Raleigh was founded in Nottingham by Sir Frank Bowden in 1887 after he discovered a love for cycling after experiencing its health benefits after struggling with bad health.
By the 1920s, Raleigh become a world leader in bicycles, capable of producing 100,000 cycles annually. The team also produced 250,000 hub gears, 15,000 motorcycles and 50,000 motorcycle gearboxes. Everything changed in the late sixties when the Raleigh Chopper was introduced - with children and adults alike desperate to own one of the stylish bikes.
The Chopper went on to sell an incredible 1.5 million units. The Raleigh Grifter was born in 1976 as a follow-up to the Chopper and the Burner series was released in the 1980s.
The ’80s saw the launch of the Burner series which sold over a million units across the range and became the must-have bike of the times. The iconic Raleigh Chopper was relaunched in 2004 an amazing 30 years since its original launch. In 2012 Raleigh was purchased by Netherlands-based bicycle company Accell Group but it remains in Nottingham.
Last year, the Raleigh Experience Centre was opened on Maid Marian Way in the centre of the city with a showcase of the best retro bikes.
5. Raleigh Choppers have become highly collectable items. In 2020, an MK2 model which had somehow never been ridden sold for £1,250. The bikes are a symbol of childhood for many local people. They cost around £34 to buy new - at the time!
Raleigh Chopper 1970s advertising | Raleigh Chopper
6. British politician Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893 - 1957, right), the Minister of Transport, on a Raleigh tandem during the Bicycle and Motorcycle Show at Olympia, London, 30th November 1935.
Raleigh tandem 1935 | Getty Images
7. The Raleigh Chopper Mark 2 was THE bike of it’s time and ir was originally designed in the 1970s. The bike can now fetch hundreds online.
The Raleigh Chopper Mark 2 | Raleigh