You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

[Jdsk]

Guinness Book of Records: "Reasons applications are rejected"
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/re ... e-rejected

You can imagine the back stories. Green ink may well have been involved.

Jonathan

[philvantwo]

Who's got the world record for the number of posts on here I wonder?

[rjb]

Big feature on BBC breakfast this morning. The Chopper is being re-released as a limited edition run. Anybody here rushing out to buy one £995

[Jdsk]

"Raleigh brings back the Chopper after decades of demand":
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2023-raleigh-chopper/

Jonathan

[pwa]

"Raleigh brings back the Chopper after decades of demand":
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2023-raleigh-chopper/

Jonathan

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65769844
Some people seem to like them. It takes all sorts, I suppose.

[Mick F]

The beast was HEAVY and seemed to be made from cast iron.
Iconic design, but so old fashioned in its construction.

One thought I had with (when sort of) enjoying the Chopper, was that maybe you could have one made in Ti or CF or even alu, or 531 or 753.

Are frame designs patented or "protected" in some way?
Can you get a frame-maker to make you a lightweight Chopper frame?

[Jdsk]

...
Are frame designs patented or "protected" in some way?
...

There are several different modes of protection:

"Intellectual property and your work":
https://www.gov.uk/intellectual-propert ... l-property
which lists the modes.

"Apply for a patent":
https://www.gov.uk/patent-your-invention
which includes a very high-level summary of what can and can't be patented.

"How your unregistered designs are protected":
https://www.gov.uk/unregistered-designs

"Register a design":
https://www.gov.uk/register-a-design

Jonathan

[al_yrpal]

Are frame designs patented or "protected" in some way?

I dont think there would be any problem if the bike was for your own use, and not produced for sale as a Chopper. You could even sell it on as a one off, again not described as a Chopper.

Seeing as how my son pounded his on gravel tracks rocks and mountainsides in Wales the agricultural nature of the frame was probably correct!

Al

[TrevA]

Gosh, the weather was hot that day!

I had a very sweaty bum on the horrid plastic saddle. I had to stop every few miles to let my bum recover. Earlier and later in the ride, the weather was less hot and I could go for hours between rests.

The BBC Breakfast feature, there was a guy who rode the route of the Tour de France on a Chopper, but he just couldn’t get on with the stock padded saddle and changed it and the seat post, for a normal road bike saddle. He also added a 5 speed Sturmey-Archer to replace the 3 speed, so that he could cope better with the hills.

[re_cycler]

Are frame designs patented or "protected" in some way?
Can you get a frame-maker to make you a lightweight Chopper frame?

It was definitely patented in the US in 1969 with a 3.5 year patent. In fact you can buy a nice print of the patent.
https://www.magic-posters.com/products/ ... 2708523062

[cycle tramp]

I believe the design of the chopper was contested between raliegh and Tom Karen of the design studio Ogle (he also designed the bond bug).
Tom Karen always claimed that the design was his intellectual property, and that the raliegh was produced under some sort of license (in the same way the BBC doesn't own the intellectual property rights to the Darlek, but does own them for Dr Who)...

[Jdsk]

I believe the design of the chopper was contested between raliegh and Tom Karen of the design studio Ogle (he also designed the bond bug).
Tom Karen always claimed that the design was his intellectual property, and that the raliegh was produced under some sort of license (in the same way the BBC doesn't own the intellectual property rights to the Darlek, but does own them for Dr Who)...

A bit more on the dispute:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Chopper#Design

Jonathan