Alan Oakley (designer)

Alan Oakley (27 April 1927 – 18 May 2012) was a British bicycle designer from Nottingham who worked for the Raleigh Bicycle Company.

As Raleigh's chief designer he designed the company's best selling Chopper bicycle. He drew the design for the Chopper on an envelope as he travelled home from the US, in 1967, inspired to replicate the design of Peter Fonda's character's motorbike in the 1969 film Easy Rider. The trip was specifically set up for him to "get-to-grips" with youth culture. In the 1980s, production of the Chopper ceased when the rival BMX appeared, but, due to popular demand, a limited edition Chopper was released in 2004.

Oakley married twice. His first marriage, in 1954, was to Brenda Wilson; the couple had a son and daughter. Oakley was married to Karen Francis from 1992 until his death from cancer at age 85 in 2012.