@ Scruzer, I doubt that Raleigh could afford the €1Mil + /Annum

Chicco followed by a 5 speed Arena here. And I always wanted a Tour de France, when I was 9 or so that just looked like the best bike in the world.

Did anyone have an Activator?

I did. Owned it for 10+years. Forks didn't snap, but it did get pinched which was the seed of my mountainbiking career, as the cheap Edinburgh Bike Coop replacement was miles and smiles better 🙂 I moved from that to a 'proper' bike soon after.

I had a Raleigh Commando loved that thing and also a Raleigh Criterium that I rode miles on. Was offered a custom built frame from their special products devision years ago but never took the offer up because I brought a Peugeot instead.

The roadbike side of things is looking good.

I did enjoy my Raleigh Tomahawk (kiddy version of the Chopper)

Similar to the above.

Would I buy again? Hmm nope!

Oh what short memories we all have. They ran probably the most successful xc racing team in UK history, Barrie Clarke, David Baker,Paul Hinton, Adrian Timmis, Caroline Alexander, pity the stars were on hand built money no object bikes painted to look like the run of the mill whilst the rest of us had to put up with Tiawanese tea trollys and glued together frames. I guess that most interested bikers couldn't make the link between the Team bikes and the rest of the range.

Not my pic I may add.

LMAO @ muddyfox 😀

My Mustang had a chod of a Farmer Johns Cousin on the back and a set of what felt like cast iron bar ends on it.

Somewhat out classed after a year or two by a mates Yukon (the orange one with 21 gears!) fitted with some bars with built in bar ends. maybe tioga ones?

I'd recommend this book, it is one top-read even if you've no interest in motorcycle:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whatever-Happened-British-Motor-Industry/dp/1859604277

And I'm guessing an/the equivilent happened at Raleigh.

ha id love to have another blast on the chopper bike (equiped with compulsory coloured 'Tassles' !!!! they were great…that clunk clunk clunk gear changer in the middle …FANTASTIC…. i believe there was a 'chipper' too… they were the best bikes ever when i were a kid… i dont think ive ever grown up since…lol then when that broke me dad bought me a donkey from Blackpool pleasure beach which gave birth some weeks later…. another toy to play with…ney !!

Nicole Cooke rode for Raleigh until fairly recently.

@ ourman -> I know people keep telling me 😆

Anyway I think Raleighs rock, I had 3 ATB's, a racer and a boxer as a kid, frikkin ace bikes, never broke one 😈

People hark back to the hey-day of Raleigh in the 70's, but where they ever the choice of the serious rider?

Surely even then the Italians and French ruled the road bike world, and the UK was awash with custom builders.

I only really remember kids riding Raleighs (I had many).

My first MTB ..

Main bike is a Raleigh Dyna tech – Titanium main tubes, rest is Cr Mo. Most of the rest has been changed over the years, saddle, bars, bar ends and cranks are still original. Red / black colour scheme clashes nicely with the yellow Rock shox as I trundle around frightening horses. Unfashionable but suits me well enough.

Its old enough to vote this year but there are enough bikes on the local electoral register already.

Got my lad a Raleigh when he was little, heavy little 5 speed job, think it was called a Scorpio.

My first MTB, (hhm, actually not sure it counts as that but anyway…) was a 5 speed, pale blue metallic Raleigh Maverick. It got squashed by a Transit Van turning left without indicating when I was on my way to school once 😥