ikes ▁were ▁adapted ▁from ▁old ▁" s it ▁up ▁and ▁beg " ▁road sters ▁or ▁road ▁b ikes . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁less ▁agricult ural ▁appearance , ▁but ▁were ▁essentially ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁il k . ▁Indeed , ▁this ▁style ▁of ▁b icy cle ▁and ▁rough , ▁techn ically ▁difficult , ▁off ▁road ▁r iding ▁had ▁been ▁featured ▁on ▁television ▁in ▁England ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁Dar ling ton ▁" B og w heel ers " ▁were ▁interview ed ▁by ▁the ▁BBC ▁complete ▁with ▁their ▁hom em ade ▁b ikes . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁therefore ▁perhaps ▁surprising ▁that ▁R ale igh ▁took ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁did ▁to ▁consider ▁making ▁their ▁own ▁version ▁of ▁these ▁b icy cles ▁for ▁the ▁UK ▁market . ▁The ▁pro tot ypes ▁included ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁Cru iser , ▁which ▁had ▁the ▁basic ▁Bom ber ▁frame ▁that ▁R ale igh ▁had ▁created ▁from ▁two ▁of ▁their ▁old ▁designs , ▁the ▁rear ▁half ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁from ▁an ▁old ▁Niger ian ▁road ster . ▁This ▁prototype ▁was ▁fitted ▁with ▁the ▁typically ▁sl im ▁UK ▁ty res ▁but ▁the ▁event ual ▁R ale igh ▁Bom ber ▁was ▁sh od ▁with ▁huge ▁ 2 6 ▁x ▁ 2 ▁ 1 / 4 " ▁ty res , ▁on ▁virt ually ▁un he ard ▁of ▁ 5 5 9 mm ▁r ims . ▁ ▁These ▁whe els ▁would ▁soon ▁become ▁the ▁standard ▁for ▁Mountain ▁B ikes ▁which ▁would ▁swe