I think that any CR List member should think twice before even thinking seriously about buying this frame...well at this price in any case.
Hateley built some good frames in the 1950s..but he was far from famous. A good eample of a fine Hateley was the road- track bike bought by a CR List memeber about 18 months ago. That one was very elegant.
On the other hand, this one might have been OK at the outset, but during th e process of being resprayed it has also had a number of 1970s/80s braze-on s added that detract from the originality of the frame. The D/T gear lever bosses appear to be Campag ones for instance, instead of Simplex or Cycl o. The elegant Stallard rear drop-outs have had a gear hanger badly brazed onto the R/H one. The add-on appears to be a sawn-down Suntour or someth ing similar, but unfortunately the person who did the brazing made little a ttempt to blend the hanger into the existing drop-out. A very ugly piece of work.
As for the 140 mm rear end width..and th seller's explanation, I think that he must be on another planet. I have a 50s Hill Special with the Cyclo ada ptation of a Sturmey-Archer $sp hub..and the wheel sits neatly into the ori ginal 120mm width. On closer inspection of the photos of the rear triangle it appears that the original flanged chainstay bridge is in place. If this is the case then the chainstays must be bent outwards awkwardly to end up a s wide as 140mm.
The front forks have an attractive hockey stick rake very reminiscent of ma ssed-start frames of the 50s, but the workmanship of the fitting of the rea r drop-outs leaves much to be desired...unless there have been some alterat ions made there. The front fork blades end with the standard domes at the j unction with the drop-out, but unfortunately the seat-stay tips are simply sawn off...no domes. Not very impressive. Either this frame started out in life as an atractive well-constructed one and has, at some time in its life been subjected to some less than skilful alterations, or it was not too we ll made at the outset. I think the former option is correct.
Norris Lockley...Settle UK