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

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
Jdsk
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by 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
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by philvantwo »

Who's got the world record for the number of posts on here I wonder?
rjb
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by 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 :shock:
Last edited by rjb on 31 May 2023, 9:02am, edited 1 time in total.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Jdsk
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Jdsk »

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

Jonathan
pwa
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by pwa »

Jdsk wrote: 31 May 2023, 9:01am "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.
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Mick F
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by 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?
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Jdsk »

Mick F wrote: 1 Jun 2023, 4:27pm ...
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
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al_yrpal
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by 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! :lol:

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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TrevA
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by TrevA »

Mick F wrote: 10 Apr 2021, 10:48am Gosh, the weather was hot that day! :shock:

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.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
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re_cycler
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by re_cycler »

Mick F wrote: 1 Jun 2023, 4:27pm 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
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by 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)...
It's time to go :-)
Jdsk
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Re: You wouldn't want to go on a proper bike ride on a Chopper

Post by Jdsk »

cycle tramp wrote: 1 Jun 2023, 10:44pm 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
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