Raleigh Bicycle Company introduced in 1973 and only available in a bizarre shade of pink. This model was discontinued in 1976. The Mk 2 had a shorter seat and the frame modified to move the rear of the seat forward, this helped prevent the bike tipping up. The shorter seat also made it harder to ride '2 up' (2 people on the bike at a time). The "Chopper" remained in production until 1982, when the rising popularity of the BMX bicycle caused sales to drop off. Raleigh revisited the chopper design in recent times, with great success although the new version has had
Merlin (bicycle company) 16, 2011, American Bicycle Group announced that bicycle retailer Competitive Cyclist of Little Rock, AR had acquired the rights to the Merlin Metalworks brand. At the spring 2013 National American Handmade Bike (NAHB) show, Competitive Cyclist announced the return of Extralight Merlin road bike production with new geometry and additional models projected for later in the year. The Merlin frame is made of American sourced titanium by Form Cycles of Arizona. Merlin (bicycle company) Merlin Metalworks, Inc. was a pioneer in titanium bicycle design and construction. Merlin introduced the first titanium alloy mountain bike, oversized tubesets, s-bend chain and seat