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Some Raleigh BMX history

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FuNMoNsTeR:
Not sure where to post this... I thought it might be interesting to some Rad members :)  Its Raleighs take on their entry into the world of BMX  :daumenhoch:

First response to BMX

The next follow-up to the Chopper was the Grifter, launched three years later, in June 1976. It resembled a BMX bike but with mudguards and a three-speed hub.

The Grifter was originally developed not primarily as a Chopper replacement but to compete with BMX. However, the limited roadster-oriented technology at Nottingham meant that every joint of the Grifter’s frame would have to be brazed. Therefore, it could never compete with the welded frames being introduced in the US. However, as Chopper sales continued to slide, the Grifter was presented as the natural successor. It sold well.


BMX

Raleigh was very late into BMX. The board was reluctant to introduce single-speed stripped down junior machines, as there was less profit in each compared with the Grifter, especially for Sturmey-Archer. They hoped BMX would be a passing fad. It was not and the company initially missed a big opportunity. There were consequently some high level sackings. The high street auto accessories and cycle chain store Halfords was meanwhile heavily and successfully promoting BMX. This followed a major initiative by their cycle marketing manager David Duffield (who had launched the Moulton and had later worked for Raleigh). Halfords, Raleigh’s biggest customer, had been involved in building the first BMX track in the UK and helping local authorities around the country set up their own tracks. As he could not source BMX bikes from Raleigh, he instead started importing from the USA.

Therefore, soon after the Bomber launch, Yvonne Rix was sent on a research trip to the USA. She came back with the Burner range, which was launched in 1982 and rapidly sold over a million units. This had a major impact on Raleigh’s overall UK sales: in 1983, they were up 57% on 1981. The Bomber and Burner also temporarily helped arrest Raleigh’s declining market share. In 1980, this had slipped to 31% but by 1982, Raleigh had half the UK market. Indeed, for the period covered by this paper, 1983 was Raleigh’s best year for sales in the UK, with almost a million units sold.

RATTY:
Band wagon, jump, come to mind

Nice piece though Andy :daumenhoch:

FuNMoNsTeR:
Thanks m8 :)   I added the earlier history too, helps tie it all together...  :daumenhoch:

Trev:

--- Quote from: RATTY on July 25, 2007, 01:09 AM ---Band wagon, jump, come to mind

--- End quote ---

just what i thought.


it's a shame that after missing the first boat, raleigh opted not to go the whole hog and go for the top end of the bmx market. i mean in 1985 they had signed the hottest name in uk bmx, andy ruffell. with him on board and freestyle starting to take shape, they could have been a big player in high end bikes. i guess they chose quantity over quality.

RATTY:
What pissed me off Trev, they was big enough to do both high end bikes and cheaper stuff. How much would it have cost them to copy the geometry of a goose or redline, instead of the monstrosity that was the burner.

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