0:00:02 > 0:00:07For the past 150 years, Britain has been a nation of bike lovers.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12And for much of that time, one make has been associated with quality,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15innovation and Britishness -
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Raleigh bikes.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Born in the back streets of Nottingham,
0:00:20 > 0:00:25Raleigh grew to become the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the world.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27For over a century,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29the company was known for its simple and practical bikes,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31built to last a lifetime.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35A few of the oldest still survive today.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39I feel really proud to own this bicycle.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42To me, this is a work of art.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46For generations, its designs were thought second to none,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48enjoyed by adults and children alike.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55To be out in the fresh air where the smells you got were flowers,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58trees and everything, I thought that was wonderful.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Through rare and previously unseen archive film,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06we'll reveal the craft skills behind Raleigh bikes.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08The frame is the basis
0:01:08 > 0:01:10to which all the other parts will be attached.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12So, let's see how it's made.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17We'll hear from its team racers and from the dealers who sold the bikes.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Then you say, well, you don't even need to start saving up.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25You can just pay a few shillings a week and it'll be yours.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Come into the shop and see what we've got.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31And we'll find out what went wrong
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and the impact it had on Raleigh's workers.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39I was almost in tears because you'd built your life round that work
0:01:39 > 0:01:44and to lose your friends like that, to vanish off into the distance,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46it was really sad.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This is the epic tale of the ups and downs of Raleigh bikes.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06This is Nottingham city centre, filmed in 1902.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11By this time, the Raleigh Cycle Company
0:02:11 > 0:02:15had already been making bikes like these in the city for over a decade.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Employing around 850 workers,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24its factory was turning out nearly 10,000 bikes a year,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27which sold across the globe, each with a lifetime guarantee.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The extraordinary story of how Raleigh came to be
0:02:34 > 0:02:37begins with the adventures of a young British lawyer
0:02:37 > 0:02:39called Frank Bowden.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44One man who knows his story better than anyone is his great-grandson,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Gregory Houston Bowden.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Great-Grandfather was ahead of his time in many ways, really.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56In his whole approach to life. He was a very clever man.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04In 1870, 22-year-old Frank got a job in Hong Kong
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and here he made his fortune through shrewd investments.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12But within a decade, poor health had forced him home.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Back in England, he took up cycling on the advice of a doctor
0:03:17 > 0:03:19after being given just six months to live.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24A year later, he was not only alive,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26but fitter and healthier than ever before.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Great-Grandfather certainly had no doubt at all
0:03:32 > 0:03:35that cycling had completely saved his life
0:03:35 > 0:03:40and taken him from being at death's door with six months to live,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43to being a normally fit, healthy person.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49And of course, he felt a tremendous sense of gratitude to cycling.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Looking to combine his new-found love of cycling
0:03:53 > 0:03:55with his business skills,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59it was here in Nottingham that Frank Bowden came across a small workshop
0:03:59 > 0:04:04making a handful of bikes a week from a courtyard in Raleigh Street.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08He was so impressed, he bought the business,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and in 1888,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12the Raleigh Cycle Company was born.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Taking the heron from the Bowden family crest as its emblem,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21under Frank's guidance, quality and innovation would be its hallmark.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26In fact, the company's earliest bikes were so well made,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28some still exist today.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35This is collector Colin Kirsch,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and he's riding a very special Raleigh Road Racer.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Hand-built in 1890, it's the oldest known Raleigh bicycle in Britain.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51It sort of transports you into another era, a lost era.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Particularly a time beyond cars and motorbikes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05If you're riding in the countryside, the surroundings haven't changed.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09How much closer can you get to feeling it's the 1890s?
0:05:14 > 0:05:20I quite like companies that were innovative and set the fashion.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25So the early Raleigh, 1889-1890,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27they were the first on the scene
0:05:27 > 0:05:30with a detachable chain wheel, for example.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Being able to replace the chain wheel
0:05:34 > 0:05:36with another of a different size
0:05:36 > 0:05:38was one of the few ways to change gear.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And even though it could take five minutes to do,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45it was a major selling point.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I feel really proud to own this bicycle.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50It's a wonderful piece of engineering.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It's fabulous to ride,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56and to me, I would describe this as a work of art.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03The early bikes were good, but Frank Bowden had bigger plans.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04By the 1900s,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08he'd not only moved production to a new five-acre factory
0:06:08 > 0:06:11in Nottingham, he'd also gone global,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14creating an export business that would last for decades.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18With the new factory came new technology.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Frame joints could be brazed in liquid brass
0:06:22 > 0:06:26instead of open furnaces, saving time and money...
0:06:26 > 0:06:30whilst new presses could transform sheet steel into parts
0:06:30 > 0:06:32like the bottom bracket,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36meaning Raleigh could do away with cast-iron components.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39The all-steel bicycle was born.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42They were stronger than the competition
0:06:42 > 0:06:46and with the acquisition of gear manufacturer Sturmey Archer,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48easier to ride too.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The detachable chain wheel replaced
0:06:50 > 0:06:52by a ground-breaking three-speed hub,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56enabling Raleigh riders to change gear at the flick of a lever.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00This unique archive footage
0:07:00 > 0:07:03is taken from the first filmed Raleigh advert,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05made in the late 1920s.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10But Frank Bowden never saw it, because he died in 1921.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14By that time, he'd transformed a backstreet workshop
0:07:14 > 0:07:15into what was claimed to be
0:07:15 > 0:07:19the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the world,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21inspiring thousands of people
0:07:21 > 0:07:23to enjoy the health benefits
0:07:23 > 0:07:25of the pastime that had once saved his life.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29I'm rather proud of him for doing that.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32I think he was far-sighted, ahead of his time,
0:07:32 > 0:07:39a passionate enthusiast and somebody who had the determination and energy
0:07:39 > 0:07:43to carry his, after all, very grand schemes through to fruition.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Frank's son Harold continued to expand the company
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and by the 1930s, Raleigh was a household name.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56This was the golden age of the bicycle,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59when thousands rode Raleighs for their daily commute.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04The company introduced its first assembly lines to satisfy demand.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Yet its focus remained on quality and craftsmanship
0:08:08 > 0:08:10over mass production.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And while traditional bikes like these
0:08:12 > 0:08:15remained the company's core business,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17another market was taking off.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Children's bikes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Then, as now,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26one of life's great rites of passage was getting your first bike
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and being taught how to ride it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33In 1930,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36ten-year-old Margaret Dutton from Huddersfield
0:08:36 > 0:08:39was given her first bike by her father.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I just liked the whole look of it.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47The tyres looked good, it was shining, it was lovely, nice saddle.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I thought, ooh, I could ride that.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Dad said, "That's the best you can get, a Raleigh bike."
0:09:01 > 0:09:07I said, "Will you ride with me, because I might be a bit nervous?"
0:09:07 > 0:09:08He said, "Of course I will."
0:09:11 > 0:09:12I felt on top of the world.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17He taught me to ride my bike and, really, I never looked back.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25At Whitsun in 1930, Margaret and her dad set off on an epic adventure.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31To cycle the 100 miles from Huddersfield to Rhyl in a day,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34through some of Britain's most beautiful rolling countryside.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37It was like magic, you know?
0:09:38 > 0:09:42To be out in the fresh air where the smells you got
0:09:42 > 0:09:45were flowers and trees and everything.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I thought that was wonderful.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55There was hardly any traffic at all
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and we went right through the countryside.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03It was pretty difficult going up hills,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05but I did have gears on my bike,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I had three gears and always,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11when you got to the top there was a lovely downhill.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Dad would come and ride beside me.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21Then we used to chat a bit and he would say, "How are you liking it,
0:10:21 > 0:10:22"Margaret? What do you think?"
0:10:22 > 0:10:25"Whoa," I said, "Dad, it's great, is this, it's lovely."
0:10:28 > 0:10:31It was early evening by the time Margaret and her dad got to Rhyl.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35The following day, they set off for home again.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39For a ten-year-old,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41it was a remarkable achievement
0:10:41 > 0:10:45and one of the proudest moments of Margaret's life.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I boasted to all my friends, "Anyway, I cycled to Rhyl."
0:10:49 > 0:10:53And they used to say, "You couldn't cycle all that way in one day."
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I said, "Go and ask my dad - he was with me."
0:11:02 > 0:11:06The company continued to expand throughout the interwar years
0:11:06 > 0:11:10and in 1932, it bought one of its main rivals, Humber.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But by then, it had another serious competitor.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Based in Birmingham, Hercules was founded in 1910
0:11:20 > 0:11:21and by the mid-1930s,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25claimed, like Raleigh, to be the largest cycle manufacturer
0:11:25 > 0:11:27in the world.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32Mass production, rather than quality and innovation, was its aim.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37And Hercules claimed it could make a bike in less than ten minutes.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39That's why it didn't have the cachet of the Raleigh,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and of course less than half the price,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44as schoolboy Ron McGill discovered.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49My father had said to me, "I think I'll buy you a bike for Christmas."
0:11:50 > 0:11:55I said OK. We went to the shop and there were the gleaming Raleighs -
0:11:55 > 0:11:57costly. He said,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59"No, you settle for a Hercules."
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So I had to buy the Hercules bike,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04which was good, it was a good, sound bike.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08But the Raleigh was a little bit upmarket
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and we...he never really had the money to buy me
0:12:11 > 0:12:13a really expensive bike.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Ron never did get his Raleigh, and by the end of the decade,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the big bicycle companies had more to think about than just sales.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24AIR-RAID SIREN
0:12:26 > 0:12:30In September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36In Nottingham, Raleigh's bicycle production was slashed
0:12:36 > 0:12:39to just 5% of normal output, and instead,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42as this rarely seen film footage reveals,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45the company switched to the manufacturer of munitions.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52What bikes they did make were mostly for use by the Armed Forces,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56like this experimental folding model, designed for the commandos.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Among those who joined the workforce
0:13:00 > 0:13:02was 14-year-old Harry Hardy.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07As a boy, I was doing all the jobs the men were doing.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Yes, you got a bit tired at the end
0:13:10 > 0:13:15of the day, because sometimes we worked six till six, you know?
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Aye.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20But, the war was on
0:13:20 > 0:13:25and we were always happy because we were doing things for the war.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28We were making Army bikes and we felt a bit proud of doing them,
0:13:28 > 0:13:29you know?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32By the time the fighting was over,
0:13:32 > 0:13:38the factory had produced over 380 million parts for the Armed Forces.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Company chairman Sir Harold Bowden, had this message.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48I would like to take this opportunity of paying my tribute
0:13:48 > 0:13:50to all our staff and employees
0:13:50 > 0:13:52for their great and sustained effort.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55For this factory has been working
0:13:55 > 0:13:59on a three-shift basis, night and day,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01for six, long, weary years.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08We shall, in the future, once again resume our position
0:14:08 > 0:14:13as leaders of the cycle industry throughout the world.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Raleigh had done its bit for Britain,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20but now it was time to get back to building bikes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25After buying competitor Rudge Whitworth,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Raleigh launched its first post-war trade fair.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32These pictures showed the latest models
0:14:32 > 0:14:35being revealed to its enthusiastic dealers.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39And to prove to the world that it was back in business,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42the company released this film to show off
0:14:42 > 0:14:44its hi-tech production techniques.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Here is a factory in the heart of industrial Britain,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50a planned response to the world's demand for bicycles.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55We'll go into the chief designer's office
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and hear him tell two visitors just how a bicycle is made.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00I could go miles and miles on one of these, Father.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03So you should - there's 100 years of bicycle manufacture
0:15:03 > 0:15:05behind that model.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09It's our latest type - strong, reliable yet light in weight.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12From the designer's office,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14the film takes us through every stage of the process
0:15:14 > 0:15:16of building a bicycle.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It begins with the frame.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The frame is the basis to which all the other parts will be attached.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23So let's see how it's made.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The frame is made light and strong by using steel tubes.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32The tubing is made by this machine.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Strips of steel are fed into one end and turned into a tubular shape
0:15:38 > 0:15:39by heavy rollers.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The joint is sealed by this powerful flame.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49As the finished tube comes out of the machine,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51it is cut to the required lengths.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55How are the tubes held together to form the frame?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Well, they are securely jointed together by these bracket pieces.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Although obviously staged for the purposes of this film,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05visits to the factory like this really did happen,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07particularly for Raleigh's dealers.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11It was hoped that if they understood the craft skills involved
0:16:11 > 0:16:15in the production process, it would inspire them to sell more bikes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Arnold Sumner was 15
0:16:18 > 0:16:22when he was taken on a tour of the factory in 1950.
0:16:22 > 0:16:28His family had sold Raleigh bikes in St-Annes-on-Sea since the 1920s.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The Raleigh factory was an amazing place.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'Here, red-hot bars of steel are being forged.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:37The first thing that hit me was
0:16:37 > 0:16:42an orchestra of industrial sounds of different frequencies.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48And there were so many of these wonderful, skilled,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50skilled people in the factory.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53'The front fork and back stay
0:16:53 > 0:16:56'are polished by holding them against emery wheels.'
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I came across a man who was assembling the hub.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07This man, he will put his hand in a box full of ball bearings
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and by magic, he'd throw the ball bearings at his finger
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and the ball bearings would just go right round.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'This worker can fill over 1,000 hubs in an eight-hour day.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:23To me, I thought this fella's a miracle man.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I came across another place
0:17:28 > 0:17:33and these guys were dipping the frames into this tank
0:17:33 > 0:17:35of black liquid.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39'This gives the bicycle its lustre and shine
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'and enables it to keep its new appearance for a long time.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:47And when I went into this wheel assembly plant,
0:17:47 > 0:17:52you'd have a long row of women and they were there all day
0:17:52 > 0:17:55lacing them up, building wheels.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00'These girls are so expert that they can fit a tyre and a tube
0:18:00 > 0:18:01'in 50 seconds.'
0:18:02 > 0:18:07I've never stopped thinking, such a deep impression it made
0:18:07 > 0:18:09going round the Raleigh works.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15I'm 81 now, but the memories of that visit
0:18:15 > 0:18:19to the Raleigh bicycle works are still fresh in my mind.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22So that's how a bicycle is made.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Yes, careful designing,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26reliable materials and expert craftsmanship
0:18:26 > 0:18:28in every stage of manufacture
0:18:28 > 0:18:31turn out a British bicycle second to none.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36The factory was a place of wonder to 15-year-old Arnold,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and many on the payroll thought of it as a great place to work
0:18:39 > 0:18:42although it did have its downsides.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46A growing assembly line meant some jobs were becoming boring
0:18:46 > 0:18:50and repetitive while others were dangerous and noisy.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54And as they were paid according to how many parts they made,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58the company's craftsmen had to work hard for their money.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02The toughest thing for me was doing the jobs and passing them
0:19:02 > 0:19:05to the next operator because he couldn't keep going
0:19:05 > 0:19:08unless you were doing your job.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14They'd give you a good doing if you ain't keeping up
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and keeping them going because they say, if you don't dab in,
0:19:17 > 0:19:22we'll get no money in the tin at the weekend, so you dabbed in.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Despite the hardships,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Harold Bowden took a paternalistic approach to leadership
0:19:28 > 0:19:32so employees were thought of as part of the Raleigh family.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35And outside of work, they were well looked after.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Home movies show workers and their families
0:19:40 > 0:19:43enjoying a sports day on the company's playing fields.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48And there were regular dances held at the firm's own ballroom.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Raleigh had its own medical centre and convalescent home
0:19:55 > 0:19:57but top of the list for many
0:19:57 > 0:19:59was the annual paid outing
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and the favourite destination was Blackpool.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08You never got days out like that with anybody else, did you?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10And it was all paid for.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I took my wife with me and we'd have a walk up and down the prom,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19go on the pier.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22Up the Tower.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Lovely.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31We used to paddle and go out as far as we could,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36as far as...it didn't get up your trousers or something like that.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42And then at night, the lights would come on and we'd get on a bus
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and go round the lights.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It was a cracking do.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It made you feel that you were wanted
0:20:52 > 0:20:57and they were looking after you in all respects.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Yes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Raleigh realised the importance of leisure time,
0:21:03 > 0:21:08not just for its workers but also as a way of promoting its latest bikes.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11In the 1950s,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15the company's marketing material focused on the great outdoors,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18portraying a new bicycle golden age
0:21:18 > 0:21:21in which cycling was a lifestyle choice.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Raleigh bikes were used not just to get you to work,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27but as a means of escape, too,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30usually with the companion of your dreams.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Much of this artwork featured the traditional roadster,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37perfect for cycle touring,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39but the company had to find ways
0:21:39 > 0:21:42to sell its drop-handlebar sports bikes too.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Back in the 1890s,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47it had done this through the sponsorship
0:21:47 > 0:21:52of successful sprint racers like world champion AA Zimmerman.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56But it had been decades since it had signed a superstar racer.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00That was until Reg Harris came along.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02We pick out the event of the day
0:22:02 > 0:22:04at the meeting of the Buckshee Wheelers.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06The 1,000 metres international cycle sprint.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Taking part, British amateur sprint champion, Reg Harris,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Holland's champ and the two Manchester Wheelers,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Dove and Barrister.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17At the half distance, Harris was well in the lead.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23Amateur champion Reg turned pro when he signed to Raleigh in 1949,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26the same year that he won the first
0:22:26 > 0:22:28of four world professional sprint titles,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31launching the memorable slogan,
0:22:31 > 0:22:32Reg Rides a Raleigh.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37With his charm and good looks, he was soon as well known
0:22:37 > 0:22:41as sporting heroes like Stanley Matthews and Stirling Moss,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43and just as well liked.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45To a popular cyclist from Manchester
0:22:45 > 0:22:47goes the sporting public's highest honour.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Harris, who won his world title...
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Reg's success sold bikes and his name was associated with
0:22:53 > 0:22:57one of the company's best-loved models, the Lenton Sports.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Aimed at the sports rider as well as the leisure cyclist,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06the bike was as good on country lanes as it was on time trials.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10And with the Reg Harris seal of approval,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14selling it was like a ride in the park for dealers like Arnold Sumner.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16You'd say to the customer, now,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18if you want something really different,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22something that you're going to be able to get to work faster on
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and at the weekend you can go off into the country,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28you'd better have a Raleigh Lenton.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Made famous by Reg Harris.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35You all know about Reg Harris, the fastest cyclist in the world.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39These are the sort of bikes that he would want YOU to buy.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41This is your inspiration.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44To get on your bike, get fit
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and to do the sort of times that Reg Harris did.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Being a canny salesman,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Arnold was not above using social occasions
0:23:53 > 0:23:55as a way to sell the bikes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58As a member of the Cycle Touring Club,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01he often went on group trips into the countryside
0:24:01 > 0:24:05and riding his own Raleigh Lenton, he had a captive audience.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Of course, you were riding on your Raleigh Lenton bicycle
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and you seemed to be going along better than all the others,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17then when you are chatting to them, you could say, "Here you are,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19"have a ride on this, see what you think."
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And then, after about half an hour riding, you say,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27"Well, what do you think?"
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And the person had to say,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32"Well, it's certainly better than my old bike.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36"Yes, when I save up enough money I must really get one of these."
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And then you say, "Well, you don't even need to start saving up,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44"you can just pay a few shillings a week and it'll be yours.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46"Come into the shop.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49"Come into the shop and see what we've got."
0:24:51 > 0:24:56And yes, going out riding in a group of people,
0:24:56 > 0:25:01making direct comparisons with some of the rubbish bicycles
0:25:01 > 0:25:05that they had certainly helped cycle sales.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Reg Harris boosted sales to men,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12so the company attempted to do the same for women
0:25:12 > 0:25:14by signing a female racing star.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But their target was one acquisition they failed to make.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Her name was Eileen Sheridan.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Some men believe a woman's place is in the home, but Eileen's husband
0:25:25 > 0:25:28likes to get her out of the house, even if only into the garage.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32For in this home-made gymnasium, he supervises the exacting training
0:25:32 > 0:25:35that has brought her 11 championship medals
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and 23 national place-to-place records.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Eileen was Britain's top time-trial rider
0:25:41 > 0:25:43and as a record-breaking amateur,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47she'd had the major manufacturers chasing her signature.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Well, first of all, Raleigh were after me,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54but they offered me so very little.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I think they thought, "It's a girl, she won't win."
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Then Hercules sent me a telegram
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and they made me a marvellous offer,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04so that was a very great relief.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Raleigh missed out when Eileen signed for competitor Hercules
0:26:10 > 0:26:12in 1951.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Her challenge was to break as many distance and place-to-place records
0:26:16 > 0:26:20as she could and as a result, raise the brand's profile.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Nicknamed "The Pocket Hercules"
0:26:25 > 0:26:28because she was only 4 foot 11 inches tall,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Eileen was known for her infectious smile, even when racing.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37I was just happy...
0:26:39 > 0:26:42..and I suppose that was good for advertisements.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47They all felt that if they rode a Hercules, they were all smiling.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Maybe they were.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Within a few years,
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Eileen had broken all the women's records by a large margin,
0:26:55 > 0:26:57but perhaps her greatest achievement
0:26:57 > 0:27:02was captured in this newsreel from 1954 when she set a new record
0:27:02 > 0:27:05for the journey from Land's End to John O'Groats,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09completing the gruelling 872 miles
0:27:09 > 0:27:13in 2 days, 11 hours and 7 minutes.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18For Hercules, Eileen's success meant sales.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Well, one of the professionals in the Hercules team said,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28"You know, Eileen, they sold thousands and thousands of bikes
0:27:28 > 0:27:31"when you were getting those records. Thousands," they said.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37So the fact that I was a pocket Hercules or whatever...
0:27:38 > 0:27:40..it sort of went down very well.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45By this time, Hercules and a few other bike companies
0:27:45 > 0:27:49were owned by tubing manufacturer Tube Investments.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Together, they were now even bigger than Raleigh
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and in an industry driven by mergers and acquisitions,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58it was turning into a battle
0:27:58 > 0:28:00in which only the strongest would survive.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Nevertheless, Raleigh was still a global brand,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06producing a million bikes a year,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10most of which were exported to happy customers around the world.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15However, its bikes didn't just go overseas to be sold,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18many went abroad with their intrepid owners,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22part of a growing fashion for cycle touring on the Continent,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26a pastime made easier with new lightweight bikes
0:28:26 > 0:28:28and derailleur gears.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33The company didn't introduce the derailleur until 1955
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and few models had them.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40This one was fitted alongside the existing three-speed hub
0:28:40 > 0:28:43by engineer David Sore, before he set off Austria.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46The experience would change his life.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55It was so enjoyable travelling in Austria.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Travelling in this beautiful mountainous terrain.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07Finding yourself going up long gradients...
0:29:08 > 0:29:11..and I never had to walk up a hill.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Eventually you would reach a summit.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20It was inspiring.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28But you didn't want to race down
0:29:28 > 0:29:31because you had to tell yourself
0:29:31 > 0:29:35that you were travelling on those roads
0:29:35 > 0:29:39for perhaps the only time you would ever travel on them.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43You needed to go down slowly enough
0:29:43 > 0:29:46so you took in all the wonderful views.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51After several tours in Europe,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54David decided he loved cycling so much
0:29:54 > 0:29:58he would leave his job and take his bike around the world.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02The journey took him three and a half years.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07The period of travelling, when I look back on it,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11it was a life-changing, life-enhancing experience.
0:30:13 > 0:30:19The Raleigh bike had become such an integral part of my life.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And an experience like that,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27it stays with you...
0:30:28 > 0:30:32..and you continually relive it, as I do now.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Throughout the 1950s,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46confidence at Raleigh remained high and the company continue to buy out
0:30:46 > 0:30:52its main competitors, including Triumph and in 1957, BSA.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53But there was trouble ahead.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58That year, war hero Viscount Montgomery
0:30:58 > 0:31:00came to Nottingham to open a huge new factory
0:31:00 > 0:31:06but a dramatic slump in the market meant it would stay empty for years.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09The cause was a fall in exports
0:31:09 > 0:31:12and a rise in the popularity of the car.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15As living standards increased,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19so too did car ownership and the bike fell out of favour.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Cycling to work was seen as a preserve of the poor
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and more commuters decided to drive.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Busy roads made cycling increasingly dangerous too.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32More cars meant more accidents,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36so many cyclists decided to give up their bike.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39The impact on the industry was enormous.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43By the end of the decade, bicycle production in the UK
0:31:43 > 0:31:45had fallen by 40%.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Something had to change.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51In 1960, Raleigh was swallowed up
0:31:51 > 0:31:55in a merger with its main competitor, Tube Investments.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00The bicycle business that had begun life in a back street in Nottingham
0:32:00 > 0:32:06was now part of a group that controlled 75% of the UK market.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10I think we were all rather sad that it had been taken over.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15On the other hand, it was much better that that happened
0:32:15 > 0:32:18than that Raleigh and TI slowly killed each other off,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20which was the alternative.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Raleigh kept its name and absorbed Tube Investments' brands,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27including old rival Hercules.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30But what the management hoped would be a new golden age
0:32:30 > 0:32:35was just the start of a long period of uncertainty and unrest.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Morale on the shop floor declined as redundancies loomed
0:32:40 > 0:32:44and when chairman Sir Harold Bowden died in 1960,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47the company lost the sense of paternalism
0:32:47 > 0:32:48that had made it special.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Discontent was on the rise
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and it was reflected in a ground-breaking feature film
0:32:55 > 0:32:56released that year.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Set in the Raleigh factory,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Saturday Night And Sunday Morning told the tale of Arthur Seaton,
0:33:15 > 0:33:16a rebellious anti-hero
0:33:16 > 0:33:20fed up with his life on the bicycle production line.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24'954.'
0:33:26 > 0:33:31It was based on a book written by ex-Raleigh worker Alan Sillitoe.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36'950 bloody five.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'Another few more and that's the lot for a Friday.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'£14, three and tuppence for a thousand of these a day.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47'No wonder I've always got a bad back.'
0:33:47 > 0:33:50With its gritty realism, controversial storyline
0:33:50 > 0:33:53and career-defining performance by Albert Finney,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56the film became a smash hit.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58'I'd like to see anybody try to grind me down.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59'That'd be the day.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04'What I'm out for is a good time.
0:34:04 > 0:34:05'All the rest is propaganda.'
0:34:08 > 0:34:12In the real world, the threat of job losses and pay cuts
0:34:12 > 0:34:15was making real-life Arthur Seatons out of the once-loyal workforce,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19sparking a series of industrial disputes.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Raleigh was having an identity crisis.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Bike sales continue to fall too
0:34:25 > 0:34:28as the young generation rebelled against the old way of life
0:34:28 > 0:34:32embodied by Raleigh's traditional roadsters.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34What the company needed was a new design
0:34:34 > 0:34:37that captured the spirit of the times.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40And he's getting away on a revolutionary bicycle.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42The cyclist is Alex Moulton,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45well-known designer of suspension units for cars.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46Five years of development
0:34:46 > 0:34:49have produced the first bike with suspension.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Designer Alex Moulton's revolutionary small-wheeled bike
0:34:53 > 0:34:55came along at just the right time.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59He offered to make it with Raleigh but the company turned him down,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01only to copy it with its own version.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06The RSW 16 had fat tyres instead of suspension
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and was a slow ride,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11but it marked the beginning of a new era for Raleigh
0:35:11 > 0:35:14in which its designs became both fashionable and fun.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17MUSIC: Devil Gate Drive by Suzi Quatro
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Best of all was the Chopper.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27Released in 1970, it's arguably Raleigh's most iconic bike.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33Motoring journalist Mark Hughes got one for his tenth birthday.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37There was just no way, once you'd seen that as a ten-year-old kid,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40there was no way you couldn't have that.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44It was just irresistible.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46It was just lust.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48That's the only way you could describe it.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49It was the nearest...
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Ten-year-old lust.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55# ..down to Devil Gate Drive. #
0:35:55 > 0:35:58As a boy, Mark had ambitions of becoming a racing driver.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03But in the meantime, the Chopper was the next-best thing.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08With its small front wheel and big back wheel,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11that's what Formula 1 cars of the time looked like.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14This is like something from a different planet.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Best of all, it had a gear stick, a proper gear stick like a car.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23The pedals going round and round,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26in my head they were the revs of the engine
0:36:26 > 0:36:28and I'd be making the noise inside my head
0:36:28 > 0:36:30and then you change the gear when you got maximum revs
0:36:30 > 0:36:34and the next gear and you had to do them very fast.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39The big thing for me was to always go as fast as possible at all times,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41brake as late as possible,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44go through the corner with as much lean as possible
0:36:44 > 0:36:46without the pedal quite hitting the ground.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48That's what it was all about.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51There were downsides to the Chopper, though.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55With most of its weight at the back, it was easy to tip up
0:36:55 > 0:36:58and the gear stick could cause painful accidents.
0:37:00 > 0:37:01But having mastered it,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Mark will always have a place in his heart for his old bike.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08If I'm walking the dog and see a nice little mud path
0:37:08 > 0:37:11with the right sequence of corners in it, I think,
0:37:11 > 0:37:12oh, I'd love the Chopper down here.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15The Chopper would be fantastic round this corner, still now.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18The Chopper was an instant hit
0:37:18 > 0:37:21but there's controversy behind the bike's success
0:37:21 > 0:37:24because two men claimed to have designed it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- Hello.- Ah, good morning.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30- I understand you want a word with me.- Yes, I do, George.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Alan Oakley was Raleigh's design director.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37He'd been with the company since the 1940s
0:37:37 > 0:37:41and had been responsible for the RSW 16.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44He was absolutely dedicated to Raleigh.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47One of his friends said, Alan was Raleigh and Raleigh was Alan.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51And the passion of designing
0:37:51 > 0:37:56and designing bikes and also the engineering part of it,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59he just loved it.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03The story goes that the company wanted a new bike to rival
0:38:03 > 0:38:06the Schwinn Sting-Ray, a low-rider design
0:38:06 > 0:38:07that had taken America by storm.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12This early attempt was made by Raleigh in America.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18Launched in Britain as the Mustang in 1966, it was a flop,
0:38:18 > 0:38:23so it was up to Alan Oakley to come up with something better.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27One of the super things that happened to me was in 1967
0:38:27 > 0:38:32and my then board said, "Get on an aeroplane and go to America.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35"Go anywhere else you like, but come back with a better product
0:38:35 > 0:38:39"than currently they've got or we are producing for them."
0:38:40 > 0:38:44According to Raleigh folklore, inspired by his trip,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Alan scribbled the first designs for the Chopper on the plane home.
0:38:49 > 0:38:50Back in Nottingham,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54he and his team put his plans into action and the Chopper was born.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01Alan died in 2012, but it's a story his wife, Karen, can confirm.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08Alan brought the design back and they created it at the Raleigh,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10the team completely.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And looking through his briefcase, I found this,
0:39:15 > 0:39:19which I'm sure is the original design,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23which would then become the iconic Chopper bike, I think.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28The company liked the idea of Alan's original sketches so much,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31it used the concept in its advertising campaign.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35But there's a problem because designer Tom Karen
0:39:35 > 0:39:38also claims to have designed the Chopper.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43I just had no idea that somebody at Raleigh
0:39:43 > 0:39:46had ambitions to design the Chopper.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50It never occurred to me.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Tom ran design agency Ogle
0:39:52 > 0:39:55and says Raleigh gave him the brief
0:39:55 > 0:39:57to design the Schwinn rival
0:39:57 > 0:39:59and he's got convincing evidence too.
0:39:59 > 0:40:05What we have here is a copy of the first sketch I made
0:40:05 > 0:40:07after a meeting with Raleigh...
0:40:09 > 0:40:11..and out of my usual way of operating,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15I had sketchbooks and I would put ideas down there
0:40:15 > 0:40:17and it features, of course,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21the big wheel at the back and the front wheel...
0:40:21 > 0:40:24being small which is key because
0:40:24 > 0:40:28they made it like a dragster or a Formula 1 car
0:40:28 > 0:40:32where all the power comes from the back.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Then it had a nice, straight frame,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38unlike the Schwinn that they were trying to compete with,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40which had a very curvaceous frame.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44I knew it was a very good design...
0:40:46 > 0:40:49..so I don't know what more I can do to prove it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53The Design Council has given credit for the Chopper to Tom,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55but whatever really happened,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58the bike has become an icon of the '70s
0:40:58 > 0:41:02and one which will always be synonymous with the name Raleigh.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07The Chopper's success was good for morale as well as sales
0:41:07 > 0:41:11and by the end of the '70s, industrial relations had improved.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14But work on the assembly line
0:41:14 > 0:41:16could still be boring and repetitive.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Clive Hodgson, seen here in this archive film,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23would be the first to admit it.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25He lived for the weekend.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I think a lot of people would do that
0:41:28 > 0:41:32if they are working in that type of work, you know.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Or a monotonous job.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You'd find some outlet in your mind
0:41:36 > 0:41:38to break away from that, otherwise
0:41:38 > 0:41:41you'd end up going round the bend, I think, round the twist.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44We're going to carry on now with a super number from 1958.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47This is Big Joe Turner and Boogie Boogie Country Girl.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Take it away.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55Clive's outlet was rock'n'roll, and as a part-time DJ,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59he spent most weekends playing '50s records at clubs around the country.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02He even managed to bring a bit of the weekend
0:42:02 > 0:42:06back to the daily grind of the assembly line.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Of course I knew a lot of the words to the songs.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11We used to have a laugh and sing some of them.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14We got different people who used to sing different parts and we used to
0:42:14 > 0:42:17have a laugh. One of the favourites what we used to get on with
0:42:17 > 0:42:20was one called Ain't Got No Home by Clarence "Frogman" Henry.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22It went something like this.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24# I ain't got no home Da-da-da-da da-da-da
0:42:24 > 0:42:26# And no place to roam
0:42:26 > 0:42:30# I ain't got no home and no place to roam. #
0:42:31 > 0:42:34RECORD PLAYS: # I'm a lonely boy
0:42:34 > 0:42:36# I ain't got a home
0:42:37 > 0:42:39FROG VOICE: # I ain't got a mudder
0:42:40 > 0:42:42# I ain't got a fadder
0:42:42 > 0:42:44# I ain't got a sister
0:42:45 > 0:42:47# Nor even a brudder
0:42:48 > 0:42:51# I'm a lonely frog
0:42:51 > 0:42:54# I ain't got a home. #
0:42:54 > 0:42:58I enjoyed it because it just took away that monotony
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and people began to know me after a time
0:43:01 > 0:43:04and they used to say, hey up, he's going off again.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Elvis is going off or whatever, you know.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Away from all the singing,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18the company had been looking to increase its market share
0:43:18 > 0:43:22in the one place where it had never really gained a foothold,
0:43:22 > 0:43:23continental Europe.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27And the quickest route to sales was through a successful racing team.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31The best way to promote bikes
0:43:31 > 0:43:35is trying to get to the biggest level you can get to
0:43:35 > 0:43:39and the Tour de France is possibly the biggest thing,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42if not equal to the Olympic Games.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44The people who go
0:43:44 > 0:43:46are in their hundreds of thousands,
0:43:46 > 0:43:48millions over a three-week period,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52so if you could have success in the Tour de France,
0:43:52 > 0:43:57especially with television, it's free advertising.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00So in 1974,
0:44:00 > 0:44:02the company opened a new factory in Ilkeston
0:44:02 > 0:44:05called the Specialist Bike Development Unit.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Here, in contrast to Nottingham's assembly lines,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13bespoke, hand-crafted racing bikes were made
0:44:13 > 0:44:17for a brand-new TI Raleigh racing team.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Each rider had an individual bike that was made for him.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25They say there's two ways you ride a bike.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28You either sit in it or you sit on it.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31If you sit in the bike, you are part of the bike.
0:44:31 > 0:44:32If you sit on the bike,
0:44:32 > 0:44:37because it's a little bit too long or you're a little bit too high,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39you waste energy.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42With super-lightweight 753 tubing,
0:44:42 > 0:44:47silver brazing and the latest Campagnolo derailleur gears,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51the bikes made at the SBDU were world-class,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54and in a short time, the team began to compete in
0:44:54 > 0:44:57and then win some of Europe's top races.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01The real breakthrough came in 1977
0:45:01 > 0:45:05when Raleigh won the team prize in the Tour de France
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and as a result, hundreds of cycle dealers
0:45:08 > 0:45:11across Europe began stocking Raleigh bikes.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15And there was better news to come just three years later.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Cycling, and the Tour de France has been won
0:45:18 > 0:45:20by Joop Zoetemelk of the Netherlands
0:45:20 > 0:45:21riding a British Raleigh.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24It's the first time the Nottingham-based Raleigh company
0:45:24 > 0:45:26has won the coveted individual first place.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Now Zoetemelk's win will help them further their share
0:45:29 > 0:45:31of the valuable Continental market
0:45:31 > 0:45:34where sales now total a quarter of a million a year,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36from almost nothing a few years ago.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40Thanks to the craftsmen of the SBDU,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44Raleigh had become a serious player in the European market
0:45:44 > 0:45:46and its racing team was the best on the planet.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49Meanwhile, another sport had taken off
0:45:49 > 0:45:52that was set to transform the world of cycling
0:45:52 > 0:45:55and appeal to fashion-conscious youngsters.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02It was called bicycle motocross - BMX for short.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09Originating in America, the BMX craze was sweeping across Britain.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15These small, agile bikes brought a new level of fun to cycling,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18their lightweight design enabling riders
0:46:18 > 0:46:20to perform jumps and tricks with ease.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26The three-speed Grifter, launched in 1976, was similar,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28but BMX bikes were single speed
0:46:28 > 0:46:31and the company was reluctant to get involved.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Raleigh was in a difficult position
0:46:35 > 0:46:37because BMX was a single-speed bicycle.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Raleigh had a sister company called Sturmey Archer
0:46:40 > 0:46:42who made three-speed gears
0:46:42 > 0:46:46and all our kids' bikes had three-speed gears
0:46:46 > 0:46:49and therefore for me to say we need BMX,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52everyone was going, "But that doesn't have any use."
0:46:52 > 0:46:54You can do a three-speed BMX.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Yvonne Rix was an influential figure at Raleigh,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01who transformed the ladies' market
0:47:01 > 0:47:04with a range of bikes designed just for women,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07advertised like fashion accessories in the latest colours.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11In the early '80s,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14she convinced the company that it should start making BMX bikes
0:47:14 > 0:47:17and in 1982, the Burner was launched.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21To begin with, no-one knew if it would sell.
0:47:21 > 0:47:27When I actually went down to the factory and saw all these bicycles
0:47:27 > 0:47:30coming down in bright red and yellow and green
0:47:30 > 0:47:33and I thought, oh, my goodness me.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36But Yvonne's instincts were proved right
0:47:36 > 0:47:39and the Burner flew off the production lines.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42To give its publicity an extra push,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45the company began to sign up the best riders in the country
0:47:45 > 0:47:47for a new team,
0:47:47 > 0:47:52and one teenager from Walthamstow was top of its list of targets.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54His name was Andy Ruffell.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it in BMX.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02There really are no words to describe a sport like ours.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04MUSIC: Wild Boys by Duran Duran
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Riding for competitor Mongoose,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11Andy had a huge fan base and had already achieved the rare feat
0:48:11 > 0:48:15of becoming national champion in both BMX racing and freestyle.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20But a move to Raleigh was too good to refuse.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24It felt like I'd arrived.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29You know, having been through, you know,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32my whole childhood on Raleigh Grifters and, you know,
0:48:32 > 0:48:34getting a Raleigh Chopper, that kind of stuff,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36it felt like a full circle thing.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39It just doesn't get any better than that.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Andy and the team were hired to raise the profile
0:48:44 > 0:48:47of the company's BMX bikes.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Not just by winning races on them
0:48:49 > 0:48:51but also through publicity appearances
0:48:51 > 0:48:54which could draw in over 2,000 fans.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58It was always strange because we were teenagers
0:48:58 > 0:49:01and yet we were treated kind of like pop stars, I guess.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04I think one of the most amazing things for me was
0:49:04 > 0:49:08the lengths that these kids would go to to get an autograph
0:49:08 > 0:49:11and also where they would want autographs.
0:49:11 > 0:49:12# Wild boys... #
0:49:12 > 0:49:18We had girls that would want autographs in strange places
0:49:18 > 0:49:22and then there was kids where I would sign their foreheads.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25You know, "Andy Ruffell, Raleigh number one"
0:49:25 > 0:49:27on the top of their forehead. Really strange.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Andy finished the season as British champion before leaving the sport
0:49:35 > 0:49:37to pursue a life in the media,
0:49:37 > 0:49:41but Raleigh will always remain close to his heart.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45I think I'm really fortunate that the last year of my career
0:49:45 > 0:49:48was with one of the biggest brands in the world
0:49:48 > 0:49:50and I'm very proud of that.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53You know, we were successful - Raleigh sold a lot of bikes
0:49:53 > 0:49:55and I had the best time ever.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02Andy left the sport he loved just as the BMX boom began to fade.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Meanwhile, the company switched its attentions
0:50:06 > 0:50:09to another American invasion - mountain bikes -
0:50:09 > 0:50:12launching the Maverick in 1985.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Although, with stiff competition from American brands,
0:50:15 > 0:50:17sales were initially disappointing.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24We always had a credibility problem because the imported bikes were all
0:50:24 > 0:50:28lightweight and things like that and Raleigh still had this image of
0:50:28 > 0:50:33being sturdy and reliable and, you know, dare I say heavy.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Still, over the next few years,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40the company formed a new mountain bike racing team,
0:50:40 > 0:50:45launched an upmarket model with Shimano gears called the M-Trax
0:50:45 > 0:50:48and introduced shock absorbers on the Activator.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52Raleigh would go on to sell over three million mountain bikes.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55However, the mountain bike boom
0:50:55 > 0:50:58led to the decline of the traditional racer
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and Raleigh disbanded its racing team,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03closing down the factory in Ilkeston,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06but not before it had produced a pair of bikes
0:51:06 > 0:51:08that would make history.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14In 1986, broadcaster Nicholas Crane and his cousin Richard
0:51:14 > 0:51:17set off on an extraordinary cycling adventure,
0:51:17 > 0:51:21riding bikes they'd had made at the SBDU.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26He hasn't looked at his photos for 30 years.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31This is us on the beach in the Bay of Bengal at Patenga Point
0:51:31 > 0:51:34on the 1st of May 1986
0:51:34 > 0:51:39with our brand-new, straight from the factory,
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Raleigh bikes twinkling in the Bangladeshi sun
0:51:42 > 0:51:45and I can tell from the way we're standing
0:51:45 > 0:51:50that we're both absolutely desperate to get on those amazing bikes
0:51:50 > 0:51:53and start pedalling towards the Himalayas.
0:51:53 > 0:51:58Nick and Richard were attempting to cycle over 3,300 miles
0:51:58 > 0:52:01from Bangladesh, across the Himalayas,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03to a place in north-western China
0:52:03 > 0:52:07which they'd calculated to be the point on the planet
0:52:07 > 0:52:09furthest from the open sea -
0:52:09 > 0:52:11what they called the centre of the earth.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Getting there over mountains and across deserts
0:52:17 > 0:52:21would push man and machine to their limits.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23No-one had ever done it before.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28It's always going to be more exciting
0:52:28 > 0:52:31if you think you're doing something
0:52:31 > 0:52:33that either not many people do
0:52:33 > 0:52:35and best of all, if nobody's ever done.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37That's an amazing feeling.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43The best way to achieve their goal
0:52:43 > 0:52:45was to travel fast and light,
0:52:45 > 0:52:48so they carried no tent or food and little water.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Instead, they relied on their ability to get from place to place
0:52:55 > 0:53:00as quickly as possible and the kindness of strangers along the way.
0:53:01 > 0:53:07The risk has enormous rewards and the more exposed you become,
0:53:07 > 0:53:11the more the joys of humanity get reaffirmed.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19It took them 58 days, but after surviving blizzards,
0:53:21 > 0:53:25sandstorms and just a couple of punctures,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Nick and Richard finally made it to the centre of the Earth.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35And it was thanks in part to their hand-built bikes.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40When I look at this last picture of us holding the bikes up,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43it is interesting that the language of this image
0:53:43 > 0:53:46is of two bikes being celebrated.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52The bikes were this mechanical constant.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57The only variables were our bodies and minds.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Today, 30 years after making history,
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Nick still has a souvenir of his journey.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Come and look in here.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19This is the Raleigh, this is the bike that I rode with Dick
0:54:19 > 0:54:22to the place in the world most distant from the open sea,
0:54:22 > 0:54:23the centre of the Earth,
0:54:23 > 0:54:28and it's pretty much exactly as it was the day we finished the ride.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32It's still part of my life and it's an immaculate bike.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36The tyres are still pumped up and it still works perfectly
0:54:36 > 0:54:40and it's been knocked about a bit because it was a rough old ride
0:54:40 > 0:54:43but I'm never going to let it go.
0:54:44 > 0:54:49In 1987, the year after Nick and Richard's epic journey,
0:54:49 > 0:54:53a series of buyouts began that signalled the end of the glory days
0:54:53 > 0:54:55for Raleigh in the UK.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00After the mountain bike boom, sales had continued to drop
0:55:00 > 0:55:04and by 1998, they were the lowest they'd been since 1970.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Raleigh was falling out of fashion.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11The company was finding it impossible to square its ambition
0:55:11 > 0:55:16to make high quality as well as mass-produced bikes
0:55:16 > 0:55:18and the growth in rival manufacturers
0:55:18 > 0:55:20made the situation worse.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25In 1999, it made a shock announcement.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29100 years of British biking tradition came to an end today
0:55:29 > 0:55:31when the cycle maker Raleigh
0:55:31 > 0:55:33auctioned off its manufacturing equipment.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35From now on, the bike frames will be made abroad
0:55:35 > 0:55:38and the factory in Nottingham will concentrate on
0:55:38 > 0:55:39assembly and painting.
0:55:41 > 0:55:42But that was only the beginning.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45Three years later,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48Raleigh announced it was closing its Nottingham factories for good.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51From then on, its bikes would be made in the Far East.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Clive Hodgson was one of the remaining 281 assembly workers
0:55:57 > 0:56:00who lost their jobs.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02He'd worked at Raleigh for over 40 years.
0:56:04 > 0:56:05To finish just like that
0:56:05 > 0:56:07and everybody vanishing into the distance,
0:56:07 > 0:56:09really sad, really sad.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11You know, when it finally came to an end,
0:56:11 > 0:56:16I was almost in tears because you'd built your life round that work...
0:56:17 > 0:56:19..and to lose your friends like that,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21to vanish off into the distance,
0:56:21 > 0:56:23it was really sad.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25# Monday, I'm going to rock with Jane... #
0:56:26 > 0:56:29They were the best years of my life.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33The people I've met and the work I did, I really enjoyed it.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37It was a really sad moment, yeah.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39# Saturday and Sunday Any chick will do. #
0:56:43 > 0:56:47Today, Raleigh is owned by Dutch company Accell
0:56:47 > 0:56:50and its bikes continue to be made overseas.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55The Raleigh brand is not as popular as it once was
0:56:55 > 0:56:58but as the fashion for cycling continues to increase,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00there is optimism for the future.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05It's even launched a new road racing team,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07hoping to live up to past glories.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11For us at Team Raleigh, the future is looking really bright.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14The bikes that we're using, the Militis,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17is a top-of-the-range bike from Raleigh.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19It's carbonfibre, light,
0:57:19 > 0:57:24comes in at just on seven kilos, under seven kilos.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26But it'll set you back about £6,000.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30It's a nice bike using the old colours
0:57:30 > 0:57:34which everybody where we've been,
0:57:34 > 0:57:35they love the Raleigh bike.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40They still relate it back, especially the old fogeys,
0:57:40 > 0:57:41as we call them,
0:57:41 > 0:57:45it just brings back memories of the '70s and the '80s for them.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50It remains to be seen how successful Raleigh will be
0:57:50 > 0:57:52as bespoke bikes produced by rival companies
0:57:52 > 0:57:56are now associated with the quality and craftsmanship
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Raleigh was once a byword for.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Whatever the future holds for Raleigh,
0:58:03 > 0:58:06for some people, the name will always conjure up
0:58:06 > 0:58:08images from the past.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12From happy memories of time spent learning to ride your first bike,
0:58:12 > 0:58:16to days out touring the British countryside.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19From the simplicity of riding in the street with friends
0:58:19 > 0:58:22to epic journeys far and wide.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25Raleigh, for better or worse,
0:58:25 > 0:58:30will always be associated with the golden age of the British bicycle.