Raleigh chopper mk3

[Scott-S]

In the US they also did a girls MK1 Chopper with no top tube and the shifters were mounted on the side of the stem

Can you imaging the hundreds of young lads who would have avoided that sickening agony in the lower stomach if they had that nad squasher on the stem in the UK?

Other than that I quite like the girls version

 

[legrandefromage]

That looks awful-ly like a shopper with 'bits'

 

[27motorhead]

Should be looking at cast iron radiators or doing a quote for a client, or even sleeping... but thought I'd dig out some Chopper pics instead. Priorities right???

Some Mk1 variants including 10 & 5 speed variants


MK1 Tall frame variant


High back rest 5 speed MK1


MK2 Sprint


1975 Special Edition with die cast alloy wheels


CHOPPERS OUT!

 

[Frankenorange]

Holy cow!

Choppers were everywhere as a kid and i hadn't a clue there were so many variants. I do remember having a go on a few and one with two gear levers. Would this have been a US import? or did the UK market also get 10 speed?

I was thinking about the Grifter and the Bomber the other day and I had mates with them so i got to ride them. They were tanks.

 

[27motorhead]

10 speeds were US market only, but some got imported over to the UK. UK has to wait until the MK2 to get a 5 speed version. Lots of variant with Raleigh across different markets.

Indeed, the Grifter and Bombers were tanks. In fact most kids bikes from the 70s were! Somehow we all survived!!!

 

[Scott-S]

What was the second lever on the chopper for?
I looked at the pic 27motorhead posted above and couldnt see anything about what it did (sorry)
At first I thought it was a parking brake like the Americans did but it only looks ike one cable going to the brake

 

[27motorhead]

What was the second lever on the chopper for?
I looked at the pic 27motorhead posted above and couldnt see anything about what it did (sorry)
At first I thought it was a parking brake like the Americans did but it only looks ike one cable going to the brake

View attachment 984482

No Shimano SIS/indexing back then. The gear shifter would slowly move out out indexing as you rode, so the small stubby 2nd lever just acts as a manual indexing lock.

10 speed console below with split T-Bar shifter to enable front/rear derailleur changing and lockout lever on RHS.

 

[Scott-S]

No Shimano SIS/indexing back then. The gear shifter would slowly move out out indexing as you rode, so the small stubby 2nd lever just acts as a manual indexing lock.

10 speed console below with split T-Bar shifter to enable front/rear derailleur changing and lockout lever on RHS.
View attachment 984486

That's pretty cool to be fair
Every day is a school day thanks for taking the time to reply and educate me on that, much appreciated

 

[27motorhead]

That's pretty cool to be fair
Every day is a school day thanks for taking the time to reply and educate me on that, much appreciated

I could talk about Choppers all day!!! I need very little encouragement

To be honest there's some guys I know back from the Chopper Club days in the 90s and their knowledge was insane. Another level of geekiness. I almost felt normal next to them! I'm clearly NOT normal BTW...

 

[Scott-S]

I could talk about Choppers all day!!! I need very little encouragement

To be honest there's some guys I know back from the Chopper Club days in the 90s and their knowledge was insane. Another level of geekiness. I almost felt normal next to them! I'm clearly NOT normal BTW...

I showed my wife the pic of the girls chopper this morning and she said thats ugly,, and before I could say something like WTF is wrong with you wench? she then followed it up with but then again all choppers were ugly...

Then I remembered the weirdo doesn't like bikes

I love that crazy women but she sure keeps my blood pressure flexible