Raleigh Chopper 2023 reboot (for '70s kids of any age)

If you're old enough to remember the launch of the Raleigh Chopper in 1969, you won't need to be reminded how popular this cultural icon quickly became among an entire generation of kids.

The bike's long, padded seat, high-rise handlebars, and top tube mounted gear shift mimicked chopper motorcycles, but more than that, it's image tapped into emerging counterculture movements.

The Raleigh Chopper embodied individuality freedom, and fun. Sure, it wasn't the most practical way to cover long distances, but nobody cared; owning a Chopper was a status symbol - a cultural significance that further fuelled its popularity.

Raleigh Chopper 2023

On the back of enduring nostalgia for the bike, Raleigh is building a limited run of Choppers, which at first glance look indistinguishable from the original design. Regulations governing bike building mean the handlebars and seat are little less radical, but the choice of Infrared or Ultraviolet colours true to the lairy paint schemes of the 1970s.

The Raleigh Chopper reboot will cost £950 when it goes on sale at 12pm on 20 June.

2023 Raleigh Chopper specs at a glance

• Frame: Cr-Mo Steel
• Handlebar: Raleigh Chopper steel high-rise 580mm
• Brake type: Caliper
• Gear type: Hub gear
• Colours: Infrared/Ultraviolet
• Weight: 18.4kg

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What's the spiritual successor to the Raleigh Chopper?

In terms of edgy appeal, e-scooters probably come closest to matching the appeal of the original Raleigh Chopper among teenagers. And at the fringes of the bike market, the tradition of styling pedal cycles like motorbikes continues.

The Unimoke pictured below, and to a lesser extent the RadRunner we're giving away in our prize draw, borrow from motorcycle design to deliver a unique look and robust construction.

E-bikes that put image and fun above practicality are another contender for spiritual successor to the Raleigh Chopper. America is home to electric lowriders like the Ruffian below - designs that are very much designed to cruise city streets in style.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 33 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.

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