Jonathan Hanson
Supporting Sponsor
. . . bicycles?
I started researching these in preparation for a project I'm planning. I want to circumnavigate the Grand Canyon by bicycle, taking in as much backcountry mileage as possible, and exploring and talking to people along the way. I plan to write a book about the trip, including a lot of natural history, but also stories about the people who live and work around and in the canyon--ranchers, rangers, the Hualapai and Navajo.
Anyway, there is a very minor worldwide industry in producing bicycles like the English Thorn models, which go beyond the normal touring bike in terms of strength and reliability. These bicycles are made for people who do things like pedal from Cape town to Cairo, or around Australia.
They're almost always steel-framed, either lugged or filet-brazed for rigidity, and incorporate braze-on fittings to carry racks and extra water bottles. They can be fitted with such things as front wheel hubs which double as generators for lights, and German Rohloff rear hubs, as in this photo, that have 14 internal gears (just this hub runs around $800), obviating the need for derailleurs and multiple front chainrings.
I'm thinking about ordering one of Thorn's Nomad frames to swap my existing components to. Here's Thorn's main website for anyone who likes the idea of a Land Cruiser in bike form:
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornwebsite/index.html
I started researching these in preparation for a project I'm planning. I want to circumnavigate the Grand Canyon by bicycle, taking in as much backcountry mileage as possible, and exploring and talking to people along the way. I plan to write a book about the trip, including a lot of natural history, but also stories about the people who live and work around and in the canyon--ranchers, rangers, the Hualapai and Navajo.
Anyway, there is a very minor worldwide industry in producing bicycles like the English Thorn models, which go beyond the normal touring bike in terms of strength and reliability. These bicycles are made for people who do things like pedal from Cape town to Cairo, or around Australia.
They're almost always steel-framed, either lugged or filet-brazed for rigidity, and incorporate braze-on fittings to carry racks and extra water bottles. They can be fitted with such things as front wheel hubs which double as generators for lights, and German Rohloff rear hubs, as in this photo, that have 14 internal gears (just this hub runs around $800), obviating the need for derailleurs and multiple front chainrings.
I'm thinking about ordering one of Thorn's Nomad frames to swap my existing components to. Here's Thorn's main website for anyone who likes the idea of a Land Cruiser in bike form:
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornwebsite/index.html