Hi All. Good to find this forum. Like most of you I grew up in the “golden age” of the Schwinn Stingray. Or maybe you are younger.......either way you have good taste. I never had a fancy Schwinn but only a hand-me down Stingray that I tried to convert to a motorcross bike when that craze started. It was nice but it was not for me. Well it was until it was stolen. I wanted soooo bad a nice Schwinn Krate like my richer neighbors had but my parents were too cheap. Such is life.
Some 40 years later I still felt unfulfilled at the slight from so long ago of being denied. I don’t know what possesses a middle-aged man to want a child’s bike but maybe a psychiatrist could explain it. So here I am one day, I finally have the means and I spy this Raleigh Chopper at a garage sale. It was the modern version and while similiar it lacked the shifter, but it was close enough. I think my wife thought I was crazy and I had no idea of what I would do with it but I knew it was mine!
It was basically new and looked and rode great. I rode it home as I was pretty close to home and I eventually decided to get an e-bike kit for it. Trouble was that since it had a small front wheel there was only one kit, and that was the most expensive one! No problem, I was in too deep to turn back. The kit took a lot of work as there are lots of wires and such but it worked out great. It was such a blast to ride it and the electric motor helped as it is so heavy with the battery and I live in a hilly area.
Literally the first day I took it out I was riding by a church as it was letting out and this guy was driving away from the parking lot. He said “Is that a Raleigh Chopper? I had one when I was a kid.” He got out, took pictures, and smiled. Another middle-aged man still carrying the torch. Then I rode to another sale on the way home and a fellow said “Is that a Raleigh Chopper?” Here we go again. Anyway, it does get a lot of looks and questions that’s for sure.
I did buy a NOS shifter that was aftermarket for the original Chopper and my goal is to install it and bypass the shifter on the handgrip. Then my childhood dream will be totally realized and then I can put those 40 years of shame and longing behind me
Here is the bike. This was taken shortly after I installed the kit. It looks the same essentially. Any questions on the bike or the kit feel free to hit me up. I am in the Portland, Oregon area.
Luke
Some 40 years later I still felt unfulfilled at the slight from so long ago of being denied. I don’t know what possesses a middle-aged man to want a child’s bike but maybe a psychiatrist could explain it. So here I am one day, I finally have the means and I spy this Raleigh Chopper at a garage sale. It was the modern version and while similiar it lacked the shifter, but it was close enough. I think my wife thought I was crazy and I had no idea of what I would do with it but I knew it was mine!
It was basically new and looked and rode great. I rode it home as I was pretty close to home and I eventually decided to get an e-bike kit for it. Trouble was that since it had a small front wheel there was only one kit, and that was the most expensive one! No problem, I was in too deep to turn back. The kit took a lot of work as there are lots of wires and such but it worked out great. It was such a blast to ride it and the electric motor helped as it is so heavy with the battery and I live in a hilly area.
Literally the first day I took it out I was riding by a church as it was letting out and this guy was driving away from the parking lot. He said “Is that a Raleigh Chopper? I had one when I was a kid.” He got out, took pictures, and smiled. Another middle-aged man still carrying the torch. Then I rode to another sale on the way home and a fellow said “Is that a Raleigh Chopper?” Here we go again. Anyway, it does get a lot of looks and questions that’s for sure.
I did buy a NOS shifter that was aftermarket for the original Chopper and my goal is to install it and bypass the shifter on the handgrip. Then my childhood dream will be totally realized and then I can put those 40 years of shame and longing behind me
Here is the bike. This was taken shortly after I installed the kit. It looks the same essentially. Any questions on the bike or the kit feel free to hit me up. I am in the Portland, Oregon area.
Luke
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