Everyone has their Raleigh era, which one were you?

[Augustus]

Just had a conversation here at work about which Raleigh you had as a kid, and it made me feel older than my minions (when I considered us to all be of the same generation) and it got me thinking...

Raleigh's were so important as a rite of passage. Whether it be 70's, 80's or 90's, we pretty much all fall into a rough Raleigh era.

Me? I was a Burner generation kid. Tail end Grifter, but mainly early Burners.

How about you...?


EDIT: Right, narrowed it down to the following catagories:

*Chopper
*Grifter
*Burner
*Maverick

The point is that you may well have had many of these bikes, or others like the Boxer (fits Grifter era I'd say) but the Raleigh bike is such an important part of your bicycle journey through life that you only qualify for one, as generally you are in the Raleigh zone of bike ownership for a limited period and move on to bigger and not necessarily better things.

It's about your age too, so I had a Grifter eventually, but was really too young in the Grifter era (79-82? to have one that big, so my time was the Burner. I was slap bang at the right place at the right time for that era.

You?

 

[pete_mcc]

Boxer, Striker, Grifter with a touch of Commando, then leading into Burner on an boyze bike stylee.

On the road front it would have to be the Winner and a touch of Record Ace (Winner in the black and white or brown and champagne fade a la first series Mustangs)

Just loved the Dyna tech blue and yellow team bikes with the angular lugs

 

[Graeme]

I always wanted a chopper but we was poor.

I could only look at the other kids in envy.

I rode an old rod braked thing with two bolts for pedals and a crossbar that would have whacked me in the knackers every dismount had I been only a couple of years older.

Ahh, but we was 'appy.

 

[Augustus]

I always wanted a chopper but we was poor. Ahh, but we was 'appy.

Ah the bad old days when people were actually poor, as opposed to being as wealthy as everyone else, but not actually owning any of the stuff they buy.


Had a Strika too actually Pete, red one - loved it. Pre Burner, but if i fall into any era it's Burner era.

 

[SLIM]

one of these first , then onto the chopper

 

[Kevhl]

I had a very early 90's discovery as a first MTB, before that I had an MTB sized red thing that ran single speed and had riser bars... can't remember for the life of me what it was called though. Then got an RSP frame in 1999 which I've still got built up for the missus!

 

[gump]

I had many a secondhand bike, usually in region of £10-£25. £25 felt like a fortune then and was a big buy

Brother had a Striker, I had a Chopper, then a Grifter, and another Grifter, guy down the road had a boxxer. There was a Budgie around too (cool for bunny hops!!)

Then some spoilt kid went and got a dream bike for us all.......










... a BMX :shock:

 

[Alison]

I just got cheap rusty cast offs, I'm sure my mother got free, for Christmas and birthdays but who cared I was on a bike!!. My husband, I've known him from playschool, had Choppers and Grifters, but then I had the colour telly and the video!! so there!!

 

[street]

Think my first Raleigh was a 1st gen Marauder (the mettalic blue/white fade), my bro had a Mustang (black and white fade). They were great bikes
I'd love another one, must keep my eye out.

My mate had the one after that, the mid-blue with the pink decals, and his bro had the Marauder after mine which was a pink mottled sort of effect.
Man thats some nostalgic stuff!

Like you say, Raleigh- Right of passage

 

[THWANG-666]

i had a grifter with a FS1E yammy front end on with the disc brake still fitted
aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr the things we could make with a arc welder and a hack saw pre A TEAM LOL