Raleigh grifter restoration
Discussion
smifffymoto said:
As kids we all had Raleigh,they were everywhere.Those of us in our late 40’s and 50’s can all relate to this thread,with some envy. It takes me back to summer holidays,leave the house in the morning and Mum telling me to be back for tea,building ramps and jumps,riding to the woods to build a den,days just enjoying being a child with no pressure.
I remember all of this. I was lucky enough to have Grifter but it must have been a Mk 2 as it was the brighter blue, not the pale metallic. I can completely echo the comments about the weight of the thing, and can now understand why my parents hated me ever asking to take it somewhere in the car.
I bent the forks on it doing jumps (wooden slope, milk crate type stuff) although my dad managed to straighten them in a vice. Eventually replaced with a BMX which was a much better fit for purpose and weighed far less, even though it was nothing special.
I bent the forks on it doing jumps (wooden slope, milk crate type stuff) although my dad managed to straighten them in a vice. Eventually replaced with a BMX which was a much better fit for purpose and weighed far less, even though it was nothing special.
smifffymoto said:
As kids we all had Raleigh,they were everywhere.Those of us in our late 40’s and 50’s can all relate to this thread,with some envy. It takes me back to summer holidays,leave the house in the morning and Mum telling me to be back for tea,building ramps and jumps,riding to the woods to build a den,days just enjoying being a child with no pressure.
Being in London, a big bike day out was to the Woolwich Ferry rather than countryside. Always seem to have 'No More Heroes' playing in my head when I think back to it. 
Simes205 said:
smifffymoto said:
As kids we all had Raleigh,they were everywhere.Those of us in our late 40’s and 50’s can all relate to this thread,with some envy. It takes me back to summer holidays,leave the house in the morning and Mum telling me to be back for tea,building ramps and jumps,riding to the woods to build a den,days just enjoying being a child with no pressure.
I remember all of this. SydneyBridge said:
I was not allowed to cycle on the road until I passed my cycle proficiency test, which we did at junior school..
The copper who did our area’s proficiency test was off work with a long term illness when mine was due, non of our school year were given the opportunity to take the test.I have been irrevocably mentally scarred by this lack of proficiency.
I can’t recall my early years bikes, but I remember getting up on the morning of my 10th or 11th birthday to a shiny chrome Team Murray complete with aluminium black mag wheels and pedal back brake......so good.
A few years later getting a Rayleigh Mustang SIS, when that got stolen from outside scouts I put some of my own money to mum and dads and upgraded to a Rayleigh Montage.
A few years later getting a Rayleigh Mustang SIS, when that got stolen from outside scouts I put some of my own money to mum and dads and upgraded to a Rayleigh Montage.
JPJ said:
I was lucky enough to have Grifter but it must have been a Mk 2 as it was the brighter blue, not the pale metallic. I can completely echo the comments about the weight of the thing, and can now understand why my parents hated me ever asking to take it somewhere in the car.
I bent the forks on it doing jumps (wooden slope, milk crate type stuff) although my dad managed to straighten them in a vice. Eventually replaced with a BMX which was a much better fit for purpose and weighed far less, even though it was nothing special.
I bent the forks on my grifter also trying to keep up with the bmx Boys , I wasn’t allowed a bmx still gutted about that now ! I remember setting up the jumps wood / bricks then it would be a couple of practice jumps see how far you could reach , then mark the floor with chalk , then get all the younger kids to lie down on the floor up to somewhere near the longest mark ! 😳 not to sure you would get away with that now . Not to many takers for the position nearest the chalk mark 😜 crazy times , I can’t recall to many bad injuries. I bent the forks on it doing jumps (wooden slope, milk crate type stuff) although my dad managed to straighten them in a vice. Eventually replaced with a BMX which was a much better fit for purpose and weighed far less, even though it was nothing special.
Neil1323bolts said:
I bent the forks on my grifter also trying to keep up with the bmx Boys , I wasn’t allowed a bmx still gutted about that now ! I remember setting up the jumps wood / bricks then it would be a couple of practice jumps see how far you could reach , then mark the floor with chalk , then get all the younger kids to lie down on the floor up to somewhere near the longest mark ! ?? not to sure you would get away with that now . Not to many takers for the position nearest the chalk mark ?? crazy times , I can’t recall to many bad injuries.
Ah, shonky bits of plywood precariously balanced on a teetering pile of bricks, that takes me back...to last year actually during lockdown with my Godson and our mountain bikes on my lawn; obviously I jumped the furthest
I had a red Grifter from new, circa 1983? It did me for a few years at home before it was relocated to my gran's house in Cornwall where we went for EVERY family holiday, 2 or 3 times a year.
By this time it was pretty small for me and my older brother but I recall we put trick studs on the front axle then I would sit on that nice padded handlebar whilst my brother rode the bike and then we'd have some seriously wild runs down steep hills in North Cornwall!! Definitely the days before 'elf and safety caught up with childhood....
By this time it was pretty small for me and my older brother but I recall we put trick studs on the front axle then I would sit on that nice padded handlebar whilst my brother rode the bike and then we'd have some seriously wild runs down steep hills in North Cornwall!! Definitely the days before 'elf and safety caught up with childhood....
slk 32 said:
Simes205 said:
smifffymoto said:
As kids we all had Raleigh,they were everywhere.Those of us in our late 40’s and 50’s can all relate to this thread,with some envy. It takes me back to summer holidays,leave the house in the morning and Mum telling me to be back for tea,building ramps and jumps,riding to the woods to build a den,days just enjoying being a child with no pressure.
I remember all of this. My kids have never had the same freedoms, and tbh they have never wanted it.
StuntmanMike said:
slk 32 said:
Simes205 said:
smifffymoto said:
As kids we all had Raleigh,they were everywhere.Those of us in our late 40’s and 50’s can all relate to this thread,with some envy. It takes me back to summer holidays,leave the house in the morning and Mum telling me to be back for tea,building ramps and jumps,riding to the woods to build a den,days just enjoying being a child with no pressure.
I remember all of this. My kids have never had the same freedoms, and tbh they have never wanted it.
k all to do inside really. Three TV channels and it was about 1980 when the Atart 2600 came out.I was either out on my bike or playing football unless it was raining (you hardly ever saw fat kids then)
gazza285 said:
PushedDover said:
gazza285 said:
PushedDover said:
Googlefu is failing me to find out the total travel on the front forks 
Zero.
Remember when was a bit older, on a racer (weren't called road bikes then), a new estate was built and there was a slight hill and the tarmac was so smooth, we had a competition as to who could do the longest skid, could get prob 25 mph or more up and then at the tree full rear brake, as much weight as possible kept forwards and some truly impressive skids were done.
Killed a nearly new tyre in an hour, my mate had a brand of tyre that left a plume of smoke which was impressive, well until there was a loud bang as his inner tube went.
Kids on Grifters were banned from doing skids as it could alter the rotation of the earth, one kid near us did it and we lost 5 seconds globally.
slk 32 said:
Let's face it, as a child of the 70s there was fk all to do inside really. Three TV channels and it was about 1980 when the Atart 2600 came out.
I was either out on my bike or playing football unless it was raining (you hardly ever saw fat kids then)
This.....k all to do inside really. Three TV channels and it was about 1980 when the Atart 2600 came out.I was either out on my bike or playing football unless it was raining (you hardly ever saw fat kids then)
We had an Atari and then a ZX Spectrum, but outside was much more fun
J4CKO said:
gazza285 said:
PushedDover said:
gazza285 said:
PushedDover said:
Googlefu is failing me to find out the total travel on the front forks
Zero.Remember when was a bit older, on a racer (weren't called road bikes then), a new estate was built and there was a slight hill and the tarmac was so smooth, we had a competition as to who could do the longest skid, could get prob 25 mph or more up and then at the tree full rear brake, as much weight as possible kept forwards and some truly impressive skids were done.
Killed a nearly new tyre in an hour, my mate had a brand of tyre that left a plume of smoke which was impressive, well until there was a loud bang as his inner tube went.
Kids on Grifters were banned from doing skids as it could alter the rotation of the earth, one kid near us did it and we lost 5 seconds globally.
At the age of 47 I still like a skid!
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