stuff experiences problems in year 1 and 2 rather than year 25!

Looking at the Thorn so far all I can see that is not an original part are the tyres and brake blocks and cables. It probably has a new chain and cassette but I'm not sure.

As I said this one completed 60km on Sunday with no problems and would probably do another thousand miles without any new parts. I'm just being picky and trying to get everything back to perfect.

John

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#345927

Postby YeeWo » October 7th, 2020, 3:06 pm

servodude wrote:The older I get the more I appreciate the flex in steel.
Reassured to read this, I'm the same. I have a Ridgeback Flight 04 which has a rigid alu frame and carbon fibre forks and while I love the performance of the bike I do feel Far more comfortable on one of my trusty Bromptons!!

redsturgeon
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Re: Thorn Audax.

#346282

Postby redsturgeon » October 8th, 2020, 6:30 pm

Oh dear, I feel a little dirty and disloyal.

A couple of weeks ago I saw her, about 25 years old and looking totally pristine, dressed in top of the range kit and looking like she'd never been ridden at all.

I'd answered an ad on Gumtree and was told told come to an address on the south coast in the New Forest.

A dapper newly retired gentleman answered the door of an immaculate detached bungalow, one street in from the beach, he was expecting me and beckoned me through a locked gate at the side...and there she was!

A 2005 Specialized Tarmac Pro, full carbon fibre frame and full DuraAce groupset with Mavic Krysium wheels. Pretty much top of the range in 2005.

I've always had a soft spot for this bike since it was the exact model ridden by a friend of mine for 3000 miles in 12 days in the Race Across America when I was the manager for his support crew.

So I had to buy it and it rides like a dream, it really does look like it came out of the showroom yesterday.

I am finding it difficult to look the Thorn Audax in the eye though...

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Re: Thorn Audax.

#346345

Postby servodude » October 9th, 2020, 1:26 am

redsturgeon wrote:I am finding it difficult to look the Thorn Audax in the eye though...


When you're done sipping your caffè latte it will still be there ;)

Congrats on the new wheels tho

- sd


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