Looking for an alternative to a Thorn Audax

[London Female]

I am looking to buy a new bike, after lots of searching and looking online I had decided on a Thorn Audax. I emailed Thorn to make an appointment however, I was very disappointed with their reply. I will not be allowed to take a bike on a test ride although they have offered to put one on a turbo for me. I am not really keen to pay £1300 upwards for a bike I can not even take out for a ride.

So it is back to the drawing board. I would like something that can take mudguards and rack, could be used for light touring and can be used on roads and the odd track, I think a traditional tourer may be too heavy and a bit over the top for what I want. I could push my budget a bit more but would rather not.

Thank you.

 

[vickster]

Have a look at Pearson's or Spa's offerings?

 

[numbnuts]

That's a bit much surly that is just turning away customers, I have a Thorn Club Tour with I bought out of a box having given Robin Thorn my measurements and it fitted like a glove and some 28,000 + I’m still smiling

 

[Fab Foodie]

My choices would be:

Condor Fratello (I think you need to do the bike builder bit to get a price complete) would be my first choice:
http://www.condorcycles.com/Audax-Commute-Touring/9457-Condor-Fratello-Frameset/flypage.tpl.html

Genesis Equilibrium:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/equilibrium/equilibrium-10

Condor are in London and are renown for good servce (their shop is wonderful) and the Genesis is available from Oxfords 'Bike Zone'.

The Genesis is great value, available at different price points and looks great too, the Fretelllo just has that slight extra touch of indefinable lovliness ... Oh, and it's a Condor!

I built one for you! Tiagra, Aksiums and basic other bits £1457

 

[vickster]

Pearson steel options?

http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/41186/Pearson-Easy-Come-Easy-Go-17/

http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/42173/Pearson-IMayBeSomeTime/

 

[Venod]

Have you considered Kinesis some of their Roadlight series take guards & racks & are well considered as a good winter bike by a lot of club riders, and there is the Decade tripster if you want a good all rounder,

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/decade/tripster

They also do female specific frames should you want one.

 

[London Female]

Have a look at Pearson's or Spa's offerings?

Thank you for your reply, I had a look on Pearsons and it says their bikes are suitable for people from 5'5", unfortunately I am only 5'2" and from what I could tell the Spa bikes are all compacts. I should have said I prefer a triple.

 

[London Female]

That's odd, because I bought a Thorn Audax from SJS in March and they let me take it for a test ride first, although it was a demo one already (the only small frame they had). Perhaps they've had a bad experience since then. My criteria were the same as yours, and it's a great bike. The sales woman there is very friendly and helpful - maybe try talking to her again? She might ride out with you or something.

I only made my enquiry by email so maybe I will phone and speak to them. Thank you for your reply.

 

[London Female]

That's a bit much surly that is just turning away customers, I have a Thorn Club Tour with I bought out of a box having given Robin Thorn my measurements and it fitted like a glove and some 28,000 + I’m still smiling

I have heard good things about Thorn bikes which is why I wanted one, maybe I will still pay them a visit next month. Thank you.

 

[London Female]

Have you considered Kinesis some of their Roadlight series take guards & racks & are well considered as a good winter bike by a lot of club riders, and there is the Decade tripster if you want a good all rounder,

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/decade/tripster

They also do female specific frames should you want one.

Thank you, I hadn't considered looking at Kinesis.

 

[London Female]

My choices would be:

Condor Fratello (I think you need to do the bike builder bit to get a price complete) would be my first choice:
http://www.condorcycles.com/Audax-Commute-Touring/9457-Condor-Fratello-Frameset/flypage.tpl.html

Genesis Equilibrium:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/equilibrium/equilibrium-10

Condor are in London and are renown for good servce (their shop is wonderful) and the Genesis is available from Oxfords 'Bike Zone'.

The Genesis is great value, available at different price points and looks great too, the Fretelllo just has that slight extra touch of indefinable lovliness ... Oh, and it's a Condor!

I built one for you! Tiagra, Aksiums and basic other bits £1457

The Condor is very pretty!! I wonder if they have demo bikes you can try, I may call them. I did look at genesis, I love the look of their bikes too but they are all compacts and I want a triple. Thank you.

 

[vickster]

Condor do have a number of bikes built up in their very lovely showroom, including sale models if lucky

Note, they don't open on Sunday

 

[London Female]

The sales person is Lisa - it's her picture on the spec page for the Mk 3. http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/Thorn_Audax_Mk3.pdf Try asking to speak to her.

Thank you, I will ask for Lisa when I call. The email I had was from Sarah.

 

[fossala]

The Condor is very pretty!! I wonder if they have demo bikes you can try, I may call them. I did look at genesis, I love the look of their bikes too but they are all compacts and I want a triple. Thank you.

You can buy a genesis frameset (or any other for that matter) and build it up exactly as you want.

 

[Fab Foodie]

You can buy a genesis frameset (or any other for that matter) and build it up exactly as you want.

^^^^ Exactly.

The pro's are that you can have the bike exactly as you want it and spend money on the parts that are more important to you; for example: Bike model heirarchy = after the frame is based on more expensive groupsets, but then what you find is that the wheelsets on very expensive bikes are very poor in relation to the rest of it. I would spend less on groupset and finishing kit and a lot more on wheels and tyres as after the frame these make the biggest difference to how a bike rides and feels and accelerates. Rotating weight saved is far more valuable than static weight.
The con's are that it will likely work out more expensive than buying an off the peg bike and you have to factor a 'build' cost. However, you get exactly what you want, and which will fit you well and that's important.

Thorn, Genesis, Condor are all good. I would say tha Condor and Genesis would be most similar to each other and the Thorn more idiosyncratic in style, sizing and approach (and there's nothing wrong with that!).

You'll fly on any of them!