I coveted a Raleigh chopper when I was a kid too, never got one, not only my single parent mother couldn’t afford to buy it, her bloke who told her it would be dangerous wasn’t having any of it.
The only way I was getting a new bike was if I bought it. My mother’s bloke ( a man I hated obviously) offered to buy me the bike but I had to pay him back from my after school/Saturday job money,(working at Morris’ Butcher shop in Paddington) . However another condition was that he chose the bike. For reasons I can’t remember a Dawes Kingpin was his choice. I wanted a Chopper. It wasn’t an option.
I do remember however looking at the Dawes brochure and choosing the spec and colour, Blue, with Dynohub lights, rack and bag plus a yellow waterproof cape. It was late 1970. The bike was bought from a shop in the Upper Richmond Road, and it cost £38 15s 3d. I had to pay back 10s a week later 50p a week. ( I’m not sure how I did that).
Anyway the Kingpin arrived and I was delighted with it, though it wasn’t cool, I got the piss taken at school because I had a girls bike ( it wasn’t) .
I went everywhere on that bike, in the school holidays I cycled from Willesden Junction to Welling, Kent to stay with my aunt. Imagine a 12/13 year old doing that journey today. I used to ride my bike around Hyde Park before work, loads of kids did after school but they were all on Choppers.
I still wanted a Chopper though, for years right into adulthood. I finally got one too, free, Purple all I had to do was collect it. I never got round to it and was dumped! D’oh.
Last year my Brother acquired a restored one I had a a quick go on it. It was feckin awful. Do I still want a Chopper? No, I’m over it.
My brother’s Chopper.
I do have a Kingpin though.