On the last visit to France I bought a very elegant Jean Thomann Randonneuse bike from an English Ebay seller, based just north of Paris. The garden shed in which the bike was stored was located at the far end of the garden at the point where the latter just melted into the forest. Due to heavy rain the lawn had turned into a quagmire..and as there was no light in the shed or on the garden path, I did not linger too long. The bike was hung on the back of the car for its 1100kms journey back to Yorkshire, and as most of this was done late at night and early in the morning..again in heavy rain, I didn't even look at my purchase until the next day...much later the next day. The frame and the fork particularly are spectacularly striking, and very understated in a flattish ... probably due to its age...red enamel. There is just the Thomann emblem on the head tube and nothing else except for the tubing sticker, tucked discretely under the bronze-welded seatlug jount.
The transfer is very basic..it is just a Union Jack flag with the words "Special Sheffield" written across the middle of the flag ,ad then the word "Tubes" written above, and "Garanti" written below. This is a brand completely unknown to me.
I reckon the frame is probably a 30s model, or not older than late 40s (it has a Simplex JUY51 rear mech). It has been built with fabulous workmanship and...I think that it is the equal in that sense to the two Reyhands that I own, except that the Thomann fork crown isn't of the "hand-made" two-plate variety.
Anybody out there know anything about these tubes?
Norris Lockley..Settle UK