Best of British (Components)

[Canuk]

1906 - JAP side-valve with Sturmey-Archer gearbox

 

[Canuk]

Later type X

 

[bagpuss]

6 grand for a cafe racer....


Madness.

The Chater le name came back to the cycling components market a few years ago . I don't know how they faired .
Seen pictures of the pedals but little else.

The Holdsworth brand also springs to mind. They show cased lovely lugged frames a few years ago . As far as I know they never went into production .

 

[bagpuss]

The nostalgia market is very limited in my opinion. If the big current market is struggling.?...?????

 

[bagpuss]

Chater Lea, did they make cars also?

Yes and motor bikes .

And a lot of lugs for frames.

 

[Canuk]

The nostalgia market is very limited in my opinion. If the big current market is struggling.?...?????

It's actually doing very well, moreso down to the fact that as time goes by, parts and simple spares like inch pitch chains get very scarce. Bikes from 1900-1920 can fetch really silly money

 

[bagpuss]

Yes , but how big is the market .How many folk want a 1900 1920's bike ?
I have owned two Sunbeam bicycles from the 1930's and soon moved them on.

I have a number of vintage bikes which I rarely ride and would love to move some of them on .

 

[Canuk]

There's a big collectors market in Europe and the States, and bike museums are continually on the lookout for reasonable condition bikes from this era. It's hard to buy a 1900 Peugeot now for less than a grand, even in the worst of conditions.

 

[bagpuss]

I turned this down a couple of years ago .
Circa 1900 x frame .

https://flic.kr/p/2ivXVpn

 

[bagpuss]

Coventry gear case saddle .

https://flic.kr/p/6Kjxmm