Our beliefs & commitments
Our mission
Chater-Lea embodies Britain’s re-emerging prowess in advanced manufacturing while championing our island’s illustrious cycling heritage. From cityscape to countryside, we reconnect the classic leisure cyclist with our heartland values of fine making, adventure, nature and home. Among these values, our commitment to our community, to the integrity of our products and to those who use them is foremost.
Our beliefs & commitments
Our roots
From the late 19th Century until the 1960s, Britain led the world in finely-engineered cycle componentry and bicycle making. This design and manufacturing excellence, spearheaded by Chater-Lea from 1890, expanded to hundreds of manufacturers nationwide by the 1950s. Our powerful prowess is one of the greatest industry stories never told. Chater-Lea revives this living tradition for the modern world.
Our beliefs & commitments
Our process
Chater-Lea products are made in the UK. It is on these shores that the uniqueness of our traditions are rooted and it is here that we can ensure a relentless focus on quality and finish. Historically, Chater-Lea embraced the latest in advanced engineering while preserving the essential role of the human builder. Today, human precision still remains the essential element in differentiating Chater-Lea from other manufacturers.
Our beliefs & commitments
Our friends
In a world of mass-production, there is little soul endowed in products made with materials sourced merely for price and ease. Moreover, the high end aftermarket arena is focused on light weight and competition, leaving the leisure market poorly served. Ours, on the other hand, is a world of classic cycle enthusiasts, fans of great design, builders and makers, commuters and countryphiles, and connoisseurs of fine things.
Our beliefs & commitments
Our result
At Chater-Lea we like to slow things down. Not 100psi; 50psi. We are not at the front of the peloton; we are enjoying the view. We are not looking for marginal gains; we are taking the time to savour all that surrounds us. We are not chasing; we are mindful; and so we avoid toxic materials, chemical laminates or non-organic elements in our products. Moreover, we believe that the care and attention put into the making is imbued in the product itself.