my former bosses bates single speed fixed road bike

jonnyboy666 · Jul 18, 2009

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

Old Ned · Jul 18, 2009

jango":3ji2vn4m said:
Very nice

interesting fork design, what's the thinking behind that?

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.

jonnyboy666 · Jul 18, 2009

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!!

Old Ned · Jul 18, 2009

jonnyboy666":3ith6yfj said:
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!

tuercas · Jul 20, 2009

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.

joe1983 · Jul 20, 2009

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

my former bosses bates single speed fixed road bike

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