Chopper

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Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
...was anybody lucky enough to own one of these as a kid? I never got one, although it was the thing to be seen on when I was growing up.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
Passed a bike shop in Ware yesterday and saw one in the window. Alloy frame, V-brakes and bright red.

Must...resist...temptation...
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Never had one, but some mates had them. They weren't that good, you were better off with a budgie or, when you got big enough, a boxer.
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
Yes, I had one. Royal Blue. Didn't go that fast, but then it wasn't designed to. Great street cred. First rule of owning a (foam seat filled) Chopper is don't leave out in the rain otherwise you'll have a permanently wet bum!
 

twowheelsgood

Senior Member
God - I wanted one of these SO much when I was a kid but got a sensible bike instead (a Raleigh Hustler).

I remember riding a friends - it was so unbelievably heavy for a kid that I was thankful I didn't have one.

I guess one of the alloy framed ones would be better - but retrofitted with a MK I saddle and the proper stick shift (I beleive their are aftermarket kits to do this). Health and safety can go screw itself.
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
Grifters were better.

And bigger, I got off that product line before the grifter :biggrin: . After my boxer I moved on to a bmx for a short, misguided time, then I eventually ended up with a Sun Super 5 (raleigh frame tourer, ran and ran and ran, till it got hit by a van).
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I built one with a grocer's bike frame that I fished out of a river. It had ape-hangers and a chopper seat I made from wood and central heating pipe. The front wheel was stolen off my brother's bike and the rear wheeel had a 3 speed hub, it had a dynamo and a huge chrome headlamp, I sawed the basket off and got a hole in the frame brazed up at the local garage. Sadly it got stolen when we moved to Newcastle, Geordie barstewards.
 

MsMalfoy

New Member
Location
Derby
I was a bit young to have a Chopper but my Grandad brought me a blue Raleigh Chipper (small Chopper) for my 5th birthday in 1977. I also got a Magic Roundabout bell to put on it and remember riding it back (with stabilizers) the 3 miles or so from the shop.
I think it took me till the next Summer to get rid of the stabilizers but I did have a lot of fun on that bike.
 

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
Never had a chopper.

In my teens I briefly had a bike with motorcycle forks attached to the frame. Cable drum brake, very effective. They were a bit of a sloppy fit so I didn't have it long before the head tube failed.There was a bit of a craze for 'em at school, and one kid seemed to have a never-ending supply of forks to use. Christ knows where he got 'em from.

It was shite uphill.
 

Big Bren

New Member
Location
Yorkshire
I had one, complete with one of those big bulbous horns and lolly sticks in the spokes for maximum annoyance factor. The big warning label about crogging was, round our way, an irresistable invitation to fit as many people on the bike as possible - I got six on mine whilst still managing forward motion.

I think I had a Grifter after that, but it was quickly cast aside with the arrival on these shores of the ultra-cool BMX - I had a silver one (Mongoose?) with electric blue mag wheels that I loved more than life itself. I spent the next few years chucking it and myself off various obstacles in blatant disregard for my own personal safety - happy days!

Bren
 

radger

Veteran
Location
Bristol
I'm a bit young for choppers :smile:. I remember wanting a BMX as a small child. What I got was this , but in pale blue :biggrin:

When I was 10, I was allowed a new bike (haha), and my dream was of a boys' red road bike with black bar tape. I got some ghastly girls' emmelle horror.

I buy my own bikes now
:biggrin:
 
I had one, it must have been second hand as I don’t remember the gears ever working, maybe it was my brothers.
It finally went whilst descending a steep hill with my mate on the back; a speed wobble developed and offed me and Marc Hoban who was sitting backwards at the time! :biggrin:

It was replaced by a Grifter, then various BMX and a strange Italian full sus bike. I cant remember the name of the suspension bike it was long before MTB's came along and very bouncy.

Eventually I saw the light and got a racer , albeit one with a curved top tube ala spech/bianchi 2007 and this was about 1980.

I remember the chopper as rubbish at everything except giving passengers a lift and even that was bloody dangerous.

For me the Grifter was better but I don’t remember either with properly working gears, who knows how to fix sturmey archer?

The single speed bmx where better, if your family had money you got a mongoose , if not you got one from the local garage, there was another British made one with solid plastic wheels I always fancied that, cant remember the name though anyone recall it??
 
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