Hi Skipper, Tony Woodrup from Woodrup cycles here. Prices for our handmade Chimera frameset built from Reynolds 725 tubing start from £1170 inc vat, full bikes using Shimano Alfine 11 start from around £2400 and Rohloff from around £3000. As all our bikes are fully custom built from a wide range of component options we can adapt our bikes to suite most budgets and riding styles. If you are passing by Leeds and would like to take a bike out for a test ride please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Visiting Thorn - Thinking of a New Raven - Any tips
- Thread starter Skipper9999
- Start date
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Hi Skipper, Tony Woodrup from Woodrup cycles here. Prices for our handmade Chimera frameset built from Reynolds 725 tubing start from £1170 inc vat, full bikes using Shimano Alfine 11 start from around £2400 and Rohloff from around £3000. As all our bikes are fully custom built from a wide range of component options we can adapt our bikes to suite most budgets and riding styles. If you are passing by Leeds and would like to take a bike out for a test ride please don’t hesitate to contact me.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
Just make sure they know you are coming that far and what you are interested in.
We did 2 * 250 miles round trips for our bikes and made it clear to them what we were interested in beforehand.
Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
- Location
- Back up north
Maybe they were having an off day when we went....
There is a review of the woodrup chimera in this months 'cycle' magazine from the CTC
Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
- Location
- Back up north
In the end he bought a steel-framed bike he saw in a tiny bike shop in Kendal! Seems happy enough with it, although the paint on the frame seems to chip very easily. But that's irrelevant for the OP!
I bought myself a bike a bit later - went to Hewitt's in Leyland (Lancashire), got measured up and bought a Cheviot tourer. Very happy with that.
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
In that respect it's a bit like a Thorn. They provide a dinky little paintpot, so you can mend the chips very easily.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
How did you get on?
OP
OP
Skipper9999
Well-Known Member
- Location
- South Shields
Well thanks for asking and sorry it took a while to answer........... Late back last night.
The experience was well worth the journey down to Bridgwater even at 660 miles round trip and a night in a hotel.
We were (4 of us took the opportunity to visit and 3 of us to ride out on the bikes) met by Stephen who with a bit of assistance looked after us throughout the morning. I was bowled over by the size of the operation they have and the vast array of test bikes.
After an introduction I was asked what sort of things I wanted from the bike, I am quite a novice with probably less than 3000 miles under my belt since I took up cycling a couple of years ago and usually spend my time walking the hills or doing trips further afield on a motor cycle.
.
My main use would be a 3 times weekly run out for about an hour on 75% roads (with the ever growing potholes) 20% uneven pavement and 5% gravel path. On a good weekend about 30 miles taking in more gravel paths and the odd bit muddy path. On the odd trip away with light luggage and this may grow into a tent etc one day. I do intend to get out more in the future. I hope to do LEJOG in a couple of years time and not sure what route I would take . I can’t see myself throwing myself down mountain hills but I would like to spend more time on forest tracks and old railway lines.
The test bike I took out was a Thorn Raven with big tyres (I think they were Marathon Supremes) the bike I could not fault, the Rohloff Hub instantly took to me; the V-brakes stopped the bike when instructed. (Although I had always fancied Disc) The riding position was good using The Thorn flat track bars with the Ergon bar ends suited me well. The ride was a lot better than I get from my Dawes Karakum running on Marathon Plus 700x35 tyres.
My only doubt was not while riding the bike it was looking at it afterwards, it just looks so small with its 26” wheels and my 6’1” height and 100kg bulk. It did not feel small while I was riding it only the photographs afterwards.
I can’t help think that people will think I have borrowed it, or is this something I will get used to? Do any other users have similar experience and overcome them. Or should I look at 700 wheels? Would these be strong enough for the riding I want to do?
So many questions I have looked at forum posts about wheel size and still can’t find myself an answer and wondered if it was best and gain knowledge from other large riders about the bikes they ride.
I know that Thorn also do the Mercury but failed to spend much time with this yesterday.
I had a nice phone call with Tony Woodrup after his earlier post to which he supplied a rough quote but wondered if I was going to the other side of £3000 a bit too far (same as the Mercury). The Woodrup product does look good.
My day well worth the trouble and I learned so much but sadly not enough. My only complaint of Thorn was the missing cup of coffee ..........
So many questions to ask I hope forum members can help.
The test bike
Is it me or do the wheels look small?
The experience was well worth the journey down to Bridgwater even at 660 miles round trip and a night in a hotel.
We were (4 of us took the opportunity to visit and 3 of us to ride out on the bikes) met by Stephen who with a bit of assistance looked after us throughout the morning. I was bowled over by the size of the operation they have and the vast array of test bikes.
After an introduction I was asked what sort of things I wanted from the bike, I am quite a novice with probably less than 3000 miles under my belt since I took up cycling a couple of years ago and usually spend my time walking the hills or doing trips further afield on a motor cycle.
.
My main use would be a 3 times weekly run out for about an hour on 75% roads (with the ever growing potholes) 20% uneven pavement and 5% gravel path. On a good weekend about 30 miles taking in more gravel paths and the odd bit muddy path. On the odd trip away with light luggage and this may grow into a tent etc one day. I do intend to get out more in the future. I hope to do LEJOG in a couple of years time and not sure what route I would take . I can’t see myself throwing myself down mountain hills but I would like to spend more time on forest tracks and old railway lines.
The test bike I took out was a Thorn Raven with big tyres (I think they were Marathon Supremes) the bike I could not fault, the Rohloff Hub instantly took to me; the V-brakes stopped the bike when instructed. (Although I had always fancied Disc) The riding position was good using The Thorn flat track bars with the Ergon bar ends suited me well. The ride was a lot better than I get from my Dawes Karakum running on Marathon Plus 700x35 tyres.
My only doubt was not while riding the bike it was looking at it afterwards, it just looks so small with its 26” wheels and my 6’1” height and 100kg bulk. It did not feel small while I was riding it only the photographs afterwards.
I can’t help think that people will think I have borrowed it, or is this something I will get used to? Do any other users have similar experience and overcome them. Or should I look at 700 wheels? Would these be strong enough for the riding I want to do?
So many questions I have looked at forum posts about wheel size and still can’t find myself an answer and wondered if it was best and gain knowledge from other large riders about the bikes they ride.
I know that Thorn also do the Mercury but failed to spend much time with this yesterday.
I had a nice phone call with Tony Woodrup after his earlier post to which he supplied a rough quote but wondered if I was going to the other side of £3000 a bit too far (same as the Mercury). The Woodrup product does look good.
My day well worth the trouble and I learned so much but sadly not enough. My only complaint of Thorn was the missing cup of coffee ..........
So many questions to ask I hope forum members can help.
The test bike
Is it me or do the wheels look small?
OP
OP
Skipper9999
Well-Known Member
- Location
- South Shields
Do Rohloff not only do 32 holes ??
I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I've always preferred the look of 700c wheeled bikes. I'm 6'2" and the 26" wheeled bikes I've had always look to me to be out of proportion. If you do look at 700c Rohloff bikes there isn't a lot of choice, the titanium Van Nicholas Amazon Rohloff might be worth a look, is a bit cheaper than the Thorn Mercury, but still not cheap. There's plenty of other British frame builders with Rohloff experience, I've seen examples from Dave Yates, Bob Jackson, Mercian and Roberts, all of which have looked good, none of which are cheap!
I started a thread for photos of Rohloff bikes, Rockymountain was good enough to add his, it'd be good to see a few more on there.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/rohloffs.123079/
I started a thread for photos of Rohloff bikes, Rockymountain was good enough to add his, it'd be good to see a few more on there.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/rohloffs.123079/
That used to be the case, mine is 32, now they offer 36.
Yellow7
Über Member
- Location
- Milton Keynes
I believe Rohloff have recently started selling a 36 hole but as the hub is not ‘dished’ (same spoke length either side) tension on either side is the same therefore, providing the wheel is made correctly to start with, spokes breaking becomes almost obsolete. My last tour was to Cape Town with no broken spokes….oh, and have I mentioned in previous post’s that was with just one flat!!! ;-))))
Interesting thread. I've had my raven for 6 years and think its great for an all purpose bike. I agree with much of the discussion above about it being wonderfully boring! I do like the look of the mercury and if funds were unlimited that would be my current choice. Partly for the aesthetics and also because i am not doing as much loaded touring as before. However, the raven tour blends into the bike sheds at work better than the mercury would. One important factor is that bikes like these really hold their value. I could probably get close to the purchase price of mine if I were to sell it even after 6 years daily use. The woodruff also looks great, despite the poor review in Cycle - such a wasted opportunity.
