Chater-Lea was a British bicycle, car and motorcycle maker with a purpose-built five-storey factory in Banner Street, EC1, in the City of London (now converted into flats) and, from 1928, premises at Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

[1] The company relaunched in 2017 as a maker of high-end British manufactured bicycle components and launched its first new products in the summer of 2019.

Chater Lea (born 18/08/1859) acquired his engineering skills as an apprentice at Linley and Biggs, producer of the world beating Whippet bicycle.

Innovation was at the fore from the companies founding and in their first year of operation he patented an ingenious chain-protecting cover that consisted of an endless rubber band, U-shaped, and reinforced by a canvas insertion.

By the mid-1920s the company had once again outgrown their space and commissioned a large purpose-built factory in the developing new town of Letchworth Garden City.

From the earliest years of founding Chater-Lea produced all the necessary fixings, components and frames required to build an entire bicycle.

Chater-Lea's frame tubing and lugs were considered the very finest and utilized by custom bike builders across the globe from as early as 1900.

Raleigh by the late 1950s had established a near monopoly position which enabled them to force down supplier prices to such an extent that they could not remain in business.

A more serious entry into the car market was made in 1913 with an 8 hp 1094 cc, water-cooled 4-cylinder model with shaft drive and three-speed transmission.

Few resulting sports Chater-Lea models were sold but the firm won a contract to supply 800 AA Patrol sidecar outfits to offset their costs.

[12] It was announced in January 2020 that the revived Chater-Lea had taken over management of Classic Lightweights a comprehensive online repository on the history of British bespoke bicycle and component manufacture.