[rlong]

I'm still looking for a 150 mm stoker crank arm set and came across these on the St. Johns St. Cycles website. Thorn makes a complete line of bikes and tandems, plus components, including tandem cranksets starting at 140 mm and increasing from there in 5 mm increments. After juggling waved taxes included on the list price against the shipping costs they appear to be priced at $158.00 for stoker cranks only. This is still $100.00 less than anything else I can find and thats limited to daVinci at $260.00 and TA Zepher's at about the same price, but I havn't heard back from them (Peter White)so I'm not sure if 150's are even available through them.

Is anyone familiar with the Thorn line? If so, I'd love to hear what you know. My wife says "Nuts to that, buy the daVinci's. Colorados just up the road compared to London if we have a problem." Certainly something to consider. Again, if anyone knows of another source of stoker, 150mm set, I'd love to hear about them.

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[mrfish]

Thorn have a very good reputation in the UK and Europe, especially for their tandems and mail order of small hard to get parts.

When I was about 12 I used to live in Bridgwater and visited their shop to look (drool) at their bikes, with a view to getting a 10 speed racer. Unfortunately all their bikes were out of my parents' price range at that time, but I do clearly remember one of the Thorn family with very wild hair telling me and my dad that bike racing is very hard and that I should think twice before getting into bike racing. Not the best sales technique, but very honest. Thorn's products are distinctive in a way that larger corporations' products are not.

SJC's range of bikes covers touring through to fast day-riding bikes, which are aimed at people who appreciate high quality and good design and expect their bike to last a long time, rather than following the latest lighter = better or aero = faster Lance-alike fad. Following this philosophy all their frames are made in-house from steel using artisan techniques rather than TIG welding aluminium pipes. They practically pioneered use of Rohloff hubs in the UK and offer an interesting mix of new ideas on some bikes. Their staff also ride bikes and can offer good advice based on experience.

Definitely the sort of firm you want to keep in business by spending money with.

Andrew

[rlong]

Thorn have a very good reputation in the UK and Europe, especially for their tandems and mail order of small hard to get parts.

When I was about 12 I used to live in Bridgwater and visited their shop to look (drool) at their bikes, with a view to getting a 10 speed racer. Unfortunately all their bikes were out of my parents' price range at that time, but I do clearly remember one of the Thorn family with very wild hair telling me and my dad that bike racing is very hard and that I should think twice before getting into bike racing. Not the best sales technique, but very honest. Thorn's products are distinctive in a way that larger corporations' products are not.

SJC's range of bikes covers touring through to fast day-riding bikes, which are aimed at people who appreciate high quality and good design and expect their bike to last a long time, rather than following the latest lighter = better or aero = faster Lance-alike fad. Following this philosophy all their frames are made in-house from steel using artisan techniques rather than TIG welding aluminium pipes. They practically pioneered use of Rohloff hubs in the UK and offer an interesting mix of new ideas on some bikes. Their staff also ride bikes and can offer good advice based on experience.

Definitely the sort of firm you want to keep in business by spending money with.

Andrew
Thank you very much for that great review Andrew. I may just buy those cranks now. I left an email over the weekend with SJS asking for a little more information about the quality of the cranks (cold forged or melt), and it's a little difficult to determine the final price online, as I said in my post. But they do look like a nice piece of workmansship, not to mention the incredible availibility of sizes.

Thanks,
rlong

[twonbike]

We brouht our Thorn Tandem and other stuff from Thorn. We found them to be very effecient and easy to deal with. It would take about 7 working days from the time I sent the e-mail, untill the part arrived in our mail box. We live in New Zealand. I can't recondend them highly enough.
Cheers Brian

[rlong]

We brouht our Thorn Tandem and other stuff from Thorn. We found them to be very effecient and easy to deal with. It would take about 7 working days from the time I sent the e-mail, untill the part arrived in our mail box. We live in New Zealand. I can't recondend them highly enough.
Cheers Brian
Thanks Brian.

[wobblyoldgeezer]

Thanks Brian.

Just another positive referral for St John St Cycles

We're riding our Santana tandem in Bahrain now - previously in UK and a lot of European trips

I bought it as a 'we found an old tandem frame in the loft, we don't know what it is, yours cheap' stock clearance offer from St J. They built it up beautifully, asking a lot of questions and coming through with exactly the kit that suited my 'minimum fuss, longest durability' specification. That was 15 years ago, about 20k miles at the very least ago, several countries ago. The bike still works great, and I'm no mechanic - they just took a strong frame and matched it with strong and simple components.

I'd recommend them a lot!

[stapfam]

My wife says "Nuts to that, buy the daVinci's. Colorados just up the road compared to London if we have a problem." Certainly something to consider. Again, if anyone knows of another source of stoker, 150mm set, I'd love to hear about them.

Your wife talks a lot of sense. Prices are not cheap in the UK compared to the US, but If this is the only source of 150mm cranks- then give it a try.

[galen_52657]

Secialites TA sells 155 mm cranks. Close enough?

http://www.specialites-ta.com/produits/ped_vega_gb.htm#

Peter White carries them in the USA

[rlong]

Secialites TA sells 155 mm cranks. Close enough?

http://www.specialites-ta.com/produits/ped_vega_gb.htm#

Peter White carries them in the USA
Yes, I'm aware of Peter White's website, but I have not been able to get in touch with them. I've had some problems with my email lately and I'm just not sure if they are receiving my requests for info, or not. I will keep trying. No, 155mm is not close enough. 150mm is as big as I want to get. She measures out for 145-147mm.

[TandemGeek]

I've had some problems with my email lately and I'm just not sure if they are receiving my requests for info, or not.

Try that other, much overlooked communications device... the phone.

603-478-0900

[rlong]

Try that other, much overlooked communications device... the phone.

603-478-0900
It just so happens that I possess one of these devices and will give it a try :-) It's occasionally scary how the nose on my face can be so illusive.
Thanks TandemGeek