Chater-Lea

Chater-Lea was a British bicycle, car and motorcycle maker with a purpose-built five-storey factory in Banner Street, EC1, in the City of London (now converted into flats) and, from 1928, premises at Letchworth, Hertfordshire. It was founded by William Chater-Lea in 1890 to make bicycle frames and components. It made cars between 1907 and 1922 and motorcycles from 1903 to 1935. William died in 1927 and the business was taken over by his sons John and Bernard. After vehicle production finished, the company remained trading as a bicycle component maker and contract manufacturer until 1987. The company relaunched in 2017 as a maker of high-end British manufactured bicycle components and launched its first new products in the summer of 2019.

Founded by William Chater Lea in 1890 (the hyphenated name was adopted by the company in the 1920s for aesthetic reasons) the company produced Bicycles and components from their establishment in 1890 until the mid-1960s.

Chater Lea (born 18/08/1859) acquired his engineering skills as an apprentice at Linley and Biggs, producer of the world beating Whippet bicycle. He rode that machine with some success, winning the world's oldest bicycle race, The Catford Hill Climb in 1888, 1889 and 1891. He did not race in 1890 as he was founding the firm. Innovation was at the fore from the companies founding and in their first year of operation he patented an ingenious chain-protecting cover that consisted of an endless rubber band, U-shaped, and reinforced by a canvas insertion. It enclosed the outer surface of the chain, and rotated with it, and necessitated the use of a dry lubricant which did not perish the rubber.

The company began production in a small workshop on Richmond Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1. Due to rapid growth the company moved through a succession of ever bigger premises within close proximity. This included spells on Great Sutton Street, a large premises at 114-120 Golden Lane London EC1 (a site that after they departed became brewery and is now home to building supplier Wickes) and again to a purpose-built five-story factory at 74-84 Banner Street, London EC1. This beautiful building still stands but now comprises luxury apartments for workers in the city. By the mid-1920s the company had once again outgrown their space and commissioned a large purpose-built factory in the developing new town of Letchworth Garden City. In 1928 the company fully relocated to New Icknield Way East, Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The factory sat on the same site and the now famous Tab Factory which produced over 200 Bombe machines for Alan Turing and the team at Bletchley Park, used in the cracking of the Enigma codes during WWII.

Unfortunately, William had died in the previous year and did not get to see the new state of art factory completed. Sons John and Bernard managed the company from its Letchworth site until it was dissolved in the late 1980s.

From the earliest years of founding Chater-Lea produced all the necessary fixings, components and frames required to build an entire bicycle. Chater-Lea's frame tubing and lugs were considered the very finest and utilized by custom bike builders across the globe from as early as 1900. Drive train components including pedals, crank arms, chain rings, freewheels and hubs were available, often at a significant price premium to lower quality components, until the 1960s. Production and circulation of their annual bicycle catalogues was eagerly anticipated event. The catalogues which contained detailed product specifications, technical drawings and photographs also included extensive prose extolling the virtues and joys of bicycle riding and the company's philosophy of exceptional quality, durability and its eternal focus on production using the finest materials and processes.

The decline in the standing of Chater-Lea likely started by the late-1950s. Partly it could be blamed on the rise of the motor car. Ron Kitching who ran the largest bike distribution company in post-war Britain and wrote about the demise of the industry blames the decline on the Raleigh Bicycle Company. Raleigh by the late 1950s had established a near monopoly position which enabled them to force down supplier prices to such an extent that they could not remain in business. He illustrates the decline with reference to his Everything Cycling catalogues: in 1948 this featured over 120 British component companies but by 1988 only 13 remained.

The first car was the Carette of 1907, a two-seater with a 6 hp air-cooled V-twin engine with chain drive to one of the rear wheels. It was still advertised in 1908 but few seem to have been made.