Pointed out by one of our readers last week, the Thorn Touring Bike Bible is a massive 80-page document brimming with helpful information on touring bikes, components, why weight doesn’t matter, rolling resistance, flat bars versus drops, and much more. Dig into the entire document here…

Last week, in the discussion section of our Trek CheckOUT review, Cy from Cotic brought up a thought in the conversation: What are the drawbacks a similar price/material XC full suspension bike would have compared to this…? It’s a good question with no correct answer, and swapping flat bars for drop bars on full-suspension bikes isn’t a new concept, but we wanted to hear from our readers for their thoughts on the subject. In our Friday Debrief, we asked for your ideas, and reader Dann Zinke shared the Touring Bike Bible by Thorn Cycles.

  • Thorn Touring Bible
  • Thorn Touring Bible

Thorn Cycles is a highly respected UK bicycle brand best known for its steel touring bike lineup designed for around-the-world travel. They’ve been at it for over two decades, working alongside SJS Cycles, a shop and online supplier of touring bikes, parts, and gear. Thorn bikes are still available to purchase from SJS today. They are made in Taiwan, then customized and built for each customer at the shop. Andy Blance was responsible for Thorn’s bicycle designs for years, and although he no longer works for the brand, his obsession with touring lives on with the Thorn Cycles Touring Bike Bible, much of which was written by Andy.

Although slightly outdated in some sections, the bible is chock-full of priceless information on nearly every aspect of bicycle touring. Topics discussed include bike geometry and comfort, gearing, tire pressure, aerodynamics, brakes, bags and gear, and much more. What Danne referenced was the section on flat bars versus drop bars, which is pretty interesting if you ever wonder why folks choose one over the other. There’s also some fascinating thoughts on bicycle weight and why it matters way less than you might think.

Head over to SJSCycles.com to download the full bible as a PDF. Thanks for sharing, Dann!

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