Your First/Oldest Bike?

Tony EH

[oldman]Certainly was. One thing you could say for them, they were built to last. Not like the crap you get today.[/oldman]

LollipopJimmy

I actually had a 3 wheel bike too, I also came off this while sliding it around the garden and had to have my ear sewn back together. Funnily enough I've no scar from that now, I was so young when it happened. I really was a terror as a child, my poor folks couldn't take their eyes off me for a split second

magicbastarder

Tony EH wrote: »

There was a time in this country when you could only get Raleigh bikes.

there was a time where bike shops here would specifically align with raleigh, e.g. my local bike shop in the roselawn shopping centre in blanchardstown.

LollipopJimmy

magicbastarder wrote: »

there was a time where bike shops here would specifically align with raleigh, e.g. my local bike shop in the roselawn shopping centre in blanchardstown.

A bit off topic but regarding Raleigh, my father, God rest him, used to manage a football team in our area back in the early 80's. When the club needed money to pay for kits, balls etc they held a raffle and my Dad along with the rest of the folks involved went around the businesses in the area looking for help, anyway, he went in to Raleigh who were then on the Kylemore Road, explained why he was there and the lady at the reception told him to wait there for a minute, he was expecting to be told to send a letter or some such by a manager but no, a worker walked out with a bike and handed it to him and just said 'there you are'

NBar

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Raleigh Burner for me

Stock image



I had a few BMX's and had them through my teens, I had many a smashed up face trying to jump ridiculous objects, I was fearless and if I fell I made sure all my parts were still connected and tried again. I once had a broken arm for a week before I went to my folks telling them my arm was sore. The 80's and 90's were great.

I had a couple of mountainbikes then, a 10spd Townsend and then an 18speed Black Diamond Zoom that had an oversize downtube, pretty much unheard of in the early 90's

I stopped cycling at around 19 and then only got back into it 2 years ago.

have the exact type thrown in a shed in parents next to a raleigh bomber as well

JazzyJ

Eponymous wrote: »

Then I got a Universal a bit like this one, but mine was blue:

I used to have one like that too... but without any padding on the seat :pac:. It must have been about 20 years old by the time I got it, in bits with rust. Back peddle brakes for skids Used to be great for doing ghosties down the roads in our estate :eek::eek::eek:

Then I got a Raleigh Mustang. For some reason I recall that it had an oval chainring, but none of the pictures I can find have one on it... or am I just imaging things???

secman

No pictures, we were poor...no camera in our gaff.. most likely a Raleigh. It was lime green coloured frame with wine/red metal mudguards. Fat wheels with white tyres and stabilizers. Have a scar on my left knee, first day off stabilizers in my then local park Stephens Green...fell off and hit my knee on the metal bar that used to surround the grass areas. Over to the then Adelaide hospital for a couple of stitches. Probably around 1961 or so ... about 4 years old.

Torres09

This will show up how old I am and how poor we were but first bikes a Universal with a "banana" saddle then upgraded to an Eska!!! (anyone remember them?) finally hit the jackpot when I got a Raleigh Burner, like above but in Red with White mag wheels.

Zen0

Learned to cycle on an Eska folder. Couldn't reach the saddle, so I learned to cycle standing on the pedals. Later spent some weekends packing shelves in Dunne's Stores to pay for my first drop bar bike, a bright orange Viking Rambler. It had posh rubber covers on the down tube shifters. Wrote that one off on a crash when I started commuting, and traded up to a Raleigh Clubman. The Clubman was a lovely bike. Had to get Duff Cycles in Summerhill to order it in. I got the impression not many people ordered £300 bikes in Duffs. Traded it in when I got my first mountain bike, something I still regret.

Pinch Flat

Raleigh medale. Got robbed from me. I was gutted, pass a fella on one in Dublin every morning and brings back fond memories.

eeeee

My first blue Peugeot, bout 27 years old I guess.

I have a 42 year old blue Peugeot now, it's a 16kg's tank. I am not as in love with him as I used to be, once I got light bikes.

Inbetween the 2 above I had a Raleigh Pioneer, which was also a tank. Made in Nottingham. Daisy. Had her until I was 25! I got her when I was 10, I was 5'10" at 12 so she was/is a full sized bike. She had 5 gears and remained stuck in the highest one for about 14 years :pac:

Mercian Pro

An Elswick Hopper, the "Lady's" version unfortunately as my older brother got our father's bike and I had to settle for my mother's. That, and the Hopper name, resulted in some slagging in Primary School as hoppers were things that came home with you from the Drum and State cinemas and bit the bejasus out of you.

The bike had history as my mother had broken her kneecap when the front wheel got caught in the tram tracks on O'Connell Street - plus ça change and all that. I eventually killed it by riding it into the back of a parked car while cycling home for dinner and chatting to a mate. Next up was a red Robin Hood bike that lasted until I discovered racing bikes and Mercians in particular.

eeeee

nee wrote: »

<snip>
My first blue Peugeot, bout 27 years old I guess.

I have a 42 year old blue Peugeot now, it's a 16kg's tank. I am not as in love with him as I used to be, once I got light bikes.

Inbetween the 2 above I had a Raleigh Pioneer, which was also a tank. Made in Nottingham. Daisy. Had her until I was 25! I got her when I was 10, I was 5'10" at 12 so she was/is a full sized bike. She had 5 gears and remained stuck in the highest one for about 14 years :pac:

Actually that was fixed I think, it was also my first 'track' bike!

brianomc

I know i had a hand-me-down before I got the Raleigh BMX but I’ve no idea what it was. My spokes would either have the kelloggs reflectors or a playing card/clothes peg combo in them at all times.

All My Stars Aligned

My first bike was a hand me Raleigh Boxer the Santa kindly delivered when I was about 5.
Was big into BMX'ing with my pride and joy being built around a Skyway frame.
My first racer was a Peugeot 10 speed when I was about 17.

Pinch Flat

Actually here’s your truly on a Raleigh (can’t remember the model) that santa brought me back in the day. Single speed from memory. Bought in circa 1981. I’m about 11 in this photo.

http://i64.tinypic.com/35lgew6.jpg

godtabh

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Actually here’s your truly on a Raleigh (can’t remember the model) that santa brought me back in the day. Single speed from memory. Bought in circa 1981. I’m about 11 in this photo.

http://i64.tinypic.com/35lgew6.jpg[\url]

Put a shirt on!

magicbastarder

JazzyJ wrote: »

Then I got a Raleigh Mustang. For some reason I recall that it had an oval chainring, but none of the pictures I can find have one on it... or am I just imaging things???

i don't think so - i knew two guys with mustangs and they were jealous of me on my raleigh memphis with my oval chainrings.

they never actually said they were jealous, though, i just like to think they were.

crosstownk

07Lapierre wrote: »

A Raleigh "Dodo" I believe...:o

Something like the bike in the pic is what I remember as my first bike. Solid tyres too, iirc. It was a Raleigh. After that I had a standard 2 triangle Raleigh single speed for a good few years. Every now and then I got bored with it so my Dad resprayed it a few times to fend off my boredom which seemed to work.

Next up, my Mam gave me her Raleigh Chopper. I loved that bike; it was my first bike with gears. I used to give my mates lifts on it - one on the double crossbar who changed gears at my command and the other on the rear of the saddle sitting on the 'not for passengers' warning .

Then I progressed to a 5 speed racer but my memory can't recall the make/model or colour. It might come back to me later.

In 1987 half the county was out cycling thanks to Stephen Roche winning the TdF. I was working so I bought myself a Peugeot Triathlon - the one with Suntour gears and the chrome forks. A year or two later I bought myself a Raleigh Road Ace with Shimano 600. It cost me IR£644.

OK - so that's a bit more than my first bike but thinking back made me all nostalgic

The chapter ended with me getting a car and selling the two good bikes. What an idiot. :mad:

Pinch Flat

godtabh wrote: »

Put a shirt on!

That’s how we rolled then. :pac:. Wish I was that skinny now......:)

Wishbone Ash

We had a similar thread a few years ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057293069

outfox

Not my first bike, but one my auld fella got me for first year of secondary school. Took me years to get over the shame.

The Ging and I

outfox wrote: »

Not my first bike, but one my auld fella got me for first year of secondary school. Took me years to get over the shame.

Thats a get out of jail card for murder/tv licence/ driving with no insurance

jethrothe2nd

Never really had a bike as a young child for various reasons. I eventually got a Raleigh Marauder which spent a large proportion of its time confiscated for my many misdemeanours. It was eventually stolen from outside Rathmines library whilst I was inside perusing Mills and Boon books for the rude bits.

MysticMonk

A Raleigh 18 in 1978 then a Dawes fox in 1982.

magicbastarder

my first bike i properly loved was a yellow and blue raleigh strika.

Eponymous

JazzyJ wrote: »

I used to have one like that too... but without any padding on the seat :pac:. It must have been about 20 years old by the time I got it, in bits with rust. Back peddle brakes for skids Used to be great for doing ghosties down the roads in our estate :eek::eek::eek:

Then I got a Raleigh Mustang. For some reason I recall that it had an oval chainring, but none of the pictures I can find have one on it... or am I just imaging things???

Forgot about the pedal back brake! Loved that. Drove my dad demented having to change tyres regularly!

You might be right about the oval chainring. The Peugeot has them with a little orange label that says "ovaltech". I think the idea was more efficient drive from each pedal stroke???

531

Raleigh (could have been Sunbeam instead of Raleigh, actually, but the same bike afaik.) Chipper like this

https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.u3Ho-bxgWxTGsTZkWNyXgAEgDY&w=232&h=173&c=7&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.7

Now I have to research Sunbeam bikes to see if I am right. Anyway, I think I got the bike on my 7th birthday in 1970.

lissard

A chrome blue Raleigh (what else!) Solo was my first proper bike. My parents got it for me in 1984 and I added whatever money I had saved up from my communion. It was certainly my most prized possession for a few years until I started using it to get into secondary school. Cycling to school every day with carrier fully loaded with a school bag and occasionally with sports gear sure took the joy out of cycling for me. My school in Cork was in the city centre and our sports fields were at the top of Patricks hill. Pushing a heavy fully loaded steel bike up that monster was all the warm-up I ever needed for school training. Gave me a great thrill when I saw the Pros drop the foot going up it on the first Nissan Classic in 1985!

Hungrycol

I can't remember my very early ones, but I'm pretty sure I had a small red one with solid tyres.

-Raleigh BMX - Black and white one with checkered pads (can't recall it's name)
-Raleigh Grifter - Black and red one
-Dawes Lightening - inherited my older brothers which was way big for me
-Raleigh Quasar - Friend of bothers left it our house while he toured Oz and I never gave it back to him. I will owe him £100 punts for it!
-Raleigh Quasar - Broke frame and got a lovely new replacement.
-Raleigh Campagnolo Gran Sport 531 - Broke second Quasar frame and was given an upgraded to this. Still in my attic. (John Piggott in Sandycove Cycles was sick of me going into his shop at this point!)
-Cannondale Caad5, Six13, Canyon Roadlite, c'est fini.