The Raleigh Bomber

[Garlick]

All this talk of Burners and retro BMX got me thinking.

Remember the Raleigh Bomber? All the tough lads round my way had one of these, looking at them now they still look rather cool.



Raleigh really knew how to make a kid drool 'back in the day' I used to literally leaf through the new model catalogue until it fell apart.

[bmthnick1981]

In a nostalgic mood tonight???

[Mars]

I had one the Christmas they came out. Never before or since have I wanted a bike as much - even though I've had much better bikes since.

In fact that was the problem... It was a terrible bike. It looked all tough and manly but wasn't even strong enough to shrug off the landing from a wheelie. The forks bent outwards until one day I hit the front brake and the headtube broke in two.

I was about 12 but the frustration with my beloved bike, and worry that I'd have disappointed my Dad who (with Mom) bought it for me, made me cry.

The bike shop replaced the frame and forks but it was a flawed bike. Not sure what happened to my old bikes. Must ask Mom. I moved into BMX after that. It was just too disappointing.

[hman]

the only kids who had these were the fat kids who thought they were 'ard. thing is they were really heavy and so was the bike so you could ride by, slap them round the back of the head and they'd never ever catch you on foot or on a bmx.

legendary nostalgia but massively misguided.

[S1_RS]

I had a Super Bomber, basically a chrome frame with blue plastic over it. It weighed a ton and the front forks bent easily but I loved it. I think my Dad chucked it in the tip when I left home.

[Mars]

hman said:

the only kids who had these were the fat kids who thought they were 'ard. thing is they were really heavy and so was the bike so you could ride by, slap them round the back of the head and they'd never ever catch you on foot or on a bmx.

legendary nostalgia but massively misguided.

Hey... who are you calling a fat kid?

I was a thin kid, quite athletic as it happens. I'm a fat old knacker though.

[dubbs]

I had a boxer, then a chipper, then a grifter.... It explains the fact my legs are wider than my waist!!