wheel, featuring a red line around the sidewall. In 1969 the Raleigh Chopper was launched in the UK market this was a triple launch for Raleigh and Mk1 ran until 1973 with the Chopper branded as THE HoT oNE, alongside the Moulton Mk3 (The Smooth One), and the RSW Mk3 (The Dolly One). The Chopper bike was sold as a "must have" item and signifier of "coolness" for many children at the time. Mk 2 Mk2 1973 to 1985 The Mk 2 ("Mark 2") Chopper was an improved version sold from 1973. It had the rarely-purchased option of five-speed derailleur gears, and the gear lever shifter changed from a knob to a T-bar-style shifter. (The early 1969 'Tall frame' model already sported the T-bar style, albeit in black with the elliptical window within the shifter cover.) The frame was subtly revised, and the seat moved forward, to help prevent the front of the bicycle tipping up. A small rear rack was added. The handlebars were welded to the stem to stop children from inclining the "ape hanger" bars backward, thereby rendering the bicycle almost unsteerable. A drop-handlebar version, the Sprint, was also produced, this differed from the standard Mk 2, as it had a slightly taller frame. The Chopper Mk 2 remained in production until 1985, by which time the BMX craze had taken over its market. However, the Chopper almost single-handedly rescued Raleigh, which had been in decline during the 1960s, selling millions worldwide MK 3 Mk3 1996 to 2005 Improved handling and safety upgrades sold from 1996 , changes to the gear lever from central position to handles and the seating changed from a single bar to a double seat ,, the gear changes on the MK3 were much smoother than previous marks although many didnt like the change of gear position, the MK3 came in various colours including Purple, Yellow, Silver, White, Black, Red and did very limited runs of Limited Editions such as The Hot one, The Black,World Cup Edition, Armed Forces edition, Beano edition, and Ben Sherman edition which now are very sought after due to very small numbers produced. The Mk3 production were no longer made in Nottingham UK and instead production moved to both USA and Vietnam made under licence. Revival: Marks 3, 4 & 5 After being out of production for almost 11 years, a new version of the Chopper, the Mk3,