OP
OP
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
The coolest thing I have heard today by leagues!
In praise of... Raleigh Grifter!
- Thread starter Andrew_Culture
- Start date
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The coolest thing I have heard today by leagues!
mrandmrspoves
Middle aged bald git.
- Location
- Narfuk
A cool radiator would be pretty pointless
I'm sure I have ridden some bikes that used to be radiators.......
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
A cool radiator would be pretty pointless
so would a cool convector.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I had a grifter, a blue one with 3 speed hub gear that broke and was stuck in the hardest gear ...
No wonder i have thunder thighs as i was grinding a single speed as a child !
No wonder i have thunder thighs as i was grinding a single speed as a child !
baldycyclist
Über Member
- Location
- Sunderland
remember when the first BMX came along and Grifters died - good they were meatyI claimed my brother's Grifter when he claimed my racing bike. These new fangled BMX things had come along so the Grifter got a new lease of life with BMX everything apart from the frame & forks... certainly turned some heads at Coastline BMX and the weekly race meets at Pontins
In it's heyday, the grifter had that 'padded' crossbar which was solid as rock, the seat like a sofa (in comparison to the racer's seat) and the meaty mudguard with the plastic ends, which, when folded under the mudguard so it rubbed against the tyre, made a cracking motobike noise... until it completely wore down.
uphillstruggler
Guru
- Location
- Half way there
i could wheelie my grifter for miles, my sister hand glossed it white for some unknown reason, still struggling to forgive 30 years on.
taximan
senex crepitu iuvenis cordi esse
- Location
- Whitby North Yorkshire.
I was brought up long before these new fangled choppers, grifters whatever. my schoolboy steed was a bright red Hercules Jeep. 18 inch wheels with rod brakes, single speed and tin mudguards, but I loved it. My father bought it for me when he realised that the bruises on my knees were caused by my knees hitting the handlebars of my trike. It lasted me a number of years until I swapped it for a pack of playing cards with nude women on them. The first 'long run' I ever did was on that bike. My mate and I cycled from Billingham (nr Middlesbrough) to Durham City and back, a distance of about 40 miles altogether. On thing I remember about that outing was a priest suggesting to us that if we must ride our bikes, perhaps we should take them outside the cathedral. A few minutes later we were rattling down a long steep hill to the market. (the brakes had long since stopped working properly) and almost crashed into a sort of covered roundabout structure containing a rather large policeman on traffic control duty. Horror of horrors, he knew us and leaned forward to look down at the tangle of boy's and bikes he said "I think its time you two buggers went back to Billingham". We were happy to comply and eventually reached home happy and contented. I still look back at that ride as one of the best I have ever done.
Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
I think there might still be one in the garage of my parents neighbour??, it always seemed to get wheeled out when he put his car away (belongs to chaps son)
When I was at School, one lad had the back wheel re-built & had a 5 speed block on it!!
When I was at School, one lad had the back wheel re-built & had a 5 speed block on it!!
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
I was never allowed any of these 'novelty' bikes, Choppers, Grifters, BMX's etc, but I always bagsied a ride of one of my mates whenever I could.
A couple of them had Grifters, one lad even had a 10 speed purple Chopper, (leave it Fnaar!),and later on most had BMX's. I had racers, I wasn't particularly grateful then, but TBH I'm glad of it now.
A quick Google found this great looking example of a Grifter. I don't think I ever saw/rode one that hadn't had chunks of 'padding' scraped/ripped/picked out of the 'padding' on the bars and the seat!
A couple of them had Grifters, one lad even had a 10 speed purple Chopper, (leave it Fnaar!),and later on most had BMX's. I had racers, I wasn't particularly grateful then, but TBH I'm glad of it now.
A quick Google found this great looking example of a Grifter. I don't think I ever saw/rode one that hadn't had chunks of 'padding' scraped/ripped/picked out of the 'padding' on the bars and the seat!
OP
OP
Andrew_Culture
Internet Marketing bod
- Location
- The People's Republic Of Suffolk.
Ha, I'd forgotten that!
Lightweight.
Peter88
Veteran
- Location
- Failsworth
Never had a Grifter but wanted one, had a Striker then a rebuilt (by me and Dad) BSA Firebird. Saw this Grifter on the Manchester Sky cityride back in July
Kins
Über Member
- Location
- Ystradgynlais, S. Wales
I claimed my brother's Grifter when he claimed my racing bike. These new fangled BMX things had come along so the Grifter got a new lease of life with BMX everything apart from the frame & forks... certainly turned some heads at Coastline BMX and the weekly race meets at Pontins
The same. Snapped my rear stanchions? on my BMX, kid on my street was gonna stick his grifter in the skip so swapped everything on to it. Rode like a tank but god, could it take some punishment. Best memories of a bike as a kid, bar none.
Spokesmann
Keeping the Carlton and Sun names alive...
- Location
- Plymouth, Devon
Nice example, never really has the same kudos as the Chopper, but rode a bit better!
ceepeebee
Veteran
- Location
- Some imaginary Flanders
I had a grifter XL that I got after thrashing the tomahawk to death. First thing I did was get rid of the rear rack, then took it jumping at the park. It was ace but really heavy, soon moved on to a kuwahara (with blue mags!) that was my pride and joy.
