Frank Tompson said:I've recently become the proud owner of a Thorn Raven Sport Tour. Overall,
great bike.However, initially the steering was really wobbly. I thought it was just me,
but eventually discovered the wrong forks had been fitted. Instead of a 47mm
rake, a 42mm rake fork had been fitted. It was replaced immediately.With the 47mm rake fork it is more stable (phew!) by a factor of, say, 50%.
(I understand that this goes against conventional logic which I can't
explain!) However, how do I get to what I regard as real stability like my
current Trek 7500FX. Ravens are supposed to 'run on rails'
Are you riding it laden or unladen? Is it sold as a load-carrier?
Quoted message said:The Raven comes with a number of height sizes, each of which includes a
'long' and a 'short' version. I opted for a short version because I like a
fairly upright ride, but now wonder if I would be better off with a long
version, and with a shorter handlebar stem. So the question is, would a
shorter stem (with a longer frame) provide more stability? Grateful for any
thoughts.
My Thorn Nomad also has very floppy steering. I *think* this is because
it's designed to be ridden fully loaded, and I never have any weight on
the front. I'm used to it now, but it was a surprise the first time I
got out of the saddle and the bike headed for the ditch.
Quoted message said:Also, I'm not entirely convinced by the Raven's 26" wheels. Any opinions?
I'm not convinced by the 26" wheels on my Nomad either. I know there's
very little difference in circumference, but the ride does seem worse on
our potholed, broken roads.
This is an interesting read:
http://www.precisiontandems.com/artbillwheelsize.htm