Raleigh Bikes
Bike Pictures > Raleigh BikesThe Raleigh Bicycle Company, simply known as Raleigh Bikes, is one of the oldest bicycle manufacturing companies aroudn. It's based in Nottingham, UK with more than 120 years of history starting in the year 1887 on Raleigh Street. At this time Frank Bowden, a successful business man who had made a fortune out of stock trading bought a bicycle on his doctor’s advice to improve his health. However, Bowden was so impressed by the quality of the cycle that he went to the manufacturer who was producing only three cycles a week and made an offer to purchase their business.
Just six years later, the company managed to earn a huge response to its products. This lead to a rise in the production, as the company occupied seven and a half acres of land in Faraday Road of Lenton, Nottingham and became the world’s biggest bicycle manufacturing company, changing its name to Raleigh Cycles in respect to the old address.
The Canadian launch of Raleigh Chopper in 1969 and the UK launch in 1970 as children’s bicycle took of the product sales of the company, which became a key factor in restoring the fortunes. The frame-mounted car-like gear lever featuring a three speed Sturmey-Archer gear hub was one of the special features of the bicycle which drove up the sales. The Chopper was then priced at an approximate £32 for a standard version and £55 for the deluxe.
Raleigh Bikes have not fallen behind in sports. The company has associated with many cycling teams,
including with the national team of the USA earning impressive wins. The most notable team sponsored by the bicycle manufacturer was the TI-Raleigh between 1970s and 1980s, where Joop Zoetemelk won the famous Tour de France. Later in 1984, team USA scored many victories in the Los Angeles Olympic.
Today, the company is producing more than a hundred models in various road and off-road categories, including separate categories for women and youth raider to make it easy to commute to work or school.
