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Chater Lea on Ebay

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barracuda

I live for the CABE
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

cater lea 1.jpg


cater lea 2.jpg
 
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
1895-final_800x800.jpg


btw, looking the ebay vendor over, he looks pretty sharp - his other bikes and components look very nice
 
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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.....
wp_ss_20180522_0006 (2).png

As has been also mentioned above you could order frames and there is a photo of a down tube transfer.....
wp_ss_20180522_0005 (2).png

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.....
wp_ss_20180522_0001 (2).png

Also seen on a bicycle built using their fittings for that year.....
wp_ss_20180522_0002 (2).png

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.
 
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
 
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
wwgy7Ya.jpg

back to topic
chater32-3-comp.jpg
chater32-4-comp.jpg

chater32-8-comp.jpg
chater32-9-comp.jpg


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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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.
 
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...
DD23B689-D26E-4804-8DFD-4973A1590E33.jpeg

238CC9B3-0DFB-45DE-83E8-32ED0A00D959.jpeg


C78CBDDF-EC35-494B-823D-7C8E3E128C14.jpeg


20C8BD75-D232-4249-908A-AF34F779350F.jpeg


4F94A777-B0B1-474E-830A-82C3E23FE589.jpeg


238CC9B3-0DFB-45DE-83E8-32ED0A00D959.jpeg


C78CBDDF-EC35-494B-823D-7C8E3E128C14.jpeg


20C8BD75-D232-4249-908A-AF34F779350F.jpeg


4F94A777-B0B1-474E-830A-82C3E23FE589.jpeg
 
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