Tom Karen designer of the Raleigh Chopper dies at 96.

[Cycleops]

He also designed the Bond Bug (remember them?) and many other things while at Ogle Designs.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/tom-karen-dead-raleigh-chopper-bond-bug-b1050591.html
If you're anywhere near Letchworth there is a retrospective of his work running until March 10th.

 

[Slick]

At 96 he has had a good innings, but still sad to hear.

The Chopper remains the iconic highlights of our youth, cracking design, although I wouldn't fancy doing a sportive on one.

 

[sheddy]

View: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-41674815


His autobiography is well worth a read (also available as audio book)

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Never rode a chopper but did have a go on a few look-a-likes

cool things

but seemed ****** dangerous to me - I liked my Peugeot with drops and 10 speeds
and mudguards and a rack but it and me did some miles

 

[Slick]

Never rode a chopper but did have a go on a few look-a-likes

cool things

but seemed ****** dangerous to me - I liked my Peugeot with drops and 10 speeds
and mudguards and a rack but it and me did some miles

Always remember my brother did a bit of damage to himself on a Puch lookalike. Took him a long time to get over that one.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I always credit my friends Dragster ( AWFUL machine) with his eventual rise through the rank of RUgby to finally playing for North of England and being on the verge of the full England team

you may be asking why

well the dragster was a Chopper look-a-like but the gear change was in the same place - but the actual linkage was on the bottom bracket
hence on an 18 inch rod connected to a pivot point to a 1 inch connection to the actual changer
hence a massive mechanical advantage
in the hands of a teenage boy

that cable never lasted long and the damn thing was alway stuck on 3rd gear (out of 3 on the old Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub)

but he was a determined b****r and kept going anyway - up hills and whatever
all in 3rd gear

really made him fit and developed his leg muscles to hell and back

just what a 2nd row needs

 

[raleighnut]

Sad news

 

[ianrauk]

Loved my Chopper (oo eer). Bright yellow.
They were far more stable then they looked. Certainly not dangerous. Just not great at wheelies or when you were giving a friend a backy.

 

[Cycleops]

You might think these products just happen but there's always a great mind behind them and a long process to make them into a finished functioning item. Tom obviously had a very fertile imagination.
Thanks for the clip @sheddy .

 

[craigwend]

I had a purple chopper... Thank goodness for antibiotics

The old jokes are the best

Ps really did have a Raleigh Chopper and it was Purple, it was the 1970's, it was a beast of a bike but also fun.

Next bike my first 'racer' - Elswick Hopper Whirlwind