Raleigh Chopper
The Raleigh Chopper brought the style of Easy Rider to the backstreets of Britain in the 70s. It took the UK youth bike market by storm and probably saved Raleigh from financial disaster. The Chopper was a distinctly different bike for young people and was a first choice Christmas present. However, the Chopper attracted criticism for some aspects of its safety. The Chopper became distinctly unfashionable in the 80s, when BMX became the latest craze.
The design for the Raleigh Chopper was revolutionary when it was launched in the UK in 1969. However, the bike style, with its ape hanger handle bars and long padded saddle, may have been more familiar to American children. The original inspiration for the Chopper was the Chopper motorcycle: a cut down, customised machine, which had a cult following with enthusiasts in the US from the late 1940s.
US manufacturer, Schwinn, made bikes with ape hanger handle bars from the early sixties; they were nowhere near as well packaged as the Chopper though. In this market until the Chopper came on the scene, Raleigh played catch-up.
In the US market the Chopper was more evolution than revolution. In the UK market it was something entirely new. Its launch coincided with the movie, Easy Rider, in which Peter Fonda and Denis Hopper cruised around America on two stripped down Chopper motorbikes.
Easy Rider gave the Chopper its cool image and contributed enormously to the acceptance of this radical cycle design in a conservative British market. In 1971 Raleigh reported a 55% increase in cycle sales mainly due to the Chopper. The cycle maker went through lean times in the 50s and 60s as sales of adult bikes slumped. With rising affluence, more people got mobile with cars, motorbikes and scooters and the traditional push bike now had a down market image.
Raleigh was now able to charge a premium for the Chopper over the price of a conventional child's bike. In 1970 it cost £34 19s (£360 in today's money). The Chopper was so popular in 1970 that retailers had to persuade adults it was not a suitable bike for them. It gave the kids of the time something distinctly different from an adult bike, something of their own. The Raleigh Chopper brought the style of Easy Rider to UK streets and to boys in the ten to fourteen age group.
The Chopper was joined in 1972 by a version for younger children, the Tomahawk. However, by then the safety record of the Chopper was being questioned. A competitor, the Morando Easy Rider Bike which was manufactured in Italy, was withdrawn from sale due to safety concerns. Its UK distributors, the Barclay Group (Mobo, Chad Valley and Tri-ang), recalled models already sold.
A British Medical Journal report claimed that the high handle bars made steering unsafe. Other people were concerned that it was possible for two children to ride on one Chopper. Safety concerns prompted a revision to the basic design in 1972, with the Chopper Mk 2 having a shorter seat. Raleigh also made changes to the gear leaver style and handle bars. Raleigh even had to defend the safety of the Chopper when questions were asked in Parliament.
The Chopper was a bike that put style before practicality. In the early years of the 70s it might have been every boy's dream, but volunteers for a Which? report in 1972 found the Chopper slow and hard work. Most would have preferred a racing bike.
The Chopper fell out of favour in the early 80s, when BMX bikes became the latest craze. A new model, the Mk3, was launched in 2004, retaining much of the original's style, but without the crossbar mounted gear leaver and banana style seat.
More on the Raleigh Chopper
The most comprehensive web site about the Raleigh Chopper is www.raleighchopper.info. See also, the Raleigh Chopper Owners' Club and Raleigh Chopper on Wikipedia.
Add your comments on the Raleigh Chopper
If you have problems completing the form, please email your comments directly to steven@retrowow.co.uk
We reserve the right not to publish any submissions we regard as unsuitable. We may also edit any text submitted.