The Original Chopper Bicycle

A chopper bicycle today still has a lot of similarities and bears a striking resemblance to the real chopper bicycle that was manufactured in the early seventies. Chopper bicycles are a children’s bicycle that so inspired many kids from that time that they grew up loving their chopper bicycles and wishing their children had one also. During its introduction in the seventies, many children considered having this bicycle a status symbol and being “in”. Children would nag their parents for one and parents also wanted to accommodate their children with the latest must have item.

The overall look and design of the bicycle is somewhat similar to the chopper motorcycle because it was designed to be so. The chopper bicycle was also featured in a movie called “Easy Rider”. This movie only served to make the bike a sought after item that children and even adults flaunt. Streets in America during the seventies often had many bikes in the front yards or had many children just biking around the neighborhood.

History Of The Chopper Bicycle

The original chopper bicycle was known as a Raleigh Chopper and it was introduce in the early seventies. The Raleigh Company of Nottingham, England initially manufactured this very appealing bicycle for children. There was some controversy regarding who made the design of the chopper bicycle because the Raleigh Company claims that their designer was Alan Oakley while a company by the name of Ogle Design claim that they designed it for the Raleigh Company.

Although this special bicycle was initially presented to the American public a couple of years before it was introduced in England, the lukewarm American response to it was the exact opposite of the British response.

Chopper Bicycle Features

This special bicycle features a three-speed gearbox that was mounted on the bicycle and clearly mimicked cars gears shifter. This was one of the most attractive features it had that many children loved about it. The seat was also another feature that set it apart from the other bikes. It was elongated with a short backrest that looked like a chopper motorcycle seat. The chopper bicycle also had rear suspension and wheels that were of different sizes. The rear wheel is larger by a few inches from the front wheel and the handlebars featured the now classic high-rise curve.

Many bicycle companies still manufacture chopper bicycles and these also sell just as well as other bicycles. This special bicycle is a classic that many parents now can still remember owning.