Raleigh's design team took their inspiration from America. Custom kits comprising of hi-rise handlebars, back-rests (cissy bars), elongated seats and mag-wheels were already advertised in the American Superhero Comics in the late sixties. In Britain, no such customisation existed, but Raleigh managed to package the child's bicycle in a totally new way. The design for the Chopper was so radical that the competition simply couldn't match it. Here was a design that embodied the mood of the 70's and traditional bikes simply looked out of date. Chopper bikes became as essential as flared trousers, platform heels, transistor radios and other groovy 70's gear.

This seat is not designed to carry passengers

Its elongated saddle encouraged the practice of carrying passengers and virtually all Chopper owners were inundated by requests for lifts home from school. Prompted by the number of injuries sustained by cycles tipping up, the manufacturer took to printing warnings on the seat.

Later, the Mark II Chopper had its saddle reduced in size and its frame modified to shift the riders centre of gravity. But this was not enough to curtail the practice of giving 'croggeys' as they were called locally. In fact Raleigh failed spectacularly by adding a saddlebag rack to the design, thus providing even more room for a second passenger.

Evel Knievel bike stunts

Even without additional passengers, the Chopper which was originally modelled on American dragsters, performed 'wheelies' with ease. The popularisation of death defying feats by motorcycle riders such as Evel Knievel coupled with the Chopper's quirky styling gave rise to all kinds of accidents. Application of the front brake often resulted in riders being thrown over the handlebars and serious injuries could be sustained by slipping off the vinyl seat onto the gear shift lever positioned on the cross bar.

I was lucky enough to capture one of these Chopper groin injuries on 8mm cine film when my friend Steven Clay made a spectacular Evel Knievel jump over a wall of empty coca-cola cans.

Over the years the handlebars were reduced in size and the gear stick replaced with a safer, but equally painful T-bar design. Although the brakes were effective if used correctly most riders favoured the use of platform heeled boots fitted with metal 'segs' or blakeys' for additional stopping power. These produced sparks when they came into contact with concrete pavements and were banned at school due to the damage they caused to wooden floors.

Handlebar Customs

Chopper handlebars provided a convenient framework for personal expression. Coloured tape was often wrapped around the chrome, or tassels attached to the grips. The original Chopper also had an optional windshield. My own Mark II Chopper in 'flamboyant purple' was adorned with half-a-dozen Mod-scooter mirrors. But one of the most common treatments was the reversal of the handlebars so that they faced the wrong way. This usually required the complete removal of the front brake, which looked cool but was lethal in a hilly village like Blidworth.

Towards the end of the seventies, Raleigh experimented with Chopper Racing-bike hybrids which never gained much in popularity. BMX was the next big thing and production was soon geared towards fulfilling the dreams of another generation.