Thanet Silverlight - worth selling the car for?

[keithglos]

Re:

These frames were normally brazed using Johnson & Matthey easiflo 60 / 40 silver which had a cadmium content. This one looks to me to be joined at the bottom point with a fillet joint, not possible with the silver. Rotrax could have used a bronze weld, so this fits with the description. The bronze weld could be stronger, but a major weak point is about half way down the one inch downtube.

The Silverlight was extremely flexible to ride, with the bottom bracket swinging excessively. All I have left now is a couple of Dormer long 1/4 inch drills used to drill through for the 1/4 inch tubes that go through all the horizontal joints where you can see a hole, and half a tin of flux which still works.
This was really an ego trip for Les, who had zero engineering or mechanical ability, but was the class salesman.

Keith

 

[Spokesmann]

Still bloody nice looking, for all the technical shortcomings...

 

[Spokesmann]

Re-listed again...

£2995.

 

[sdp2112]

Re:

There many reasons to own an old bike, the fact that a Silverlight is a tad flexible shouldn't put anyone off owning one. They are a good looking bike and lot of work went into making them. They were always meant as a tourer and actually ride nicely, stable and comfortable. You may not win a time trial on one, so what? I thought this site was for people with an interest in old bikes.

 

[Spokesmann]

Re: Re:

There many reasons to own an old bike, the fact that a Silverlight is a tad flexible shouldn't put anyone off owning one. They are a good looking bike and lot of work went into making them. They were always meant as a tourer and actually ride nicely, stable and comfortable. You may not win a time trial on one, so what? I thought this site was for people with an interest in old bikes.

I agree totally.

 

[daccordimark]

Re: Re:

There many reasons to own an old bike, the fact that a Silverlight is a tad flexible shouldn't put anyone off owning one. They are a good looking bike and lot of work went into making them. They were always meant as a tourer and actually ride nicely, stable and comfortable. You may not win a time trial on one, so what? I thought this site was for people with an interest in old bikes.

I can't quite get my head around the apparent contradictions in the Silverlight design but then my understanding is based on these assumptions:

1. The suspended bottom bracket was supposed to be stiffer.
2. The undersized seat and down tubes were more flexible to aid comfort.
3. The Hellenic stays are also supposed to give a stiffer frame.

Those elements don't seem to add up to a coherent design and you end up with a flexible frame that has the potential to be a handling nightmare at speed with a touring load on board. When all is said and done the bicycle is a machine and all the fancy design elements, intricate (fake?) lugs, time consuming construction etc. count for nothing if the function is compromised by the design.

You're right, this is a site for people who have an interest in old bikes but that doesn't mean we all have to like all old bikes regardless of their design flaws. Apart from the paint job the Silverlight looks ugly to me. For a nice looking old bike look no further than Spokesmann's Carltons - I'd rather own/ride one of those personally.

Mark.

 

[Spokesmann]

Re: Re:

There many reasons to own an old bike, the fact that a Silverlight is a tad flexible shouldn't put anyone off owning one. They are a good looking bike and lot of work went into making them. They were always meant as a tourer and actually ride nicely, stable and comfortable. You may not win a time trial on one, so what? I thought this site was for people with an interest in old bikes.

I can't quite get my head around the apparent contradictions in the Silverlight design but then my understanding is based on these assumptions:

1. The suspended bottom bracket was supposed to be stiffer.
2. The undersized seat and down tubes were more flexible to aid comfort.
3. The Hellenic stays are also supposed to give a stiffer frame.

Those elements don't seem to add up to a coherent design and you end up with a flexible frame that has the potential to be a handling nightmare at speed with a touring load on board. When all is said and done the bicycle is a machine and all the fancy design elements, intricate (fake?) lugs, time consuming construction etc. count for nothing if the function is compromised by the design.

You're right, this is a site for people who have an interest in old bikes but that doesn't mean we all have to like all old bikes regardless of their design flaws. Apart from the paint job the Silverlight looks ugly to me. For a nice looking old bike look no further than Spokesmann's Carltons - I'd rather own/ride one of those personally.

Mark.

Harsh, but I find myself agreeing to some of the points you raise. Its nice to see that even old machines can still get a good debate going.

 

[sdp2112]

Re:

Daccordimark writes:

"Those elements don't seem to add up to a coherent design and you end up with a flexible frame that has the potential to be a handling nightmare at speed with a touring load on board. When all is said and done the bicycle is a machine and all the fancy design elements, intricate (fake?) lugs, time consuming construction etc. count for nothing if the function is compromised by the design. "

I think that yours must have done a lot of miles; I weigh 15 stone and have not experienced the nightmare you speak of. The construction and design do count for something and I have frames of a conventional design which do not ride as well as the Silverlight.

 

[cycletothesea]

1967 Mal Rees Rameles,1949 Hetchins Super Special 6 Day, 1950 Hetchins Super Special, 1951 FH Grubb Perfection (2), 1962 Rory O'Brien, 1955 Major Nichols, 1952 Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, 1961 Holdsworth Italia, 1938 Holdsworth LaQuelda, 1951 Rotrax Concours, 1949 Thanet Silverthan, 1967 Hetchins Magnum Opus, 1957 Mercian Vincitore (Dave Keelers), 1958 Ephgrave No1, 1949 RRA, 1948 Higgins UL, 1958 Mercian Superlight, 1983 Mercian Vincitore(tourer), 1953 Gillot Fleur de Lis, 1953 Freddie Grubb Perection.

Jees, that's quite a list. Do you still have all of them. And if so, could I have please?

 

[sdp2112]

Re:

Sure you can, there are more actually. Bring a suitcase of tenners and I'll throw in the Silverlight.