What happens when an ex-junior national hill climb champion races a Raleigh Chopper up one of the steepest climbs in London? That’s the question we answer in this video. Joe Baker takes the 18.5 kilo bike up Swains lane in London at the Urban Hill Climb event which is organised by the London Cycling Campaign. The climb is 900 metres long, averages at 8% but is home to a brutal 20% ramp. The Raleigh Chopper was created in 1972 and now has a cult following mainly from fans of E.T., The Goonies, and more recently Stranger Things. So, watch on to find out how this legendary bike fares against this legendary climb.
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31 Comments
When I was about 13 a friend had one of these. He lent me it and I clocked something silly like 70 mph in the street where I live. I guess the speedometer was out by about 55 mph. Shame really, because if his speedo was accurate I would be rich and famous by now.
I was envious of a neighbour's Grifter as a wee boy. Choppers were for the bigger boys. 😂
Spent HOURS drooling over these at the Schwinn shop as a kid. Greatest era for bicycles ever!!!
dude shoulda wheelied across the finish line! 😀
The Chopper was in The Goonies? Not sure a British bike would have made it to the US!
can we do the next hill climb with this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3AmZveNEBI
I could do that easy but then my Raleigh chopper Iv made electric 🤣⚓️🧲👍
Born in 1959. I wanted one of these SO BAD! My parents gave me a green Sears 3 speed instead.
Piece of piss! 😏 Should have gone with the Raleigh Tomahawk! 😂🤣
we used to get 5 kids on chopper bike just to go to footy in the 80s;)
its missing a playing card clipped to a spoke with a clothes pin.
I got six stitches and a flat chin thanks to a high speed wobble from my chopper not a safe bike
I had a chopper back in the 70's and LOVED it.. Brilliant memories. My mate actually had one then with a 5-speed derailleur on 🤔😁
If you grew up on the early 80s , you just know why you’re smiling
Ever the practical woman – my mum sometimes borrowed my chopper back in the day, to ride down to the shops for milk or bread. As kids we were pretty embarrassed but now looking back, what a legendary thing it was to do. I think she also took my sister's bike, complete with basket and streamers. Mine probably had a spokely dokely attached (piece of cardboard on the rear wheel for that coveted and realistic motorbike soundtrack…). Cheers and good work from Aust – Dave
I didnt think the chopper was in the Goonies or E.T? They were BMXs
I used to own one of these bikes. I thought it was pretty cool looking at the time
Now try racing that death-trap downhill.
Would have been much better with a 20" front fork!!
I've got to say when i was 10 on my Mk2 Raleigh chopper, I'd have got up that hill a piece of piss beano in one hand bag of sweets in the other 🤣🤣
I had one, 50 years ago. Didn't know they are still made. Great fun.
Back in the day, when I was a kid, I just wished that the Chopper was as fast as it looked.
loved the vid , the best cheer`s / shout`s of the day without dout
I always remember my mate busting his bollock sack on a chopper in the 80s!
The chopper is such a impractical bike.
A simple question why didn't you think the bike wouldn't get up the hill? Seems you lot are too young and too spolit riding your crappy carbon junk, us older folks could climb all we needed with 3 gears. This video and channel are a joke.
Using cleats on a chopper equates to cheating ……
School boy error if you didnt have it in 3rd gear though…
Popular in the 80s ? He meant 70s
These new chopper bikes looks good except for the small sissy bar… Optional extra buys a large one the original bikes where the dogs nads but sadly today's kids aren't the same but bedroom hermits and drug addicts and not a clue what sex they are ALL! Down to BAD up bringing parents
Probably slower because you didn't dress for the climb (on a chopper)…
Jean's cut into shorts (and I mean short).
Tie Dyed T-Shirt.
Mullet
And the bike definitely needed a flag!
Mine was Purple… and it was the most comfortable bike I ever had… Just sit back and your doing a wheelie… I could ride from top of the the hill out of Wellington (NZ) down to the bottom of Owhiro Road (4.2k) no hands.
Slap the gears from 1 to 3 and it was just gooey enough that it was like an automatic and changed 1..2..3 in about as many seconds.
I put Pantha Mag wheels on it with a home made bmx fork conversion using a piece of galve tube threaded in a lathe (by me.. at 10yo)
Even at 10 I knew about triangulation… shame the frame designers didn't… so I bent it till the pedals strucj the fround on the lightest of corners doing dropoffs…