First bike

1892

Just brought myself a new bike & it got me thinking about other bikes I've had since I was a kid so here's the list:

!st one I can remember was a Raleigh Striker I think, next came the bigger version the Raleigh Grifter once hit another bike head on with that playing chicken not a scratch on the Grifter (other bike bent wheel, fork & frame). Next was a Elswick Super Sprint 10 speed racer faster than all my mates bikes by along way (my dad took it up the tip one day the git).
There was a bit of a break before the next bike got distracted by things like girls etc, anyway the next was a Raleigh Lizard what a load of c**p, glad to sell that one on to buy a Ridgeback 704RS a lovely bike still going strong after 14 years.
My latest bike is a Trek 5.2 Madone still trying to get used to the dropped bars but getting there slowly but what a bike to ride, I think if I stopped pedalling it would roll up the hill for me.

nickcuk

I loved my mum's raleigh shopper with 3 internal gears and I could only ride it by standing to pedal

1892

nickcuk wrote:

I loved my mum's raleigh shopper with 3 internal gears and I could only ride it by standing to pedal

Did it have basket on the front :?:

trailtrash

GRIFTERS ROCK! Or should that be Grifters are made of rock?!

My 'chain' of bikes:

Some little green thing with stabilisers
Red mini Chopper (the name escapes me, but not a 'chipper')
Metallic Blue Grifter (which cost me a front tooth)
Raleigh Tempest (but by that time I had a provisional licence . . . )
(many years gap)
Specialized Sport Rock (which my Dad has recently yanked out of the shed to ride)
Trek 4500 (love it)

OK, so none of my bikes have ever been 'top of the range' (save perhaps the Grifter) but I've loved them all.

trailtrash

red mini chopper = tomahawk

HungryCol

Can't remember before my Grifter, it was black and red. One very memorable time the handlebar gear shifters slipped and my groin met the cross bar, I was buckled for hours.

Next I think came my Raleigh Mag Burner BMX. Such fun and the film BMX Bandits was the best. Had all the clothing gear too including helmet with numerous Frosties Tony the Tiger BMX stickers. I sadly sold it and bought a guitar (subsequently sold guitar and visited brother in Edinburgh)

Next was said brothers Dawes Lightening and I was converted to road bikes. Had that for years and was then given a Raleigh Quasar (sp?) Reynolds 501 with aero tubing and the skinniest tyres ever! I was given this bike on the strength of giving said giver whatever I got for selling the Dawes. Dawes never sold 8) . Quasar frame broke and shop gave me another when talso broke in the same place.

Shop understood Quasar fault and gave me a Raleigh Campagnolo Gran Sport Reynolds 531frame in egg shell orange. Still have it and use it for my commuter bike.

Latest it my Saeco Cannondale CAAD5 and I'm like a kid again. It brings me so much enjoyment and my renewed interest in all that is cycling.

sturedd

I also used to have a Red Tomahawk, soooo cool because mine had alloy mag wheels instead of spokes and it was the only one i ever saw like it. I think it came from the US.

I also remeber saving all my pennies for a Raleigh Equipe Racing Bike then i got hooked and the list goes:
Raleigh Mirage Mountain Bike
Marin Eldridge Grade (the one with matt grey frame and red forks)
Holdsworth Pro 531
Specialized Stumpjumper Pro (Stunning Bike)
Giant Cadex CFR2 (Another Stunning Bike) First mainstream carbon road bike i think. I hit 53 mph on this bad boy.
Klein Rascal (Great Bike very very light and very stiff) sold it after about 6 months!!
Raliegh Team Titanium MTB - Very Light and Fast
Stopped Cycling for about 12 years and just getting back into it and bought another Holdsworth Pro 531 with Shimano 105, yes identical to the one i owned years ago.....spooky!!