Cycling UK Forum

Considering these two bikes for touring with moderate load. One concern is gearing. I think the Spa has options to get very low indeed but not sure about the Thorn.

I know the Thorn is more expensive but the quality and pedigree is impressive. Also, as I live in Exeter, a trip to view bikes, sizing up, etc to Bridgewater is much more practical than to Harrogate!

Anyone know about low gearing options on the Thorn? (Will call them on Monday anyway) or have any views on these two bikes.

Thorn will fit just about any gearing you like, if you have a look at the SJS website you'll see the huge range they stock and I see no reason they wouldn't fit anything from that.
I am a bit of a Thorn/SJS fan, have two Thorn bikes, plus previously another, and SJS are my preferred retailer for anything I can't get locally. I've always had first class service from them, even when things have gone wrong, a couple of times well exceeding my expectations. The service I've had from Spa has been far more variable, from excellent to rather poor. However, if the Elan and Tour both suited me, I'd find it very hard to justify the price difference, framesets are currently £485 V's £790 and the build price from there probably comparable. IMO the Thorn is better built, SS fittings, better finish, but I can't see it being three hundred quid better. Also, if you want disc brakes, the Thorn option has a hefty twin plate fork, the Elan can be specced with a carbon disc fork.
I am a bit sceptical that the Elan and Club Tour belong on the same shortlist, I don't think Thorn offer anything with derailleurs comparable to the Elan and Spa's equivalent to the CT would be something else. Of course, much of the differences will be the build rather than frameset, though IMO there would be an element of square peg into round hole.

Lazybird wrote: ↑23 Sep 2023, 12:04pm Considering these two bikes for touring with moderate load. One concern is gearing. I think the Spa has options to get very low indeed but not sure about the Thorn.

I know the Thorn is more expensive but the quality and pedigree is impressive. Also, as I live in Exeter, a trip to view bikes, sizing up, etc to Bridgewater is much more practical than to Harrogate!

Anyone know about low gearing options on the Thorn? (Will call them on Monday anyway) or have any views on these two bikes.

For a long time I had a Thorn Club Tour that I really liked, and it was only because of rust (after years of commuting through winter) that I got fed up with maintaining it and got a Spa Titanium Tourer. The latter, which wasn't cheap, is even nicer. But I remember the Club Tour with fondness. I expect Thorn will be able to get your gearing down to rock bottom low if you give them a call, so don't let that put you off them. And being able to get to them in person is a big advantage. But Spa give you better value for money, and that includes a well put together frame and forks with everything well thought out. Either option would give you a great quality bike. Spa will cost you less, but Thorn is closer to hand. If it were me, maybe Thorn being closer would clinch it.

Lazybird wrote: ↑23 Sep 2023, 12:04pm Anyone know about low gearing options on the Thorn?

The options will depend upon what bottom gear you actually want, and whether you want to use STIs (or other indexed road shifters) or flat bar shifters.

That said, both Spa and SJS should be able to offer a build specification with the same or very similar bottom gear, and so gearing should probably not determine your choice between them.

Lazybird wrote: ↑23 Sep 2023, 12:04pm Considering these two bikes for touring with moderate load. One concern is gearing. I think the Spa has options to get very low indeed but not sure about the Thorn.

I know the Thorn is more expensive but the quality and pedigree is impressive. Also, as I live in Exeter, a trip to view bikes, sizing up, etc to Bridgewater is much more practical than to Harrogate!

Anyone know about low gearing options on the Thorn? (Will call them on Monday anyway) or have any views on these two bikes.

I have to admit to being a Thorn guy*. Since 2004 I've toured on three of their frames and I find their handling impeccable, whether unloaded, slightly loaded or very heavily loaded.
Given that you're so close to them, it might be worth contacting them to see if they have any demonstrators for a test ride.
Personally speaking, whilst gears are a consideration, they can be changed whereas you are stuck with handling.

(*Ssshhhh..... I've actually got five of their frames... two built up and the others hanging from ropes. Don't tell me missus).

I have a Club Tour Mk IV and I've no real complaints, only a couple of minor niggles. The MKIV rear dropouts don't have separate mounts for both mudguards and rear rack, it's not an insurmountable problem but an odd omission on a touring bike. I also don't like the mounting position for the rear disc caliper, rearwards of the seat stay. I run my Club Tour with V brakes but if you choose to run with a rear disc brake it's more likely to interfere with a rear rack. I'm not sure the Thorn is better built than the Elan but it's probably better quality. In addition to the points made by PH the Thorn has 725 tubing throughout.

I originally fitted the 853 front fork and built my Club Tour up as a light tourer come gravel bike. Be aware that he 853 fork does not have low rider bosses for a front rack, I'm not even sure if it's even an option on the MkV as it would restrict you to front rim brakes. I've subsequently replaced the 853 fork with one equipped for a front rack.

I've only limited experience of the Elan. A couple of years ago on my way home from Scotland I spent a day test riding a number of Spa bikes. The Elan wasn't on my radar but by coincidence I bumped into 531Colin (the Elan's designer) when I was test riding another model, he urged me to try the Elan. I was completely won over and a titanium Elan will probably be my next bike purchase. I'm inclined to agree with PH, the two bikes are quite different. My Thorn was OK as a gravel bike with the 853 fork but was never an exiting ride. it's much better in it's present guise as an out and out tourer. The Spa Elan is much more of a do it all bike and is a lot more fun to ride.

Thanks for these comments. The two bikes might not be directly comparable but both fulfil the role of being able to take me touring (mainly road) with moderate luggage and are not too heavy. Both around 12kg I believe. The Elan is marketed as more of a do anything bike but I have another bike for day rides etc. The price difference would probably be swallowed up by the return train fare to Harrogate.

My experience of Thorn is scarred by owning an Audax Mk3 which rusted away on the inside in about a year of light use.

Upshot of all this was that I called Thorn to see of I could go up and look at/try bikes and they hardly have any stock. Also, they don’t have the choice of frames and colours listed on their website with which they could build up a bike in my size. No prospect of them getting new frames in stock for the next eighteen months. It seems that since Covid, they have run down their show room and it is now just a store room for the components they do happen to have.