Raleigh Bikes

[radfordred 6,284]

Nottingham's Alan Oakley with his iconic creation, the Raleigh Chopper. He drew the design for the Chopper on an envelope as he travelled home from the USA in 1967. 

 

[IAN FINN 808]

Was there a bicycle factory called Rudge were they taken over by Raleigh

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

I remember hearing of something named Raleigh Rudge, but I couldn't tell you exactly what it was - until I looked here......https://tinyurl.com/4tf9ac2k

 

The first result mentions the original Rudge; then scroll down a bit and you see they were taken over by Raleigh in 1943.

[letsavagoo 963]

4 hours ago, radfordred said:

Nottingham's Alan Oakley with his iconic creation, the Raleigh Chopper. He drew the design for the Chopper on an envelope as he travelled home from the USA in 1967. 

 

The story about Oakley drawing the chopper on an envelope is exactly that. A story. The one in the picture above is not the original design but a Mk2 modified from the original to bring the centre of gravity foreword. I sat on a Mk1 while the front and rear wheel weight was taken on a weighing platform in Raleigh toy division. The wheels were raised one at a time on a waste paper bin and ‘axle weight taken with me doing my best to stay balanced and the centre of gravity could be worked out. There’d been a few accidents with the Mk 1’s and concerns over its safety. 

[mary1947 2,079]

Remember the Bike called " Chopper" as we brought my son one for Cristmas many moons ago. If I recall the Raleigh bikes were not doing to well as the chinese had got in on the market, When the Raleigh Chopper went on the market it sold well, so Raleigh kept there head aflot. Then came the Commando then the BMX not sure if the BMX was by Raleigh or not? 

I can remember all my uncles working at Raleigh also my dad worked there, they did 3/4 shifts morning/afternoon/ evening and tweilight. 

It was amazeing I had 2 bothers they both had new bikes from Raleigh all I wanted was a Raleigh bike called the "Pink Whitch" and What did I get  my cousins ladies sit up and beg bike which had to have lumps of wood on the peddles so I could reach the seat.  Never did get a new bike!  

[catfan 14,793]

My son had a Raleigh BMX bike Mary for his 10th birthday.

[letsavagoo 963]

According to research it was the Raleigh Twenty that kept Raleigh going for a good few years rather than the Chopper. It was very popular and sold extremely well worldwide.

[Beekay 5,143]

Does anybody remember Raleigh's attempt at mopeds, back in 61/62? They made a couple of versions, one, a single seater and another two seater version, I think this was called a 'Supermatic'. Both were 50cc engines. Also at that time they did a scooter, I think that was called a 'Raliegh Roma'. I  know they did an earlier version moped in Maroon colour, as I bought on off a colleague.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

Lenton Times have a section of things connected with Raleigh.

 

https://www.lentontimes.co.uk/streets/raleigh.htm

[Beekay 5,143]

Thanks CT. Also asked Mr.Google and he had loads of history about all the models, right from RM1 onwards. Quite an eye opener and fascinating info. Never realised they made so many.

[letsavagoo 963]

I went to work at Raleigh as an office boy just after Easter 1970. About 1971 a note came around the offices that the Runabout mopeds were being cleared at an on the road staff discount price of £45 including purchase tax. By this time I had a bsa 650 rgs and at the time wouldn’t be seen dead on a moped.

We had recently moved from Radford along side Players where my sister worked to Lenton about a mile away so she expressed an interest and bought one. These were basically Mobylette’s, a French machine. She had it for a few years and eventually gave it to me. I always had a ‘big’ bike on the go but when off the road through break downs or lack of cash I used the moped occasionally. As the years passed I  would use it quite regularly to travel from Hucknall where I was then living to Epperstone for work and generally covered hundreds of miles on it as it was cheap to run. I went to the far side of Lincoln once, about 100 miles. That was a bum stinging experience. I acquired a second identical one which helped with spares. The mobylette engines were excellent but transmission system poor and needed regular greasing, I mean daily. It was a constant job to keep it running.

The Roma scooter was a Bianchi made under licence although I’m not sure how much Raleigh actually made. I suspect very little, more like assembled from parts.

Raleigh have an interesting history of motorcycle manufacturer going back to 1900’s with some racing success. They also made some cars and 3 wheel vehicles. In fact Raleigh decided to stop making their 3 wheel delivery trucks and the foreman of the department bought out all the remaining stock and set up on his own. He obviously couldn’t use the name Raleigh and as the engines had the Raleigh R cast in them he chose the name Reliant which continued until more recent times immortalised by Del Boys Reliant Regal van.  
 

[Beekay 5,143]

Some fascinating facts there Lets, never knew Reliant originated from Raliegh. Thank you for that. I remember when they were doing test rides outside the machine shop and we went out for a go. That was my first introduction to mechanised transport.

[radfordred 6,284]

No wonder bikes where popular  Any rare finds in this car park?  

 

[plantfit 7,593]

This is my Raleigh bike, It's a Raleigh Pioneer Metro, alloy frame, 21 speed, suspension seat post, hybrid tyres, rim brakes, perspex chain guard, now the downside, it is heavy, the original seat was a "gel saddle" very uncomfortable, the suspension seat post doesn't really absorb any bumps in the road, the bottom bracket (crank axle) is forever coming loose, it also has full mudguards it does look nice but when you get down to it all the graphics are adhesive stickers, the brakes do work fine though, the frame geometry is not comfortable and the gears leave a lot to be desired, they work fine but the ratio's not very good you either pedalling like the clappers or you are struggling to turn the cranks, I wonder why, oh yes, it is not a British bike it's a Taiwanese cheapy that had the Raleigh Heron badge stuck on it at Eastwood therefore making it "assembled in England) and you get charged the earth for it

 

 

Rog

 

 

[plantfit 7,593]

Not strictly Raleigh but a picture from my old tool catalogue, frame brazing setup for joining the tube sections of a cycle frame to the frame lugs using brass and flux,

 

 

Sufficient asbestos cubes 1/9d extra, sounds a bargain

 

Rog