Thorn Cycles; SJS Cycles

My take/understanding was that you’ll never get it 100% sealed so better to make it easy for the water to get back out.

Whoever built the frame in question obviously felt differently, wonder if they are still built that way, I have two mates that have Nomads (I think).

@edscoble had a nice sherpa at one point
@Sparky did mad touring on his too!

I have two mates that have Nomads (I think).

?

Currently they are ED coated internally with breather holes left open!

I'd second this, the online stock room at SJS has definitely played a seeding role in several projects over the years.

I've spotted some tiny component I never knew existed and thought 'well if I got one of those then this would work with that' and we're away.

Best parts shop on the web, hands down .

Rohloff have no issue with it;

“generally 1x seems to be unaccepted by the majority of our customers as they believe the wheels strength comes form the crosses themselves. As such, although the best lacing pattern is often 1x, we state 2x in our literature for wheels of 26" diameter and above / 1x for all wheels smaller than 26" diameter.

A 1x laced SPEEDHUB wheel creates almost the same spoke angle as that created by a 3x derailleur wheel (see PDF attached)

You are permitted to use a 1x pattern for all wheels if you so wish this is not a problem. Wheels should never be laced in 3x or 4x patterns as the spoke nipples are unable to angle themselves enough to accept the flatter spoke angle. This cases spokes to kink at the spoke/nipple join and they will break at this point.”

So Rohloff's technical instructions are wrong, they know they're wrong, but they publish them anyway? Rather disappointing attitude to communications with their customers.

It’s a general rule of thumb, not going to argue over it.. I don’t work for Rohloff!

Cool.

The frame in question was yellow, fillet brazed construction with ritchey dropouts and what looks like a brazed on, stainless headbadge. Top and down tubes are tapered. You wouldn’t know what sort of age or material that’d have been would you?

I’ve salvaged the top tube from it and am using it in another frame as it seemed like a nice lightweight butted tube and the corrosion inside it wasn’t too bad.

It’d be good to know what kind of tubing it’s likely to be.

I can find out, you got photos of the full frame?

No, I never bothered taking any before I started breaking it up.

I’m saving the dropouts and all the brazeons from it too.

I’ll do a proper google mission and see if I can find anything that looks like it.

All the fittings will be stainless I reckon, my best mate has one, Audax, handbuilt by Kevin Sayles, brazed on stainless headbadge etc..

I reckon it's been a Sherpa as it had a derailleur hanger though I seem to be finding some photos of derailleur equiped Nomad's too.

There are some anomalies too like I'm only finding photos of frames with seat stay pump pegs and the one I have took the pump behind the seattube. Need to check if it's got downtube shifter bosses too, I don't remember them being there but the only frames I can find without them are the newer hub gear ones.

Having done a bit of googling it has occured to me that the frame number will probably be a good place to start so I'll check that out tomorrow.

Frame no looks like LA 1242001 which according to some other internet posts might mean it’s a Lee Cooper built frame. Shame it got into such a state.

It did have downtube shifter bosses after all. Still perplexed by the position of the pump pegs but never mind.

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I have two oldish Thorns. Love em. Massive steerer stacks, I’m proud to report.

I have a Thorn eXp of some vintage that has a lot of similarities to the one you’re describing. Fillet brazed. ‘Sealed’ top and down tubes, closed bottle bosses, tapered main tubes. For derailleur. Chunky ends with socketed tops that may well be ritchey under the powder, never looked hard. My pump peg is down the NDS seat stay, the peg mounted on a little curved bracket spanning the seat tube to seat stay. Mine has an X shaped bridge instead of single seatstay bridge.

As far as I’ve discovered the tubes are likely to be what Thorn were calling their custom ‘conical 725’.

I believe mine’s made by Kevin Sayles when he worked at Thorn SJS. Let’s hope he sealed mine properly. The only way to find out would be to saw the tubes or drill holes. Did the one that came to you crack somewhere?

I did have a chat with Dave Whittle a while back who I think mentioned there were also conical 853 tubes at one point. But one would imagine 725 would have been used on the heavyweight expedition type frames.

handbuilt by Kevin Sayles, brazed on stainless headbadge etc..

Damn, mine too. Wish I’d worked out how have that masked before/stripped back after powdercoat. Winston seemed to think that would have been impossible.

There were rust holes in the seattube but no cracks.

Give yours a shake, you’d hear the water sloshing around!

Top and down tubes on mine are tapered.

Hey Ryan /sjs cycles..

I haven’t received the brake lever I bought from you 3 weeks ago and you haven’t responded to emails and messages via the forum.. what’s up?

busy!

the LH one is in the post!

I bought this thorn frame off eBay a while back - Kevin sayles serial number:

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Shit me.

That’s possibly from a friend / thorn workshop bike builder... if so, defo a KS.

When brought, how much for etc?

I love the rims

I loved my rear so much until it exploded on the B518.

And the proper leather shoes heel technique to change a tyre in Clissold park.