# Chater Lea on Ebay



## barracuda (May 22, 2018)

I'm no expert on these bikes, but this one seems worth a gander. Nice looking ride.

Question for those of you more knowledgable: can a frame be identified as a Chater Lee factory product? I mean, as opposed to a bike simply outfitted with CL components? Is there a head badge?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=292573526627


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## bulldog1935 (May 22, 2018)

If you look at Peter Underwood's site, C-L isn't on the maker's list
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders.html
They are on the component's list
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components.html

However, this article references "Company-built frames" that can be special ordered,
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/components/chater1932-comp.html
it's possible, but the instant question is whether the ebay vendor was simply looking for whatever marks he could find
The company was founded in 1890, and began making bicycle components.

from the current company website, they built frames beginning in 1895
https://chaterlea.com/pages/history#history-1895




btw, looking the ebay vendor over, he looks pretty sharp - his other bikes and components look very nice


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## dnc1 (May 22, 2018)

I've been perusing the V-CC website and that image posted by @bulldog1935 seems to be the only image currently known of a fairly conventional frame, and the photo was taken in the 1950's.
This image is of an X-frame model.....


 
As has been also mentioned above you could order frames and there is a photo of a down tube transfer.....


 
I think this may possibly be motorcycle related however, but who knows.
The chain set on the eBay bike is later than described I think, in their 1905 fittings catalogue they were offering this one.....


 
Also seen on a bicycle built using their fittings for that year.....


 
Not sure when the "C-L" design was introduced.

Whatever it is, it's a fantastic, interesting machine.  I particularly like the rear brake system, very cool.

All photos from the V-CC online library.


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## fat tire trader (May 23, 2018)

Look here http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Chater Lea 1905 catalogue (part) (V-CC Library).pdf


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## dnc1 (May 24, 2018)

fat tire trader said:


> Look here http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Chater Lea 1905 catalogue (part) (V-CC Library).pdf



Thanks for posting, I'm not that tech savvy and never seem to be able to post direct links. That's where I took the images from. Unfortunately they only show styles of machine that could be built using their fittings .


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## kccomet (May 24, 2018)

the bike at the top looks like a bsa frame. i believe chater lea just made components not frames. i have a couple old racers  chater lea everything, but the frame was built by someone else


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## bulldog1935 (May 25, 2018)

kind of obstinate to take exception with Peter Underwood and Chater Lea.

_The (1932) catalogue also lists 'Company-built' frames which can be custom-built.
1895 - First Frames - Chater Lea produces its first frames focusing on lightweight bikes for the clubman and fast riders on road and path.  
_
Though there was no law in 1932  requiring truth in printed advertising.
(Truth in advertising laws originated in the US with the FCC, in response to radio advertising on WGN in Chicago, which bounced off the ionosphere and blanketed the whole country with fraud).
In my historic fly reel research, I've taken exception with Farlow's catalogs of the very same age, for stating clearly Redditch-made reels they bought wholesale were made in their Croydon factory (where they in fact made 5 or 6 models of the 45 they sold).
for extra coin, the Redditch factory would stamp whatever you wanted on your wholesale reels - even "maker" if you wanted the credit



back to topic


 




 



once you have the lugs and dropouts, the hard part's done -  there's nothing to building a frame, except buying the tubing and brazing it together
ok, you need a frame jig, but certainly within the realm of anyone who could make those components


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## sam (Jun 8, 2018)

Brown brothers sold Bicycle kits. any builder could  order from supply houses a Kit with tubing and  components choices ,My E.Russ built tandem has CL lugs and high manganese tubing . The CL lugs were stamped but the builder filled the lugs so not much of the stamp is left. the Head set and BBs were also CL and oversized for the tandem. In factory as the question asked , it should be noted that there were a lot of quality builders available to the factories. Part of the James Fothergill shops regular work was contract work for other shops.Point being that CL if not set up to build frames might have contracted out the building of the frame and then finished it in house.


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## FlyingScot (Aug 2, 2018)

Chater- Lea definitely built their own frames in- house albeit in modest numbers. These are details of my 1925 road- path machine. Interestingly, the hickory rims are US- manufactured Kundtz clinchers retailed by the Constrictor company in the UK...


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