How has Raleigh touched your cycling life?

[Cycleops]

Another thread on CTC praises the Raleigh Grifter and it occured to me that such a long established company with such a diverse range of products most have impacted our cycling at one or many points during our lives. So what have experieces with marque been?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Experiences have been generally good, but the first of their Vietmanese bikes that I bought eventually taught me that brand loyalty is unhelpful. But in terms of reasonable quality bikes at accessible prices then yes, I guess I could say I still think of Raleigh in affectionate ways.

 

[aces_up1504]

Raleigh were my first ever bikes, 1stly a BMX bike in the early 80s followed by a 5 speed Racer a few years later, which met an untimely end when racing round the block with other kids, having the back end clipped and very sudden stop with a parked car head on!

 

[Grayduff]

Raleigh Europa 10 speed Red and beautifull Xmax present 1979,,Brilliant lasted forever or until i left home that is wish i still had it..

 

[ufkacbln]

I still have a Raleigh Phaser from my Childhood !

My first "real" bike was a Raleigh Wayfarer

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

The first love of my life was my Raleigh Bianca that I got for Christmas 1987. It was a shimery lilac colour, the white saddle had a silver trim and there was a rack with a wee bag on the back and I'm sure the rims were chrome. I loved that bike and rode it into the ground and sold it to the kid upstairs for DM50 when I was about 10 and too big for it. I bought a budgie with the money and it died before the bike did

I have a look on ebay every so often and the odd one pops up.

 

[Sittingduck]

Yellow Raleigh Boxer... my first bike
Christmas day moring of 81/82 (I think)

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

My first Raleigh was a Mark 1 Chopper. Me and my brother cycled miles on them. My next Raleigh was a 10 speed Stratos, bought in 1983. I went on to do LEJOG on that in 1985. I sold it to a mate in 1986 and bought a custom built steel framed beauty from Harry Hall in Manchester.

 

[Saluki]

My Dad had a bike shop when I was a kid and I grew up with Raleigh bikes. The Raleigh Twenty that I got for my 11th birthday was a shocker though. I hated it with a passion as I was 11, not 60! After that I had a red Raleigh with drop handlebars, 5 or 6 gears but the logos were missing so not sure what it was. By this time I was saving for a Claude Butler!

 

[Sara_H]

I think all of my childhood bikes were Raleighs . I particularly remember one that lasted a long time that was retired at the age of 11/12. It was the same blue as the phaser pictured above with white tyres and a box bag on the rack.

I recently bought a vintage Raleigh Caprice, to satisfy my need for a girly bike, though it's totally impractical for the hilly area I live in, I love it and it's in really good order!

 

[numbnuts]

My MTB is a Raleigh

 

[Cheddar George]

Bright red Tomahawk, Christmas present from mum and dad. Christmas has never been so good.

 

[tyred]

I think all of my childhood bikes were Raleighs . I particularly remember one that lasted a long time that was retired at the age of 11/12. It was the same blue as the phaser pictured above with white tyres and a box bag on the rack.

I recently bought a vintage Raleigh Caprice, to satisfy my need for a girly bike, though it's totally impractical for the hilly area I live in, I love it and it's in really good order!

Put a 22 or 24 tooth sprocket on the Sturmey hub and be surprised how easy to ride it will be.

 

[clarion]

My first bike was a Raleigh Jeep. Weighed a ton, single speed, but took everything a young lad could throw at it.

Raleigh was the only bike brand I knew, and the shop on Abbey Street had some lovely red and yellow Raleighs in the window - Record, Ace etc. But I never got one.

Many years later (2007, in fact), I sent my Orbit for a respray, and bought a road bike for £70 off ebay. It was a Raleigh, though which model it was I never discovered. It had 700x19c tyres, but that didn't stop me taking it off road.

It's sad to see famous names such as Raleigh, Viking, Claud Butler and even Muddy Fox being used for inferior products, though two of those have definitely made a move upmarket in the last few years.

 

[wheeliebin]

I have some Raleigh inner tubes