BS: Return of the Chopper

Subject: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: GUEST,Easyrider
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 08:12 PM

The news today tells of the re-launch of The Chopper by Raleigh. Apparently they have been tweaked a touch to satisfy safety regulations, such as the gears are now on the handlebars.Tut.

I remember mine with great fondness.It was the orange MK2 I think. About £30 at the time in 1973/4. And you could customise the spokes by putting on little bits of coloured plastic that moved up and down.And it had a lovely gold and green Raleigh sign that hung from the handlebar, only tiny but I thought it was the epitomy of class.

So who else rode a Chopper with pride?

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: Cluin
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 08:38 PM

I had one quite like that in Canada, but here it was called a Wedge.

A "chopper" was a homemade thing, taking an old, plain jane bike and affixing a set of extended front forks on it... usually just by pounding another set on the original ones by taking off the front wheel, positioning the new forks over the end of the old forks and driving them home with a ballpien hammer. If you had good connections, you could get them arc-welded in place (very nice to not have them come loose while going downhill). Then you attached the wheel to the new, extended forks.

Of course you had to have at least a set of butterly handlebars added to the new bike. But the "chaddest of the chad" guys had a car steering wheel welded to the handlebar for steeing purposes.

These were dangerous bikes to ride, especially if you kept a small front wheel. Several friends were injured on mine.

I never got in a bicycle accident myself, except when I tried to install a parachute brake behind the banana seat. The cords got tangled in the rear wheel going downhill and I was picking gravel out of my chest and arms for a week.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: Cluin
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 08:41 PM

Oh yeah, and we all used to use clothespins to hold old hockey cards against the spokes to make a loud noise like a crappy engine, I suppose. My Dad always insisted it would loosen my spokes but I don't think it ever did. I think he just hated the noise whenever I rode into the garage with it. Can't blame him really...

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: Bobjack
Date: 25 Feb 04 - 04:13 AM

I had one too! It was purple, oo er missus. What I remember about it the most was that if you pushed down hard on the pedals it would through you off the back. It also had the same turning circle as an oil tanker, but they were dead cool, which is that matters when you are 12 years old.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 04:14 AM

next you will be saying the there is a resurgence in Folk Music!

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: GUEST,harlowpoet
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 04:57 PM

I remember getting a second hand one for Christmas, when my contemporarys were riding their new ones. It was a bit of a social bummer at the time.

In fact, it still hurts, twenty five years on.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Feb 04 - 07:47 PM

Oh, I thought you meant "chopper" as in Easy Rider, the movie.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: GUEST,GMT
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 03:42 AM

We were in York at the weekend. There was one in the Museum !
(and a Bako set if anyone remembers).

Cheers
Gary

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 04:08 AM

Kat, they were called choppers because they were made in imitation of the Easy-Rider-style motor-sickle choppers.We can turn this back into a music thread by posting the words to Arlo Guthrie's song:
I don' wanna tickle,
I just wanna ride on my motorsickle.
An' I don't wanna pickle,
I just wanna ride on my motorsickle.
An' I don't wanna die...
I just wanna ride on my motorcy...

And does anyone recall the issue of Mad with Alfred E riding a chopped trike alongside Fonda and Hopper?

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: GUEST,Samantha
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 04:23 AM

I've road many a chopper in my time. I found the stiffer the framework the better the ride. Can't say I've seen many different colours, thay all looked pretty much the same to me. Outriggers seem to differ in size but what the hell.

Subject: RE: BS: Return of the Chopper
From: Cluin
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 10:08 AM

"I found the stiffer the framework the better the ride."


No surprises there.   ;)