The U.K. musclebike scene is based, perhaps not surprisingly, on our home grown Raleigh Chopper. During the Seventies, thousands were produced in Nottingham, whilst Schwinn`s no-export policy meant the Stingray and Krate never reached our shores. Plenty are here now, but like the Phats and the Dynos, they're personal imports, brought in over the last few years by enthusiasts. Billing Fairground is the home of our national meeting, and in June played host to about 100 Musclebikes and their owners. Among the plethora of Raleigh Choppers there were many imports, including one solitary Swing Bike. However, the most borrowed bike had to be a fresh-out-of -the-box Phat with no fenders, that went home very muddy indeed. If the Billing meet was a little wet, it was nothing to compare with the Southend Cruise, organised as part of the holiday town's annual evening charity parade, 20 brave souls cruised the promenade, in a torrential downpour, which ,reportedly, did nothing to dampen their spirits. A dryer experience followed at Weston, a pretty coastal sea-side town, where one sunny Saturday, the title picture for this report was snapped. A happy (dry) group of chopperholics cruised the sea front, and stopped for a while at a hostelry on the return leg. The season closer event, the last week in September was the Northern Meet at the market town of Widnes.About 40 Choppers attended, there was a cruise each day, after which there was a circus show and time to try out a collection of circus bikes. Interest in musclebikes has always been high in the U.K. and the internet is slowly bringing more and more together. Next year will see numbers at events spiralling..... and hopefully lots more events organised. Even though England is small compared to the U.S. there always seems to be somebody for whom a meeting is just too far away to attend... my advice to them is, organise your own. |
T H E U . K . M U S C L E - B I K E S C E N E By Rob Taylor, BR&K Contributing Editor |
The U.K. musclebike scene is based, perhaps not surprisingly, on our home grown Raleigh Chopper. During the Seventies, thousands were produced in Nottingham, whilst Schwinn`s no-export policy meant the Stingray and Krate never reached our shores. Plenty are here now, but like the Phats and the Dynos, they're personal imports, brought in over the last few years by enthusiasts. Billing Fairground is the home of our national meeting, and in June played host to about 100 Musclebikes and their owners. Among the plethora of Raleigh Choppers there were many imports, including one solitary Swing Bike. However, the most borrowed bike had to be a fresh-out-of -the-box Phat with no fenders, that went home very muddy indeed. If the Billing meet was a little wet, it was nothing to compare with the Southend Cruise, organised as part of the holiday town's annual evening charity parade, 20 brave souls cruised the promenade, in a torrential downpour, which ,reportedly, did nothing to dampen their spirits. A dryer experience followed at Weston, a pretty coastal sea-side town, where one sunny Saturday, the title picture for this report was snapped. A happy (dry) group of chopperholics cruised the sea front, and stopped for a while at a hostelry on the return leg. The season closer event, the last week in September was the Northern Meet at the market town of Widnes.About 40 Choppers attended, there was a cruise each day, after which there was a circus show and time to try out a collection of circus bikes. Interest in musclebikes has always been high in the U.K. and the internet is slowly bringing more and more together. Next year will see numbers at events spiralling..... and hopefully lots more events organised. Even though England is small compared to the U.S. there always seems to be somebody for whom a meeting is just too far away to attend... my advice to them is, organise your own. |
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