{"id":50439,"date":"2023-05-31T01:01:37","date_gmt":"2023-05-30T23:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=731916"},"modified":"2023-05-31T06:35:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T04:35:35","slug":"raleigh-brings-back-the-chopper-after-decades-of-demand","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/raleigh-brings-back-the-chopper-after-decades-of-demand\/","title":{"rendered":"Raleigh brings back the Chopper after decades of demand"},"content":{"rendered":"

New bike designed to recreate the Chopper MK2 and remind people of the joy of cycling <\/p>

By Stan Portus\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 31 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Raleigh created one of the most recognisable bikes ever produced, the Chopper, and today it announced it will be releasing a new version of the bike.<\/p>\n

Raleigh says fans have been demanding a new Chopper for decades and that it has undertaken four years of research and product development to create the new bike.<\/p>\n

Lee Kidger, managing director at Raleigh, says the new Chopper should bring back memories for many people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you mention the Chopper, most people have a story. We want to re-engage with those people and bring some joy and memories back from the 1970s,\u201d says Kidger.<\/p>\n

Technical (and legal) challenges<\/h2>\n
\""Woman\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Raleigh worked with Sturmey-Archer to develop a new top-tube gear shifter.<\/span><\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Raleigh has designed the new Chopper to be as close to the original Chopper MK2 as possible.<\/p>\n

Released in 1972, the Chopper MK2 was the second version of the bike and has become the most desired Chopper, still fetching high prices at auction.<\/p>\n

The new Chopper features many of the same features as the MK2, including the one-piece saddle and mid-frame gear stick. However, achieving these features required work \u2013 particularly around the gear shifter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were some key features on that bike around industrial design and craftsmanship that people did not feel like we could ever do again. We wanted to test the boundaries to see if we could really do it,\u201d explains Kidger.<\/p>\n

Raleigh worked with internal hub gear manufacturer Sturmey-Archer to develop a new version of the gear stick, which is mounted at the top tube and enables riders to shift through the bike\u2019s three gears<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\""Man\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Kidger says Chopper enthusiasts have struggled to tell the difference between the new and older Choppers.<\/span><\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Raleigh has had to make some changes to the design of the Chopper to ensure it\u2019s compliant with modern regulations.<\/p>\n

Kidger says one-piece saddles can only have a maximum height of 125mm, so the new saddle is slightly smaller than the MK2\u2019s version.<\/p>\n

Raleigh has had to adjust the design of the Chopper\u2019s bar as well because regulations mean the handlebar<\/a> can\u2019t protrude over the saddle.<\/p>\n

But Kidger says when Raleigh showed the new bike to Chopper enthusiasts, they often mistook the new version for the original.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce they\u2019ve started to really look at the detail, they realise it\u2019s not the MK2. But from a first glance, they all said it was the MK2,\u201d says Kidger.<\/p>\n

Balancing heritage and practicality<\/h2>\n
\""Man\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Lee Kidger says Raleigh wants people to rediscover the \u201ccontagious joy of cycling\u201d.<\/span><\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Kidger says the Chopper created a \u201cmovement\u201d in the 1970s, with the bike encapsulating a sense of joy, freedom and fun.<\/p>\n

Designing a new Chopper, which so closely resembles Choppers of old, is a way for Raleigh to help people rediscover what Kidger calls the \u201ccontagious joy of cycling\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kidger says this is where releasing heritage models joins up with the more modern side of Raleigh\u2019s business: electric bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By pulling on the hearts and minds of people in evoking the heritage of the brand through bikes such as the Chopper, Kidger hopes Raleigh will convince people to cycle more.<\/p>\n

In turn, Raleigh\u2019s electric bikes provide practical solutions to facilitate this move to more frequent cycling, and Kidger suggests they could help people take kids to school, replace a second car<\/a> and help with wider issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cElectric bikes are the single biggest benefit to a lot of the challenges the UK faces at the moment, in terms of congestion charges, and net zero and sustainability targets that have come in,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\""Man\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Kidger hopes the Chopper will appeal to people\u2019s hearts and minds.<\/span><\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Kidger says ebikes provide an opportunity for Raleigh to expand: \u201cWe\u2019ve identified that as a real growth area for the business, and we\u2019ve pivoted Raleigh into that emerging market,\u201d says Kidger.<\/p>\n

The brand was bought in 2012 by the Accell Group, one of the biggest electric bike manufacturers and brand owners in Europe.<\/p>\n

It has been adapting to the cargo and electric bike market for a number of years, with ebikes becoming a core part of its business in 2018. Recently, it released the Raleigh Modum<\/a>, a folding e-cargo bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kidger says the electric bike market isn\u2019t growing at the rate Raleigh would like it to, but it\u2019s still double the size it was in 2019, and Raleigh has seen \u201csome real successes over the last five or six years in that market\u201d.<\/p>\n

As an indicator of this success, the Financial Times<\/em> reports<\/a> Kidger estimates Raleigh\u2019s share of the UK\u2019s electric bike market to be around 5 per cent and that Raleigh made a pre-tax profit of \u00a32.82m on sales of \u00a374.5m in 2020.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have to wait and see whether the release of the new Chopper will stimulate further success for Raleigh across the different sides of the business.<\/p>

When will the new Raleigh Chopper be available?<\/h2>\n

Raleigh says a limited-edition release of the Chopper will be available to purchase online via its website from 12pm on 20 June.<\/p>\n

The chopper will come in two colours, \u2018Infrared\u2019 and \u2018Ultraviolet\u2019.<\/p>\n

A range of spares will be available and Raleigh says most are back-compatible with older Chopper models.<\/p>\n

Raleigh Chopper spec and price<\/h2>\n
\""Raleigh\"<\/picture><\/div>
Raleigh Chopper 2023 in Infrared.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\""Raleigh\"<\/picture><\/div>
Raleigh Chopper 2023 in Ultraviolet.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Raleigh<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
  • Frame material:<\/strong> Cr-Mo Steel<\/li>\n
  • Handlebar:<\/strong> Raleigh Chopper steel high-rise handlebar, 580mm<\/li>\n
  • Stem:<\/strong> Steel stem integrated with handlebar<\/li>\n
  • Brake type:<\/strong> Caliper<\/li>\n
  • Gears:<\/strong> 3<\/li>\n
  • Rear shifter:<\/strong> Raleigh 3-speed gear shifter<\/li>\n
  • Gear type:<\/strong> Hub gear<\/li>\n
  • Wheel size:<\/strong> 37cm<\/li>\n
  • Colours:<\/strong> Infrared\/Ultraviolet<\/li>\n
  • Claimed weight:<\/strong> 18.4kg<\/li>\n
  • Price:<\/strong> \u00a3950<\/li>\n<\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
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