Alan Oakley, designer of the revolutionary and iconic Raleigh Chopper youth bike died of cancer two days ago in Nottingham, UK. Raleigh Bicycles'lead designer in the 1960s and 1970s, Oakley designed the Chopper, a bike that would become a symbol of the 1970s, on the back of an envelope after seeing the motorcycle flick Easy Rider. Oakley was also responsible for designing the first track bike to use the red, black and yellow color scheme which is still used by the Raleigh team to this day.
The Raleigh Chopper, with it's angular seat, large back wheel, small front wheel, and car-like gear shifter was re-launched by the company in 2004.
[via Bicycle Retailer]
