my former bosses bates single speed fixed road bike

haven't got a clue!!

although the 531 sticker says something about cantiflex tubing so maybe they're designed to flex in a certain way

So it could be recognised as a Bates in photographs in the cycling magazines of the time. NO ADVERTISING or immediate banishment by the sport's governing bodies! That's why names were small and written in script etc. so they couldn't be read in photos. However, odd frame designs couldn't be legislated against (eg Hetchins Curly Stays, Paris Galibier, Baines 'Garden Gate' etc. Even the Raleigh 'Dimpled' fork crown probably).

The bike's a beauty but several 'non period' fittings as you say.

The name is 'Chater-Lea' by the way, see here -

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... er_Lea.htm

and here -

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/chaterlea.html

Also plenty of info on Bates on both sites.

did wonder about the fork, thanks for clearing that up! i knew someone would know!! did they give a techincal reason aswel though so that people would buy it? did they claim better performance from it?

i knew i'd spelt chater-lea wrong, i just took a guess!!

They called the forks 'Diadrant' - which means b*gg*r-all! Supposed to be more shock deadening than standard raked forks. Pretty radical at the time but nothings new. Look at the forks on modern Pinarello's etc. Very similar shape.

I could have bought a similar era Bates road bike recently - but desisted manfully!

Lovely bike, apart from the forks, the main triangle tubing was a special spec, the diameter increases in the middle, which should make it resist torsion better.

That bike is fookin lovely - I can hear it crying for gears though!