Raleigh Commando

[Gothic]

Does anyone remember the Raleigh Commando from the late 70's, early 80's. I never owned one but seem to remember they were recalled because they were dangerous?

[HG]

Re: Raleigh Commando

Yeah i remember them, if i recall correctly they had the gears in the hand grip.

[Gothic]

Re: Raleigh Commando

I think the originals ones were recalled because the chain guard used to eat small boys trousers and wouldn't let them go!!

[Cal]

Re: Raleigh Commando

i had one, it was light purple, twist grip gears . good little bike.

[sixtyten]

Re: Raleigh Commando

[old git]

Re: Raleigh Commando

Didn't reconise the name but seeing the pic brought it all back!
I love it when that happens

[branny]

Re: Raleigh Commando

There weren't many about when I were a lad. I can only think of one person I knew that had one. The majority had a Chopper.

[Heather74]

Re: Raleigh Commando

my brother with my sister working on his in our cousins yard

[branny]

Re: Raleigh Commando

It's strange how the mind plays tricks. The memory I had of the Commando was that it was quite a large bike but it doesn't look that big on these pictures.

[sf1378]

Re: Raleigh Commando

My kitchen when I was a child growing up seemed massive-then one day my parents went back there and somehow got in-may have been on the excuse of a viewing-and the kitchen was tiny....Huggies pic's nice. The bikes exactly like the one in the ad isn't it Huggie....

The Commando looks like a smaller Chopper with bits cut off the Arrow Wedge frame and smaller handle bars....definitely influenced its design eh?

Huggie, are you male or female? Wondered seeing the pic of your sibs. Also, like the trolley in the background-I think I'm not alone in our generations having folks who once in a while nabbed a trolley after a big shop to cart food home and left it for a while in the back yard?

[Heather74]

Re: Raleigh Commando

Sf I'm female one of five children, so we had loads of bikes between us over the years, my other brother Ian had a Chopper and a budgie and my younger brother had a BMX.

My uncle lived 5 minute walk for the local Co-Op not worth getting the car out for so yeah bet he loaded the trolly up with shopping and pushed it home!

[sf1378]

Re: Raleigh Commando

What were the ranges leading up to The Chopper?

[Sculpher]

Re: Raleigh Commando

I think it went (descending) - Chopper, Tomahawk, Chipper, Budgie and Chippy. Source here

[Richard1978]

Re: Raleigh Commando

I've seen pictures of a proto-Chopper called a Ranger, with a similar frame but both wheels the same size.

Can't remember much else about it but I've got the feeling it was American

[sf1378]

Re: Raleigh Commando

Don't like the Tomahawk seat...I wish I had an original with high seat back rest instead of my MK 3....thanks for the info Sculper.