Super16 bicycles: The coolest ride in town
VANDERBIJLPARK - In the 70s you were considered cool if you had a Chopper, in the 80s a BMX to mention a few. Now it is all about the Super16 bicycles that have become very popular in SA and also the Vaal.
Residents might have seen youngsters on these specially built Supers16 (because of the 16-inch frames) bicycles.
They may not appeal to everybody, but the rise of the Super16 bicycle is a new era of youth cycling and ensures “cool status” amongst teens.
Some of these bicycles are pricey, while others are home-built and can be built for less than R500. Depending on how you would like to glam it up. Some are styled to perfection!
Lindobuhle Moloi (13) of CW6 is one of the youngsters who opted to build his own basic Super16.
“It took me only two days to build it,” he says proudly. He bought the frame for just more than R100, and bought the rest of the needed gear, like the handles, crank set, and chain separately.
But no seat! As you sit way back on a carrier above the back wheel. Strange but true, you will see more and more of these bicycles as the trend grows.
But let’s take a ride through the years and recall previous types of bicycles that had an impact in different eras.
Die Chopper
From its first ride in ’69 all the way through the 70s, the Chopper was a bike that defined youth culture for a whole generation of kids.
These early modifications involved “chopping” off unnecessary parts—hence the name “choppers“—such as windshields, front fenders, and bulky accessories, aiming for a streamlined look and improved performance.
For the first time, bikes weren’t just about getting around the block. They were about style and envy and cruising around with your mates.
They were, above all, about being cool. It featured in numerous TV series and movies throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The Goonies and Back to the Future.
In 2014 a 1980 MK2 Raleigh Chopper gifted to US President Ronald Reagan sold at auction for a record $35,000 (more than R600 000).
The Bomber
The Raleigh Bomber was a bicycle aimed at the boys/youth market which first appeared in 1981.
The Bomber had wide balloon tyres, a low slung frame and a sprung saddle with wide “cow-horn” style handlebars in the general style of a “cruiser” bicycle.
The Bomber was successful enough to soon be accompanied by a Super Bomber version and later a 5-speed derailleur geared model. However, Raleigh discontinued the Bomber range in favour of the new Maverick Mountain Bike model in 1985.
The Mountain Bike
The original mountain bikes were modified heavy cruiser bicycles used for freewheeling down mountain trails.
The sport became popular in the 1970s in Northern California, USA, with riders using single-speed balloon tire bicycles to ride down rugged hillsides. These modified bikes were called “ballooners” in California, “klunkers” in Colorado.
It was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that companies started to manufacture mountain bicycles using high-tech lightweight materials, such as M4 aluminum.
The first production mountain bike available was the 1979 Lawwill Pro Cruiser.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, mountain biking moved from a little-known sport to a mainstream activity with an international racing circuit and a world championship.
The BMX
A BMX bike is a bicycle used for road cycling sport, specifically racing or stunt riding.
BMX stands for bicycle motocross. It became insanely popular in the 80’s especially after it was used to help E.T. and eventually fly through the air in this 80s hit movie.
From then to now popularity has kept on growing and evolving from one generation to the next. It has even become an Olympic sport in racing and stunts.
