Your best/favourite bike from your youth?

[superbadger]

Was on another thread and somebody mentioned Grifters!!! Remember them? Well i just thought it would be fun to hear your past bikes which are probably a million miles from what you ride now!!!!. I had a Raleigh Striker as a 1st bike in the early 80's and then when i outgrew that my dad produces a 2nd hand(mint condition) Raleigh Rodeo which was cool coz they were a bit different but almost the same as the 'Chopper'. He picked it up at a boot sale or somewhere?. A lad up the road had the coolest bike of all though...... A Raleigh Vektar!. We were soooo jealous of that damn bike!!!! I ended up with a raleigh record so i used to burn him off everytime i saw him!!!!!. Happy days.

 

[HLaB]

My first bike was a Raleigh Chippy

I then inherited my brothers Chopper, then his 10 speed racer.

I then during the trends of the late 80's early 90's got a Raleigh BMX (can't remember the model) then a Raleigh mtb (Raleigh Marauder)

I think my Marauder was my favourite bike from back then, not because it was anything special but it was my first taste of freedom and its lasted well, 20 years later I've still got it and cleaned it up a few times for the family to use.

 

[biggs682]

my first bike i remember was a moulton of some kind , i also remember having a chopper , then moved on to a Viscount Aerospace and a Holdsworth with 531 not sure what model , wish i had them know .

 

[superbadger]

that chippy is fab!!!! . And the Marauder looks a good one too.... Well impressed you still got it!!! WOW . yea i went down the mongoose route in my teens but the race bike (record) was fab. Strange that i do touring with MTB now???. Ahhh yes thats it..... I can't afford a road bike!!!

 

[JonnyBlade]

My very first bike was a fixed wheel 3 wheeler and I used to ride it with Dad's driving gloves. Never knew the make but it was my big red beauty

 

[MontyVeda]

one of these... (in metallic amber)

...still got it

 

[vickster]

I had a Raleigh Boxer

 

[MontyVeda]

Was on another thread and somebody mentioned Grifters!!! Remember them? ...

ah yes... built like a battleship with a seat like a sofa

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I had a Malvern Star dragster, which magically appeared in the family living room on the morning of my 8th birthday! . It looked a bit like this, I think:

 

[superbadger]

Did Grifters have the first twist-shift gears? I dont mean in the world... but on a mass produced bike?

 

[superbadger]

Wow Malvern Star..... Bet they very rare now? Was hoping would see something out the ordinary....

 

[The Brewer]

I could ride a bike, but in 1977 I got a sky blue chopper. On long hills I could put my feet up between the handle bars and try and impress Paula Mountain....in third gear ....yeah I was cool.....until the hill hit a wall and wrote the chopper off

 

[Night Train]

Back in the mid 70's my Dad wouldn't get me a Chopper so I made my own.

I made seven of them in all up until I was about 14 or 15 years old.
The last one had drop bars, bikini fairing, brake lights and 'dashboard' switches for the lights.

I am very tempted to make another chopper.

 

[Bobtoo]

Did Grifters have the first twist-shift gears? I dont mean in the world... but on a mass produced bike?

The Raleigh Commando had them, I think it pre-dates the Grifter but that's just based on seeing Commandos around before I saw Grifters.

 

[riggsbie]

My first new bike as a kid was a Grifter......my older brother had a Chopper but I was not allowed anywhere near it !!

I recall the hexagonal blocks on the Grifter tyres used to wear down in no time thanks to all the skidding and the twist shift and slipping gears was always fun !!

Paul