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Raleigh Chopper Owners Club

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                                   This e-mail was sent to us from a Chopper fan in the UK .

                     (As with all the E-mails sent to us, we do NOT publish the senders e-mail address)

My Story 

It all began one fateful day in 1992 at the tender age of 12,  i had taken an early morning wake up, so as to be able to travel with my father to an auto jumble, all the way there, i was excited about SOMETHING, but not knowing quite WHAT, it made it worse. 

Having spent the best part of 3 1/2 hours of wandering through an endless sea of stalls, we duly started making our way through the sea of stalls to the exit point to the car park and lunch.   It was then, that my dream began. 

3  stalls from the end of the row we chose to walk through, , stood a gentleman's stall, covered in a see a of chrome work, at the end ? well, there stood a dilapidated (what i now know to be )MK1 Raleigh Chopper. of course, being 12, I didn't know the difference between a MK1 a MK2 a tall frame and all the other types of Chopper. On seeing it, I hurriedly ushered my father towards the stall.  On him taking interest in a couple of "Shiny" chrome light bezels i sneaked to the bike and had a good look around it. Not only was it a MK1, but it was a NICE MK1, and priced as I remember at £10.  now,  I was carrying £25 that i had saved, and decided to put in my suggestion of purchase to my father followed by a swift "NO, you've got a bike already ".  With that, my dream was shattered, and a ten year  yearning began. 

As the years passed, my interest in Bikes grew stronger, to the the point that I would salvage old bikes from the local tip,  restore them behind my parents back at a friends house,  then sell them on

I duly waited for my dream chopper to arrive at the tip, Sadly it never arrived. 

Finally, i moved out from my parents house, and into my own place followed 2 years later by my  move to London, in 1999 at the age of 19 to be with my new Fiancée'.     More research and 100's of local papers followed, (not to mention a fair few hundred packets of cigarettes later) myself and my Fiancé moved to our current address.  Again another uneventful  2 years passed of going through the same local papers time and time and time again.  Until, that is one fine day when i was working in our kitchen washing dishes,

I suddenly turned and looked out the window, quite why, I am not sure, but what i saw, assured me that my waiting had paid off. 

What I saw was a sight I never thought I would see, it was a Purple (or Ultraviolet as some might say ) MK2 Raleigh Chopper.  Before i had chance to give it a seconds thought,  I found that my legs were carrying me out of the front door to watch in earnest, to see what the fate of the cycle was, what I saw amazed and astounded me.

There, where once stood a pile of rubbish, The Chopper had been left for the dustmen.  Instinct told me to rescue it and give it some much needed TLC.  My first thought was that of the lady having left it in order to collect more rubbish to dump then go off riding on it. 

Again, i found myself acting without having chance to think,  finding the words of "Would u mind if i have it if your disposing of it ??"  falling from my ;lips.  with a reply like help yourself, i did just that.  My fiancé, I must admit wasn't too impressed, but all the same, she let me keep it.

 Not having a pump and 2 flat tyres, I trapsed over to a friends house to the giggles of  all the old chopper jokes. 20 minutes of pleading the use of a car pump later, I had two fully inflated tyres.    Off i went fast as i possibly could, and so I am told, disappeared for almost four hours.   That was back in July this year (2002). 

Again, I found that although I had the MK2, I still had a yearning for something, That something was a MK1, and because of the first chopper I saw, I decided I wanted a Blue one, even if I had to spray it blue myself. the next few weeks passed by and the MK2 was stripped restored and rebuilt, and I ridden on a daily basis. which brings us to the week ending 15 September 2002. 

It was on that  Sunday night as  I sat having a net chat with a spares supplier that  it was mentioned, In passing, that a MK1 frame was available, and from what I gathered, it was going at a very reasonable price.

Asking Further  questions revealed that it was priced within my range and I could afford postage and packaging if necessary.  The frame in question was for sale by  the owner of the RCOC site.

Having sent and received  e-mail messages  in relation to the frame,  I knew I had to have it AT ALL COSTS.

Duly ringing the concerned party and  both of us not Knowing postage costs, the receiver was replaced with a resounding "CLICK"

On doing so, it was immediately lifted and  A couple of calls to the rail travel ticket line, revealed that i could travel easily, and that a frame was able to be taken on the London underground so long as I was careful not to be too conspicuous

Having a spare amount of cash floating around. yet another telephone conversation followed and we agreed to meet,  .

So, meeting point agreed, I travelled and arrived safely at my destination 2 hours later, relieved that I was at last about to realise my ten year ultimate dream.    After a brief telephone conversation with the concerned party I was duly greeted minutes later in a rather nice Red sports saloon. 

Having waited nigh on ten years, and getting so near to the dream, I decided that another few minutes waiting wasn't gonna kill me. 

Arriving at our Destination,  I was duly showed the frame, I KNEW it was the one i had to have, it was re-sprayed over blue, but I didn't care,  an agreement reached, it was loaded into the car, and it was off back to the train station. 

2 Hours later, I waltzed in through the front door, with a warm feeling of glee and happiness throughout, I had reached my goal, and made it a reality, NOW all I had to do was get the spares I did not have.

That was Monday this week. (16 Sept 2002) it is now Wednesday, and  the original colour has been traced, it was Horizon Blue, the colour of the MK1 I fell in love with that fateful day in 1992 

The Restoration progress has been initialised,  and spares are being sourced as I write this. 

If you have a dream, follow it, whether it takes 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 years,  you will reach your dream, if you work hard enough for it.

All The Best

Yours Faithfully

Ron Whitmill