Best bike ever!

[27motorhead]

Jeez that was a blast from the past and a fantastic share, I had a blue grifter and totally forgot the rear cable went through the top tube but I never forgot that the seat was so comfortable.
simple times, out riding with our mates and not a care in the world.

This is why this thread is called Best Bike Ever!

These mass produced masterpieces were at the height of Raleigh's innovation in kids bikes and they made us feel amazing and the memories and stories will live with us forever...

 

[Scott-S]

The Grifter frame was inspired by turning the Chopper upside down.

I never noticed that until I read this, went google searching for a grifter and had to clean my blown mind off my laptop screen

Ok maybe some what if thinking out loud here, theres a few of these bikes (Chopper, Grifter and Commando) that Id love to ride an adult sized one of just to see if it is just rose tinted glasses or as much fun as I remember.
I know Paddy McGuinness did a charity ride on a slightly modified Chopper but it was still a kids size frame on it.

So basically all I need to do is win the lottery then learn to weld and buy all 3 bikes then upscale the frame measurements
Simple

 

[bikeworkshop]

I never noticed that until I read this, went google searching for a grifter and had to clean my blown mind off my laptop screen

Ok maybe some what if thinking out loud here, theres a few of these bikes (Chopper, Grifter and Commando) that Id love to ride an adult sized one of just to see if it is just rose tinted glasses or as much fun as I remember.
I know Paddy McGuinness did a charity ride on a slightly modified Chopper but it was still a kids size frame on it.

So basically all I need to do is win the lottery then learn to weld and buy all 3 bikes then upscale the frame measurements
Simple

Or slip something info @LumPi Panda 's coffee.
I mean, he's almost finished his downsizing exercise:

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...ng-to-take-a-while.487556/page-9#post-3689979

Might be time to move on up!

 

[Scott-S]

Or slip something info @LumPi Panda 's coffee.
I mean, he's almost finished his downsizing exercise:

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...ng-to-take-a-while.487556/page-9#post-3689979

Might be time to move on up!

This plan certainly has a great deal of merit,
perhaps previously thought out by yourself who might share the same brand of rose tinted glasses as me?

 

[pigman]

I can see why the Commando was a favourite. Even today (saddle excepted maybe), it looks a very useable child's bike. Whereas some of the others, eg. Chopper were really just style over substance and didn't ride well at all

 

[Totoro]

@Totoro fill your boots mate. Various colours and marks.

I'd have loved the camo one, ours was just black.

The only similarities between the Harrier and the Commando are weight and stopping distance

Reading some reviews it was quite terrible compared to some of the others. I wish I hadn't have looked it up a few months ago because in my head it looked like a motocross bike or something, stopped on a dime, out handled everything. Rose tinted glasses for sure.

 

[grantoury]

I don't really remember my childhood bikes, because we always had old cheap stuff. One kid in the neighbourhood had a chopper but it didn't even enter my mind that I could own one. The only bike I remember was a normal "Dutch" kid's bicycle with 700c wheels, because it made me feel grown up as I was the only one riding large wheels. I loved that bike, old banger it may have been. I rode it into a snow bump and broke the front fork and that was the end of that. Some time later I had a sporty Fongers boy's bike that was nice, but it was for riding to school so much more serious then. Not the same but similar (although much smaller):

 

[27motorhead]

I know Paddy McGuinness did a charity ride on a slightly modified Chopper but it was still a kids size frame on it.

All the promo shots showed Paddy with an original 70s MKll Chopper in Fizzy Lemon


In reality he rode a modified MKIV Chopper (launched last year) which is a very different machine.

 

[PhillB]

After my Comanche, I had a Phillip's road bike, (tiny frame and 24/26inch wheels I think) It had a speedometer on it and it became my mission to max it out from the top of the longest hill in my area. (It was Interesting to find out the limits of Caliper brakes at 40 mph ) When I was 11, my Nan passed away. She actually wrote it in her will that me and my brother should get new bikes, so I got this and the rest is history...



Wish I still had it!!!

 

[27motorhead]

Rose tinted glasses for sure.

I think this site comes with a rose tint applied to everything!!!

John Inverdale brought a new twist the phrase rose tinted... I'll leave you all to look it up if you haven't heard it...

WE NEED to keep this thread clean, despite the word Chopper being used repeatedly over the past few pages!