Wheelie bike

Chopper is a common name in Germany for a genus of bicycles. Based on the U.S. West Coast, these were for children imaginary wheels from the 1960s, first in the USA and from the 1970s onwards also popular in Europe. Bonanza was originally a brand name, but was transferred to a similar type bikes. Manufacturer names such as " high- riser " and " Polorad " sat down in Germany not, however, already in Austria, where the term 'Chopper' is virtually unknown. There, this type of bike called throughout "High Riser ". Technical defects accompanied by numerous Bonanza wheels and the production came to an end, as the BMX - wave could come up with more robust bicycles.

Characteristics

The Chopper attention especially because of its long, so-called " banana seat " with backrest, the imitation of a suspension on the front fork and the long, two-piece stag antler handlebars. This contrasts with the relatively small 20 "wheels. The shift lever of the 3 - speed hub is similar to a car and is mounted centrally on the two thin top tubes. The Chopper recalls at first glance a bit too short geratenen chopper.

Very often Bonanza wheels were visually embellished. Were especially popular elements such as Mercedes star, fox tails, pennants, special lamps, mirrors, a variety of reflectors inserted into the spokes coasters or playing cards (especially the ace ).

History

The automobile and motorcycle tuning culture in the U.S. in the late 1950s and 1960s exuded on children and young people, who began to change their bikes through extensions and alterations. Al Fritz (1924-2013), an engineer of the bicycle manufacturer Schwinn, traveled to California in 1962, to gather information on site about the trend. Already in the following year appeared the Schwinn Stingray and could be sold within one year 40,000 times. Appeared in 1964 with the fair lady a version for girls who also enjoyed great popularity. For bikes from Schwinn was typical of the curved frame, the great resemblance to that of Beach Cruisers had and thus significantly different from the European imitations. Another feature was the difference in diameter between larger rear and small front wheel, on some models, the difference turned out quite dramatically. In 1968, the Krate on the market and had a gear shift on the model of an automobile, and 1970 were about 1 million are deducted from it. In 1974, the " Krate " was banned because of its shift lever from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, which initiated the end. Today, Schwinn produces bicycles again under the name " Stingray ", the current models in the lowrider style reminiscent with their flat and elongated shape more like motorcycles.

The traditional British manufacturer Raleigh attacked the trend, copied the Stingray and sales from 1966 on the U.S. market and the Rodeo from 1968, designed by Tom Karen chopper, but both models did not experience a big encouragement. As was the Raleigh Chopper however introduced in 1970 in the United Kingdom, he found ready market and saved the company from ongoing financial difficulties. In direct comparison with the U.S. model, the frame design of the chopper was rather simple, but seemed very dynamic - as were the prototype even when Chopper the diameter of the front and rear different. 1973 published a revised version, in which you had put the rear wheel to prevent tipping - for smaller children you created the variant Tomahawk. The production was continued until 1980, when the BMX trend began. While Raleigh is the idea of ​​the chopper as in-house development, claiming the British design agency Ogle and his stylist Tom Karen, to be responsible for the development. In the United Kingdom the term " chopper " is synonymous with the German " Chopper ", analogous to the existing in Germany Chopper clubs there is the " Raleigh Chopper Owners Club ". 2004 improved from a safety point version of Raleigh was reissued on the shift lever on the frame has been omitted here, in its place there is a plaque with printed shift gate, reminiscent of the former feature.

In Germany Kynast made ​​in Quakenbruck own copy of the Stingray, which was sold off in 1968 by the mail order company Neckermann under its own brand Bonanza - many other manufacturers, it imitated and produced their own versions. For most Bonanza wheels from German production is typical of uniform diameter for front and rear. The framework could neither with the sweeping elegance of the " Stingray " to keep up, even with the dynamics of " Chopper", a geometry was used instead, which strongly resembled conventional bicycle models. Remarkable and characteristic of the German manufacturer, however, is the complicated design of the front fork with the wrong " coil springs " and double the intake for the two separate arm linkage. This motorbike style details can be found neither in the U.S. nor the English model offshoot.

Pop culture

• The Stingray " fair lady " takes place in a Seinfeld episode mention and turns out to be a childhood dream by Elaine.
• From the group Fischerspooner, there is a song called " Chopper ".
• The music group Carlos Mogutseu also published a song entitled " Chopper ".
• The rapper Dendemann be defined the 1970s and 1980s persiflierendes musical alter ego among other things, a Chopper, with whom he also goes on stage at concerts.