1980 Raleigh ‘Denim’ Eighteen

[Survivor Bikes]

Day 1,346,268... or something.

Morning men. Starboard ten. ‘Round the buoy, and back again.

I’ve got to make some progress on this Eighteen today. I’ve missed far too many shifts over the last few days for one reason or another; and as a result this little bike is taking an age to throw together!

Also my ten-year-old (government authorised truant) apprentice, spends most of her time glued to inane YT videos, and bothering the horses that live here; so she’s not much help .

Projects are piling up. Got to get a shift on!

 

[MontyVeda]

The Dibble wouldn't let me take my Cycling Proficiency on my Raleigh Chopper. They'd banned them for being able to take part because they were too unstable and dangerous. What a crock - when I crashed my chopper in 1976 I didn't break my pelvis that badly.

Anyway, this meant I had to do it on my sisters Raleigh Denim. Even worse, it had been adorned with flowery stickers. 45 years on I'm still traumatised by the experience.

I did mine on a Tomahawk; the Chopper's little brother... I guess the dibble up here were yet to learn about H&S.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

I had a Tomahawk too, before I got my orange coloured Commando. I loved that Tomahawk. Luckily, we didn’t have cultural appropriation in the 70s...

 

[Survivor Bikes]

...Or twitter

 

[Survivor Bikes]

...Or channel 4

 

[Survivor Bikes]

That’s the integrated stand assembly, erm, reintegrated.

And the first of the colour-keyed rims. It’s showing its battle scars a bit, but I can live with that; let’s just call it ‘character’.

Plodding on.

 

[Drago]

That is sooooo pretty. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Gunk]

That is looking mega @Survivor Bikes I can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Gunk]

I did mine on a Tomahawk; the Chopper's little brother... I guess the dibble up here were yet to learn about H&S.

The Chipper was the Chopper's little brother, my brother had one for Christmas, I had a Grifter

 

[MontyVeda]

The Chipper was the Chopper's little brother, my brother had one for Christmas, I had a Grifter

View attachment 532140

I'll see your Chipper (the baby brother) and raise you a Tomahawk

 

[Survivor Bikes]

That is sooooo pretty. Keep 'em coming!

Thanks team. Back to the grindstone...

 

[rogerzilla]

The Budgie was an even smaller Chopper. Which gives the slang term "budgie-smugglers" for Speedos a whole new resonance!

 

[Gunk]

You must stop with these threads, I have promised that my Claud Butler is last one for a while, you've got me itching to crack on with another bike!

 

[Survivor Bikes]

I was expecting to have to use NOS, but the crank assembly scrubbed up nice.

Tomorrow, I’ll have this bad boy in bits...

TTFN 😊

 

[Survivor Bikes]

D

You must stop with these threads, I have promised that my Claud Butler is last one for a while, you've got me itching to crack on with another bike!

Do it 👍, go on !