thanks so much for your reply yes to both of them God bless and R.I.P. my dad is gone to yes the 70's were great to so much better then these years thanks have a great day
the song was amazing and the bikes awesome it all reminded me of my brother butch when we were kids he used to build his own chopper bikes with extended forks he passed away 27 years ago yesterday would of been his 57th b.day this video all gave him back to me wonderful upload 100 thumbs up 5 stars to these bikes song and my memory's of butch
@catsri7503 Thanks so much for the lovely comment. Sounds like Butch was a dab hand with his spanners. I am so glad that the video gave you a few more moments with your brother. I know how incredibly hard it is when we lose a loved one. My Dad passed away on Christmas Day 2011. He bought me my first ever Chopper bike and I will fondly remember the 1970's as being the best days of our lives. I was a kid, my parents were young and we didn't have a solitary care in the world. To: Dad and Butch!
hi guys can any one tell me where i can buy a chopper bike for adults any were in the uk or recomened any sites where i can find they thanks that would be a great help cheers
I had a 'Fizzy Lemon' Mk 2 in the 70's...went everywhere on it including a morning and evening paper round!...Loved that bike so much... Would love to own one again....I think?..or should it just stay as a lovely memory? Hmmm..
Nice video,i have a mk2 prismatic that im am fully restoring at the moment,its a 1979 model...Ive been getting hold of alot of nos parts for it..Do you know where i could get the sticker kit from please,ive looked on ebay,but they dont look right,maybe its just the picture taken of them?
Me encuentro en Colombia (Sur America) y tengo una raleigh chopper mark ll completamente original de color gris (similar 2'21")y quisiera saber el año de fabricacion de acuerdo al numero gravado en el marco que es NP841445_(me reservo el ultimo#) sera posible alguien me ayude? GRACIAS
Love th Chopper at 2:23. I can see that it's fitted with the iconic lamps. No dought that the batteries are Eveready. Great to see so many models of a Great bike.
Yes, even I remember those. I had twin air-horns on mine and a Hurrett Speedometer. Wasn't I sooooo spoilt!
I fitted it all myself though. It was part of the fun!
I also remember those lamp. I got some of those for my birthday. They weren't much good because they beamed downwards instead of ahead. I had the bracket modified.
My bike HAD to be right! I'm the same with my cars now - a fusspot!
my 'friend' sold me his mark3 for 23€. it has 26" forks, and no gears. now im just looking for a good forks... i dont care about the raleigh copper look, im going to paint the bike black , it will look fucking mad :D (sorry about my bad english)
My street in 1979(Bramalea, Ontario) incl... Several choppers, glider fastbacks all worn hand me downs with elect tape, motorcross, my 79 Norco Dirtmaster with tuff 1's. Neighbors 71 blue super bee, a silver vega. 2 identical 79 black trans ams (italian brothers) we smacked any of our friends caught listening to disco.
CHIPS and Bruce Forsythe show on telly,, Radio Luxembourg, back door never closed to friends, ford escorts littered the streets, hot bath once a week, dancin to KC and the sunshine band, tom baker was Dr Who, and if you fancied a wee bird - you just asked her out and she said sure...........
I have a collection of old Raleigh Bikes. I have a Raleigh Twenty (Solitaire) from 1977 and i have a Raleigh RSW16 MKIII form 1971 i have a Raleigh All Terrain from 1990 and i am currently restoring a Chopper i also have a blue Rudge chopper frame which i will put up for sale shortly! Nice video.
Also had the cable driven speedo on mine attached to the bottom of the handlebars ,think the name of it was "smiths",and had many a time out with my mates trying to get it to read 30mph downhill!
Had a mk11 chopper in purple when they were first out in the 70s.Have fond memories of it and wish i had kept it.Nice vid to jog the mind about the good old days without the dreaded boring computer games that the kids have today instead!
The best computer game was that cool tennis game and SPACE INVADERS!
Remember lying under a shady tree, dreaming about a pretty girl. Getting to snog her was a bonus. We never pondered about our sexuality. 'Gay' meant something nice. That's because in those days REAL boys had 'CHOPPERS!' ...
that pulled at the old heart strings :) In my living room ive a mk2 ultra violet in pieces being restored.soon itll ride again :) great vid i enjoyed it.
Wow I think I'm going to cry...I had my brother's hand me down Chopper MK11 bike and it was the best! Part of the best years of my life. Thanks for the touching walk down memory lane.
You're absolutely right Doug! Next time when I visit my parents I'm going to look for my green Chopper bike that I think is gathering dust in the basement and I'm going to have it restored. I can't wait to ride it again. Thanks bud!
I wish i had a chopper. I do have a Raleigh Twenty from 1977 which i am currently restoring but it will never look as glamarous as those iconic chopper's. Nice video.
tube,, your gonna laugh but i'd bought THIS one of mine for my 12y/o..and he just did'nt buy into the whole thing!......so I got to ride it with mum and him..but what with all the attention it gets NOW HE want to ride it! - lol..so I'm looking for a couple extra too (one fur the missus).you're right its a great wat to spend a sunny arvo out with the family.........I lovd yer lil vid......Im inspired enough to do a lil yahchoobe vid of our 'family' chopper too!!../cheers from cumfy australia
Before you all slag me - I neva owned one in the 70's cuz folks were poor....and stealing one wa'nt easy in Glasgow cuz everyone was nikkin then fast!
Having owned it for 2 years I know its a cheap machine...........I can see the cheapness all over its parts, finnish, mechanicals...
Living in warn dry australia now .the weather is kind to it and I treat it with care...
lol my oldest brother used to goto the scrap yard looking for parts to build a bike. he found a raleigh budgie frame and added a motor bike engine to it and turned it into a motor bike. it work too he took me for a ride on the back of it. i was very young and scared cuz he was weird haha
Loved that vid! Brought back so many memories of my childhood in the 1970s, made me feel quite misty-eyed, I think the music added to the emotion. My mother wouldn't let me have a Chopper as they weren't considered to be a "girls bike", but I used to see no end of boys riding them. They were so cool! Simon Rodzervic let me ride his. (Chopper bike, that is).
i had my first kiss on me chopper. Went to see the queen when she was local. Had a pair of 'cowhorn' 'andlebars. Ruined me gentle areas on that gearshift on numerous.
Cool video! I own an original MK2 that is about 90% complete. All that is missing is the chain guard. The bike will need a restoration but is otherwise rideable and the stick shift works. Now I'm getting more excited about taking on the restoration. I lucked out on this bike. My brother found it at a garage sale for $10.
I agree with your point. They DON'T look as good, they aren''t as well made either - lots of soft metal. But they are lighter and they are just that weeny bit nicer to ride. You don't have to fumble about near your meat and two veg to change gear - it's all on the handle bar.
As for the saddle? I've changed it for a gell seat. Easier on my 40+ buttocks. Sure, it doesn't look as cool - but I don't sound like the Bee Gees when I ride at least.
I live on a steep hill in Sheffield,which when i was a kid, me and my friends used to race up on our raleigh choppers.I was never beaten,but every one of us got up it without the need to get off and push.I regularly see kids today push their light weight mountain bikes up it.Kids today are wimps.I love the raleigh chopper so much i have made a level on the ps3 game littlebig planet,Titled aptly,Raleigh Chopper.I have made my purple chopper on it. Check it out.
A couple of years ago I was on holiday in the Peak District. My little 4 year old daughter was playing with another small girl. We asked where her Dad had gone and she said that he'd nipped home to Sheffield. We said - that must be a long drive for him. She replied - "not really silly, about half-an-hour!".
We wre really surprised when her Mum confirmed her story!
So, we now always make a point of visiting Sheffield when we are camping near Bakewell!
I also managed to get my hands on a Raleigh Vectra (for the boy) needs alot of work but he will hopefully be the envy of his mates cause not only will his bike make noises and have a built-in FM radio - oh wait a minute his friends dont go own bikes - shocking, too busy with their games consoles at least he can go cycling with me!!
Bucks Fizz, but I guess we are products of that generation, anyways I Managed to get my hands on a Mark 1 Chopper (Frame only - Checked serial number with raleigh) am going to cut the frame and reweld the cross tubes,down tube to a 19" Frame and am currently sourcing original parts but will probably use more modern parts for bearings on headset and bottom bracket and then rather just remincise on days past am going to cycle the bugger much to the amusement of everyone i pass on my way to work!
Long live the Raleigh Chopper, I had fond memories of my Mark 1 I called "Mean Machine", sad naming the bike i know you would think someone at Raleigh would start up the Chopper Series again its a no brainer and get the kids today away from there Playstations
i hav brought a mk2 chopper i am only 12 my 13th birthday is cumin up so i am go in to buy all th chrome parts for it the gear table has broke do u no any where i could get one from
Any Raleigh bike store. There are a few specialist sites online too. There's a guy called Chopper Chap (Google it) who has all the spares (including stickers, chome parts etc).
Hey! I'm imprressed by the way!
A teenager with taste! AND enough nowse to go and restore a classic!
Choppers were the best thing ever when I was a kid in the 70's. We had proper childhoods back then!
I have bought my 10 year old boy a Chopper, He groaned, saying he wants a BMX!
dude tht is a nice video gd to see some one keeping the legend alive thanxs for hecking out my vid aswell oh and have you seen my recent video of the new chopper i have
I had one just like the first full side view shot. Same orange and black with the red line tires. Worked all summer to save the money to buy it, then my neighbor's grand parents went out and bought him one the next day. His was black with orange lettering. ~sigh~
In short... Health and fucking safety. They are also the reason for the lack of the gear stick. Apparentally its just all far too dangerous for todays current youngsters. Also if the kids injured themselves by giving people a 'backie/saddle' or slipped off the seat onto the gear nob like we did on them years ago (ouch), the manufacture would end up getting a law suit in this day and age - unlike back then when we just 'took it on the chin' and got on with it.
just bought a mk 2 from ebay; 180 pounds in good condition, ride it all the time, Im 45 and pich daughter up from school with it; We live in a small village in France Raleigh Choppers weren't big out here. So it always gets a look Gret video brought back memories
of traffic light lollipops bazooka joes and spangles old english
I met the managing director of Raleigh UK on a campsite in Derbyshire earlier this Summer.
Do Islamic people know how to prey for decent weather so that we can actually fo out and ride our bikes. I am supposed to be a Christian (non practicing I might add) and no matter how I pray to Jesus - the bastard doesn't listen and it's pissed it down all summer!
Thanks Tubedougz, I am Looking for a Mk3 Chopper now and maybe change the seat later. You and a few others have given me a bit more faith in them than I had before. Cheers. if it don't rock my world, I'll sell it n get a Mk2 later.
Hi ya mate I sooo miss my Mk1 Chopper. This vid brought tears to me eyes. I'm 46 and 5ft 8ins and lookin' for a Cheap Mk2 or 3 Chopper. Do you think as an adult I would get away with it still as I got the Bug pretty bad ?
PS. anyone on 'ere in East London selling one for under a Ton ?
I ride my Choppers and I don't care a hoot what anyone thinks. This is YOUR life - so go dow what YOU want to.
Next time you worry about how you'd look riding your Chopper bike, have a look around your local High Street - people seem to deliberately go around looking ridiculous (Goths for example).
Look for your Chopper online. MKIII's are a good buy and a great bike to ride!
I told a lie to my parents, and as punishment, I didn't get a new bike for a year. I had to ride a piece of shit with solid tires while all my friends were getting Schwinns and stuff! But when I finally got a new bike, It was a green Chopper 5 speed. All of a sudden I had the baddest bike on the block! Sweet memories!
It made me laugh!! As a grumpy 44 year old - that's quite an achievement! It was the 'piece of shit' bit that did it. I am still laughing as I am typing this out!!
Congratulations to your parents for dishing out a bit of good old fashioned dicipline.
And having a 5 SPEEDER was quite something! Most of us mere mortals had a 3-Speed Archer Hub.
Were Choppers quite as much of an institution over in the States? They are part of our British Heritage!
Dunno if the Choppers were *quite* the institution in the USA as they were in the UK, but they were definitely a force. I left to attend a certain University out of state in 1981 and when I returned for the Christmas break my parents had thrown away my pristine Mk2!
If they didn't cost a kidney, I'd get one for my 10 year old. And another for me.
hey you,ve got good taste in bikes as well! i remember when i got the chopper m1 yellow christmas 73 i think?. great bike we were never off them in the good old days not like today. my 2 daughters bikes spend more time in the shed than the lawnmowers do!!!
your right beer and an item called a female it is the begining of the end as we know it lol! not got the chopper anymore just fond memories. i had forgoten about the tomahawk top little bike! i now ride a moutain bike to and from work not quite the same but it will do.
i got a MK1 in my basement that needs newer parts and some work i will sell it 4 cheap please send me a message to my account, not on this persons channel or there vid(s).
this really took me back,i reckon i did more miles on my chopper than most kids,it was my first set of wheels.Nothing has come close since.I may be having a rose tinted glasses moment!!!
Great memories, I had a blue chopper in the 70's until I was hit by a car, then sold it damaged for 2 pounds. Remember the smaller version the chipper?
Fantastic bikes that bring back dazzling memories. I'm 42 & I used to ache for a Chopper in the 70s. My dad never bought me one as he said they were too dangerous (got one now though!). What an icon of the 70s. Great video
We recently worked out how much a chopper in the 70's cost in today's money. They were outrageously expensive - equivalent to hundreds of pounds! No wonder a lot of kids never got a chopper back then. I am very glad that you have a Chopper now and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. Can't be bad being 40-something and still enjoying our choppers! HA!
I am making brand new memories with my Chopper MKIII. I intend riding it loads this coming summer. I loathe the winter so much and am hoping for lots of hours in the sunshine with my Raleigh Chopper! Bliss!
I remember a schoolmate had one, it was that bright red as shown in the video clip, it was 1973. I'm pretty sure it was a MK 1, and did I envy him? You bet I did.
Lovely - those types of comments I really appreciate. I love having good memories like that. Glad I helped rekindle them with my littel video effort. Chopper Bikes - a true icon of our halcyon days?!...
My brother had a yellow MKII and I had a blue MKI (old faithful featured in the video). I am now 42 (sadly) and (happily) I have a new blue MKIII which I love riding! Beats a bright red Ferarri - with cream leather (I think!). Thanks for your comment!
Thank you for this info, now I know mine is a MK2! But I need to restore her, she's pretty rough right now, could you tell me where I can find a replacement handlebar set? Mine broke at where the stem is welded to the bars. Thanks, and awesome vid!!!
Go onto the Raleigh Chopper Owner's Club website and have a trawl around there. Cannot send the web address HTML over this system but it's (three 'w') (dot) (RROC) (dot) (co) (dot) (uk)...
The Group is Bucks Fizz - the onew who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK - saving RTE a whole lot of expense amd hassle! The song is simply called Now Those Days Are Gone. I think it's rather nice - don't you? The song that won the Eurovision was called Making Your Mind Up.
Well - I went and bought a Bucks Fizz collection CD off PLAY. I do listen to it occasionally and THIS track is one of my faves! Their stuff uses a lot of synthesizers and the synth-drums sound really good on the Hi-Fi. Let's face it - until the modern scene starts producing some REAL talent - we're stuck with the old stuff and Bucks Fizz qualify as OLD nowdays! Sigh!...
in 1973 wheni was eight, mydadtook me to thelocal bike shop in st helen,s in the window was a red raleigh chopper!dad said do you like the look,of course i said, i was ecstatic,he said :keep your eye on it you,ll never get your arse on it:.then dragged me off to the betting shop, then the pub.!!i stillcry at night. I WANT A RED CHOPPER,WITH 3 GEARS,BOO HOO.
Fantastic - great story! I love that one, thank you very much Graham! I used to have a blue one and I have bough myself a blue one again. My advice to you is GET ONE and stuff what anyone thinks - life's tto short!
You're obviously a purist! I agree that health and safety are a pain in the wotsits but the MKIII isn't actually a bad bike to ride! It aluminium, so far lighter than the bikes of old. It still looks a cool bike and the gear change is far easier now that the control is on the handlebar. The old bikes looked better - I admit - but after a long absence - better a MKIII than no choppers at all! I have bought my kids a MKIII each!
It doesn't have to be confined to "the good old days." I bought two new Chopper MKIII's (for the kids - ahem!) and have enjoyed hours of riding pleasure during this last Summer. They are just as much fun as ever they were. I'm 42 and am enjoying my mid life crisis on a red chopper bike opposed to being in a red Ferrari! It's worth a try, surely?
thanks so much for your reply yes to both of them God bless and R.I.P. my dad is gone to yes the 70's were great to so much better then these years thanks have a great day
catsri7503 1 week ago
the song was amazing and the bikes awesome it all reminded me of my brother butch when we were kids he used to build his own chopper bikes with extended forks he passed away 27 years ago yesterday would of been his 57th b.day this video all gave him back to me wonderful upload 100 thumbs up 5 stars to these bikes song and my memory's of butch
catsri7503 1 week ago
@catsri7503 Thanks so much for the lovely comment. Sounds like Butch was a dab hand with his spanners. I am so glad that the video gave you a few more moments with your brother. I know how incredibly hard it is when we lose a loved one. My Dad passed away on Christmas Day 2011. He bought me my first ever Chopper bike and I will fondly remember the 1970's as being the best days of our lives. I was a kid, my parents were young and we didn't have a solitary care in the world. To: Dad and Butch!
tubedougz 1 week ago
what was the smaller bike? was it a strika? grifters were different I think
davythehibee 10 months ago
hi guys can any one tell me where i can buy a chopper bike for adults any were in the uk or recomened any sites where i can find they thanks that would be a great help cheers
KJEWLE 11 months ago
I had one in the 80s and I made it look like a bmx fool I am
sunseekersolar 1 year ago
I want one. Cool
sunseekersolar 1 year ago
mk2 is in my opinion the best "classic looking"
DadxPower 1 year ago
Hi there where can you find clubs to join in the south east area of England U.K
that do fun day bike rides and so on.
Best Wishes
Nick
NICKFROMESSEX 1 year ago
I had a 'Fizzy Lemon' Mk 2 in the 70's...went everywhere on it including a morning and evening paper round!...Loved that bike so much... Would love to own one again....I think?..or should it just stay as a lovely memory? Hmmm..
Leisurecruise 1 year ago
I think I can help.
Go onto Google: Pop in THE CHOPPER CHAP and you'll find a bit of an Aladdin's Cave of Chopper bits - including LOADS of original stickers!
Please let me know how you get on - and some pictures of your finished bike!!
Doug.
tubedougz 1 year ago
Nice video,i have a mk2 prismatic that im am fully restoring at the moment,its a 1979 model...Ive been getting hold of alot of nos parts for it..Do you know where i could get the sticker kit from please,ive looked on ebay,but they dont look right,maybe its just the picture taken of them?
many thanks if you can help me please....
billyfury1 1 year ago
Me encuentro en Colombia (Sur America) y tengo una raleigh chopper mark ll completamente original de color gris (similar 2'21")y quisiera saber el año de fabricacion de acuerdo al numero gravado en el marco que es NP841445_(me reservo el ultimo#) sera posible alguien me ayude? GRACIAS
briteer 1 year ago
Una Chopper Raleigh fue mi primer bici, tengo bonitos recuerdos.
moterotube 1 year ago
Roll Back The Years. Ahh Memories.
defender5151 2 years ago
Love th Chopper at 2:23. I can see that it's fitted with the iconic lamps. No dought that the batteries are Eveready. Great to see so many models of a Great bike.
defender5151 2 years ago
@defender5151
Yes, even I remember those. I had twin air-horns on mine and a Hurrett Speedometer. Wasn't I sooooo spoilt!
I fitted it all myself though. It was part of the fun!
I also remember those lamp. I got some of those for my birthday. They weren't much good because they beamed downwards instead of ahead. I had the bracket modified.
My bike HAD to be right! I'm the same with my cars now - a fusspot!
tubedougz 2 years ago
my 'friend' sold me his mark3 for 23€. it has 26" forks, and no gears. now im just looking for a good forks... i dont care about the raleigh copper look, im going to paint the bike black , it will look fucking mad :D (sorry about my bad english)
mertti96 2 years ago
@mertti96 WANNA SELL THOSE FORKS???
chaseylayne76 2 years ago
no.
mertti96 1 year ago
My street in 1979(Bramalea, Ontario) incl... Several choppers, glider fastbacks all worn hand me downs with elect tape, motorcross, my 79 Norco Dirtmaster with tuff 1's. Neighbors 71 blue super bee, a silver vega. 2 identical 79 black trans ams (italian brothers) we smacked any of our friends caught listening to disco.
Hot80s 2 years ago
Yeah..............!
CHIPS and Bruce Forsythe show on telly,, Radio Luxembourg, back door never closed to friends, ford escorts littered the streets, hot bath once a week, dancin to KC and the sunshine band, tom baker was Dr Who, and if you fancied a wee bird - you just asked her out and she said sure...........
spottydog4477 2 years ago
I have a collection of old Raleigh Bikes. I have a Raleigh Twenty (Solitaire) from 1977 and i have a Raleigh RSW16 MKIII form 1971 i have a Raleigh All Terrain from 1990 and i am currently restoring a Chopper i also have a blue Rudge chopper frame which i will put up for sale shortly! Nice video.
727Hushkits 2 years ago
Lots of nice stuff!!
I only have my Chopper Bikes - all MK3's.
Much lighter than the old ones. The handle bar gear-change may not please the purists - but it's nicer to use than the old knobs.
Good clean fun wot!
tubedougz 2 years ago
@tubedougz If it hasn't got a gearshift it's not a 'proper Chopper'!!!
secretscot 1 year ago
i always wanted one . . . but mi parents wouldnt let mi. i'm too big for one now.
mi parents got mi a raleigh bomber . it was very nice.
but i prefered the chopper
for all time.
bopkick5 2 years ago
@bopkick5 NEVER 2 BIG 4 A CHOPPER
chaseylayne76 2 years ago
i had one new in 1975, it had 5 speed derailiur gears in stead of the usual 3 speed stormy arches, never seen another to this day
paul36uk 2 years ago
At last ! Someone else who had a 5 speed. Nobody believes me when i say I had one, I think they were all silver and rarer than hens teeth.
ratty383 2 years ago
@ratty383 - A friend had a purple one. And they were and ARE a rarety.
tubedougz 1 year ago
@ratty383 , mine was bright orange
paul36uk 1 year ago
@ratty383 Theres one for sale on e bay now.
defender5151 1 year ago
I got a Norta Chopper, bought it from an old man for 25 euros. This bike was never used:D
Fully original!
GIAPE08 2 years ago
Also had the cable driven speedo on mine attached to the bottom of the handlebars ,think the name of it was "smiths",and had many a time out with my mates trying to get it to read 30mph downhill!
TheGarlee 2 years ago
Most were made by a company called HURET. They were brill!!
tubedougz 2 years ago
Had a mk11 chopper in purple when they were first out in the 70s.Have fond memories of it and wish i had kept it.Nice vid to jog the mind about the good old days without the dreaded boring computer games that the kids have today instead!
TheGarlee 2 years ago
Whatever happened to fresh air?
Riding 12 miles or more to gather conkers?
Freedom?
A proper childhood?
There weren't as many fat kids.
No knife crime.
The best computer game was that cool tennis game and SPACE INVADERS!
Remember lying under a shady tree, dreaming about a pretty girl. Getting to snog her was a bonus. We never pondered about our sexuality. 'Gay' meant something nice. That's because in those days REAL boys had 'CHOPPERS!' ...
tubedougz 2 years ago
@tubedougz Absolutley......
Gazza90000 1 year ago
I had the orange mk 1 !!! it was £33 in around 1969/1970
terrysteward 2 years ago
that pulled at the old heart strings :) In my living room ive a mk2 ultra violet in pieces being restored.soon itll ride again :) great vid i enjoyed it.
spiralisedcat 2 years ago
Oooohhhhh !
Nice.
My vid seems to make folk cry!
It was designed to evoke HAPPY memories!!
Anyway - who needs memories!!
Tuh!
Get riding that Chopper!
LOL
tubedougz 2 years ago
Wow I think I'm going to cry...I had my brother's hand me down Chopper MK11 bike and it was the best! Part of the best years of my life. Thanks for the touching walk down memory lane.
jeanandbilly 2 years ago
Listen!
Don't be sad. These don't have to be just memories. Those good years can be rekindled.
Get yourself another Chopper bike!!
I have - and I'm 45!
Love it!
tubedougz 2 years ago
You're absolutely right Doug! Next time when I visit my parents I'm going to look for my green Chopper bike that I think is gathering dust in the basement and I'm going to have it restored. I can't wait to ride it again. Thanks bud!
jeanandbilly 2 years ago
Let m know how you get on.
I have three working Chopper MK3's. I have just bought a good MK1 - which is identical to my first 70's bike.
I'm not an anorak - just fiddle when I have time.
I'm a Volvo anorak instead - I have three of those also!
D.
tubedougz 2 years ago
I wish i had a chopper. I do have a Raleigh Twenty from 1977 which i am currently restoring but it will never look as glamarous as those iconic chopper's. Nice video.
727Hushkits 2 years ago
Great stuff
boxerdogs1000 2 years ago
Thanks a million for this post the happiest days of my life were the 70s and riding my Raleigh Chopper the song was great too.
pittards 2 years ago
tube,, your gonna laugh but i'd bought THIS one of mine for my 12y/o..and he just did'nt buy into the whole thing!......so I got to ride it with mum and him..but what with all the attention it gets NOW HE want to ride it! - lol..so I'm looking for a couple extra too (one fur the missus).you're right its a great wat to spend a sunny arvo out with the family.........I lovd yer lil vid......Im inspired enough to do a lil yahchoobe vid of our 'family' chopper too!!../cheers from cumfy australia
spottydog4472 2 years ago
Nice one cobba!
Let me know when your fair dinkum vid is made and posted here on YouTube.
My video will be cactus once yours hits the screen.
Cheers mate!
tubedougz 2 years ago
I have a new one of the Mk3's........
Before you all slag me - I neva owned one in the 70's cuz folks were poor....and stealing one wa'nt easy in Glasgow cuz everyone was nikkin then fast!
Having owned it for 2 years I know its a cheap machine...........I can see the cheapness all over its parts, finnish, mechanicals...
Living in warn dry australia now .the weather is kind to it and I treat it with care...
I put am original S/A shifter on it too!!
Still - IM GOING TO GET ME AN ORIGINAL
spottydog4472 2 years ago
All right Sport!
Nice move. I bet Australia is much MUCH nicer to live at than 'sunny' Glasgow!
I still live in 'sunny' North Wales (geographical mid-Britain's answer to the Outer Hebridies!)
I won't slag you off at all - I remember the 70's too. "When I were a lad" etc.. etc...
For those of us who DID manage to get our lucky kiddie hands on one - great memories!
I have bought my kids a MK3 each. They are much lighter and nicer to ride than the old ones. Nice to see them again!
tubedougz 2 years ago
lol my oldest brother used to goto the scrap yard looking for parts to build a bike. he found a raleigh budgie frame and added a motor bike engine to it and turned it into a motor bike. it work too he took me for a ride on the back of it. i was very young and scared cuz he was weird haha
spunkkymunkky 2 years ago
Loved that vid! Brought back so many memories of my childhood in the 1970s, made me feel quite misty-eyed, I think the music added to the emotion. My mother wouldn't let me have a Chopper as they weren't considered to be a "girls bike", but I used to see no end of boys riding them. They were so cool! Simon Rodzervic let me ride his. (Chopper bike, that is).
UKSazzy67 2 years ago
i had my first kiss on me chopper. Went to see the queen when she was local. Had a pair of 'cowhorn' 'andlebars. Ruined me gentle areas on that gearshift on numerous.
22quigley 2 years ago
I wish I'd had my first kiss on my chopper!
Was it your Aunty Maude who kisserd your gentle area - becasue you'd hurt it?
HA!
tubedougz 2 years ago
New choppers are so PC,love the 70,s ones ahh great days..
SpeedTriple59 2 years ago
Brilliant, so many memories
007vauxhall 2 years ago
Cool video! I own an original MK2 that is about 90% complete. All that is missing is the chain guard. The bike will need a restoration but is otherwise rideable and the stick shift works. Now I'm getting more excited about taking on the restoration. I lucked out on this bike. My brother found it at a garage sale for $10.
kratebiker1963 2 years ago
Cool!
Look on the internet for Chopper Chap. He's got all the bits you'll need.
tubedougz 2 years ago
the new choppers look fuckin shit saddle is shit the gears are shit the bike is shit not like the cool one i had in 72 that was shit HOT
dermot51 2 years ago
OK - OK --- Calm down!
Bloody hell!
I agree with your point. They DON'T look as good, they aren''t as well made either - lots of soft metal. But they are lighter and they are just that weeny bit nicer to ride. You don't have to fumble about near your meat and two veg to change gear - it's all on the handle bar.
As for the saddle? I've changed it for a gell seat. Easier on my 40+ buttocks. Sure, it doesn't look as cool - but I don't sound like the Bee Gees when I ride at least.
tubedougz 2 years ago
I live on a steep hill in Sheffield,which when i was a kid, me and my friends used to race up on our raleigh choppers.I was never beaten,but every one of us got up it without the need to get off and push.I regularly see kids today push their light weight mountain bikes up it.Kids today are wimps.I love the raleigh chopper so much i have made a level on the ps3 game littlebig planet,Titled aptly,Raleigh Chopper.I have made my purple chopper on it. Check it out.
madeinuk68 2 years ago
Ohhh - I love Sheffield!
A couple of years ago I was on holiday in the Peak District. My little 4 year old daughter was playing with another small girl. We asked where her Dad had gone and she said that he'd nipped home to Sheffield. We said - that must be a long drive for him. She replied - "not really silly, about half-an-hour!".
We wre really surprised when her Mum confirmed her story!
So, we now always make a point of visiting Sheffield when we are camping near Bakewell!
tubedougz 2 years ago
I must admit, Choppers aren't the easiest things to ride up a steep hill!
But - YES - today's kids like their home comforts a bit more than we did "when I were a lad". It must be said.
Thanks for your comment!
tubedougz 2 years ago
I also managed to get my hands on a Raleigh Vectra (for the boy) needs alot of work but he will hopefully be the envy of his mates cause not only will his bike make noises and have a built-in FM radio - oh wait a minute his friends dont go own bikes - shocking, too busy with their games consoles at least he can go cycling with me!!
RebelMC22 2 years ago
I ride my Chopper Bike!
I don't really care what others think. I am enjoying myself - that's all that matters to me!
tubedougz 2 years ago
Bucks Fizz, but I guess we are products of that generation, anyways I Managed to get my hands on a Mark 1 Chopper (Frame only - Checked serial number with raleigh) am going to cut the frame and reweld the cross tubes,down tube to a 19" Frame and am currently sourcing original parts but will probably use more modern parts for bearings on headset and bottom bracket and then rather just remincise on days past am going to cycle the bugger much to the amusement of everyone i pass on my way to work!
RebelMC22 2 years ago
Also what artist is singing that song? Is it Dollar or the mighty Bucks Fizz?
RebelMC22 2 years ago
Long live the Raleigh Chopper, I had fond memories of my Mark 1 I called "Mean Machine", sad naming the bike i know you would think someone at Raleigh would start up the Chopper Series again its a no brainer and get the kids today away from there Playstations
RebelMC22 2 years ago
They have made a Chopper MK3 - seen in this video.
And YES - the Playstations are a curse. No wonder some of today's kids are fat little buggars.
Fat kids got HELL in the 70's - before the advent of the P.C. culture.
Life was good when we were kids - for sure!
Music: by Bucks Fizz.
Thanks for your comments.
tubedougz 2 years ago
I loved my red Chopper bike, they were the best ever, the seats were so long u could pile all yr mates on!
Bridgejones08 3 years ago
i hav brought a mk2 chopper i am only 12 my 13th birthday is cumin up so i am go in to buy all th chrome parts for it the gear table has broke do u no any where i could get one from
joshthomastrials 3 years ago
Any Raleigh bike store. There are a few specialist sites online too. There's a guy called Chopper Chap (Google it) who has all the spares (including stickers, chome parts etc).
Hey! I'm imprressed by the way!
A teenager with taste! AND enough nowse to go and restore a classic!
Choppers were the best thing ever when I was a kid in the 70's. We had proper childhoods back then!
I have bought my 10 year old boy a Chopper, He groaned, saying he wants a BMX!
tubedougz 3 years ago
i bought a purple mk2 about 1 year ago in unrestored condition and i have been collecting "nos" parts for it ever since
kevrs2 3 years ago
i have a silver one havent seen one that colour want to sell it i think
aintnoplum 3 years ago
for men of a certain age, that was perfect viewing, thankyou
leachfield 3 years ago
dude tht is a nice video gd to see some one keeping the legend alive thanxs for hecking out my vid aswell oh and have you seen my recent video of the new chopper i have
RJMC07 3 years ago
I had one just like the first full side view shot. Same orange and black with the red line tires. Worked all summer to save the money to buy it, then my neighbor's grand parents went out and bought him one the next day. His was black with orange lettering. ~sigh~
dynadude56 3 years ago
I like that story.
You went out and worked for yours - that's brilliant. You must have been very proud of it and you must have really looked after it.
Mine was bought for me when i was a kid. I feel a bit ashamed now.
Thanks for your comment,
Douglas.
tubedougz 3 years ago
I used to have a chopper. It had high handle bars and was heavy, so maybe "cool" but utterly impractical!
bwgarlwg 3 years ago
why did they ruin the mk3 by giving it that shit seat??? its so annoying
a280281 3 years ago
In short... Health and fucking safety. They are also the reason for the lack of the gear stick. Apparentally its just all far too dangerous for todays current youngsters. Also if the kids injured themselves by giving people a 'backie/saddle' or slipped off the seat onto the gear nob like we did on them years ago (ouch), the manufacture would end up getting a law suit in this day and age - unlike back then when we just 'took it on the chin' and got on with it.
bommmmmmmm 3 years ago
I HAVE THE MARK 3 AND ITS AWSOME!!!!!!
noobyryan 3 years ago
just bought a mk 2 from ebay; 180 pounds in good condition, ride it all the time, Im 45 and pich daughter up from school with it; We live in a small village in France Raleigh Choppers weren't big out here. So it always gets a look Gret video brought back memories
of traffic light lollipops bazooka joes and spangles old english
unigateman 3 years ago
Ive just got a mk2, and had to buy some new tyres after I was riding along and had a blowout.
tractorhero 3 years ago
I had a Chopper back in the 70's and 80's my dad use to work for the company in Nottingham. Brought Mk 3 for my son Ismail Alam.
Islamicpeace 3 years ago
I met the managing director of Raleigh UK on a campsite in Derbyshire earlier this Summer.
Do Islamic people know how to prey for decent weather so that we can actually fo out and ride our bikes. I am supposed to be a Christian (non practicing I might add) and no matter how I pray to Jesus - the bastard doesn't listen and it's pissed it down all summer!
tubedougz 3 years ago
Nice video! I'd do anything to have my high backed mustard MK1 Chopper back in original condition. It was £45 brand new!!!!
s1d10we 3 years ago
I know what you mean.
Isn't it funny how you regret selling numerous of your goods and chattels from yesteryear, regarding them, at the time of disposal, to be valueless!
Why don't you try buying a used one somwhere, there are a few places online that sell them. If you pay the right money - it's a safe investment.
Why go through life wanting something - go get it! We're only here the once!
Nice comment - thanks for your contribution.
tubedougz 3 years ago
Thanks Tubedougz, I am Looking for a Mk3 Chopper now and maybe change the seat later. You and a few others have given me a bit more faith in them than I had before. Cheers. if it don't rock my world, I'll sell it n get a Mk2 later.
Bret London E17
Brettledotcom 3 years ago
little tip for chopper lovers if you can only afford a mk3 then get a mk2 seat on it and drop the handlebars forward looks well nice
a280281 3 years ago
Hi ya mate I sooo miss my Mk1 Chopper. This vid brought tears to me eyes. I'm 46 and 5ft 8ins and lookin' for a Cheap Mk2 or 3 Chopper. Do you think as an adult I would get away with it still as I got the Bug pretty bad ?
PS. anyone on 'ere in East London selling one for under a Ton ?
Brettledotcom 3 years ago
I ride my Choppers and I don't care a hoot what anyone thinks. This is YOUR life - so go dow what YOU want to.
Next time you worry about how you'd look riding your Chopper bike, have a look around your local High Street - people seem to deliberately go around looking ridiculous (Goths for example).
Look for your Chopper online. MKIII's are a good buy and a great bike to ride!
tubedougz 3 years ago
1972 purple irish made chopper in front room as a piece of art whitch they are....
cornholio1962 3 years ago
the old faithful from 1974 has a flat front tire lol hehe :)
lewisnabb 3 years ago
I told a lie to my parents, and as punishment, I didn't get a new bike for a year. I had to ride a piece of shit with solid tires while all my friends were getting Schwinns and stuff! But when I finally got a new bike, It was a green Chopper 5 speed. All of a sudden I had the baddest bike on the block! Sweet memories!
gdrbs427 3 years ago
Thanks for your comment.
It made me laugh!! As a grumpy 44 year old - that's quite an achievement! It was the 'piece of shit' bit that did it. I am still laughing as I am typing this out!!
Congratulations to your parents for dishing out a bit of good old fashioned dicipline.
And having a 5 SPEEDER was quite something! Most of us mere mortals had a 3-Speed Archer Hub.
Were Choppers quite as much of an institution over in the States? They are part of our British Heritage!
tubedougz 3 years ago
Dunno if the Choppers were *quite* the institution in the USA as they were in the UK, but they were definitely a force. I left to attend a certain University out of state in 1981 and when I returned for the Christmas break my parents had thrown away my pristine Mk2!
If they didn't cost a kidney, I'd get one for my 10 year old. And another for me.
jokeiii 3 years ago
hey you,ve got good taste in bikes as well! i remember when i got the chopper m1 yellow christmas 73 i think?. great bike we were never off them in the good old days not like today. my 2 daughters bikes spend more time in the shed than the lawnmowers do!!!
brfc90 3 years ago
I actually still ride my Chopper bike regularly - and thoroughly enjoy the experience!
With the oil price being as high as it is - I think that I may find myself speding even more time in the saddle.
I was bought my first Chopper MK 1 in 1974 and it was the ONLY bike I had as a kid (not counting a 2nd hand Tomahawk when I was VERY small).
Passing my driving test was the start of a rot - becasue also (at Age 18) I discovered beer and the slide toward a middle age fascade commenced.
tubedougz 3 years ago
your right beer and an item called a female it is the begining of the end as we know it lol! not got the chopper anymore just fond memories. i had forgoten about the tomahawk top little bike! i now ride a moutain bike to and from work not quite the same but it will do.
brfc90 3 years ago
i got a MK1 in my basement that needs newer parts and some work i will sell it 4 cheap please send me a message to my account, not on this persons channel or there vid(s).
12904819 3 years ago
me and my brother both had mark1 choppers and they were 35 pounds each both in blue i still love them.
larrylurcher 3 years ago
this really took me back,i reckon i did more miles on my chopper than most kids,it was my first set of wheels.Nothing has come close since.I may be having a rose tinted glasses moment!!!
madeinuk68 3 years ago
I'm glad you had a moment of rose-tintedness!
Same here, I was permanently fixed to my Chopper MK1 - it meant FREEDOM!
I must have had half-a-dozen back tyres on it during its time in my ownership. I now have a Chopper MK3 - which I ride - at 44!).
If you had a Rose Tinted moment - what must I be having!?
tubedougz 3 years ago
these bikes are alright but schwinn krates are way cooler, Raleigh choppers jus dont have the same flare as the schwinn stingrays
stompingrounds88 3 years ago
ALL THE OLD PICS ARE OF EBAY !!!
tristansster 4 years ago
Not ONE picture has been taken off e-bay. Get your facts right sunshine!
tubedougz 4 years ago
and were the sweeney
dermot51 4 years ago
Great memories, I had a blue chopper in the 70's until I was hit by a car, then sold it damaged for 2 pounds. Remember the smaller version the chipper?
herecomesmongo79 4 years ago
Yes. There was also one called a Tomahawk!
tubedougz 4 years ago
music-gay..bikes-gay
nbullis1 4 years ago
Perhaps., deep down, unbeknown to you - you're gay. When was the last time you enjoyed a decent shag? When was the last time you got laid?
Seee.... try it. bend for a friend!
I hate the word gay applied to homosexuality. What they really are a dirty queer bastards - or even poofs!
The bikes are gay - they bring joy and happiness, they're brightly coloured. They don't crave the sight of a blokes arse hole!
tubedougz 4 years ago
I have three Chopper Bikes. I haven't ridden any of them for months! Never mind. Spring's on the way - longer evenings and no rain... ... until June!
tubedougz 4 years ago
Fantastic bikes that bring back dazzling memories. I'm 42 & I used to ache for a Chopper in the 70s. My dad never bought me one as he said they were too dangerous (got one now though!). What an icon of the 70s. Great video
1herp1 4 years ago
We recently worked out how much a chopper in the 70's cost in today's money. They were outrageously expensive - equivalent to hundreds of pounds! No wonder a lot of kids never got a chopper back then. I am very glad that you have a Chopper now and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. Can't be bad being 40-something and still enjoying our choppers! HA!
tubedougz 4 years ago
Anyone remember the Raleigh Grifter?
ryolite38 4 years ago
Of course, one of the first, if not hte first, grip shift system, 3 on the grip, like twisting the throttler on a bike
carli98 4 years ago
I am making brand new memories with my Chopper MKIII. I intend riding it loads this coming summer. I loathe the winter so much and am hoping for lots of hours in the sunshine with my Raleigh Chopper! Bliss!
tubedougz 4 years ago
those are nice but do you have a Eliminator mark 2
yorn143 4 years ago
I remember a schoolmate had one, it was that bright red as shown in the video clip, it was 1973. I'm pretty sure it was a MK 1, and did I envy him? You bet I did.
tony1orourke 4 years ago
Lovely - those types of comments I really appreciate. I love having good memories like that. Glad I helped rekindle them with my littel video effort. Chopper Bikes - a true icon of our halcyon days?!...
tubedougz 4 years ago
Thanks for the memories! My brother and I had an orange one and a yellow one back in the 70's!
sophiegromit 4 years ago
My brother had a yellow MKII and I had a blue MKI (old faithful featured in the video). I am now 42 (sadly) and (happily) I have a new blue MKIII which I love riding! Beats a bright red Ferarri - with cream leather (I think!). Thanks for your comment!
tubedougz 4 years ago
AWESOME!!! Thanks for the info!!
tomcatfranks 4 years ago
Thank you for this info, now I know mine is a MK2! But I need to restore her, she's pretty rough right now, could you tell me where I can find a replacement handlebar set? Mine broke at where the stem is welded to the bars. Thanks, and awesome vid!!!
tomcatfranks 4 years ago
Go onto the Raleigh Chopper Owner's Club website and have a trawl around there. Cannot send the web address HTML over this system but it's (three 'w') (dot) (RROC) (dot) (co) (dot) (uk)...
tubedougz 4 years ago
nice music' now I'll kill myself
bknegsnlzy 4 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Oh NO! Please don't do that!
tubedougz 4 years ago
Anyway - Raleigh Choppers are a British thing. You Yankie-doodles don't understand the 'retro' factor... it's part of us.
tubedougz 4 years ago
niiiiiiiiice i got the red MKIII 06 with wheelie bar and chrome front pegs
billy44 4 years ago
Who is the group, and what is the song called?
jexplink 4 years ago
The Group is Bucks Fizz - the onew who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the UK - saving RTE a whole lot of expense amd hassle! The song is simply called Now Those Days Are Gone. I think it's rather nice - don't you? The song that won the Eurovision was called Making Your Mind Up.
tubedougz 4 years ago
I'd be a compulsive liar if I said I liked Bucks Fizz, but I have to admit, the song does have a certain charm about it.
jexplink 4 years ago
Well - I went and bought a Bucks Fizz collection CD off PLAY. I do listen to it occasionally and THIS track is one of my faves! Their stuff uses a lot of synthesizers and the synth-drums sound really good on the Hi-Fi. Let's face it - until the modern scene starts producing some REAL talent - we're stuck with the old stuff and Bucks Fizz qualify as OLD nowdays! Sigh!...
tubedougz 4 years ago
in 1973 wheni was eight, mydadtook me to thelocal bike shop in st helen,s in the window was a red raleigh chopper!dad said do you like the look,of course i said, i was ecstatic,he said :keep your eye on it you,ll never get your arse on it:.then dragged me off to the betting shop, then the pub.!!i stillcry at night. I WANT A RED CHOPPER,WITH 3 GEARS,BOO HOO.
graham929 4 years ago
Fantastic - great story! I love that one, thank you very much Graham! I used to have a blue one and I have bough myself a blue one again. My advice to you is GET ONE and stuff what anyone thinks - life's tto short!
tubedougz 4 years ago
Please could U tell me what song this is? Oh and nice collection.
zippy930 5 years ago
la bicicleta esta buenisima, lastima el tema musical de fondo que pusieron por dios es muy PEDORRERO!
ossettcolor 5 years ago
back then i had a purple one mk2.loved it. mk3 rubbish health & safety have ruined it.
clickclick01 5 years ago
You're obviously a purist! I agree that health and safety are a pain in the wotsits but the MKIII isn't actually a bad bike to ride! It aluminium, so far lighter than the bikes of old. It still looks a cool bike and the gear change is far easier now that the control is on the handlebar. The old bikes looked better - I admit - but after a long absence - better a MKIII than no choppers at all! I have bought my kids a MKIII each!
tubedougz 5 years ago
Just checked this out now. Wonderful stuff.
jexplink 5 years ago
Glad you're a TUBEDOUGZ fan!. Did you have a bike like one of those?
tubedougz 5 years ago
good old days
swayzey 5 years ago
It doesn't have to be confined to "the good old days." I bought two new Chopper MKIII's (for the kids - ahem!) and have enjoyed hours of riding pleasure during this last Summer. They are just as much fun as ever they were. I'm 42 and am enjoying my mid life crisis on a red chopper bike opposed to being in a red Ferrari! It's worth a try, surely?
tubedougz 5 years ago