Mk 2 was the business

Hot bike ... hot chick

Not a happy bunny this morning after a conversation led to someone (name withheld) that my beloved Raleigh Chopper being called a girly bike. There was nothing girly about the bike it was built like a tank.

I have said it before but I loved my old Mk2 chopper and have announced it has my best ever present, I just loved it. Even more than my Claud Butler racing bike which had the speed. It was a stable platform to ride, easy to change gears (three speeds) and a plush saddle. Sadly, I can’t remember what happen to it! I didn’t sell it or scrap-it somehow it just drifted out of my life.

Mum paid on the weekly to make sure it was under the tree for Christmas 1973. Back in the day, it cost between £30 and £35 and when you think my dad was bringing home around £23 plus a week, it was a big investment for two bikes including my brother. I had the red one while my brother had the purple one. I would have been well pissed off if I had the purple so I rather made sure the red one would be coming my way.

It might not have been the most practical of bikes but it looked cool. The bike was based on the American chopper motorcycle there was even a kickstand so that you could prop it up outside the sweet shop so you could nip in to buy some sweets or a drink. It had a long, high-backed seat – spring-loaded if memory serves – that was made for giving backies to your mates or a girl.

It also had a gear stick – three gears for most of us, five for the posh kids – with big, fat tyres and drop-down handlebars. It was made for cruising not racing and was cracking off road because of its sturdy build.