Raleigh - Definition and Overview

See also Raleigh, North Carolina and Sir Walter Raleigh.

Raleigh is a British bicycle manufacturer who are based in Nottingham in central England.

Raleigh was founded in 1895 and soon became one of the world's largest bicycle manufacturers. At its height in the 1950s the Raleigh factory in Nottingham employed nearly 20,000 workers. Today Raleigh produces 600,000 bicycles a year, although since 2002 its bicycles are no longer manufactured in Britain, although they continue to be designed there.

Raleigh notably produced popular three-speed bicycles. These were utility bicycles featuring hub gearing provided by Sturmey-Archer. These bicycles are particularly popular in the Netherlands.

During the 1970s, Raleigh produced the iconic Raleigh Chopper bicycle, the "must have" bike for kids of the time. It was a massive success, and led to a significant revival in the company's fortunes, despite a design that is regarded as substantially flawed by some.

External links

• http://www.raleighbikes.com/