Author Topic: Some Raleigh BMX history (Read 5530 times)

ron burgundy · « **Reply #25 on:** July 25, 2007, 08:02 PM »

Quote from: FuNMoNsTeR on July 25, 2007, 01:07 AM

... soon after the Bomber launch, Yvonne Rix was sent on a research trip to the USA. She came back with the Burner range...

Send a woman to do a mans job... she probably spent more time riding quarterbacks and eating quarterpounders, than looking at the biggest selling BMX bikes in the US of A

davemac1974 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 25, 2007, 10:01 PM »

Are you guy's seriously trying to tell me that Andy never actually rode a Ruffell Replica???

Can't really argue with anything thats been said here. I think it was definately a case of quanitity not quality, something which goes against the very motto I hold now.

I think whoever mentioned that Raleigh were a bicycle company rather than a bmx company were spot on. They spotted the bandwagon and jumped on, without any real thought to what was being built. When millions of Burner's sold, they must have thought they could do no wrong, and launched the Mk2 series with "ground breaking" aero tubing....and still god awful geometry

At our first meeting at Raleigh, we saw the Commercial Director who was actually there bitd and Beard asked if Yvonne was still around

He said she wasn't employed by Raleigh anymore, and also admitted that the geometry on the Burner's was shocking!

Due to the sheer volume of pieces sold, the Burner holds many memories for many people...but I doubt you will find anyone that will argue that there was nothing more than profit at the root of their history in BMX.

RATTY · « **Reply #27 on:** July 25, 2007, 10:40 PM »

Dave, i cant knock the memories that the millions of kids had of their burners, I just feel that they was sold the bmx equilevent of big macs, looked great, well packaged and advertised, but once you got it, you wished you hadnt bothered $:-\$

davemac1974 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 25, 2007, 10:51 PM »

Quote from: RATTY on July 25, 2007, 10:40 PM

Dave, i cant knock the memories that the millions of kids had of their burners, I just feel that they was sold the bmx equilevent of big macs, looked great, well packaged and advertised, but once you got it, you wished you hadnt bothered $:-\$

I agree mate, but to many kids who didn't know any better, they were over the moon with their Burner. I realise that this was solely because their mates had one too though.

I didn't even have a Burner when I was a kid ( ironic eh???

). I had a catologue BMX, and set about customising it with various parts sold to me by the local motor spares shop. I actually looked on in envy at the Burner owners, but aimed high and really, really wanted a DB or Mongoose, as that's what I saw in BMX Action

Trev · « **Reply #29 on:** July 25, 2007, 11:39 PM »

Quote from: DaveMac on July 25, 2007, 10:01 PM

I think whoever mentioned that Raleigh were a bicycle company rather than a bmx company were spot on.

That was me.

davemac1974 · « **Reply #30 on:** July 25, 2007, 11:43 PM »

Quote from: Trev on July 25, 2007, 11:39 PM

Quote from: DaveMac on July 25, 2007, 10:01 PM
I think whoever mentioned that Raleigh were a bicycle company rather than a bmx company were spot on.

That was me.

Trev...in my opinion (which is worth sh!t to some people) you were spot on mate

Trev · « **Reply #31 on:** July 25, 2007, 11:55 PM »

Dave, I'm no big Raleigh fan by any means, but can see exactly where they were coming from. They were around before BMX and were around after it died. Any company is there to make money, and the best way to do that is to follow the trends. Even the full on BMX companies are like that. Proper don't make forks anymore with the brake lugs. Why? Because not enough people ride with front brakes to make it worthwhile. They could plough money into producing some for the few that might want them, but it doesn't make good business sense. The same with Raleigh. Why plough money into BMX when MTB was the next big thing. You may love BMX and hate MTB, but those are the facts. No company is going to wait for you.