Raleigh Chopper

Raleigh Chopper Mk1

Mk1 1969 to 1972 The Chopper's patent was applied for in the US in 1967. The Chopper was introduced at American trade shows in January 1969 but it was not until April 1969 when Raleigh Choppers were available for public to purchase. The bike featured a choice of a single-speed coaster hub, or a 3-speed or 5-speed Sturmey Archer gear hub, selected using a frame-mounted console gear lever. Other features that appealed to the youth market were the unusual frame, long padded high-back seat, sprung seat at the back, high-rise (ape hanger) handlebars, 'bobbed' mudguards (fenders) and differently sized wheels: 16 in (41 cm) front and 20 in (51 cm) rear. The rear hoop above the seat resembled a dragster anti roll bar "sissy bar". Even the kickstand was designed to give the stationary bicycle a lean reminiscent of a parked motorcycle.[1] Tyres were wider than usual for the time, with a chunky tread on the rear wheel, featuring a red line around the sidewall.

In 1969 the Raleigh Chopper was launched in the UK market this was a triple launch for Raleigh and Mk1 ran until 1973 with the Chopper branded as THE HoT oNE, alongside the Moulton Mk3 (The Smooth One), and the RSW Mk3 (The Dolly One). The Chopper bike was sold as a "must have" item and signifier of "coolness"[2] for many children at the time.[3][4]

Mk2 1972 to 1985 The Mk 2 ("Mark 2") Chopper was an improved version sold from 1973. It had the rarely-purchased option of five-speed derailleur gears, and the gear lever shifter changed from a knob to a T-bar-style shifter. (The early 1969 'Tall frame' model already sported the T-bar style, albeit in black with the elliptical window within the shifter cover.) The frame was subtly revised, and the seat moved forward, to help prevent the front of the bicycle tipping up. A small rear rack was added. The handlebars were welded to the stem to stop children from inclining the "ape hanger" bars backward, thereby rendering the bicycle almost unsteerable. A drop-handlebar version, the Sprint, was also produced, this differed from the standard Mk 2, as it had a slightly taller frame. The Chopper Mk 2 remained in production until 1985, by which time the BMX craze had taken over its market.[5] However, the Chopper almost single-handedly rescued Raleigh, which had been in decline during the 1960s, selling millions worldwide.

MK 3

After being out of production for over 20 years, a new version of the Chopper, the Mk3, was launched in 2004. It was available at first in red, then purple then various colours followed including Limited Edition models. In deference to modern safety concerns, the one piece saddle became a split saddle / cissybar arrangement. Further changes included removing the cross bar mounted shifter unit in favour of handlebar mounted gear controls; to commemorate this former feature the Mk3 had a sticker where the lever once was located. Rather than steel, the frame was made from aluminium alloy tubing to make the bicycle lighter. The wheels were still 20 inches at the back and 16 at the front.[6] The MK3 came in various colours including Purple, Yellow, Silver, White, Black, Red and Limited Editions such as The Hot one, The Black, World Cup Edition, Armed Forces edition, Beano edition, and Ben Sherman edition.

The Mk3 models were not made in Nottingham UK and instead production moved to both USA and Vietnam made under licence.

Mk-IV 2023 to Present.

The MK-IV project was started in 2019 with the intention for the new model to be released in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the mk2. However, world events delayed this until 2023. The team behind the new MK-IV invited two members of the Raleigh Chopper Enthusiast movement[12] to work with them from late 2020.

Based on and reverse engineered from the Mk2, the MK-IV Chopper is an updated version that complies to contemporary safety standards as at time of manufacture, with a frame that is stronger than any previous model through use of modern tube materials with thicker walling.

Full production of the MK-IV started in February 2023 and lasted through March 2023 for the first release of this new model.

This new model was sold online through the Raleigh Bikes UK website and in the Nottingham "Experience Raleigh" showroom available only in Infra-Red or Ultra-Violet from 20th June, 2023. All available bikes sold out on day-one within three hours of being made available, demonstrating the demand for these iconic bikes after some 51 years since the introduction of the MK2 in 1972.[13] Further inventory, not available on sales launch day was released for sale through the website on 25th June 2023 and again, sold out within hours. This was expected to be the last of the inventory, however, a further 50 unsold MK-IVs were released for sale through the website on August 24th 2023. Despite these sales, there have been a considerable number of complaints made about the quality of the wheel rims, particularly about the finish of the joints of the rims and in some cases, wheel rims that appear "egg" shaped and in other instances, poor welded joints that were actually cracked. Despite these issues, the vast majority of those who purchased one are happy with them.

The original Chopper is fondly remembered, though it was not without problems: It was less stable than a conventional bicycle and trickier to ride. The Chopper was not suitable for cycling long distances as it was slow and heavy, the wide tyres creating significant rolling resistance. At moderate speeds it suffered speed wobbles.[14] After several reported accidents, it was attacked in the press as a dangerous toy. The long seat lent itself to giving lifts to others,[15] and accidents were not uncommon. It could perform involuntary wheelies readily, again a frequent cause of accidents. The position of the gear lever could also contribute to injuries sustained in a crash - especially on the Mk I because the gear knob could easily be removed and lost, turning the gear lever into a metal spike.

• MK1 - available only as a 3 speed model, Brilliant Orange, Golden Yellow, Flamboyant Green, Targa Mustard (HBR model), and Horizon Blue.
• Sprint GT - available in either Bronze or Flamboyant Green.
• MK2 - standard 3 speed models available in Infra Red, Ultra Violet, Fizzy Lemon, Quick Silver, Space Blue, and Jet Black (Prismatic decal model).
• MK2 - Pink 5 Speed (Derailleur)
• MK2 - SE with cast alloy mags to commemorate 750,000 choppers
• MK3 - Standard available in Black, Purple, Red, Silver, Pink, Yellow
• MK-IV - UIltra-Violet and Infra Red only. Frames dated as RB23 (February 2023) and RD23 (March 2023) only

The North American market had a much wider spectrum of models and colours available. In 1971 there was a ban on tall sissy bars so the chopper was only sold with a low back rest. A summary of US models:

• MK1 1969 'Tall Frames'; available as a single speed coaster (SC), 3 speed (AW - three speed and TCW - three speed coaster), and 5 speed (S5 - 3+2).
• MK1 1970-1972 available as a single speed coaster (SC), 3 speed (AW - three speed and TCW/S3C - three speed coasters) 5 speed (S5 - 3+2) 5 speed and 10 speed (derallieur). The single and three speed models were also available as a Girl’s model without crossbar.
• MK2 available as a 3 speed (AW) and 5 speed (S5 - 3+2). 1973 -1984
• MK3 3 speed handlebar shift 2004 - 2012

The Glider Fastback 100 version was sold by Eatons of Canada

The Raleigh Chopper was also sold through Eaton's in Canada, badged as Gliders, and sold as the Fastback 100, Fastback XT101, SS357, ULT, Princess and MACH-2 models.

Raleigh sold the Chopper to many countries worldwide. In some countries Raleigh chose to sell Choppers with alternative brands. These included BSA, Hercules, Humber, Malvern Star, Phillips, Robin Hood, Rudge and Speedwell Fireballs.

The success of the Chopper led to similarly styled imitators, such as the Pavemaster Trusty Tracker, Triang Dragster, Dawes Zipper, Panther and Vindec High Riser in the UK as well as the very close copy of an Mk 2 named "Cincoa" as well as a Portuguese variant called the Chapparal, and in more recent years the Ground Cruiser which was sold in the UK at the same time as the release of the MK 3.

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