Thanet Silverthan Ladies bike?

Is it a Thanet Silverthan rare ladies bike Could anybody help be ID this bike? I think it's early 50's? It has a Brooks B72L saddle but the back wheel has been re-built with a Sturmy Archer 3 speed 1963. Very light bike even with SM hub.

Sorry, I keep getting page not found errors with those pictures.

Thanet Silverlights are a very distinctive frame shape:
http://www.theracingbicycle.com/Thanet.html

Thats better, pic's working

No it's not a Thanet.

It looks like a very standard mass market frame (Hercules, Phillips, Sun?) that had a respray about 50 years ago with transfers applied at random. (It's quite common for restorers to do this: they've got a newly stoved frame and a box of assorted transfers - they think the frame looks a bit bare with nothing on it, so the apply whatever transfer they happen to have.)

Thanets were very elegant frames, always silver soldered with eccentric features e.g. the seat and down tubes met in a point *under *the bottom bracket shell - some cynics referred to them as 'ploughs'. Hilary Stone (mentioned elsewhere in this column) has published an interesting booklet on the marque.

I'd say the best item on this machine is the handlebar stem which looks like a GB '531'. The chainset is a useable Williams C34 (n.b. the cotterpins are badly fitted - the rule is crank forward, nut upwards). The rims look like Weinmann, but I think they're 26 x 1 and 1/4" so you'll be lucky to find any tyres for them.

Well, it could be a SilverTHAN, 'cos I misread your first post as SilverLIGHT as the former is a conventionally framed but silver brazed design, not the weird one (according to Mr Google - a nice example here http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/kh-thanet-silverthan.html )

However, I have to agree with clubman in that it is most likely a mass market bike. The quality of the lugwork doesn't really mark it out as something special, but with a bit of tlc could be a nice bike.

Thanks for your comments but if you look at this link its very similar

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/thanet.html

What makes you think so? Its hard to be sure from that tiny picture, but the forks at least look different. I think yours look thicker than the Thanet ones..

Is that an alloy seatpin? What else is on it? If thats a 531 stem, the alloy bars/rims/seatpin would suggest its somewhere above the average massmarket frame ( or at least been upgraded, if it was a 50s frame), but that doesnt rule out the respray idea either..

As for tyres, SJS usually has cheap Schwalbes in stock..

Yes alloy bars, seat pin and alloy wheels built by Harry Hall Manchester. It does feel light tho and that's with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed. I bought it with a Houldsworth Cyclone 1955 so I think it dates from then. What colour should I enamel it? All the other bits are useable.

Just looked it is a GB 531 3" chrome stem with a bit of rust on it. Had a look on ebay £151 is that what they go for?? That may pay for the re-build Tis a Williams clanger, not too bad. when it's finished it will be a good replacement for my wife's Raleigh Caprice flower design.

Yes it is a GB 531 Stem

As for tyres, SJS usually has cheap Schwalbes in stock..

I'd certainly be interested to hear if they have 26 x 1 and 1/4"

The diameter of the seat pin is a fair guide to the quality of a steel frame.

Standard 531 butted tubing (which would probably be the basis of every Thanet) will take a 27.2 mm. pin. There are some good frames which take 27.0 or even 26.8, but smaller than this and you're not looking at a high quality vintage machine.

Incidentally I believe the red star of the Thanet head badge reflected Les Cassell's interest in socialism.

I'd certainly be interested to hear if they have 26 x 1 and 1/4"

Thats the 26 thats =ETRTO 597

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Schwalbe-Tyres-Schwalbe-HS130-Rigid-Tyre--Black--26-x-1-1-4-Inch-%2832-597%29-6884.htm

Thanks......I'm impressed.