My son's Europe tour - aborted

[661-Pete]

He has just got back after about ten days into a camping tour that was meant to have lasted six weeks and taken him maybe as far as Budapest. As it turned out he got as far as northern Bavaria, near Würzburg, until mechanical problems thwarted him and he had to take the train back.

I think he did pretty well, on his first attempt at an overseas tour and only his second camping tour ever (he did a week's trial run in England a month earlier). He took in Northern France, the Ardennes, Luxembourg, the Rhineland and Mosel, and the Hunsrucke. The cycling was going well.

At least he's being positive about it and thinking of his next tour, but his touring bike will need significant amendments. Naturally he is rather gutted and frustrated. I keep telling him, it wasn't he who failed, it was the bike that failed.

 

[dragon72]

don't they have bike repair shops in Germany?

 

[jags]

ah tough luck ,what happened to his bike exactly
what make of bike was he on.

 

[661-Pete]

Thorn tourer, fitted with a SRAM-7 hub. It wouldn't change or run properly. That was the problem, incompatibility with the frame, it should have been a derailleur or a Rohloff .

This was as the bike shop who'd fixed it before the tour, back in UK, warned us, but he went ahead anyway. Had done well over 1000 miles on the two tours before the problem arose. Maybe it could have been fixed locally, but the problem would likely have come back. And he doesn't speak German. Anyway he made his decision.

 

[dragon72]

Bummer. Poor guy.
I wish him the best of luck for the second attempt.

 

[snowy10]

Good luck with the next tour.

 

[xilios]

Shame, he had to abort. Maybe he should learn a bit more about the mechanics of his bike before his next tour so this wont happen again and he doesn't have the need to rely on the mechanics at the LBS

 

[Brains]

Thorn tourer, fitted with a SRAM-7 hub. It wouldn't change or run properly. That was the problem, incompatibility with the frame, it should have been a derailleur or a Rohloff .

This was as the bike shop who'd fixed it before the tour, back in UK, warned us, but he went ahead anyway. Had done well over 1000 miles on the two tours before the problem arose. Maybe it could have been fixed locally, but the problem would likely have come back. And he doesn't speak German. Anyway he made his decision.

Anyone from Thorn want to comment ?

 

[661-Pete]

Anyone from Thorn want to comment ?

Sorry, I should have made it clear, it's probably not down to Thorn. The bike was bought second-hand, and it appears to have been modified by a previous owner, not with Thorn's approval. Just bad luck.

For those who suggested he should have tried harder to find a bike shop, I should point out that this was a hub gear problem - even in Germany not many bike shops will touch those. And he was miles from anywhere, not speaking the language, stranded on a small campsite in a tiny village, after dark, having spent most of the day, in the drizzle, trying to fix the problem. And utterly frustrated. Very sad but I think it was the only possible decision, to abort. He did well to sort out the trains and get himself - and the bike - home.

 

[Robin Thorn]

Folks, was just alerted to this, the above reply is correct, i can't see the details of the problem, but assuming the bike worked for 1000 miles we must assume that whowever fitted it had got over the initial problems.
There are 2 issues WRT fitting other hub gears onto rohloff Thorn frames:
1) the cable runs are not best for anything other than the rohloff hub for which they are designed
2) most/all other hub gears employ anti rotation washers on both sides, it's easily possible to to fit one on our left side long rohloff dropout but the right side, it's impossible, thus the axle is only held from rotating on the left, this may cause the axle to twist causing shifting problems or even axle failure!
[FONT=&quot]Regards[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]ROBIN THORN[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]St John St Cycles
91-93 St John Street
Bridgwater, Somerset
TA6 5HX
Tel: 01278-441522 (Int ++44-1278-441522)
Fax: 01278 431107 (Int ++44-1278-431107)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]mailto:robin@sjscycles.com[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk[/FONT]

 

[Brains]

There you go 661-PETE, words from the actual designer!
It sounds like best move is to get your son's Thorn back down to Bridgewater and let the experts make it what it should have been from the outset

It seems a pity to have a £1,000+ bike incapable of doing anything and in need of proper gears. A bit like having a top of the range sports car and then fitting it with a Ford Fiesa engine.

 

[Brains]

ps - Just sent my old bike down to Cornwall by Parcelforce - cost £21

 

[661-Pete]

There you go 661-PETE, words from the actual designer!
It sounds like best move is to get your son's Thorn back down to Bridgewater and let the experts make it what it should have been from the outset

I've already been in touch with Robin by E-mail. He's been most helpful.