Raleigh’s going retro! Do you ever feel like life is moving at top speed and you wish you could revisit parts of your childhood? Well Raleigh has relaunched the iconic whip that you '70s kids, and beyond, loved so much: the Chopper. This bike embodies “joy, freedom, and fun” and the youthful spirit that made them stand out from the crowd. We headed down to the Raleigh Bikes store on their launch day to understand why now was the right time to bring these fresh wheels back to the streets…
With some customers queuing outside of the Raleigh store on Maid Marian Way from 6:30pm the day before the official launch and the bike completely selling out just a day after, it is fair to say that loyal fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of the infamous Chopper bike.
Both the collectable and nostalgic value of this retro piece has proven to be hugely desired in auctions. The anticipation of this relaunch has been rife for many loyal Raleigh customers over the past few years and when the day finally came for customers to get their hands on one (or two) of the Chopper, people were truly dedicated.
The launch day exhibited the excitement which unites the Raleigh community and despite the project being “pretty challenging” due to “a lot of industrial design and craftsmanship” behind the scenes, the ultimate goal was to restore the cultural significance of the era in which the Chopper thrived. Having seen the impact that this bike has on their customers, Raleigh’s managing director, Lee Kidger, made it his mission to recapture the peak of the ‘movement’ which the Chopper created.
Lee Kidger explained that he think that the “'70s pop culture, nostalgia has become really important to people and not only from people that were in the '70s and remember it, but also the younger generation that really see some of their iconic elements, whether it's clothing or music or whatever, and gone yeah, this is it, this is amazing.”
The launch event was much more than just an invitation for customers to pick up their brand spanking new bikes. The entire Raleigh team were keen to share their enthusiasm and chat to people to hear their stories and personal connections with the Chopper and it quickly became clear just how much of a cultural icon the Chopper was, and continues to be…
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