bendo
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Post by bendo on May 15, 2023 15:03:44 GMT
Hi all, long time between posts here! I've not much to report with my bikes, except that I found this Bickerton by the side of the road. It was grubby but complete. Sure enough, after a clean it came up looking very new indeed.
They have a bad name these bikes. And sure, you don't want to weigh much over 70kg, nor pedal out of the saddle. But I love the era (of course!) and all the aluminium. Great parts too: Weidmann red dot brake levers, Sturmey-Archer 3 speed but actually made by Suntour, Weinmann side pull brakes, Sugino maxy crankset with that big 56t plate, lovely Lyotard pedals, etc.
I enjoy riding it because you have to be genteel and ride at a pace that you never have to slam on the brakes. Plus it's super light! Not weighed it yet but under 10kg I'd say.
I finished it off with some white wall tyres and red Sugino dust caps like it had originally.
Riding it around I realised for the first time what must have influenced the bike's designers: the classic 70s dragster! Smaller front wheel and those ludicrous handlebars! It's the Raleigh Chopper I never had! b
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Jem
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Post by Jem on May 15, 2023 17:27:12 GMT
Bendo! Great to see your name pop up on the forum, always good to hear from you.
Did you mean to post a pic of the bike? I cant wait to see it, it's not a name I know.
Jem
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bendo
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Post by bendo on May 15, 2023 23:56:41 GMT
Yeah sorry Jem. I was on my phone and it was late, and I couldn't find any of the posting buttons. Didn't mean to keep you in suspense! Here's the bike. I think it predated the Moulton (?) but was nowhere near as well designed.  20230513_152703 by 弁慶, on Flickr |
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bendo
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Post by bendo on May 15, 2023 23:57:37 GMT
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bendo
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Post by bendo on May 16, 2023 0:01:09 GMT
And for those of you who weren't around in the 70s (which is probably no-one on this forum!) here's some dragster context. May I present the most 70s image ever...  |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on May 16, 2023 7:31:00 GMT
That's an 'interesting' looking beast!
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robt
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Post by robt on May 16, 2023 18:44:20 GMT
That's an 'interesting' looking beast! That's an interesting find, Bendo! It looks like you've made a good job of cleaning it up. I've seen a few of these around, mostly in yacht marinas. The attached article suggests that commuters, caravanners, yachtsmen & pilots were among the original target audience.  Cycling Bickerton by RMT@261, on Flickr It appears that the Bickerton company is still in business, with their bikes now manufactured in Taipei. The picture of Sid James and his Chopper opens up a whole realm of double-entendres! |
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Jem
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Post by Jem on May 16, 2023 20:02:59 GMT
The picture of Sid James and his Chopper opens up a whole realm of double-entendres!  GTV ARCHIVE by
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Post by cusqueno on May 17, 2023 9:30:26 GMT
And for those of you who weren't around in the 70s (which is probably no-one on this forum!) here's some dragster context. May I present the most 70s image ever... was a local celebrity in my home town of Enfield, North London, and, as I remembered it, inaugurated the world's first ATM at Barclay's Bank in Enfield Town in 1967. It allowed customers to withdraw up to £10 at a time! ... but in 1967 £10 was real money. However, as it turned out I was wrong and it was another local celebrity, Reg Varney, also a comedy actor, who made the first withdrawal. Apparently, there is evidence of a cash dispensing machine being used in Tokyo in 1966, so Enfield's claim to fame may be false. www.londonremembers.com/subjects/world-s-first-cash-machine-1?memorial_id=3392 |
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bendo
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Post by bendo on May 18, 2023 22:14:34 GMT
That's an 'interesting' looking beast! That's an interesting find, Bendo! It looks like you've made a good job of cleaning it up. I've seen a few of these around, mostly in yacht marinas. The attached article suggests that commuters, caravanners, yachtsmen & pilots were among the original target audience. Cycling Bickerton by RMT@261, on Flickr It appears that the Bickerton company is still in business, with their bikes now manufactured in Taipei. The picture of Sid James and his Chopper opens up a whole realm of double-entendres! Thanks for the article post Rob. That fills in a lot of gaps for me. I had heard that they were designed to go in your car boot and such. I'm considering taking mine on the bus just to see how it goes. The 'quick release' levers on everything are not terribly well designed and prone to slipping. And there are a lot of them! It also doesn't really have a carrying position. It's definitely designed for stowage. But he did solve the problem of lightness. My Viscount Spacemaster, which is a folder like a Raleigh Twenty or the Puch mentioned in the article, is the heaviest bike I own. It must weigh over 20kg! This OTOH is probably half that. And the 70s 'aerospace' heritage is something close to all our hearts! And I didn't know they were still going, so I'll have to check out their later bikes. b PS - How good is Sid James on a Chopper? "Oooh, I knooooow!"  |
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