1924 Chater Lea Track Racer (Rover badge)

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“Price is not the most important consideration, but service is. Chater-Lea fittings, with their superior design and workmanship, give you longer life and easier running. This is where you get the best value.”

– 1927 Chater Léa catalogue extract

Chater Lea was the supplier of choice for serious cyclists who knew what they wanted. The following testimonial sums it up: “Last August I had supplied to me a machine (racing single) built with your fittings to my order from your list. Since that time I have ridden it under all conditions and over all kinds of roads, and I have much pleasure in saying that I have found your components all that your advertisements claim them to be; for sweetness of running and neatness of appearance I have never yet found its equal.”

 

c1924 Chater Lea Track Racer with Rover badge

22″ Frame

26 x 1 1/4″ Wheels

Fixed wheel

Why this Chater Lea has a Rover badge is a total mystery. As you can see from the line drawings shown here, this was Chater Lea’s flagship model from 1923 onwards. It had superb build quality and innovative features and was a popular choice for amateur path racing. This one certainly looks like it has been raced in the past.

The bicycle was one of several I bought from a lady in Lancashire, previously owned by her grandad Leonard Heys who had various cycle shops and businesses in the Liverpool area. He died in 1980 and they’ve been stored since. In my opinion they were in storage even before 1980. (You can see two ‘before’ photos of it near the bottom of the page). It has now been cleaned and new tyres and tubes fitted and I’ve taken it for a spin.

I can’t find a frame number on it to see if it is the Rover or Chater Lea sequence. Rover ceased trading in 1924, soon after this Chater Lea model was launched, and Chater Lea was known to supply other cycle makers with frames and parts, so there may have been a tie up between the two companies. I’ve estimated its age as 1924. It has a Southern Veteran Cycle Club sticker on the seat tube, so maybe someone knows more about it? I’ll research it further and update this page if more information comes to light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1928 CHATER LEA CATALOGUE EXTRACTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1928 CHATER LEA CATALOGUE EXTRACTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AS FOUND AFTER AT LEAST FIVE DECADES OF STORAGE