🚴 Vintage 1970s & 80s Raleigh Bikes Worth A Fortune! 💰

[@brucebendall353]

No mention of the strika! The mini grifter was way more popular than the budgie and the coaster brake was brilliant for skids😂

[@chrisstephens6194]

I had the budgie then the strika before my mongoose

[@saskia6750]

Strika was wkd,my friend had a rare mag wheeled tomahawk very heavy with those metal mags x

[@antiquescentral]

Time will tell! Hopefully, you've subscribed and hit the notification bell so you don't miss the video ... hint, hint! 😁👍🔔

[@antiquescentral]

Will check out the Mongoose? 😁👍

[@antiquescentral]

Sounds like there's a follow up video to be made featuring the bikes I missed off? 😁👍

[@camptube7621]

I remember one Xmas my mum got me a Chopper in metallic blue. She had no money and broke herself to get me it. I was the man riding that around my council estate. God bless her.

[@antiquescentral]

Lovely memories of your mum 😁

[@bluebyyou7504]

I had a red one...but it came with different handle bars for some reason.

[@cantstopthemusic456]

@@bluebyyou7504 later version had adjustable handlebar angle

[@raftonpounder6696]

@@bluebyyou7504 was yours the racer handlebars version?

[@gimble447]

@@raftonpounder6696 AKA the “sprint GT”

[@DjNikGnashers]

The Strika, Boxer, Grifter and Bomber were when Raleigh ruled the UK bike scene.

[@antiquescentral]

Totally agree! 😁👍

[@reeceholmes8546]

the Bomber was my favourite bike, the first mountain bike

[@DjNikGnashers]

@@reeceholmes8546 In the UK I guess, that was the 1st MTB style bike indeed !

[@Simon-xc5oy]

They did. All British all made here. Every kid in the country had a Raleigh bike of some kind at some point. They were iconic brand names, like Jeans were for fashion. I was never fond of the BMX craze and did not get it at all. Never had one. I used to think what was the point in a bike without gears? How do you get up to speed? Change down when you need to for a steep incline etc? You didn't as you could not do it. So you had to peddle like mad to keep up with everyone....

[@DjNikGnashers]

@@Simon-xc5oy Well to be fair, BMX bikes were not made or designed for long distances, they were purely for either racing on a track, or for riding slowly to do tricks. I loved BMX bikes, and had many from 1980-1984.

[@bobpotts73]

Oh wow, the nostalgia is off the charts. At 51 years young now I remember these bike's very well. I too have learnt to ride thanks to these iconic steeds

[@antiquescentral]

The follow up video is in the edit suite, scheduled for a couple of weeks time 😁👍

[@bobpotts73]

@@antiquescentral I have just subscribed and wait patiently for the follow up video 👍

[@billynomates920]

@@antiquescentral subscribed for that trip down nostalgia lane!

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks! If you want to, let me know where you are from and I'll add your location to the community subscriber list 😁 . No worries if you don't want to 😁👍

[@billynomates920]

@@antiquescentral witney, oxon.

[@markburgess8603]

I'm 56 now and had the Chopper back in the day, I only went over the handlebars twice, still to this day it's the best memory of my childhood. Me and my mate both got these bikes for Christmas and we rolled down the street together for the first time at 10AM on the 25 of December, we knew how lucky we were to have these bikes, yet could never have known these bikes were going to be lifelong memories of great times.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for sharing your memories. I couldn't have put it better myself 😁👍

[@paulshort1027]

I went from Boxer to Burner, but i rode all of them back in the day. That was a wonderful nostalgia trip perfectly narrated with the right level of enthusiasm.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for your feedback, makes it all worthwhile 😁. I'm planning a follow up video that will include other never forgotten bikes 😁👍

[@paulshort1027]

@@antiquescentral That will be great, but i didnt ride them x

[@garethhughes5745]

I had a Boxer then Burner too. Loved it. i'm still riding ever since, i raced mtb xc and dh and now chill with an Intense Tracer :) These bikes gave me the motivation.

[@antiquescentral]

Excellent you're still riding!

[@scotty7174]

Great vid, i had the Tomahawk as my first learner bike, then moved on to a Burner GS, those were the days.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks much appreciated 😁. I'm planning a follow up video including the Tomahawk 👍

[@captainbimble]

@@scotty7174 I had a Tomahawk as my first bike. Loved it!!

[@mrheavywater]

Me also

[@infinitymasksandsculptures5301]

I had a blue Tomahawk , it was such a great bike to learn to ride on in 1977 !😊

[@antiquescentral]

Happy days! 😁👍

[@marineboy1964]

I had a sky blue mk1 chopper ,My dad gave it away when I was 18 , absolutely gutted when I got home and it was gone , I still haven't got over it and I celebrated my 60th this year

[@antiquescentral]

How long was it before you spoke to your dad again?! 😂

[@marineboy1964]

@antiquescentral it didn't take me long to start talking again and we joked about it many years after

[@Simon-xc5oy]

Heh, did not expect to get teary eyed watching this, but I did. The Grifter was mine and seeing a red one like I had, brought all the memories back. It was heavy, which I knew when I first looked at, and then got one. And that was why I bought it. Because I knew it was tough enough to go off road, which is what I did all the time, parks, trails, woods and fields, scrambling on it like it was a dirt motorbike. The tough tires, easy gear shift on the grip, the comfortable seat and weight and balance was perfect. I tried a Chopper a few times and hated how unstable it was just to ride, the small front wheel, and then if you wanted to go to change gear, you had to let go, wobble, change, and grab the handle bar again. It was a triumph of style and looks, but difficult to ride and very unsafe when doing so. And yes, straight off the seat and onto the knackers destroying gear stick. Only in the 70s could this have been popular. For all kids the choice was Grifter or Chopper and an even spread. The Chopper was for kids who liked to street ride and pose. The Grifter was for kids like me who wanted to go everywhere and anywhere and not fall off all the time.....

[@antiquescentral]

Fantastic memories, thanks for sharing them. I'll never forget that Chopper gear stick! 🤪

[@DavyMagowan]

Me too

[@antiquescentral]

I think we all have fond memories of the gear stick! 🤣

[@darrenball4620]

I fell off a chopper trying to change gear, while wobbling all over the place. Think my entire ride lasted less than 3 mins and I wasn't allowed back on it again! That was my first and last experience of the chopper. Probably why I ended up with a Grifter... Plus the fact my dad wouldn't let me have a racing bike as the tyres were 'too skinny and you'll just fall off' - lol

[@Simon-xc5oy]

@@darrenball4620 Yes I can understand that. I never did see the attraction for that bike, other than it looking cool. I also rode one to see what it was like, and you did wobble all over, as that small front wheel would jerk around when you hit anything, even small pebbles, cracks between paving slabs etc. When you added in the tall handle bars with close together grips, it gave you very little leverage / strength / control you could bring to bear to hold things steady and straight....then it would wrench left or right, you would panic, slow or pull the brakes and slide off the seat and onto the knacker cracker sticking up out of the cross bar. I often wonder if anyone at Raleigh ever tried riding one of their Choppers on any normal street in England before mass producing them. Where I lived one or two people had them. But everyone else was on a Grifter or Striker etc...As you could control those bikes easily and they were tough....easy to change gear and in such a way that you did not have to let go of one side of the handlebars....

[@pin00ch]

I had a lot of these bikes. All purchased second hand for me and all pinched. I miss my green Grifter so much! The only one that wasnt knicked was a yellow and blue Burner. That one was handed down to a friend's little bro. Its still in his Dad's shed now! Bikes were so important to kids culture in the 70s/80s. Great days.

[@antiquescentral]

Totally agree, however I don't know about contemporary kids bike culture? 😁

[@rocket69218]

Man, it was a nightmare trying not to get your bike pinched in those days, where I live now kids just leave their bikes out all over the place and nobody steals them, I guess modern bikes just aren't desirable (or worth much second hand) these days, unless they are something really special.

[@antiquescentral]

I should have set up the 'Bike Detective Agency' back in the day!

[@johnd8538]

I had a Raleigh Commando, I wanted to have something a bit different to the rest of the lads. It was the black one with orange logo...I loved that bike and cleaned it everyday!

[@antiquescentral]

The Commando will be included in an upcoming video 😁👍

[@knottyeti]

I had the green one with camo stickers. Loved that bike!

[@johnd8538]

3rd gear felt really stiff as a 10 year old but when it got going it was like it had a motor!

[@sprint955st]

Commando here. Same frame as Shopper? My mates Dad ran it over in his brand new Rover P6. Luckily he owned an engineering company. Came back perfectly straight. It was a wheelie machine.

[@johnd8538]

I used to love to get it up to speed in 3rd on the flat then slam back brake on and do a mad skid and admire the mark outside the shopping precinct...happy days 😀

[@GarethLewis-f5x]

Born late’72. I had a boxer, grifter and ultra burner for Xmas in ‘83. 1984 was a great year as a kid.

[@antiquescentral]

70s & 80s were the golden years! 😁👍

[@R33ADJ]

Also born late 72 (dec) I had a silver Strika which was so heavy…the graduated to a Torker race bmx and a GT performer after…yes I was very lucky

[@neilgraves5069]

I had a strika , then my brother passed down his grifta to me ❤ loved it

[@antiquescentral]

Strika to be included in an upcoming video! 😁👍

[@mwng5186]

Did he turn the mudguards inside to give it the growl sound? I sit now at 53 with 7 motorbikes and it all started with the grifter which I got second hand for 5 quid, my sister had a new chopper which at some point I managed to put my foot on her back tyre, wrapping my foot inside the frame requiring breaking to release my foot. Happy days and I cant help but think kids today simply will not feel that extraordinary sense of freedom.

[@malingram3451]

@@neilgraves5069 I had the green 💚 striker, loved pulling skids and being in control of it, pulled that many my back tire had a blow out.... WICKED 🔥💚🔥💚

[@patrickstarnes2355]

My mate had a grifter I was so jealous.This was the best of all of them.

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, the Grifter was incredibly popular for good reason! 😁👍

[@leeoliver7151]

These were the best bikes in the world I loved them all 💪

[@antiquescentral]

It's amazing the affection people still have for those bikes and times! 😁

[@markgloster3230]

Raleigh Strika with the fake suspension and pedal break was my favourite. Also remember the Bomber as well

[@antiquescentral]

I'll look the Bomber up, maybe for an upcoming video? 😁👍

[@tallandhairy]

@@antiquescentral I had a Blue Boxer even when I was way too big for it, I wasn't impressed by the fake suspension of the striker, I never looked upto those kids. The chopper was lame and dated by 83 84, I lusted after my other friends Grifters with the red laser writing. Then my friend Tim got the bomber. OMG that thing was amazing loads faster than anything else especially over rough grass and fields, until that was, I eventually got my Mustang there was no keeping up with me then........ at least for a couple of weeks until they got their Mavericks with much much lighter alloy wheels

[@antiquescentral]

Will look up the Mustang 👍

[@shauntoole1553]

I had a purple Tomahawk and then moved onto a metallic blue Grifter - what a bike that was - the only thing that snapped on that was a pedal! Went through plenty of twist grips and seats though 🙂

[@f.dmcintyre4666]

@@shauntoole1553 I had a tomahawk...❤️❤️❤️👌👌👌

[@pablopanayi8625]

I had a team Raleigh burner Andy Ruffel edition, I loved that bike 🚲

[@antiquescentral]

I believe you can buy an adult sized Burner nowadays? 👍

[@akdave3947]

I had a Strka a Burner then finally a Raleigh Mustang Mountain bike. Great times.

[@antiquescentral]

I'll definitely look up the Raleigh Mustang Mountain bike. 😁

[@darrengeraghty897]

When i was about ten i got a second hand Raleigh super burner in black and gold .cash was tight back then and i couldnt believe my eyes it was the best Christmas present ever

[@antiquescentral]

Great story, thanks for sharing 😁👍

[@ninjasixrr]

I had a boxer,grifter,chrome burner what a great time to be a kid in school holidays👍👍👍😎

[@antiquescentral]

Somehow, the summers always seemed longer and warmer? 😁👍

[@antslim168]

Had a burner in black with wire wheels, took me all over jhb, was sooo jealous of my cheeseboy cousin, he had the burner tuff w comp wheels. 5 ya I got myself a Redline Mx in red w black handlebars, super light and tough as nails. A keeper. Worth 3x what I paid for it.

[@stevenbeattie1137]

Had a yellow Boxer and loved it! Went everywhere on it and learned to wheelie on it lol. Then got a red and yellow Burner for my Christmas so gave the Boxer to a wee lad in the street that didn’t have a bike. Still pals with him now. The Burner was my dream bike, so much so that I still have it forty years later. Still looks mint too, apart from a very misshapen back wheel from bumping up too many kerbs and riding down too many flights of stairs pretending to be a BMX Bandit escaping from the baddies lol😂

[@antiquescentral]

The kind of treasure growing up you never part with if you can help it? 😁👍

[@markwarby9029]

Brings back so many great memories. I had a head on crash on the local BMX track with a boy going the wrong way, my super grifter came out with no damage, the other boys burner was completely buckled. Much like both us humans lol

[@antiquescentral]

But you survived to tell the tale 40 years later! 😁

[@mojoman7141]

I got a grifter for x-mas (thanks grandad) when they came out, was the greatest thing ever, felt like having a 4 wheel drive with turbo, was great fun, but, it was damn heavy, the toggle chain eventualy got bashed and you had to pull it into gear and push a nail through it, to hold it in gear lol, and the seat also fell apart, evryone had a big split in the rubber seat and the metal plate came through, good times though

[@antiquescentral]

Great memories and a time we'll never forget for lots of reasons! 😁👍

[@reesyo71]

Never thought about the nail, I tied my toggle chain to my frame, had it in a super low gear and I could wheelie forever after that. Same sketch with the seat too😂

[@johnclift163]

i loved the boxer, felt like it was a mini trial bike

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, I know what you mean 😁👍

[@rustystuff]

Such happy times!

[@antiquescentral]

Definitely, foot loose and fancy free! 😁

[@stevenhearnden6103]

Bright orange Chopper. Loved it. ❤

[@antiquescentral]

Good choice!

[@daveoneill8235]

Had a 5 speed chopper with the carrier on the back. Used to strap my ghetto blaster to it. Happy memories 😊😊😊

[@antiquescentral]

I think I remember you and I live in Birmingham! 🤣👍

[@dalemitchell232]

I had a blue grifter absolutely loved it

[@antiquescentral]

Great memories! 😁👍

[@DoctorDave5]

Man this takes me back. I never had any of these but in the early 80’s I had a Scorpion which was basically a rip off Grifter. It had the same frame but reversed vertically if that makes sense, same grip and three speed gears. It also weighed a ton and was virtually indestructible. I never knew anyone else who had one and I’ve never been able to track it down on the net. Great video. 👍

[@roberthatfull3816]

Think the scorpion was made by hawk i had a hawk champ the smaller one as a kid it was a rip off boxer lol

[@DoctorDave5]

@@roberthatfull3816 thanks! I’ll look that up. 😁👍

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. Will look up the Scorpion. 😁

[@DoctorDave5]

@@antiquescentral I hope you can find it. There are a number of bikes of that name but none of them are “the One” 🤣👍

[@DoctorDave5]

@@roberthatfull3816 👍

[@Dazg-666]

That brings back some good memories seeing them bikes good times

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for your feedback, I'm pleased you enjoyed watching the video 😁👍

[@Richard-fv7rq]

Loved this. Born in 69' these bikes were the main event for kids in the 70/80's. The Boxer was like an early BMX. I had a Budgie and a Bomber!

[@antiquescentral]

The best years of our lives? 😁👍

[@Richard-fv7rq]

@@antiquescentral I think they were in many ways. Life was tough but we just got on with things and enjoyed ourselves. The world has changed so much, so have the bikes available for sure 🙂

[@StephenOconnor-c4t]

@@Richard-fv7rq most deffo I'm 55 was a cool time back then

[@StephenOconnor-c4t]

@@antiquescentral I'm 55 I think it was for deffo even TV was better back then nowt better than getting a new bike I had a budgie then griffter then bmx peranna few second heaps in-between lol 😂 miss it so much

[@antiquescentral]

Have you ever considered buying a original 70/80s bike for the nostalgia?

[@jaymac6831]

I remember all these bikes, they bring back some great memories. Hard to choose but my favourite was the Boxer...Great videos.

[@antiquescentral]

@jaymac6831 Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. 😁

[@Ineedyoulou]

My mate got the blue and yellow Raleigh Burner for his birthday... Christmas was coming up and I wanted the gold and black one... Christmas day came and I was ready to roll and show off my new bike.... My face absolutely dropped when they rolled out a yellow and red Iron horse.... I was devastated 😂

[@antiquescentral]

Oh dear, didn't go down well then? 😬👍

[@Ineedyoulou]

@@antiquescentral I was broken 😂

[@antiquescentral]

I feel your pain! 🥴👍

[@moforetro3612]

My mate had a blue & yellow iron horse, it was awful & weighed a ton! my blue & yellow cycle pro was much better!

[@Ineedyoulou]

@moforetro3612 lol I felt bad because my mum thought it was a good one but the grief I got from my mates was so bad... I ended up getting a mountain bike in the end & was one of the 1st to get one. I'll never forget that hideous bike.

[@davidmc3262]

Great bikes I had a grifter, chopper and a burner all Great bikes thatt bring back fond memories.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks! Follow up video due to be uploaded this afternoon! 😁👍

[@TheGreatest1974]

I got a Raleigh Bomber for my 14th birthday and I loved it, it was far better than my mates little bmx bikes. I could wheelie the Bomber from one end of my village to the other. The head bearings were bad on mine and kept making the head come loose. Eventually I just left it like that because the threads wore out from keep tightening them. After that it just ‘shuddered’ every time I braked but I got used to that! My Bomber was a black one but I liked the blue ones.

[@antiquescentral]

Great memories 😁👍

[@4002corbe]

@@TheGreatest1974 I was fortunate at the same age to have the Super Bomber, metallic-blue complete with blue tyres. It was lovely.

[@DarkCrusader157]

I had a Raleigh Grifter just like the one pictured, parents got it for me as pressie on Christmas Day 🤩 Best bike I ever had. Used to go everywhere on that bike. Slip gear was totally unforgiving on your nuts 🥜 though 😂😂😂 Good times courtesy of my folks😄. RIP Mum &Dad ❤

[@antiquescentral]

Absolutely, can't add anything more to your message. 👍

[@a.c.h3792]

Great video, very nostalgic. Wow brings back memories of my youth in Shaw near Oldham. I remember riding way out into town once beyond my allowed limit on a tomahawk. That annoying clicking/ knocking sound from the front sprocket, remember it well. Happy days.

[@antiquescentral]

Thank you! The Tomahawk will be included in an upcoming video 😁👍

[@peterka4440]

I remember my bright red chipper. My brother inherited it when I outgrew it and (after a weekend of frantic repairs) it finally went to my sisters kids when they were old enough. That little red kids bike had a useful working life of nearly 40 years

[@antiquescentral]

Great story, thanks for sharing 😁👍

[@Stuck_in_the_70s]

Great trip down memory lane thank you! Back in the day I was probably 35-40kg and riding round on a 20kg Raleigh Chopper jeez no wonder we were fit!! It stood me in good stead for an active life. I’m in my 50s and I still cycle to this day - I have done many Ironman races (tho now I’m now 86kg and riding around on an 8kg bike so a bit of a difference!) 😂 I wish I still had my old Raleigh Chopper - I had the standard yellow coloured model, but my old mate Phil had the Silver Jubilee Special from 1977 with the Mag wheels - I see it’s worth an absolute fortune these days so I hope he’s still got it.

[@antiquescentral]

You make an excellent point! 😁

[@richardjohn7991]

Striker. Then Diamond Back. Silver Streak. Thanks for taking us back to a fantastic part of history. I like us all. Wish The UK was the same now.👍

[@antiquescentral]

No problem. Check out the follow up video on the channel 😁👍

[@richardjohn7991]

@@antiquescentral😁👍

[@redmille1000]

You’re right about the Grifter, I think mine ended up as the anchor for the QE2! You never mentioned the Tomahawk.

[@antiquescentral]

It would definitely do the job! Yes, maybe the Tomahawk will be another video. Thanks for the suggestion 😁👍

[@G4RY1159]

The three gears were usually the first to go, a few pals had one and the gears lasted a day or 3 if you were lucky, after that it was stuck in 3rd gear

[@patrickstarnes2355]

I got the Tomahawk handed down to me by an elder sister who got a Racer 😂

[@antiquescentral]

That must have been hard work getting up those hills! 🤣👍

[@antiquescentral]

I'm thinking about including the Tomahawk in an upcoming video 😁👍

[@porkpiepilgrim5302]

I had a yellow Chipper and loved it. My older brother had a Chopper, my cousin had a Budgie and my best mate had a Tomahawk. The year was probably 1975

[@antiquescentral]

Tomahawk to be included in an upcoming video.

[@inubis1]

Ahhh the memories........I had a boxer, my middle brother had a commando, and my big bro had a grifter 😊

[@antiquescentral]

I'm happy you enjoyed the video and it brought back good memories 😁👍

[@Rob-eg8qc]

I always remember if you adjusted the seat to high on the chopper the back 2 seat springs would bounce out especially if you sat more to the front of the seat. My mate had a metallic blue grifter with the short rear mudguard version that would allow muddy rain spray up on your backside , always remember me sat on the cross bar going down a big grass covered hill with Monty our black labrador running along side us , we hit a right hidden bump and the actual metal handle bars bent forwards . I always remember that day because it was 1977 after we had a street party for the Queens jubilee. Thank you for reliving my fond memories 👍❤️

[@antiquescentral]

@Rob-eg8qc Happy days. Love the story about your dog and the handlebars! 😂

[@louismclaughlin2548]

I too had an Orange commando, which was a tank compared to my previous, mudguardless, purple budgie. The latter had lovely volume in the rear tyre, perfect for landing evil knieval inspired jumps and wheelie-ing. Both were second hand and both were eclipsed by my new Super Tuff black gold burner age 10.

[@antiquescentral]

Evil Kneival jumps! Those were the days! 😁👍

[@JohnonaBike]

I had a silver Chopper with pink writing....... LOVED it

[@antiquescentral]

@JohnonaBike Sounds like a stand out bike to me?! 👍

[@JohnonaBike]

@@antiquescentral Oh it was brilliant and I treated it like gold. My mate had one with a 5 speed derailleur on it which was weird. Someone obviously must have tinkered with it

[@caeserromero3013]

I don't think it's any coincidence that the disappearance of kids riding bikes for fun happened around the same time we saw the beginnings of an obesity crisis. In my day you rode a bike every day, or played football in the street and lusted after the new Grifter, Chopper or Burner. Now kids lust after the latest iphone and hunt imaginary Pokemon from the family couch...

[@antiquescentral]

Agreed, the world has completely changed from when we were growing up 😬👍

[@johnd8538]

Tarzan swings, fires in the woods... chucking spuds in to eat, nesting, air guns, conkers, dens, spanish gold kids "chewing tobacco" and gold nuggets chewing gum in the drawstring bag....proper days! (Not to mention the obligatory "sex education" thrown out fanny mags we found 😮😂)

[@antiquescentral]

Sounds about right! 🤣😁👍

[@richardclatworthy6381]

@@antiquescentral for the worse…. I was born in 82 and we had a much better childhood

[@michael5089]

Brilliant nostalgia! I loved the Grifter although I unfortunately had an ordinary Raleigh bike.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks, I appreciate your feedback 😁👍

[@fasthracing]

Raleigh Chopper Sprint was my stead back in the day

[@antiquescentral]

Excellent choice! Not many of those around if I remember correctly? 😁👍

[@fasthracing]

@@antiquescentral Yes they were quite rare back in the day. Mate of mine had a 5 speed Chopper which I was envious of.

[@AHoundOnAHonda]

@fasthracing Perhaps you mean "steed".

[@fasthracing]

@@AHoundOnAHonda That's a fair comment and yes I did.

[@AHoundOnAHonda]

@@fasthracing I was always too tall for a Chopper although I liked the style. A friend had a GT Sprint with drop handlebars, a short seat and a metallic orange frame, but it had racing-bike style 5-gear derailleur gearing rather than hub gears. I've never seen another.

[@darrenball4620]

Great memories! I remember all of those bikes. I learned to ride without stabilisers on my neighbour's chipper. After breaking my Texan bike i got a Grifter - great bike but so heavy and that third gear used to kill me! Loved to bend the end of the mudguards over so it rubbed on the tyre and made a motorbike sound - and wore a hole in the plastic... Then i moved on to an Ultra Burner in black and gold a few years later, after watching ET. Great times.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for sharing your memories, much appreciated 😁👍

[@hondac7028]

Had a Raleigh boxer in 1976 when I was five got passed down to my brother and sister that little bike was indestructible we had it ten years then passed it to our younger cousin he had a few years out of it as well up and down curbs jumps off ramps just kept going.😂😂

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, it sounded like a solid bike back in the day! 😁👍

[@grahambell9831]

A great nostalgic video, aah the budgie! My 1st bike aged 5 in 1973. Happy days, thanks for compiling the video 👏

[@antiquescentral]

Glad you enjoyed it! 👍

[@grahambell9831]

@antiquescentral I certainly did enjoy.......All inconic, great bikes in the video, all fondly remembered! 👍

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

Had a Raleigh Chipper as a kid in the 70s.So rare to find these days.Also had a Raleigh Tuff Burner in the 80s(the Gold one with the Black Skyway wheels).For some reason Raleigh UK never did a 24 inch bmx Cruiser,only 20 inch bmx bikes.Raleigh USA did a 24 inch bmx (the R7000)as part of their bmx range.Raleigh did rerelease the Team,Tuff and Aero Burners not long ago in limited numbers,but they usually ended up on eBay selling for ridiculous prices!😾

[@antiquescentral]

I wonder why the US & UK had different specs?

[@DerekHarrison-d5d]

@@antiquescentral I have an old issue of BMX ACTION magazine,the American BMX mag,and Raleigh USA released BMX bikes before Raleigh UK did.This magazine is from 1979,and features their team riders Toby Henderson and Jeff Bottema riding Raleigh Rampar bmx bikes.It’s strange that Raleigh,an English company from Nottingham,had their American side of things releasing bmx bikes in the States before they did it in the UK.I think Raleigh UK were pushing the Grifter in a big way at the time that as you’ve seen,bmx became so popular,the Burner range virtually made the Grifter obsolete.

[@antiquescentral]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing all that information with the community. Really interesting thoughts 😁👍

[@SeanRidley-g7z]

In my village back in the day was an old man making bikes from second hand parts. Most kids had a bike assembled by him. They were great and we knew no better.

[@antiquescentral]

Known as clunker bikes in the U.S. Very cool! 😁👍

[@savetommyrobinsonfreespeec7660]

I always wanted a Bomber!

[@roberthatfull3816]

I got mine off a mates brother i swapped it for a broken tamiya hornet as he needed the radio gear out of it lol

[@antiquescentral]

Great trade! 😁

[@meisterlymanu5214]

I had a black bomber, my best mate met blue, Xmas day 1982. They were awful to ride though, a bmx was way cooler.

[@antiquescentral]

I'm thinking of making a 1980s BMX special? 😁👍

[@darrentaylor9304]

I learnt to ride on a Budgie, and my next bike was a Boxer... my older brother had the Strika... great bikes, great fun and great memories.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for sharing 😁

[@animal355]

Raliegh wished they had sales numbers like that today.

[@antiquescentral]

I'm 100% certain you're correct! 👍

[@maskless1087]

I had a Raleigh Styler. This black and silver bmx looked really good. Easily the best looking bmx on the block.

[@antiquescentral]

Will look up the Raleigh Styler? Evolved from the Burner apparently? 👍

[@Mustaine1ify]

I saw five lads going down a steep hill on a Chopper once. It didn't end well😂

[@antiquescentral]

I bet! 🤣🤣🤣

[@dannymiester5825]

I had a black Raleigh strika, before getting my first bmx in about 1984, it wasn't a Raleigh burner,it was cheap but I still loved it, I eventually got a Raleigh ultra burner given to me by an older friend when he got his first moped, a DT50MX . Also I got a second hand Raliegh bomber. Good days :)

[@antiquescentral]

Keep your eyes open for the next video? 🤫

[@00wrongun]

I had an Ammaco Freestyler with chrome frame and white wall tyres also nasty metal peddles lol

[@antiquescentral]

I'll have to look up the Ammaco Freestyler 👍

[@roberthatfull3816]

Still got scars from the rat trap/bear trap pedals they would either roll down your shins and cut on every roll of the pedals or jus stick in either way it hurt like hell but back then it was rinsed with a hose or bottle of water and we where back out lol

[@roberthatfull3816]

@@antiquescentral ammaco koolstyler or freestyler where quite popular the earlier version was a copy of the haro freestyler ,there was also a ammaco 202 wich was a copy of the puch invader .

[@antiquescentral]

You've just brought back some painful memories! 😂

[@Kenners.]

Yea, i had the Strika, a silver one..... it was ace!!! gosh im old!!

[@antiquescentral]

Stika to be included in an upcoming video 😁 👍

[@michaeloffen7513]

Had a silver grifter and can confirm it weighed a ton 😂😊

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, sounds like you could be right based on other comments! 🤣👍

[@roberthatfull3816]

I took off the heavy wheels and put some arayas on a grifter changed the forks to a bmx fork conversion and put a suntour stem on mine with a set of dx cranks and a seat post shim with a landar fluted alloy post , most of the conversion parts where made by landar and sold in halfords in the 80s i deffo shaved a lot of weight off that grifter only thing i had to find was a seat clamp think i used two mx seatclamps with long 8mm bolts , i was allways modding stuff even then .

[@antiquescentral]

Sounds like you were busy back in the day? 👍

[@michaeloffen7513]

@antiquescentral busy building my legs 😆

[@roberthatfull3816]

@@antiquescentral still do to this day still have 5 bmx bikes and im 50 lol i was doing the same to motorcycles back then too ,was cheap for them too in the 80s lol

[@jammiejammie2570]

Wow, never heard of the chipper! Had a blazer which started the ball rolling into the Raleigh brand! I had so many memories of my youth on bikes. I wish kids today grew up in the late 70’s and 80s! No need for gaming. Had Grifters, Burners, and race bikes before moving into mountain bikes. Bought a Super Grifter 15 years ago and still have it. Just looking at it looses years of my mind. Great review!

[@CIMAmotor]

The Chipper was my first bike, they I had a Tomahawk, then a Grifter.

[@scrumpy213]

I had a Commando, surprised they didn't make the list🤔mine was bright orange and was quite a headturner mainly cos of the twistgrip gearchange which pre-dated that used on the Grifter...and like many other bikes of the time the seat split at the back😂My dad got it for my 10th birthday back in '77 and I remember going out for a 5 mile ride on it over Canvey Island in the morning...one of the best memories I have😊

[@antiquescentral]

I think the Commando and the Tomahawk may well feature in another video? 😁👍

[@johnd8538]

I got my black commando with orange logo in 77 aswell! My Grandma bought it me (God bless her). I adored the thing and cleaned/polished it after every ride...happy memories, I'm 56 now and from sheffield.

[@antiquescentral]

Hi John. Thanks for your story 😁. Will add Sheffield to the subscriber list 👍

[@johnd8538]

Cheers pal

[@EstuaryMists]

I had a Commando too. It was dark green with the camouflage stickers. Even though it was a single tube design, it was robust enough to take all the abuse we gave to bikes in those days! I still have the receipt for it and it was quite expensive for the time at £80. Fond memories of a lovely bike.

[@simonhafford1518]

Had the browny gold budgie then light blue boxer then the grifter mk2 loved em👌My mates had striker and tomahawk

[@antiquescentral]

Striker and Tomahawk to be included in an upcoming video!😁

[@caeserromero3013]

I had a Burner with yellow Mag wheels. I fell off once and ended up with a HUGE graze on my elbow that scabbed over and seemed to constantly weep and hang around for MONTHS.

[@antiquescentral]

The joys of growing up! 😁👍

[@johnd8538]

I took a chunk out of side trying to do a mad turn at speed downhill, same..took months to heal, puss and stuff coming out and a scab like the top of a walnut whip on it. Happy days eh? 😂

[@antiquescentral]

Ouch! 🤪

[@anthonyslevin1717]

I had the super tuff burner with gold chrome and bear trap peddles. Beast of a bike. 50 years old now and i might try get a reconditioned one.

[@antiquescentral]

Excellent idea, go for it! 👍😁

[@rectify2003]

Changing gears on the Raleigh Chopper was scary 😀

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, still have nightmares now!

[@rectify2003]

@@antiquescentral 😀

[@rochstan123]

I started off with a red Raleigh Tomerhawk and transitioned to a chopper when my brothers outgrew it. I ran that bike into the ground and rode around London with my mate. Fantastic times.

[@antiquescentral]

The Tomahawk is included in an upcoming video 😁👍

[@ScratchyBaws]

Where's the Raleigh Strika. You had the Boxer, strika & Grifter along with the Budgie, Chipper & Chopper. The Grifter was a horrible hefty heavy slow riding bike bar a nice thick sponge seat till they split but so did the seats on the Chopper etc. I wonder what bike sales numbers are like from say 1970-80 compared to say 2010-2020 UK as roads are a lot more congested and dangerous for kids compared to the 70/80's era. You don't see many kids on bikes compared to our day back then.

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, I think the Strika, Commando and Tomahawk may well feature in another video coming up. Up to date sales figures would be interesting 😁👍

[@FrancoDX]

Cool video. I started out on a second hand Raleigh Commando, it was hand painted with the same blue paint as our coal house door 😂 Then I got a Boxer the following Christmas. That got nicked on the council estate, so I bought a second hand Raleigh Tomahawk. After that it was all BMX… Iron Horse Dirt Burner, Puch Magnum and Raleigh Super Burner. Brilliant memories and great times! I’m in my mid 50’s now but recently had a spell of refurbishing old bikes, mostly 3 Speeds and Racers. Once you fall in love with a bicycle it never leaves you 🙂

[@antiquescentral]

Great story and I'm pleased you got back into your restoration! 👍

[@StephenOconnor-c4t]

Hi any one remember the Raleigh bomber 😂

[@antiquescentral]

I'll look it up! 😁👍

[@StephenOconnor-c4t]

👍​@@antiquescentral

[@4002corbe]

I had the metallic-blue, Raleigh Super Bomber.

[@StephenOconnor-c4t]

@4002corbe cool

[@antiquescentral]

The Bomber is included in an upcoming video 😁👍

[@Senna-xi1gr]

Loved my Griffter. When my grandmother gave it to me at Christmas I cried with happiness. Never liked the Chopper as at high speed you would get a speed wobble on because of the front smaller wheel. 👍🏆🇬🇧 Later I bought a Team Murray BMX with 5 spoke black alloys. Loved BMX. I am now 57 & still have 3 bikes, one of them a full chrome Mongoose with red anodised pedals,brakes & red tyres. Love it.

[@antiquescentral]

I'm really happy you've kept your cycling spirit alive! 😁👍

[@nicksmith8557]

All I remember was the sound of Grifters with the mud flap tucked up against the tyre pretending to have an engine! 😂😂😂😂

[@antiquescentral]

@@nicksmith8557 Great memory! 😁👍

[@me-cq7wv]

You missed a good one (Raleigh Tomahawk) How many of us woke up on xmas day with one of them in the living room. The best feeling ever. Thanks for posting.

[@antiquescentral]

No problem 👍. You missed watching the follow up video 😉. Consider subscribing for more content like this as the KZbin algorithm is useless for promoting content! 😁👍

[@me-cq7wv]

@@antiquescentral Good on ya Subbed

[@sicks6six]

Raleigh chopper. Worst piece of junk I owned. So heavy it was like working out in a gym. Prepared kids for heavy manual labour. Down pits. In ship yards and building sites.

[@antiquescentral]

You're a fan of the Chopper then 🤣😁👍

[@rossturnbull8632]

This was good to see thanks..when bmx took off big time we all wanted them having owned strika"s..chopper's etc..one xmas me and my bro got chrome burners we were chuffed..out we went and within 5 mins there was a good dozen of us with standard burners,supatuff burners and one lucky lad with a haro( with the z rim wheels) these used to flex and go straight back into shape,cutting edge at the time...

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for the feedback. Great story!

[@mjwalters8394]

It's about time the grifter was re- released....

[@antiquescentral]

Great idea! I wonder if they're considering it? 😁👍

[@mjwalters8394]

@@antiquescentral I think they would have an issue with reproducing the foam seat and handlebar foam...

[@antiquescentral]

Quite possibly. Would there be a modern alternative they could use? 😁

[@Jimmy_Cream]

I had a black strika. There was a craze of putting those old square bread tags on the spokes and my dads pal worked for a massive bakery so he got me 6 rolls of all different colours... hit every spoke front and back haha What a fantastic old memory

[@antiquescentral]

I'm glad the video brought back happy memories!

[@markheys5516]

Yep learned to ride a stricka or was is stricker, 1970’s , everyone out on new bikes for Christmas. Had the bright yellow chopper, came with friggin long tassels off the handle bars, I was mortified and cut them off 😂. Then 1980 was bmx, burner aero with yellow mag wheels. Great memories 👍

[@antiquescentral]

I didn't realise the factory added tassels, that's interesting 😁👍

[@Dan23_7]

I had a black Raleigh Boxer and my brother had a gold Raleigh Bullet, early 80’s

[@richardwells1684]

Me and my mate got a red Grifter each one Christmas. It was bombproof and went everywhere. Used to do the cardboard on the spokes trick to make it sound like a motorbike 😊

[@antiquescentral]

Nice one! I think I remember you cycling down the road! 🤣👍

[@MsModestyBlaise]

3:37 I’m glad you said “near indestructible” because my mum and I were watching my brother show off on his Burner when he landed off a big skateboard ramp only to have the back wheel completely explode. Fortunately, nobody was hurt but he was in complete shock.

[@antiquescentral]

Has he recovered? 😁👍

[@paulschofield985]

1st bike I ever owned was a Chopper back in the 80’s totally loved that thing.. My mate & his sister held onto the metal bar at the back of the seat one on either side pushing me along till I got the hang of it & learnt to ride.. later moving onto a BMX then a Racer..

[@antiquescentral]

Brilliant memories! 😁👍

[@paulschofield985]

@@antiquescentral definitely

[@rocket69218]

My best mate had a blue Chipper in Primary School. I didn't get a new bike until I was much older, when I finally got that Burner I was pining after for years.

[@antiquescentral]

Good things come to those who wait 👍.

[@Goblin420-o8z]

I had my sisters hand me down Raleigh tomahawk it was the smaller sibling of the chopper I loved that bike

[@antiquescentral]

Very true! I'm pleased the video brought back some happy memories! 😁

[@Bassett743]

Hi Mark it's interesting to see the different bikes. I had only heard of the chopper so I've learned something completely new today. Many thanks and I look forward to the next video as always. Sarah 😊

[@antiquescentral]

Glad you enjoyed it Sarah! 😁👍

[@josephking7129]

Had a Chopper,A Grifter And My pride of joy was A Raleigh Mustang with spokes not mags! Although I did have mushroom grips😊

[@antiquescentral]

Will check out the Raleigh Mustang 👍

[@lilsdon]

Me and my mate Terry could really pull some wheelies on the chopper, absolutely brilliant bike :)

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for sharing your memory, hope you're still in touch with Terry? 😁👍

[@allankirk1128]

I had the grifter and my big brother the chopper ❤

[@antiquescentral]

Excellent choices! Did you ever get his Raleigh Chopper passed on to you? 👍

[@WATCH-4U]

MK1 choppers & there super high back rest !!!! awesome bikes i have very fond memories of these with the BMX burner being my ever last bike of my childhood.. BUDGIE/CHIPPER/CHOPPER ...BOXER STRIKA (with peddle back rear brake) Grifter.. then the mighty BURNERS .... then you had the raleigh ARENAs 5 n 10speed...Vitesse etc...im sure they bought out a hybrid racer slash grifter called the Raleigh Bomber rate heavy duty stallion lol... Fond memories and great look back on some iconic Raleigh bikes from late 60/70s/80s

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for your comment and feedback, much appreciated.

[@asthmaticmonkey1]

I'd take my old Strika over just about anything - that thing was superb. Great video.

[@antiquescentral]

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. The Strika was a very popular bike in the UK. 😁👍

[@tonycardall7334]

I had a purple chopper for Christmas,my older brother had a red one and younger brother had a grifter. Sadly mine had a puncture so with the shops closed over Christmas i had to wait a week to ride it. My little sister had the chipper and eventually progressed to a tomahawk. All great bikes .

[@antiquescentral]

I can imagine the frustration! ☹👍

[@Cheekamonka]

I had a Mk1 chopper. I still miss it to this day 😢

[@antiquescentral]

I know how you feel 😒👍

[@Traindmunkey]

Just restored my Raleigh Burner with a new all black finish, Mag wheels still in top condition, its true they stand the test of time. Cant wait to hand it to my son who is only 8 now and unfortunately not tall enough to cycle it yet, At 42, i'm tempted to give it a few goes until then, just for old times

[@antiquescentral]

Careful, you'll do yourself a mischief! 😂

[@Traindmunkey]

@antiquescentral once you turn 40 that's a given on even ground.dont worry I won't test it out at the local bike park, I leave that to my skateboard 🤣🤙🏻

[@antiquescentral]

😂👍

[@andreblanchette9151]

I had a blue Raleigh burner, got it for my 10th birthday, a day I'll never forget! Most kids round the way got their BMX the following Christmas, by then, mine was close to a year old! 13:10

[@antiquescentral]

Best present ever? 😁👍

[@andreblanchette9151]

@antiquescentral absolutely, especially growing up with not much money, a £100 bike in the 80's was a LOT of money!

[@antiquescentral]

Yes, totally get that! Fair play to your parents 😁👍

[@farnarkleboy]

I've got an early R11XL BMX bike from 1980, made in Notingham, Reynolds 531 tubing Great geometry and very light and responsive. Even at 6'2" and 57 years of age I still take it out for a quick sprint every now and then . Huge fun.

[@antiquescentral]

Fantastic and brilliant you still take it out for a spin! 😁👍