Raleigh files for bankruptcy.

[Furbo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gv45w4j8eo

[Xenoous]

Another institution gone, but apparently they're not the brand they were years ago.

My father recently passed away. He has a 1985 Raleigh Sirocco. I used to sit on the bar of that bike and travel around the city with him. Great memories. I'm looking forward to getting it restored and riding it..

[ikarl]

I remember my mate having a Raleigh Activator and being so jealous of him.... I used to think it just made him faster and better than me.

Turns out he was just faster and better than me.

[the-norseman]

I had a Raleigh Activator 2 in black around 2002, my first bike was a Raleigh I think it was half white half blue and had horses on the side but cant remember the model.

My sisters just dug out her Chopper remake from the 00's and I have a Romanian Pegas remake which is similar.

[blueST]

My first proper bike was Raleigh Stryker, yellow frame and blue tyres! I was always a bit jealous of my mate with Grifter. And then a few years later I had a Raleigh Equip drop handle racer, with Shimano Index gears no less. No changing gear like you're fine tuning a Stradivarius for me

[catso]

I thought they'd gone years ago.

Had a Mk1 Chopper as kid, wish I'd kept hold of it seeing how much they fetch nowadays.

Got an old Aero Max of my Dad's in the shed, doubt it's worth anything though.

[Alex Z]

First bike I can remember was a Raleigh Chipper (smaller then the chopper) then a Grifter XL. Wanted a fancy burner but never got one.

For anyone of a certain age , Bicycle = Raleigh.

Edited by Alex Z on Saturday 8th August 07:21

[Audicab]

blueST said:

My first proper bike was Raleigh Stryker, yellow frame and blue tyres! I was always a bit jealous of my mate with Grifter. And then a few years later I had a Raleigh Equip drop handle racer, with Shimano Index gears no less. No changing gear like you're fine tuning a Stradivarius for me

Very similar to me, my first bike was a Stryker and my brother had a Grifter, I was always trying to steal it. That was a long time ago.

[boyse7en]

I didn't realise they were still going, I thought they had closed down about 25 years ago!

As with any British person of a certain age, the various stages of my youth can be defined by which (secondhand) Raleigh bike i was riding at the time.
I think I was 15 when i got my first non-Raleigh steed – a Holdsworth MTB

[snuffy]

I doesn't help when your two biggest models are now terms of abuse.

[Magic919]

It’s the group that owns them. Haibike and Ghost are also part of it, plus a few other European brands.

[WPA]

boyse7en said:

I didn't realise they were still going, I thought they had closed down about 25 years ago!

They original firm was sold to Accell in 2012 but they stopped making bikes in the UK in 2002

End of an era as Raleigh also owned Sturmey-Archer and saddle manufacturer Brooks at one point

[speciald]

the-norseman said:

I had a Raleigh Activator 2 in black around 2002, my first bike was a Raleigh I think it was half white half blue and had horses on the side but cant remember the model.

My sisters just dug out her Chopper remake from the 00's and I have a Romanian Pegas remake which is similar.

Raleigh Mustang maybe? Sure I had one of them as a child! And an Activator. My brother had a Raleigh Max at the same time.

[jimothyc]

The problem with Raleigh is much the same as other brands trying to occupy the middle ground. People tend to want either the cheapest decent option so get a Halfords special or something from Decathlon or they want a higher end brand, like Trek, Specialised etc.

[WPA]

jimothyc said:

The problem with Raleigh is much the same as other brands trying to occupy the middle ground. People tend to want either the cheapest decent option so get a Halfords special or something from Decathlon or they want a higher end brand, like Trek, Specialised etc.

I do wonder if Halfords will bid for the brand

[eth2190]

Lately there seems to be a decent market for classic-styled steel lugged frame bikes for gravel, touring etc. I wonder if they could have moved in that direction to lean into the heritage.
Many want a bike with a more timeless look and some craftsmanship put into it, without the association with the competitive side of riding.

[_Hoppers]

Alex Z said:

For any of a certain age , Bicycle = Raleigh.

That's me! Pretty much all my friends had Raleighs! I can only recall Dawes, Elswick and Peugeot being the other brands growing up in the 70s/80s.

[quigonjay]

First bike was a Raleigh Burner BMX and BMX Bandits had just come out, ahhh those where the days

[CountyLines]

Ditto. First bike was a Raleigh Ultra Burner for me.

Same as this.

God Ioved that bike.

[Alex Z]

WPA said:

jimothyc said:

The problem with Raleigh is much the same as other brands trying to occupy the middle ground. People tend to want either the cheapest decent option so get a Halfords special or something from Decathlon or they want a higher end brand, like Trek, Specialised etc.

I do wonder if Halfords will bid for the brand

It ll be hoovered up by Sports Direct and stuck on generic tat

Edited by Alex Z on Saturday 8th August 07:22