Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

[Big Tim]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

I had an "Emelle" mountain bike, I would say I got it about the age of 10 in 1990 or thereabouts. I recall it having twelve gears (what's tha' need all them for, I've always managed with my "Sturmey Archer", three's more than enough! - or words to that effect were uttered by my dad). These were the early days of the "thumb switch" type gears, and weren't set to click into place, so you would just move the switch slightly, otherwise clumsy gearchanges often ensued (on more than one occasion I was dismounted after thinking I had engaged gear and proceeded to stand on the pedals to gain momentum, before the sodding thing would jump a tooth and launch me at the scenery!). Other friends around that time had Raleigh Mountain bikes, the one many had featured a green and black paintjob, and was known as the "Raleigh Lizard".

These types of bikes seemed to have a limited shelf life - the gears and brakes in particular seemed fragile, and most of my friends bikes ended up being stuck in gear or nicked (although the "must-have" accessory back then was the supposed unbreakable "D-Lock"). I also thought the "off the shelf" stuff (i.e. Apollo, Raleigh, Emelle etc.) was very heavy and found them quite hard work to ride, especially uphill (bit ironic given they were dubbed "Mountain Bikes") or into a headwind. I eventually got some sort of Raleigh (a "Marauder" I think the name was), before trading up to motorised two-wheel transport in 1996.

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

Apollo Flatliner

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

Apollo Street Gladiator

[Mulletino]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

I still have a 1996 GT Performer, which I bought in 1999. Same as this but I have the GT stubby seat on it, would love some black Skyway Tuiff IIs though.

[Powdered toast man]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

The last Raleigh bike I owned was an Outland in 1993. It had the same frame as the Activator but with rigid forks as well as those bull-horn handlebars. It was a bike I never bonded with and I replaced it with a GT Palomar which was a cracking bike(likewise my Apollo Avalanche which I outgrew).

I remember the Raleigh Wildcat, which I thought looked cool. There was a well-off family at the end of our street. They always seemed to have the latest and best in everything and the oldest son of the family(let's call him David), was a horrid, spoilt, arrogant little turd. He had the Raleigh Vector and he would constantly be showing it off. One summer afternoon, a local bully-type nicked David's Vectar from the play area near our houses and kicked all the plastic and electronic stuff off the bike. He then picked up the bike and threw it down and twisted the front forks. David ended up pushing the ruined bike home, crying his head off all the way.

Of course, the next day, David came riding into the play area on a brand-new Mongoose BMX which his Daddy went out to buy him that very morning.

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

Raleigh Activator with 20 inch wheels. The first mass-market kids mountain bike with suspension. Came out in 1993.

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

After a quick Google... a lot of reports of water ingress in the electronics. So total manufacturer BS really.

The story goes that Raleigh dealers ran out of replacement electronic parts only a year or so after the production of the Vektar ended because they often failed and were damaged by water ingress. Vektars then ended up being taken to electrical appliance repair centres if the electronic parts failed and replacements were unavailable.

Any ideas how much a Vektar in good condition would sell for secondhand in the early 1990s? A colleague I used to work with owned a Wildcat. His parents advertised it for sale three times in 1994 then offered it for free but nobody was interested so they ended up dumping it down the tip as they came to the conclusion that kids all wanted mountain bikes and nobody wanted a BMX covered in plastic anymore.

[Nik_Barbour]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

I was also wondering how well the electronic coped with years of being ridden in rain.

I've never seen many, if any for sale 2nd hand so maybe owners are keeping hold of them.

Apparently during development, Raleigh extensively tested the electronics with freezing, defrosting and even simulated tropical rain exposure. Making big claim of the ruggedness and general toughness of electronics & plastics.

After a quick Google... a lot of reports of water ingress in the electronics. So total manufacturer BS really.

[Richard1978]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

I was also wondering how well the electronic coped with years of being ridden in rain.

I've never seen many, if any for sale 2nd hand so maybe owners are keeping hold of them.

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

The Vektar was an expensive oddity that only Raleigh had the courage to produce. Unlike a BMX it had 3 speed Sturmey Archer gears and the radio was AM only! Perhaps Raleigh assumed that most kids who wanted a Vektar liked Radio 4. The less expensive Wildcat was more popular and I saw a few kids riding them in the 1990s.

I am wondering if many Vektars were scrapped because the electronics on them failed.

[Nik_Barbour]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

Very unusual indeed.

Thought it a bit motorbike like when i first saw this.
By the way what price was it one of these.

Im sure you could still find one if you check ebay or ask bike enthusiasts.

£300ish for the fully loaded version in 1985 (I was about 10 - which was why it appealed).

A little later in '89 I ended up with a weekend job, saved like hell and bought myself an '88 Muddy Fox Courier MB, the one with the purple white fade frame paint.
Nice bike - only had it a week and someone nicked the seat post - thanks to it's quick release bolt. 2wks later someone broke into my dad's locked garage and nicked the rest of the bike. It was never meant to be, me and that bike.
Luckily it was insured, I ended up with a cheap second hand Raleigh MB and a VHS player instead.

[darren]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

Very unusual indeed.

Thought it a bit motorbike like when i first saw this.
By the way what price was it one of these.

Im sure you could still find one if you check ebay or ask bike enthusiasts.

always wanted a raleigh vektar as a kid - anyone remember these? (bmx with computer fixed to the crossbar)

never got one. I had a second hand raleigh chopper which someone had snapped the gear lever off.

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

although i didn't have a interest in bikes in the 90's, i think this will be one of the iconic bikes from then.

http://bmx.transworld.net/features/k...675+b6dc0a66d1

[Richard1978]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

I wanted a Vektar but knew my parents wouldn't get me one.

I'm not sure there were still around in 1987 when I got a Raleigh Styler Mag.

[Arran]

Re: Iconic kids bikes from the 1990s

The Raleigh Vektar was the steed of overprivileged or spoilt kids of the late 1980s bought by parents who had more money than sense. They were a show-off bike and totally unsuitable for use as a BMX because the plastic covers were too heavy and fragile. The kids who owned them tended to treat them as ornaments or just use them for gentle half a mile rides through suburbia to their friend's house or the local shops.

When did production of the Vektar finish? I can't recall any local kids who owned one back in the 1990s although a classmate owned a Raleigh Street Wolf that was handed down from his older brother.