UK and Europe · Public discussion

It's like flares for cyclists :-)

Just Zis Guy · 2004-01-15T19:02:20+00:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/3399423.stm Anyone for a two-ton two ton bike? Return of the Chopper ===================== The Chopper bicycle, an icon of the 1970s, is to be relaunched by manufacturer Raleigh. The company has decided to capitalise on nostalgic interest in the bike by releasing a new version. Initially it will make 2,004 of the new Choppers, each with a unique production number stamped on a plaque. Raleigh, based at Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, sold 1.5 million Choppers between 1969 and 1979. The bike still has since developed a cult following. The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated seat, back rest and chrome seat loop. The only major difference will be the gearshift, which moves from the crossbar to the handlebars for safety reasons. Product manager for the Chopper at Raleigh, Loz Cox, said: "The biggest changes are the lightweight alloy frame - the original was steel - and the position of the gear lever. "It has taken us nine months to redesign the new Chopper and we know it's going to prove as popular as it did in the 70s." The Choppers are due to go on sale in April. The first 2,004 Choppers will cost £249.99 with subsequent bikes, without the plaque, retailing for £199.99. Guy === May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting. http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

Started by Just Zis Guy · 15 January 2004 · Last activity 19 January 2004 · 16 posts · 1,910 views

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01 / Original postIt's like flares for cyclists :-)Just Zis Guy · 15 Jan 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–16Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #16Helen Deborah V · 19 Jan 2004

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Original section: UK and Europe
Published: 15 January 2004
Last activity: 19 January 2004
Original author: Just Zis Guy
Posts: 16
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 1,910
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Aluminium frames

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Original post
Just Zis Guy
Archived post

15 January 2004, 19:02 UTC #1

news.bbc.co.uk3399423.stm
Anyone for a two-ton two ton bike?
Return of the Chopper
=====================
The Chopper bicycle, an icon of the 1970s, is to be relaunched by manufacturer Raleigh. The company
has decided to capitalise on nostalgic interest in the bike by releasing a new version.
Initially it will make 2,004 of the new Choppers, each with a unique production number stamped
on a plaque.
Raleigh, based at Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, sold 1.5 million Choppers between 1969 and 1979.
The bike still has since developed a cult following.
The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated
seat, back rest and chrome seat loop.
The only major difference will be the gearshift, which moves from the crossbar to the handlebars for
safety reasons.
Product manager for the Chopper at Raleigh, Loz Cox, said: "The biggest changes are the lightweight
alloy frame - the original was steel - and the position of the gear lever.
"It has taken us nine months to redesign the new Chopper and we know it's going to prove as popular
as it did in the 70s."
The Choppers are due to go on sale in April.
The first 2,004 Choppers will cost £249.99 with subsequent bikes, without the plaque, retailing
for £199.99.
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.uk

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Mseries
Archived post

15 January 2004, 19:02 UTC #2

Just zis Guy said:
The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated
seat, back rest and chrome seat loop.
Stangely they were never known as "ape hanger" handlebars in Hartlepool

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John Mallard
Archived post

15 January 2004, 19:02 UTC #3

MSeries said:
Just zis Guy said:
The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated
seat, back rest and chrome seat loop.
Stangely they were never known as "ape hanger" handlebars in Hartlepool
Tee-hee
:-o
--
Cheerful Peddling John Mallard

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Zog The Undenia
Archived post

16 January 2004, 22:59 UTC #4

Just zis Guy said:
The only major difference will be the gearshift, which moves from the crossbar to the handlebars
for safety reasons.
Pah. I would have bought one otherwise.

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Pmailkeey
Archived post

17 January 2004, 06:02 UTC #5

On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:02:36 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email hidden]> wrote:
🙂Return of the Chopper )The only major difference will be the gearshift, which moves from the
🙂crossbar to the handlebars for safety reasons.
Shame, that was the bit I liked ! Should be 8 speed hub in it of course !
--
Comm again, Mike.

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Matsav
Archived post

18 January 2004, 01:03 UTC #6

MSeries said:
Just zis Guy said:
The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated
seat, back rest and chrome seat loop.
Stangely they were never known as "ape hanger" handlebars in Hartlepool
...and in London, I knew them as "cow-horn" handlebars.
--
MatSav

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Pmailkeey
Archived post

19 January 2004, 03:03 UTC #7

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 17:11:02 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <[email hidden]>
wrote:
🙂Just zis Guy, you know? wrote: ) )> The only major difference will be the gearshift, which moves
:from the )> crossbar to the handlebars for safety reasons. ) )Pah. I would have bought one
:otherwise. )
It'll up the value of the originals still further !
--
Comm again, Mike.

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robbiew
Archived post

19 January 2004, 13:14 UTC #8

Quoted post said:
Originally posted by Matsav
On Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:13:35 -0000, "MSeries"
Quoted message said:
Just zis Guy said:
The new Chopper will retain the red-lined tyres, distinctive "ape hanger" handlebars, elongated
seat, back rest and chrome seat loop.
Stangely they were never known as "ape hanger" handlebars in Hartlepool

...and in London, I knew them as "cow-horn" handlebars.

--
MatSav
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on "racers" to make you king of the wheelies?

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

19 January 2004, 15:02 UTC #9

robbiew said:
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on
"racers" to make you king of the wheelies?
They were where I come from. Handlebars inna-Chopper-stylee were known as "Chopper handlebars". I
had a four-speed (originally five, but one of the sprockets broke in half and fell off) Sun with
Chopper handlebars and a banana seat when I was about fourteen...
--
Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.uk
===========================================================

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Peter Clinch
Archived post

19 January 2004, 15:02 UTC #10

robbiew said:
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on
"racers" to make you king of the wheelies?
That was at least the case in Bexley, SE London, back in the 70s...
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinch

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Simon Brooke
Archived post

19 January 2004, 16:02 UTC #11

Dave Larrington said:
robbiew said:
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on
"racers" to make you king of the wheelies?
They were where I come from. Handlebars inna-Chopper-stylee were known as "Chopper handlebars". I
had a four-speed (originally five, but one of the sprockets broke in half and fell off) Sun with
Chopper handlebars and a banana seat when I was about fourteen...
Good grief! what on earth was that like to ride?
--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simon
I shall continue to be an impossible person so long as those who are now possible remain
possible -- Michael Bakunin

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Mseries
Archived post

19 January 2004, 18:03 UTC #12

Dave Larrington said:
robbiew said:
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on
"racers" to make you king of the wheelies?
They were where I come from. Handlebars inna-Chopper-stylee were known as "Chopper handlebars". I
had a four-speed (originally five, but one of the sprockets broke in half and fell off) Sun with
Chopper handlebars and a banana seat when I was about fourteen...
There was a craze when I was a yoof to build what we called 'riggy ups', bikes made from parts of
others, preferably salvaged from a dump. Most people stuck pipes on the end of fork blades, hammered
the ends flat and drilled holes for the axles. Some people fitted long forks and small front wheels
to small frames such as choppers or grifters, some fitted chopper bars to ordinaries.
--
The Reply & From email addresses are checked rarely. mseries.freeserve.co.ukmseries.freeserve.co.uk

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

19 January 2004, 18:03 UTC #13

Simon Brooke said:
Dave Larrington said:
I had a four-speed (originally five, but one of the sprockets broke in half and fell off) Sun
with Chopper handlebars and a banana seat when I was about fourteen...
Good grief! what on earth was that like to ride?
At the time it was /really/ cool and not as horrendous as one might have thought, but by the
standards of the cognoscenti, pretty dreadful. I once got it up to 40 mph on the Guildford
bypass though...
--
Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.uk
===========================================================

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Dave Larrington
Archived post

19 January 2004, 18:03 UTC #14

MSeries said:
There was a craze when I was a yoof to build what we called 'riggy ups', bikes made from parts of
others, preferably salvaged from a dump. Most people stuck pipes on the end of fork blades,
hammered the ends flat and drilled holes for the axles. Some people fitted long forks and small
front wheels to small frames such as choppers or grifters, some fitted chopper bars to ordinaries.
Bit like this lot, then...
dclxvi.orgindex.html
--
Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.uk
===========================================================

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Alan Braggins
Archived post

19 January 2004, 18:03 UTC #15

In article said:
Dave Larrington said:
robbiew said:
Were cow horns not the stylish bars about 4 feet wide that you substituted for drop bars on
"racers" to make you king of the wheelies?
They were where I come from. Handlebars inna-Chopper-stylee were known as "Chopper handlebars". I
had a four-speed (originally five, but one of the sprockets broke in half and fell off) Sun with
Chopper handlebars and a banana seat when I was about fourteen...
There was a craze when I was a yoof to build what we called 'riggy ups', bikes made from parts
of others, preferably salvaged from a dump. Most people stuck pipes on the end of fork blades,
hammered the ends flat and drilled holes for the axles. Some people fitted long forks and
small front
See dclxvi.orgindex.html

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Helen Deborah V
Archived post

19 January 2004, 19:03 UTC #16

If you want to be reminded of the Chopper but can't/won't buy the bike, there are nice little
Choppers on socks from Marks & Spencer now...
--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden] Edgware.

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