What this relaunch actually represents is the rebirth of an absolute classic because, let's face it, the Raleigh Chopper was THE bike of the 1970s. It became many a kid's dream due to its iconic styling. Of course, the style didn't come cheap. A new Chopper cost around £34 back in the '70s (which equates to something like £350 in today's money).

It goes without saying that such a price tag was prohibitive for many families back in the day. But, despite the price, the Chopper somehow outsold other bikes by an astonishing six-to-one. This extraordinary sales boom actually saved Raleigh from administration. Now, Raleigh is bringing back their iconic product for a whole new generation to enjoy. The price for this piece of 1970s nostalgia? Well - it has a cool RRP of £950!

Retro icon

Arguably, the Chopper was never the best bike in the world, especially if you aspired to cover some serious mileage. That's because the old bikes were actually rather heavy, they had small wheels, and, truth be known, they were generally a bit unwieldy. Of course, the Chopper was no mountain bike or racer but there’s no denying that, these days, it's an absolute retro icon.

Raleigh are now soaring on a plume of pure nostalgia by bringing back the Chopper, complete with all the classic styling, albeit in a manner that's wholly compliant with current safety standards. Now, we can all picture ourselves pedalling towards our old haunts with the sun shining on our backs and the wind blowing through our hair. Just like old times.

The Raleigh company was established in Nottingham back in 1887. Ever since they have been designing and producing some highly unique bikes. In their time, Raleigh can boast a fair chunk of innovative products and designs. But, arguably, there's no other bike from the Raleigh stable (or any other) that packs such cultural impact as the venerable Chopper. Small wonder, there’s now quite a lot of excitement about the relaunch.

In recent years, people have travelled far and wide or trawled the internet in order to acquire either a well-kept original or a nicely restored example. But, such bikes are few and far between and have therefore commanded hefty prices. At least the new version is going to be as close as it gets to the MK2 (on which it's based) and it will be wholly compliant with current safety regulations. Therefore it will be legal to use in the UK.

Attention to detail

To recreate the Chopper, Raleigh used cutting-edge 3D scans of an original MK2 in order to create a CAD replica for the new bike's frame. All this attention to detail was part of a 4-year development programme which went into producing this latest piece of bicycling history. Naturally, it has all the features which made the original bikes so special including the one-piece saddle, a mid-frame gear shifter, the Archer-hub (three-speed gears) as well as the fabled "sissy bar" (now reduced in height in order to comply with current safety regulations.

It's true that the Raleigh Chopper is the most iconic bike that Raleigh ever made. In fact, it's probably the most iconic bike in British history. Raleigh sold millions of units worldwide during the 1970s, cementing the Chopper's place into British culture. To this day, the Chopper evokes a feeling of nostalgia.

The new MK4 model is as close as Raleigh could get to the original MK2 which was originally released in 1972 whilst meeting today’s required safety standards. The Chopper is still seen by the Raleigh team as a very important milestone in the company's history. The Chopper's enduring legacy is something to be admired and protected - hence the relaunch - and a fourth generation.

The new Chopper will initially be available in "Infrared" or "Ultraviolet" paint, the exact same colour scheme in which the original MK2 was released in 1972. The frame will be constructed from 'Cro-Mo' steel with a steel handlebar and stem. As we mentioned earlier, the gears will be the Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub complete with the mid-frame shifter. Caliper brakes will be fitted as per the original. The new bike will weigh in at a fairly hefty 18.5kg but I don't think anyone will really care much about such details because this will be a bike to be seen with rather than it ever being intended as a long-legged cruiser!

My own bike was actually a MK1 in blue. I rode this bike on a daily basis and covered many miles with it over many happy years of ownership. I bought myself a few accessories including some EVER READY front and rear lights and a Huret speedometer which made it even more uber-cool!

The main difference between a MK1 and a MK2 is that the gear lever shifter changed from having a car-like knob to a T-bar. This is the easiest way to differentiate between a MK1 and MK2. In addition, the seat was moved slightly forward on MK2s and was made a bit shorter for improved balance. This helped prevent the bike from tipping backwards (doing a wheelie).

Happy memories

My happiest childhood memories come from the years getting about on my trusty Raleigh Chopper. I remember my brother getting a lovely MK-2 (in yellow). I even vividly remember the old bike shop in Bangor (Wales) from where it was purchased. It was beautiful in yellow! We often rode our bikes to the beach and went on long rides with our packed lunches. Great days.

This is why I was delighted when a new version of the Chopper (the MK3) was launched in February 2004. Now, my kids could also have a Chopper! Having been out of production for almost 25 years, the MK3 adopted a more conventional saddle design to discourage passenger "backies". The groin-catching gear lever vanished in favour of handlebar-mounted gear controls. The MK3 was also much lighter, having adopted the use of a light alloy frame. I even bought myself a MK3 so I could ride alongside my kids. I was 40 years old and chose a new blue Chopper to facilitate my mid-life crisis! At £189, it was much better value than a Ferrari.




Author

Douglas Hughes is a UK-based writer producing general interest articles ranging from travel pieces to classic motoring. 

Douglas Hughes