How has Raleigh touched your cycling life?

[Arthur]

I got back into cycling as an adult with a second-hand Raleigh Winner that I bought in the early 90s for a tenner.
It performed faultlessly for several years and quite a few thousand miles before a nasty crack appeared in the left chain-stay and I reluctantly stripped the parts and skipped the frame . I've owned faster, better-built bikes since then but I've never matched the fondness I had for the old Raleigh.

 

[betty swollocks]

I (mis) read the op's title to this thread as 'Has Raleigh touched your cycling wife?'
Naughty Sir Walter!

 

[Dan B]

First bike I paid for with my own money (albeit that it was mostly birthday money) was a Raleigh Micron 5, which I have not yet seen mentioned upthread. I was more than slightly surprised to see a very similar looking one for sale in a local bike shop a couple of months ago - it even had the short mudguards and spongey handlebar grip stuff that I fitted to mine post-purchase - but declined to purchase it for son&heir as I see no reason he shouldn't have the benefit of all I've learned about frame materials since those days. Also, nowhere to store it until he grows into it.

Still, it was a lot of fun at the time

 

[Andrew_Culture]

First bike I paid for with my own money (albeit that it was mostly birthday money) was a Raleigh Micron 5, which I have not yet seen mentioned upthread. I was more than slightly surprised to see a very similar looking one for sale in a local bike shop a couple of months ago - it even had the short mudguards and spongey handlebar grip stuff that I fitted to mine post-purchase - but declined to purchase it for son&heir as I see no reason he shouldn't have the benefit of all I've learned about frame materials since those days. Also, nowhere to store it until he grows into it.

Still, it was a lot of fun at the time

I wouldn't have been able to resist the temptation. I had a boomerang bike when I was a teenager, I think I gave it to someone who then promptly flogged it for a quid at the local auction house where my mum worked. Mum rang to tell me she's bought me a new bike for a quid, and lo and behold it was my own bike. I took the tyres and tubes off it and rode it around on the rims. I don't recall why, but I do recall the effect it had on my eggs, to the extent I was quite surprised they still had the ability to sire spawn many years later.

 

[matthat]

Found this thread and feel the need to comment!! My 1st proper bike was a Raleigh BMX burner probably bought for my 10th birthday which might still be buried in the depths of the parents garage!! May well have to investigate that on my next visit down south! That would make it nearly 30yrs old EEEK

 

[Stu9]

My first Raleigh was a Hustler racer then a Chopper....god I wish I'd taken care of them and still had them

 

[Iainj837]

1st Raleigh was a Ranger in blue, then a Chopper mk 2 in the famous red then a gap from cycling then got a hybrid then a Raleigh pioneer venture touring bike which got me back into cycling in a big way, but miss the Chopper, I wish I still had it even if it was just in the garage.
I used to wash it every Sunday, everyone used to comment on it being in great condition.

 

[Psycolist]

Afraid I seem to pre date most of the posters so far, but Raleigh were the only bike brand easily avaliable to the masses in the post war 50's. Rode them as a child, coz thats all there was, but in adult years, have been dissapointed by the 2 adult bikes from them. Heavy, poor quality parts and prone to rust. Sorry Raleigh fans, but I can only speak as I find.

 

[snorri]

The first bike I bought with my own money was a Raleigh Etape, I remember being impressed with the lightness and disapponted to find very little of it was actually made in the UK. It was fine for day trips, but on my first cycle tour in Ireland, although only carrying rear panniers I felt the frame was bending, it had to go. It was replaced by a Raleigh Jaguar, an altogether more substantial machine. I took it on a tour of Cornwall and Devon which morphed into a LEJOG and realised I had discovered proper touring. After that we went to mainland Europe for a trip along the LF1 and the following year to Norway. By this time I wanted a real tourer and the Jaguar became my regular utility and day tripper bike, 17 years on and it continues to fulfil that function.